Ten Skills That Will Make You a Freelance Writer

Being a freelance writer isn’t easy, but it is possible to make a living at it. If you’ve got what it takes to live the life of a freelancer — not everybody does — then here are some tips you might find helpful.

1. Be prepared for a different lifestyle

In theory, as a freelance writer you’ll be your own boss. You’ll be one of those pants-optional work-from-home people. You’ll be able to increase or reduce your work level as you please. You’ll save a ton of money by not commuting or eating lunch in restaurants. You’ll avoid the angst of office politics and bosses looking over your shoulder.

In theory.

In truth, even if these stereotypes all become true for you, which they may, there are potential downsides you need to know about.

First, you will have a boss. Of course you will. More than one, in fact. You’ll call them clients but they’re still the boss. Also, working from home can lead to social isolation. Unsteady income can mean financial insecurity, which can make it harder to get loans or a mortgage. The presence of your fridge can lead to constant snacking.

In terms of advantages and disadvantages, it’s not either/or, it’s all of the above. Just don’t nurture romantic notions about freelance writing. Me, I’m used to it, and I like it. But don’t ever let yourself think it’s somehow easier that a traditional job.

2. Don’t just sit there, WRITE

You’ll need an excellent online portfolio. Start at least one blog. This will demonstrate to prospective clients that you know what you’re doing. Find topics that interest you and write the heck out of them. If you can grab eyeballs from a broad audience, that’s even better. Maintain your blog(s) as though you’re running a magazine. Put your project manager hat on. Create a release schedule, prepare research, write and post your pieces in advance. Believe me, all your efforts will show in the work.

Quality, original working gets noticed by Google much more than clumsy keywords, so generating traffic to your blogs will help your career — high traffic will be something else you can put on your resume. You’ll be able to provide links to your work every time you apply. And for heaven’s sake, check, double-check and triple-check your work for errors and typos!

Other content you might consider creating:

• An eBook (or more than one), available for free
• A self-published novel, even a piece of (family-friendly) fan fiction
• Applying your writing to other media, such as songs, films or a podcast

Use your imagination. Stretch yourself. Write.

3. Stretch yourself in your content

Want to impress potential employers? Demonstrate your understanding of the business case for good writing. Write about Google’s preference for original content. Write about how analytics can provide insights on whether your work is having an impact. Remember that you’re not being hired for pretty words, you’re being hired to help a business grow. Demonstrate your understanding of that.

4. Write with passion!

If you’re bored, that will show in your writing. If you don’t care, that will show too. At the same time, if you’re interested, that will also show in your writing. Readers are drawn to content that’s created with passion.

This is a key aspect of being a writer that, surprisingly, doesn’t get discussed much. The ability to find your passion in all your work, even if it’s about some mundane technical issue, is one of the most valuable skills you can hope to possess.

The first thing I do when assigned a project is to figure out how the topic will affect the real lives of real people. Make that connection. Make it matter. Your writing will be better for it.

5. Always be pitching

As a freelance writer, you can’t ever sit back and relax. You always need to be pitching new work. As a contractor who’s not physically present in the office, you’re one of the most invisible (and disposable) people they have. It’s a sad fact that quality writing is rarely treasured these days, even if analytics show your work earning real, measurable dollars.

Nobody expects you to be exclusive to one client. As long as you’re able to consistently write well and on time, it’s okay to juggle clients. If a client does want you to work exclusively for them, get on a retainer and make sure you’re treated like a real employee. Keep in mind that if you’re applying for a full-time writing job you should expect to work in an office.

6. Your first priority: A “home base” client

This is a client you have on retainer. You have a good working relationship. You reliably produce quality, error-free content. They trust you and pay on time. In return you prove yourself with every assignment. Clients like these are core to the life of a freelance writer. They provide a measure of security, and act as a base from which you can seek more clients. They also, hopefully, help your reputation, potentially getting you more work through word-of-mouth.

You should expect to be constantly juggling short-term or one-time clients, but getting your first retainer client will really give you a boost.

7. Watch out for scammers

Hoo boy, there are a lot of sleazebags out there. Clients who disappear, clients who don’t pay, and clients who are just plain shady. Assume you are a target and protect yourself accordingly. Be cautious at the start, assuring your new client that your precautions are to ensure their satisfaction with your work. Try to verify their identity. Trust your gut.

You’ll come across people trying to pass off your work as their own. You’ll come across people changing your work for their own purposes. Heck you’ll find employers on freelancing sites who are literally hiring people to do their schoolwork for them.

Be on your guard at all times, and that includes when you’re meeting clients in person. Meet in a public place, have a meeting (real or not) scheduled for immediately afterward, protect your drink, and so on. No, I’m not kidding

8. Know your competition — and your value

The competition for writers is fierce. Not only are you up against writers with your own level of skill and experience, you’re competing with writers who have loads more experience under their belt. You’re also competing with new writers fresh out of school. You’re competing with writers from developing countries like the Philippines and India who will write volumes of content for pennies.

This has had a calamitous effect on the market. Freelancing sites like Upwork can be pretty depressing places because so many postings offer ludicrously low rates. Then of course there are are the clients who offer no money at all.

It’s crucially important to know where you stand in the market. Whether or not you apply to these places is your choice, but I strongly suggest avoiding them like the plague. It won’t help your portfolio, your pocketbook or your self-esteem. It’s also highly unlikely you’ll have a miserable work experience.

If maintaining standards means going longer between gigs, or getting a part-time retail job to pay the bills, in this writer’s opinion it’s worth it. Once you start getting properly-paying contracts, they’ll start to lead to more work. Give it time. Keep writing. You’re worth it.

9. Train yourself to become an instant expert

A central skill you will absolutely have to master is the ability to rapidly become familiar with any topic. And I mean any topic. You might be expected to write about transmission upgrades for electric cars, or of sneakers by an obscure Tokyo designer, or e-learning strategies for IT professionals.

You can’t afford to pick and choose what you write about. Master the art of Googling. Don’t just rely on Wikipedia or random Google results. Look at news articles, blog posts, social media content, even scholarly content. You’d be surprised how quickly you can pick up information.

10. Be the writer they don’t worry about

Writing isn’t easy, and not many people can do it well. Chances are your clients are not writers, so they may have difficulty in explaining what it is they want. One of your chief jobs, however, is to clearly understand the goals of your assignment, and achieve those goals fully. You should also be aware of the tone they’re looking for, because this is something people get hung up on. Serious and corporate? Folksy and conversational? Light and humorous? Make sure you’re clear going in.

Another goal should be to ensure that you’re utterly reliable. You don’t blow deadlines, you don’t ever post factual errors or typos. You want your clients to know that you’re off there at home, churning out top-notch content. You want people to say to your client, “hey, I read that blog post, it was great!” and “we’re getting tons more leads since we updated the newsletter!”

All of this requires extraordinary diligence and discipline. It means writing with great care, and checking everything over multiple times before submitting it. It means treating everything you write as though it’s an audition.

And that is the life of a freelancer: work as if you’re always being assessed, because you are. Work as if you’re always on the edge of being fired, because, well, you are (freelance writers are very much a disposable resource).

Work hard, work well and good luck. You got this!