Last Updated March 6, 2023
In the last couple of years, millions of Americans have quit their 9 to 5 jobs to join the freelancing industry. According to Statista, by 2020, the number of freelancers in the US was 59 million, up from 53 million in 2014. Many Americans are joining the freelance sector because of its benefits, such as the freedom to work from wherever you want and at a time you find appropriate.
If you want to become a successful freelance writer but are not sure of the kind of freelance writing jobs you can take on, this article is for you. We will share with you the top 10 freelance writer jobs you can start doing today to earn money online. But first, let’s discuss a few things you need to know before becoming a successful freelance writer.
How to Become a Freelance Writer with No Experience
Writing is a skill that anyone can learn even if they didn’t receive formal training in writing-related subjects. You just need to be committed and willing to put in the time. Of course, it is an added advantage if you love writing. To help you find online writing jobs, below are the steps you can take to build your writing skills from scratch.
Step 1: Take a short writing course
There are plenty of beginner writing courses on the internet that you can take to kick-start your freelance writing career and improve your writing skills quickly. Some of these beginner courses are available for free on YouTube. However, platforms like Skillshare, Coursera, or Udemy are better alternatives if you need more in-depth courses for your freelance writing career.
You can get most of these in-depth writing courses on Udemy for less than $20. You may also use your 30-day Skillshare trial to get free access to several writing classes. When choosing a course, it is always best to choose one conducted by someone with a proven track record in freelance writing. They should probably own a successful blog as the bare minimum.
Step 2: Start publishing articles online
As you take your course, make sure you practice your article writing. You can publish the articles on platforms like LinkedIn or Medium. Of course, you need to start by choosing a niche and then come up with several topics you can write about. It is important to choose a freelance writing niche that you find interesting if you want the article writing process to be easier.
At this level, you shouldn’t be worried much about the engagement you get on these platforms. The goal should be to publish articles and then improve them over time. You can set a goal of publishing at least two to three articles every week. Start with shorter articles of about 500 to 1000 words.
Step 3: Consider creating a blog
Most clients will always want to look at your previous writing samples to evaluate your skills as a freelance writer before giving you their freelance jobs. Your own blog will make it much easier for them to check out your previous writing samples and evaluate if your niche and writing style suits their needs.
If you can’t create your own blog, at least have writing samples ready to send to potential clients who want to check your previous work. Later, when you become an experienced writer, consider creating your blog to get more visibility and in turn more freelance writing job opportunities.
Step 4: Sign up on a freelance website
After practicing (for at least one to three months), it is time to start hunting for clients and freelance writing jobs. There are plenty of freelance job sites with thousands of freelance writing jobs that you can do even if you don’t have much experience in freelance writing. Such websites include Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, etc.
Make sure you create a professional profile to convince your potential clients that you are the right person for their freelance writing needs. Keep in mind, you likely won't have reviews to back up your profile in the freelance marketplace since you are new on the platform; that’s why having a blog or sample articles is necessary at this point in your freelancing career.
Add sample articles to your freelance writing portfolio or a link to your blog if the freelance platform you choose allows you the option. It is also important to charge lower prices than the competition. You need to get the first ten to twenty freelance writing jobs as fast as you can in order to earn reviews.
Good reviews are paramount for success in any freelance marketplace. Perform in-depth research about the topics requested you write about and avoid plagiarism or duplicating content from other websites. You may also use writing assistants like Grammarly to fix grammar errors and check for plagiarism.
Finding freelance writing jobs becomes easier if you have good reviews and a wide range of skills. It is important to keep an eye on the freelance writing job board and the job listings on the platform. Many clients post freelance writing jobs looking for freelance writers. Regularly following the job postings is the best way to land writing gigs for new writers.
Step 5: Read as much as you can
Reading should be part of your daily routine if you want to be a good writer. You can always read articles on some of the top-rated blogs or news websites in your niche. For example, if you are into technology, articles on websites like TheVerge, Mashable, TechCrunch, and Wired should be on your daily reading list.
Besides reading articles on blogs and news websites, you should also read books that you find interesting. As you read books or articles, try to learn a thing or two that you can implement in your freelance writing. Learn how different successful freelance writers introduce topics for their articles and how they capture the reader's attention in the first few paragraphs of the article.
How Much do Freelance Writers Make?
