4 Essential Lessons for All New Freelance Writers

Here’s some great tips for getting started as a freelance writer and blogger.

Image via Pixabay

Please note: this is a contributed post.

For many people, the idea of being a freelance writer is pretty romantic. You wake up when you feel like it, breeze into your kitchen for your morning cup of coffee, then curl up on your sofa with your laptop. Then it’s as simple as just sitting there and letting the creativity flow out of you and earn you your daily wage.

Of course, there’s some truth to this, and freelance writing can be a brilliant career path for some people. But, there are also downsides and a few surprises in store for new freelancers. So, if you’re thinking of becoming a freelance writer, here are a few lessons you need to learn.

Focus on Search Engine Optimization

You need to get your website up to a decent standard ASAP and take care of your search engine optimization (SEO). As a freelance writer, the internet is your lifeline. In fact, it’s the thing that makes your job and lifestyle feasible in the first place.

Prospective clients will find you via the internet, and your portfolio site will be your business card, shopfront, and personal introduction, all in one. That means your website and/or blog need to be set up impeccably, featuring professional copy and headshots, as well as whatever testimonials and work samples you can rustle up from former clients.

In addition to that, you need to research the best free SEO tools, identify the right keywords, and SEO optimize your site, to increase the odds of prospects finding you through their Google searches.

Don’t Let People Take Advantage of You

People will try to take advantage of you – you’ve got to be ready to push back when this happens. A grim reality that all experienced freelance writers are familiar with, is that people will try to take advantage of writers, especially if you are a new freelancer.

You will inevitably come across clients who book you for work, and then they don’t pay your invoices. Or, you’ll run into client who try to book you for little money by undercutting your normal rates. 

No one starts at the top, but you need to be mindful of people trying to exploit you. Keep email evidence of agreements and and avoid working without a contract in place, even if it’s just one you put together yourself using a simple template.

Find a Specific Niche to Target

You should consider identifying a niche and targeting your marketing and work around a specific topic or industry. “Writer” is a broad category, and it’s unlikely that you’ll have the experience to write about everything – from financial technical writing to nutrition writing.

Consider narrowing your focus on a specific niche, and targeting your marketing efforts around that topic. This will make your life easier, it will clarify your brand identity, and it will also increase the likelihood that your marketing efforts hit the right audience, instead of being scattered too broadly.

Lack of Job Security and Benefits

One con of freelancing is that you have no job security or benefits such as health insurance or personal time off (PTO). Clients hire you, in part, because you require less of an investment of resources and commitment than hiring a full time staff writer.

This means you can be dropped by a client without warning, and almost certainly will be, at some point. It also means that you don’t get paid vacation, health insurance, or a pension fund covered for you by your clients.

The moral of the story here is that you need to stay sharp. You should always be marketing, always be looking for the next big thing, always be saving money, and always be planning ahead.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!