5 Steps to Building an Online Writing Career
While I do enjoy my 9 to 5 job, there’s something satisfying about being my own boss, and there are days when I fantasize about what life would be like as a full-time freelance writer.
But I’ve always wondered how others make it work. How do they make freelance writing their primary source of income?
After reading this guide, you’ll know exactly how I’ve made it work, plus you’ll learn the necessary steps you need to take to make it work for you as well.
Online blogging can be a very lucrative business, but many people looking to get into it fail because they don’t follow a process or don’t commit long enough to see it through.
Tip 1: Build an online portfolio or start a blog.
Many publications require you to have some examples of your work before they’ll even consider hiring you. To get your foot in the door, it’s best to have a portfolio of your published work or a blog that shows off your writing and your ideas.
Tip 2: Find your ideal “niche.”
Niche describes your area of expertise or what you’re passionate about. If you love travel, your niche might be the best places to vacation. If you love child psychology, you might choose to write about the best ways to raise kids. Know that you’re writing about what you’re interested in and can be passionate about.
Tip 3: Utilize online platforms for paid work.
I do the majority of the work you see on my website for free. The other day, I jokingly suggested to my husband that I should wear a � work-for-free t-shirt to help spread the word about how cool it is to do something you love for free. I have a few examples of this.
I have a blogging income share on Textbroker. I wrote a blog post for them a while ago (which went well and is now live on Swept Away Marketing), and they asked me to write more. I have a week by week minimum that I need to keep, but I get to write whatever I want and edit/delete as needed. The pay is above average for a young writer, and I enjoy the challenges.
I’ve also done some Amazon reviewing on Amazon’s Vine program. (Background: Amazon has a Vine program to help review new products for a small fee. The Vine program is for people with established Amazon accounts; it’s not a program for newbies.) If you have ever tried to review a book on Amazon (which I have), then you know it’s like a full time job. I was happy to get paid some money for reviewing a new product.
Tip 4: Learn how to add value.
In your writing, try to find ways to add value to the reader as you respond. Maybe the reader hasn’t thought about a particularly subject before. It could be that you have suggestions about how to accomplish a task, like how to get rid of an annoying bird.
If you can do this in your article, you’ll be taking an early lead in the sales process. You’ll be showing that you understand the concerns of the reader and that you’ve got solutions. This is what I mean by adding value to the reader.
Want to Build a Writing Career from Scratch?
Here’s How!
Building an online writing career requires more than writing a few articles. It takes time, dedication and hard work. But if you’re willing to put in the effort to start and build an online writing career, there’s a good chance you’ll be rewarded.
It can be difficult to get things started from scratch, but there are several ways you can create an identity and build a writing business from the ground up. Before we go any further, let’s make sure you’re clear on the difference between freelance and web content writing, which are the two most common types of writing jobs available online.