Online freelance writing jobs are a wonderful new source of writing projects for freelance writers. The explosive growth of the worldwide web and the associated thirst for constant information has generated new demand for writers' services. Freelance writers can supplement traditional writing income with online earnings or choose to spend all their time writing website content. However, writing for print media generally pays significantly more than most web content gigs.
Unfortunately, the global marketplace has driven down the average article rate for online content and it is not uncommon for clients to expect high standards for peanuts in this market segment. Some writers choose to accept these low pay rates while they learn the ropes of search engine optimization, but if you want to create a reasonable full-time income from content writing, you will quickly need to find a source of higher paying work. Many writers have found that the best way to do this is to create their own website and market their own writing services. This way they can charge professional fees.
You can bid on freelance writing jobs on freelance sites, but look for professional sites with higher end clients willing to pay decent rates for quality work. One of the best sites in this regard is Elance.com. It can take a while to get a good reputation on these job bidding sites, so you may initially have to bid a bit lower than you would like to get a foot in the door. Once you do, however, your clients remain yours and you can do future business with them either on the freelance job site or independently of it.
It is also possible to source article writing jobs directly from online content providers, which outsource projects to freelancers. These businesses spend a lot of money advertising online content writing services and creating demand. In other words, they advertise and create demand so that you don't have to. There are some benefits to using at least one of these companies as an income stream, the main one being that the work tends to be secure and steady, and the payments regular. A disadvantage can be that you sell the copyright along with the articles, which means you cannot use the articles as evidence of your writing skills. Many content providers find this a distinct disadvantage when sourcing new work. If all the articles they write are sold with the copyright, writers can find themselves in the position of not having a portfolio of their work to prove the quality of their work.
Magazine writing jobs for freelancers tend to pay far better than online content and are sourced more traditionally. To get such jobs, writers need to build a portfolio of print clippings as well as an online portfolio of written work, which can be linked to via an online resume. While some publications will accept unsolicited articles, many will request a copy of your portfolio to prove your experience and writing ability. Once this is confirmed, they may then request that you write an article on a specific topic for an upcoming edition. It's worth persisting with magazine publications, because once editors get to know you and like your work, your opportunities as a freelance magazine writer will increase, and so will your income.
The most successful freelance writers tend to specialize. If you are knowledgeable and skilled in a particular area, it will pay to explore that area and write as often as you can on related topics. The benefit of doing this is that you do not need to spend long hours researching subjects you know nothing about. For example, if you write on alternative health, you can draw on previous research and your accumulated knowledge to write on a range of topics quickly and competently. The amount of money you can earn from article writing jobs will depend on how many articles you can write in a given period and how much you can earn per article. The less time you spend on research, the better.
If you confess your desire to be a full-time freelance writer, you will probably notice a few raised eyebrows and hear concerned suggestions that you keep your day job. After all, there are many struggling writers in the world. However, if you approach writing strategically, you will discover that you can become a successful freelance writer and earn a good income doing what you love. So do not be discouraged by how difficult it seems to be to establish a freelance writing career; you should find that if you love writing and do it well, you can forge a career and find a regular supply of freelance writing jobs by being persistent and showing a little bit of savvy.
