Freelance writing online offers a flexible work schedule.
Professional freelance writers don't let the posts on forums bemoaning the lack of available work get them down. If you want to be a professional writer, you have to take the steps true professionals take to market themselves and find work.
Instructions
1. Develop a profile or resume. Worthwhile resources for writing online require a profile. Take the time to polish up a paragraph or two that describes you and the work you do best. Save this profile as a document on your computer. Copy and paste the profile on websites that you find.
2. Discover your interests. Most freelance writing opportunities are nonfiction. You'll have a much easier time finding paying freelance writing assignments if you focus on topics you are familiar with and passionate about. Think of three to five subject areas you can write about authoritatively. Start with articles in these specialty areas.
3. Create a schedule. If you're serious about becoming a freelance writer, you need to take your writing seriously. Create a work schedule and stick to it. If you juggle family responsibilities and a regular job, your writing schedule may be limited to only five hours a week. Regardless, let your family members know which hours you've set aside for writing and treat the time as a "real" job.
4. Gather your tools. To become a freelance writer online, you'll need a computer and Internet connection. You'll also need a dictionary and a style guide in either hardback or online form. You'll likely need a PayPal account, as well.
5. Write. Planning is all well and good but you'll never land a freelance writing gig if you don't write regularly. If you are short on writing samples and assignments, assign yourself a title in one of your areas of interest. Treat it like a genuine article. Work hard on it to show off your strengths. You may one day sell that article, but in the meantime, it will serve to show your abilities to potential contractors.
6. Subscribe to free writer websites. A quick Internet search reveals dozens of e-zines, forums and websites aimed at freelance writers. Sign up to at least three sites that sound interesting to you. Identify one writing community where you can participate regularly.
7. Look through market listings. There are plenty of market listings online, and you'll find links to many of them at the websites you identified in the previous step. Make note of at least one source every week where you can submit articles as part of your freelance writing schedule.
8. Track and expand. As you start submitting work to different markets, track which genres you feel most comfortable writing in and which ones tend to get you the best response. These are the ones where you'll want to specialize. Start looking into new markets and check out websites that offer to pay for writing consistently, not just on assignment or by project.
9. Keep records. When the freelance income materializes, keep careful records of your income and expenses. As a freelance writer, you'll be responsible for all your own taxes at the end of the year. Keep track beforehand to save a headache later.
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