You love to write. Though you may not be a professional, you are dedicated writer. You get up in the middle of the night to jot down story ideas and have even called in to work because you “got the bug”. There has got to be a way to get paid for this, right?
Right! Though the world of freelance writing is competitive, if approached in the right way by a dedicated individual it can also be extremely lucrative. So what are the steps you need to take to start making an income doing what you love? I’m glad you asked.
1) Research.
The best way to know where your writing will fit in a paying market is to take a look at the material they are currently publishing. Go out and pick up a few copies of your local publications. Get a feel for their individual styles, the voice they use, the general length of the articles, the subject matter they prefer, and see if they have contact info for the editors inside (usually on the “Contents” page or near the back). Do the same for online publications. Maybe you can suggest a piece for a specific section or regular column—knowledge of the publication(s) you are querying will go a long way.
2) Reach Out
Tell your friends, family, and colleagues of your intentions to become a professional freelancer. Who knows—you may know someone that needs copy written for a website, a brochure made, or who happens to be the editor of a major magazine.
Besides, you are not likely to find any work if nobody knows you are looking for it. Use social media, and if you are not on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, make your profile(s) for each one now. No really, now, in a separate window. No excuses.
3) Brand Yourself
No, not literally—I mean create a unified professional image. What does that mean exactly? Well, clean yourself up and make sure you dress to impress in public, but also be sure to create a basic marketing package for yourself. Handing someone a professional-looking business card with your contact info and website will dazzle in comparison to ripping off a piece of the newspaper you are reading to scrawl out your email address for a potential client. Vistaprint.com offers 250 full-color cards at no charge to anyone. Just pay shipping.
The second part of that package is your website. Don’t panic yet—it can be very basic. You just need a page that tells a little bit about yourself (your background, and the services you offer), another page with a few samples on it, and one more with your contact info. The goal of your website is to make it easy for potential clients to get in touch with you and to see samples of your work, so these three basic pages posted publically on your own website are an essential piece of any professional freelancers marketing arsenal.
Do some rooting around the web to find great deals on hosting and domains. Find a drag-and-drop website creator that will take the pain out of building a website. I suggest starting with Wix.com and GoDaddy.com for an intro to web building and hosting.
4) Write.
Basically, you have to do the work to get the work.
Blogs are great for this. The freedom inherent in the format is fun and, as long as you keep yourself posting regularly, you are demonstrating to potential clients that you are dedicated to the craft and that you can create original content consistently. WordPress and Blogger offer quality platforms that integrate easily with most web builders. Make sure your blog is linked to your website and vice versa.
5) Reach Out Further
You have done the research. You have the samples. Now it is time to put your ideas to work!
Take a few of your blog ideas and pitch them as story ideas to paying markets. Draw upon your research to decide where to send each story idea and to whom you should address the query.
A quick note on queries—be concise, yet thorough. Include a VERY brief introduction about yourself, a headline, a brief summary of the article including sources and experts you might interview (if possible), and an approximate word count. Some pros suggest including multiple story ideas in your query letters, which I will not advise against.
Expect rejection, but be persistent. “No’s” may lead to other opportunities or even unrelated assignments. As long as you show that you are passionate, dedicated, and professional you have an advantage over a majority of the other queries those editors are reading on a daily basis.
So there you have it—everything you need to get started on your new career doing what you love. Please feel free to offer any pointers you might pick up along the way as I am still learning myself, and KEEP ON WRITING!
Working on it... 