How to Become a Freelance Writer: A Wannabe Freelancer States, “I Want to Make the Leap, but I Don’t Know Where to Start – Help!”

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February 13, 2012

I get questions about freelancing all the time. One of the most frequent center around where and how to start. Recently, I received the following email from a frustrated “cubicle dweller,” who wants to strike out on her own, but is literally stalled at the starting gate because she doesn’t know where to start.

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Editor Note: Inkwell Editorial Valentine’s Day Discounts: We’ve got some good ones, eg, 1/2 off!***********************************

She wrote:

I have been reading and enjoying your Inkwell posts and am seriously considering leaving my job in the miserable corporate world to do something on my own.

I have been told I can write well, and that seems to be the most viable business option in regards to minimal start up costs, flexibility, etc. However, I have never written sales copy. I am a good student, so know I can learn it, however I am overwhelmed by the amount of courses out there and obviously want to pick the best one! I would love your guidance.

Do I need to take a Copywriting course first? or a Web Content? or an SEO Copywriting course? Help! I want to take the leap, but am unsure of which direction to jump.

I hope to hear back from you!

 MY ANSWER

This email is very general in nature because the answers depend on a host of factors. So, what I’m going to do is give you some guidelines to help you determine how, when and where to make the leap to freelancing.

First, the short answer to the questions, “Do I need to take a Copywriting course first? or a Web Content? or an SEO Copywriting course?”

Do You Need to Take a Course to Start a Freelance Writing Career?

Taking a course depends on what type of freelance writing you want to focus on, eg, if you want to be an SEO writer, then you’d take an SEO writing training course.

But let’s back up a minute. While taking a course is great, many freelance writers have started successful careers without investing in any type of writing course. If you have good writing skills, good research skills and are willing to continually invest time in learning how to freelance, then in my opinion, you don’t need to take a course.

As the testimonials on the page of the SEO writing ebook attest, many have done just this – all they needed was some specific information about what to do first, second, third, etc., (in short, a roadmap) to get started. By the way, one of the reasons SEO writing is popular with many newbies is because you can literally get started right away.

Note: Inkwell Editorial offers two freelance writing courses. One teaches you what you need to know to start any type of freelance writing career. It’s basically a freelance writing BUSINESS in a box, because it teaches you what you need to know to set up and run a successful, home-based writing business. The SEO Copywriting Training course is specifically for those who know nothing about search engine optimization and want to start an SEO writing career.

Via our Valentine’s Day specials, you get huge discounts on both of this freelance writing courses right now.

Questions to Ask to Help You Decide How and When to Start Your Freelance Writing Career

If I were in this freelancer’s shoes, I’d ask myself a series of questions to help me determine exactly which steps to take to start my freelance career, ie:

What type of writing do I want to focus on? SEO, direct mail, case studies, etc.

What niche will I focus on? Read more about why I think niching it makes it much easier to start landing freelance writing jobs when you first start out (See Step I in this post).

What is my skill set as it relates to the type of writing I want to do and niche I want to focus on? FYI, this is where training may be necessary.

How much money do I want/need to earn to quit my job? I made the leap to full-time freelancing without practically any savings. But I’m a natural risk taker; I’d also worked in publishing for a decade and had industry contacts. Hence, I don’t advise this for everyone.

Ideally six to eight months of expenses in the bank would be nice; as little as 1-3 could work if you are willing to work your tail off when you quit to freelance.

How much do I have in savings? If your balance is a big fat $0, do you have a 401K you can tap? Barring that, can you get a second job for a few months to get some dollars in the bank?

I discussed how I handled this in the ebook, How to Know When You’re Ready to Quit Your Job to Freelance Fulltime: 6 Signs It’s Time and How to Go About It. This ebook is a realistic roadmap of exactly what quitting to freelance fulltime is all about.

A review of this ebook left on Amazon sums it up, saying in part:

This book is just what it says. It will give you a good idea of the pros and cons of becoming a freelance writer. I really like it that the author gives a lot of personal information about her situation. After reading this book, I feel that I have a good insight into the life of a freelancer – the pitfalls as well as the joys.

What do I need to get started? A website, internet connection and a computer/laptop are really all you need. Most already have this, so startup costs could be as little as $0 (especially if you know how to do a simple website yourself).

What services will I offer? This will depend on what type of writing you decide to do.

For example, although I’ve done a ton of different types of writing (eg, landing pages, case studies, sales letters, editing/rewriting content, etc.), the primary services my writing company offers these days center around SEO (SEO articles, SEO blog posts, SEO press releases, etc.).

How much can I realistically expect to earn within six months? You can get a rough idea of this by looking at what others are charging in the niche you decide to target.

Now, freelance writing rates (See Step IV in this post) are all over the place. However, by looking at 10 or 15 sites and seeing what other freelancers are charging, you can start to get a feel for what you might be able to charge for the type of services you want to offer.

Conclusion: How to Become a Freelance Writer

Freelance writing is not rocket science. I think most wannabe freelancers overthink things, and then “analysis paralysis” sets in. If you follow the advice dispensed here, you’ll have more than enough information with which you can make some sound decisions to move forward with how to become a freelance writer.

One final thing — the only regret I’ve ever had about deciding to become a freelance writer is that I didn’t do it sooner. :-)

Best,
Yuwanda
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coverP.S.: Get the freelance writing opportunity that allowed me to be financially secure enough to travel, live abroad, get out of debt and really “live the freelance life!”

P.P.S.: Want to start a successful career where you have the mobility to live and work where you please? Visit our freelance writing bookstore for a ton of opportunities (freelance writing and internet marketing) to get you started.


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One Response to “How to Become a Freelance Writer: A Wannabe Freelancer States, “I Want to Make the Leap, but I Don’t Know Where to Start – Help!””

  1. Varonda Henry says:
    February 13, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    this ebook is very helpful and i thank you for this information! It has been very helpful!

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