Do you remember the moment you realized you wanted a freelance writing career? I do.
Ten years ago, I was a teacher desperately wanting to find something else to do with my life. I had recently earned my Masters degree and my committee chair had told me that I was a very strong writer. I had been traveling more and felt like I had a lot to share with the world. I dreamed of finding a way to get paid for writing and travel.
I also remember the very first time I saw my first article published. Imagine the emotions I felt when I saw my name and my writing on the screen. I was happy, proud, excited, and couldn’t wait to tell the world. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a full-time writer.
If you’ve recently made a similar decision or are thinking about moving into the freelance writing world, you’ll find many people will scoff and tell you that you can’t make a living doing that. Or they’ll warn you how difficult it is to actually make a living. Or tell you that you’ll be working with no breaks. Working for yourself has a whole different set of challenges. There are weeks when the work is flowing so you take it all and work very long days. But I can tell you with 100% certainty that it is definitely possible to make a living as a freelance writer. Here’s how.
Start writing as your side hustle
Unless you have the means or savings to quit your job and dive into writing full-time, start your freelance writing career as a side gig. Carve out a few times a week or on the weekend to put together some pitches and work on your writing skills.
Or start a blog so you can just start putting your thoughts out there. It’s super easy to sign up for a free WordPress website and putting together some blog posts will also give you some clips to send when you’re pitching ideas to editors.
Another reason to start building your writing career up on the side is that it takes time for you to start receiving paychecks and build up a regular income. It can take 30 days to get paid and many outlets take quite a bit longer.
Whether it’s a side gig or your main gig, be professional. Share on X
Take it seriously from the very beginning
Whether it’s a side gig or your main gig, be professional: invest time in researching websites and publications, put effort into crafting your pitch, respond in a timely manner, be easy to work with, say thank you even if you get rejected, and hit your deadlines.
Pitch often
Pitches are how you get work as a writer. It’s a 500-ish word email that you send to an editor that explains your story idea and why you’re the best person to write that story.
Set a goal to send out at least 5-10 pitches each week (or take the 13-pitch challenge!). Some writers like to come up with their ideas and then find a publication that would be a good fit, while others look for publications and then craft pitches specifically for them. I’ve done both. If I have a great story idea, I’ll try to find a publication that I think want to publish it. But when the creative well feels dried up, I’ll pick some publications I’m interested in and brainstorm a few ideas that might work specifically for them.
Get used to rejection
You’re going to get rejected. That’s just how it goes. Even writers who have been in the biz for decades get rejected. It doesn’t mean that you’re a bad writer, sometimes your idea just isn’t a good fit. I would argue that rejection can actually make you a better writer.
You don’t need a ton of clips to start
If you are just getting started, chances are you don’t have a long list of published articles.
Your clips don’t even matter as much as people think. It’s far more important to put together a decent pitch because that’s the first impression you make on an editor and they can tell a lot about your writing style and ability to complete a successful article from the way you put your thoughts together. Editors are more likely to give a new writer a chance if I could tell they spent time writing their pitch and could convince me why they were the most qualified person to write that piece.
You don’t have to write for free because you’re new
Many new writers don’t yet have the self-confidence to ask for money for their words. When I started, I’d take any assignment that came my way, whether it paid nothing or $25, because I thought I needed clips. The reality is, whether you’re new or a veteran writer, you deserve to get paid for your work. I wouldn’t recommend writing more than an article or two for free and then start going after paid gigs!
Exposure (writing in exchange for a byline or just to “get your name out there”) doesn’t pay the bills and you’ll never be able to make the leap to freelancing full-time if you always work for pennies.
Websites can be a good place to start
It’s much tougher to get published in print magazines because they set their calendars months in advance and have a limited number of articles they can publish. Websites, on the other hand, often publish multiple articles a week (or day). They don’t generally pay as much as print, but you can find some digital magazines and other websites that may well, too.
Consider choosing a niche
By picking a niche and narrowing down the topics of what you write about, you can make a name for yourself as X kind of writer and collect clips that prove how great you are in that area. You may want to start by writing about a variety of topics that interest you and narrowing it down from there.
It’s also okay to have more than one niche. For example, I have a degree in early childhood education and I’m a huge soccer fan. I might want to write about behavior issues in three-year-olds for one publication and about who my favorite MLS signed in the offseason. That’s okay, too.
There are no rules when it comes to this, but it can be easier to think of story ideas and write pitches if you pick one area of expertise and stick to it.
Look for steady work
If you are constantly pitching, you will have to hustle 24/7, so the goal is to find at least a couple steady clients. These are publications or editors that you work with regularly, ideally getting consistent work from so you can count on that paycheck coming every month. It will also take some of the pressure off of you about making X amount of money per month because you can count on some it coming from these clients.
You might find clients like these on a job posting on Linkedin or Craigslist (though be careful with Craigslist — it can be tough to find legit opportunities there), or you might develop a relationship with an editor so they keep giving you work. Always keep the possibility this back of your mind and it never hurts to ask editors if there are any long-term opportunities available.
Find support in other writers
Being a freelance writer isn’t like working in an office. You have to be mostly self-motivated, organized, and get used to working alone. Unless you already know some people who are writers, it can also get very lonely.
Co-working spaces and coffee shops are great places for getting out of the house, but you’ll eventually want to talk to other writers — people who have been there, can prove to you that it is possible when it feels impossible and give you feedback to make you an even better writer.
There are writing groups that meet in person and there are also tons of Facebook groups out there. There’s also The Workshop, a Facebook group filled with supportive writers, monthly live events with experienced published authors, weekly check-ins and more. Leigh manages the group and hosts a monthly Q&A, so you can ask all of your burning questions.
Your path will not be the same as mine. I explored other things throughout the years but always came back to writing. One thing I learned along the way is that you don’t have to do it alone. There are plenty of resources and places to get support out there!