According to ZipRecruiter, many freelance writers earn around $66,935 /year. But of course, your earnings will largely depend on several factors, including your experience, the platforms you choose to offer your services from, your writing speed, etc.
If you want to earn more as a beginner freelance writer, ensure to do your best every time you are given a freelance writing project to work on.
As a new freelance writer, your goal should be to build a solid reputation. Retaining your clients is one of the easiest ways to ensure a stable income as a freelance writer. Freelance writing jobs pay more as your level of experience grows. You can expect to start with low prices but grow them over time as your experience and overall reputation improve.
Now that you know what you need to do to become a freelance writer, let’s review our list of the top 10 types of freelance writing jobs.
Top 10 Freelance Writing Jobs
Resume Writing
There are millions of job seekers in the USA and the rest of the world. Most of these people are in need of professionally written resumes or CVs by a freelance resume writer that they can use to apply for their dream jobs.
You will often find thousands of CV for online freelance writing jobs on almost every freelance website, including Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal, and many more.
Writing Resumes is one of the easiest writing jobs for beginners. The starting point to becoming a good resume writer is researching different types of resumes and how they are written.
Most of your clients will need three common types of resumes. These include chronological, functional, and combination resumes. Let's explain these in more detail.
Chronological resumes
This is a type of resume that focuses mainly on the working history of an individual. All relevant jobs one has had should be listed in chronological order, with the most recent one at the top of the list.
The next section after the professional experience is the educational background, followed by additional skills. Of course, freelance writers will have to start with a resume summary and the header.
This type of resume is the most common and is considered the standard for most industries. Chronological resumes are usually preferred by individuals with no major gaps between their previous jobs, consistent progression throughout their careers, and a long record of accomplishments and skills in the industry to which they are applying. If your client doesn’t specify the type of resume they need, write them a chronological one.
There are several templates that you can use for writing a chronological resume. These templates usually come with the format of the resume already created for you; you simply have to fill in the information that the client provides and a few more details in the sections that require your creativity.
Functional resumes
This is the type of resume that focuses more on the relevant professional skills and not the chronological order of ones working history. For instance, if someone is applying for a software engineering job, their professional experience should start with previous jobs in the software engineering or computer science industry.
With functional resumes, all the relevant skills have to be categorized. For each skill, one has to add bullet points of their accomplishments to prove that they possess the skill. These accomplishments are usually written in terms of figures. For example, if one adds a skill like coding, they have to specify the number of projects they have been part of, either as an individual or team.
Functional resumes are usually preferred in industries where an individual's technical skill is vital. Most hands-on jobs, such as doctors, engineers, or technicians, require functional resumes. These resumes save time for a recruiter since most of them simply focus on the relevant skills section only.
Combination resume
This type of resume combines the most useful elements of functional and chronological resume formats. It focuses on the relevant skills of an individual, just like the functional resume, but also allows room for adding professional experience that is usually written in chronological order.
This kind of resume is usually preferred for jobs that don’t look at one’s technical skills but rather the overall individual as a professional. Managerial jobs are a typical example of jobs that don’t rely mainly on one's technical skills but rather their professionalism and experience in the industry.
As a freelance writer, you won’t get a lot of freelance writing jobs that need these kinds of CVs. However, if they show up, there are plenty of combination resume templates that you can use to get the job done without having to start from scratch.
Besides the three resume types, there are several other types that your potential clients could ask you to write. Some of these may include nontraditional resumes, federal resumes, mini resumes, targeted resumes, and many more.
Tips for Writing a Good Resume
Make sure it’s relevant to the job being applied for: All the information you add to your client’s resume needs to be relevant to the job they are targeting. So, before you start your freelance writing, do some research to learn more about the job role and industry.
Limit it to two pages: Your target should always be two pages maximum unless your client requests more than that. Keep the resume concise and clear; avoid including any information that doesn’t add value to the resume.
Make sure the accomplishments are quantified: This mainly applies to functional resumes where each skill needs to be backed up with an accomplishment. Ensure every accomplishment has numbers to back it up. You will have to request the client provide this information to you.
Proofread the resume multiple times: Any minor grammar errors in the resume could cost your client a job. Take your time to read through the resume several times before sending it to them. Consider using AI writing assistant tools such as Grammarly to help detect and fix any grammatical issues present in the resume.
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