12 Tips for a Successful Freelance Writing Career

Freelance writing is the career of a professional writer who works as a contractor as opposed to a full-time staff writer at a company. Freelancers offer their writing services to different clients and often work across a variety of genres, writing about any topic a client assigns. Freelance writers can also write for different types of clients—they might sell their short stories to creative writing journals, write newspaper and magazine articles, or work as a copywriter or content writer for a client.

Learn what it takes to make a living as a self-employed writer by following these freelance writing tips:

1. 1. Always look for new freelance writing jobs. Running your own freelance writing business means you’re responsible for finding new clients. To avoid downtime between projects—and to keep making money—you have to pound the pavement for new freelance writing gigs. Search online job boards. Reach out to potential clients by sending an email introducing yourself to the content director. Network with other writers who can pass work on to you when their plates are full.
2. 2. Pitch your own stories. As a writer, chances are you have your own ideas circulating in your head. Think of newspapers or journals you want to write for, then think of relevant story ideas and start pitching. Once you get your first story approved and your first byline, you’ll have an easier time pitching ideas to other publications.
3. 3. Don’t quit your day job. If you’re a new writer, ease into a career as a freelancer by doing it part-time at first before starting your own small business. It could take a little time to land your first client and start making good money as a successful freelance writer. As you start freelance writing, hold onto your day job, if you have one. Once you’ve built up a steady flow of freelance jobs and writing clients, then take the plunge and make freelancing your full-time career.
4. 4. Turn in clean copy. It’s important that you turn in your writing work with clean copy. This means proofreading and self-editing your work. Make sure your sentences are short, concise, and easy to comprehend. Go over your work word by word and line by line, checking for typos, incorrect punctuation, and grammar.
5. 5. Start blogging. If you have a passion for something—like cooking, parenting, or skiing—think about becoming a blogger on the subject. Keeping up your own blog is a creative outlet that helps build your writing skills, shape your writing style, and become a better writer. It also gives you an online presence and the ability to incorporate some search engine optimization (SEO) strategies so prospective clients can find you.
6. 6. Learn fundamental SEO skills. More companies need content that will drive customers their way. They’ll need content marketing writers who know the basics of SEO and how to help their website rank high in search results. As a freelance writer, have a basic grasp of how search engine optimization works and where to strategically place keywords to drive web traffic to the company’s site.
7. 7. Take different types of assignments. When you start writing as a new freelance writer, take different types of freelance writing assignments and work for different types of clients. Many of the topics you’ll write about will be new to you. One client might assign you white papers—which are in-depth, well-researched, thought-leadership pieces that require a lot of research. Another might have you writing social media posts for their company. Another might put you to work copywriting. While both gigs are wildly different, they will each give you valuable writing experience.
8. 8. Develop a thick skin. Your clients will give you feedback on your work. You’ll sometimes deliver a perfect piece, and other times you’ll need to do a lot of editing. Don’t take negative feedback personally. Writing for a client means matching their brand’s particular voice and tone and delivering the content they want. You need a thick skin as a freelance writer. Successful writers take feedback in stride, make the changes that are requested of them, and use the experience to improve their skill set.
9. 9. Strengthen your time management skills. Every writing assignment will have different time requirements. A client might give you one month to write a short piece, while another might need a 2,000-word article done in three days. Learn how to budget your time on a daily basis, blocking out several hours at a time to focus on your work to meet your deadlines.
10. 10. Find your writing niche. With some assignments, you’ll be starting from scratch, writing on a topic you know little about. As you take on more work, see if there’s a type of writing you enjoy and that you’re good at. For example, you might find that you like technical writing or medical writing. When you specialize in a specific genre, you’ll become a sought-after writer with those types of companies.
11. 11. Be familiar with each style guide. Whether a client asks you to adhere to the Associated Press Stylebook or the Chicago Manual of Style, you’ll generally follow one of the main style guides that dictate writing details like grammar, style, spelling, and punctuation usage. Have a copy of each book so you’re ready to write in the style your client wants.
12. 12. Have your own marketing materials ready. A good writer will be ready when new clients inquire about their work and availability. When a potential client reaches out to you for freelance work, they’ll often want to see writing samples. Have those ready to go in one place so you don’t take time out of your day to hunt and peck for past work. It’s also a good idea to have client testimonials to share.

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