Work From Home as a Freelancer

If you’re a talented writer, those skills can come in handy in more places than just English class. Good writing is in high demand today, so if you’re reliable and a good writer, it isn’t hard to start making money. Online marketing is increasingly important today, so businesses are looking for writers to create online content.

As a college student, you’re probably already a pro on social media, so you’ve got a head start on creating content that’s engaging and shareable. While website content may be the largest area of demand, others are looking for different kinds of writing. Some people are looking for ghost writers to pen short stories, poems, e-books, and even novels.

Others are looking for professional business or legal writing, which could be up your alley if you’ve had a summer internship in a related field. You can also make money by working on resumes and cover letters or by offering proofreading services. Whatever you writing talent is, there’s likely a niche for you.

 

Tips

• Identify your areas of specialty on your profile or website. List not only the kind of content you like to write (website content, creative writing, etc.), but your areas of expertise, such as health, fitness, cooking, sports, celebrity culture, politics, travel, and so on. These areas of specialty will help you find clients who need your particular set of knowledge, and they serve as keywords to help get you found. In general, the more areas of expertise you can honestly list, the better.

• Rates vary wildly in the freelance writing world depending on the kind of project and your level of experience. When you’re just starting out, you’ll likely need to keep your rates low to start getting customers. You may be making just pennies, so view this as an investment rather than as significant income. Once you’ve built up a client base and some reviews, start charging more.

• There are so many platforms for freelance writing out there, so explore them. Being independent is probably the best way to make money (no commissions!), but it’s also the hardest. You’ll have to form all of your own connections and get in the habit of making pitches. Writing marketplaces usually take a chunk of your earnings, but they can bring the clients to you. Do your research, and don’t feel obligated to stick with the place you started; different platforms work best for different writers.

Resources:

Upwork: Upwork features different kinds of freelancers and projects of different sizes. Typically, to get work you submit an application to jobs posted by clients. You can opt to get paid by the hour or per project.

 Freelance Writing Jobs: This website posts a daily collection of content writing, blogging, copywriting, proofreading, and technical writing jobs. It’s a great resource to find different kinds of gigs.

Content Writers: This is a relatively high-paying platform for experienced writers. You have to apply, and if you are accepted, you can be matched with clients to write blog posts, website pages, press releases, email newsletters, and social media posts.

 Fiverr: This is a general freelancing site that gets a lot of traffic. Rates typically start pretty low (think $5 for 500 or 600 words), but you can increase them as you start accumulating positive reviews. There are a lot of clients on here, so once you get going it’s easy to find work.

 You can also submit pitches to your favorite websites, blogs, and magazines. You never know who might be looking for fresh content from a new writer!