Whether you are graduating from a New York college or university with a degree in English, journalism, or a subject completely unrelated to writing, it's possible to begin — and sustain — a successful freelance writing career as early as just after your college graduation. You may wish to begin compiling ideas and collecting contact information for clients while you're still in school. Consider the following five ideas for starting strong in your new career.
1. CREATE YOUR PORTFOLIO
If you've never written professionally before, don't be discouraged by the fact that you don't have any bylines to your name. Have you published poetry, short stories, or essays? Have you written for your school paper? Consider using these samples for your portfolio.
After you build your freelance writer website and choose a catchy brand name, either create new blog posts where potential clients can see how you write or have a couple of samples available for review when clients request to see them. Consider developing a niche, or an area of expertise, that you can use to better advertise your services. Finding a niche that few have covered can help you develop a signature brand, something people can begin to identify you with. Since the blogging/writer space is filled with established bloggers and up-and-comers, finding a niche you can call your own is extremely important in making a name for yourself.
2. BUILD A PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE
Even though you are a freelancer, you should treat your venture as a small business. Use WordPress or another DIY website builder like Wix to quickly create a professional site that lists your services and rates.
If you want to get more technical but don't have the skills or the budget for graphic design, consider hiring a freelancer to help you design a site that includes graphics, videos, or customer services such as ordering and payment options within the site. You may feature reviews and testimonials from clients as you progress in your career as well. If you’re unsure what your website should feature, look around at other writer websites to see what they have. This can serve as an excellent form of inspiration!
3. REACH OUT TO CLIENTS
According to freelancing experts, to make a living as a freelance writer, you should feel comfortable pitching your services to those who may pay for them. Simply draft a template of an email you can use to get in touch with potential clients on freelancing platforms, or when you're contacting local small businesses. However, make sure you spend time tailoring the template for each client to ensure they’re not getting canned “copy-and-paste” correspondence from you.
4. OFFER A TRIAL ARTICLE
It's not typically a good idea to start off your writing career by offering free content to every client, but if you don't have a lot of portfolio samples (or writing experience) you may offer a trial article at a discounted rate. If the client likes your work, he or she can keep contracting your services — and paying you more — in the future. Be sure to explain this deal clearly to the client so that he or she does not assume that the low rate is set forever.
5. SCHEDULE WITH A MONTHLY PLANNER TEMPLATE
Working for yourself and finding lucrative gigs can be rewarding — but you may feel the pull of fun distractions more often than not. Consider using a template to generate a monthly planner where you can list tasks to keep you on track regarding your goals (and perhaps your monthly income target). Use a template that you can fully customize with notes, graphics, and more to assist your deadlines in being a top priority.
Freelance writing can be a great side gig or even become a full-time career. You don't have to decide immediately whether you'd like to pursue writing for the rest of your life, but if you follow the five tips above, you will increase your likelihood of having a great, profitable start!