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Media Shower writer Caroline Davis recently obtained her MBA and has extensive experience in real estate, marketing, business, finance, and public relations.
According to Freelance Union, there are more than 53 million freelance writers working in the United States. If you are one of those 53 million and do not make enough to freelance full time, you can easily get on the track to do just that. Unfortunately, becoming a successful freelance writer does not happen overnight. You have to work at it in order to really start making money in the industry. There are many organizations that need freelance writers but they do not just want someone to write copy for them. They need to find someone that can paint a beautiful picture of their company while providing important information at the same time.
Knowing What to Expect
Freelance writing has been around for decades although it has not always been referred to by that term. Today, many people think that it is something that they can easily do in their free time and earn a lot of money. When people love to write, they see it as an answer to all of their needs. It eventually can be but you have to learn a lot along the way. The fact is that you simply cannot start freelance writing and make $100 or more on an article. You have to start somewhere and that is usually the bottom.
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Figuring Out What Works
Even though you know you will have to polish your work and consistently work to get better, that was not the “ah-ha” moment as a freelancer. Writers really come into their own as a freelance writer when they find the right avenues. There are many freelance writing websites you can work for online but the quality ones are few and far between. Once you figure that out, you are ready to hit the ground running and start making money.
Finding Quality Work Online
The key to being successful is not just writing well but writing for the right customers. You could be one of the best writers in the world but if you cannot find a quality client to write for, then you will never go anywhere. You will be paid as little as possible and since they can get the work cheap, they probably won’t offer you more later. There are cheap clients everywhere on the web just as there are quality ones to be found. The trick to success is putting in the time to find them.
Photo Credit: Danard Vincente
Taking the Time to Research
Once you know what to look for, you need to dedicate time to researching. You will want to read reviews of writing websites online to see if it is worth your time with applying. You can be a writer for many different websites but you do not want to write for a lot of bad ones. Take time to find out which ones are quality and attract quality clients. Spending this time in the beginning is something you will thank yourself for later. When you spend an hour writing a 500-word article for $28.00 instead of $5 on a consistent basis, the return for your time is substantially different.
Why Content Marketing Companies
One of the best places to start freelance writing online is through a content marketing company. They like to hire freelance writers because they can rely on them to produce quality work and meet deadlines. If you cannot do either of these things, you will not make it as a freelance writer. Writing for a content marketing company is always a good idea because they provide several benefits to writers. Some of these include flexible hours because you only take work when it fits your schedule, available work that you do not have to market for, and consistent work. To do that on your own, you will have to put in a lot of man-hours. Instead, you should start by working for a content marketing company or two and really develop your skills as a freelance writer.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that in 2014, the median hourly wage for freelance writers was $28.30. It is possible to make substantial money as a freelance writer. The trick is to approach the work with the right strategy.
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