What does it take to become a successful freelance writer with no experience? Here are your answers.

1. Seek help

Reach out to those already in the freelance writing career and seek advice. Also, go online and take the time to learn more about freelance writing. What is autonomous writing? How does it work? Can the freelance newsroom pay my bills? Ask yourself these questions.

When I first entered the self-employment industry, I didn’t know where to find work or how much clients were paying. I saw an advertising post looking for writers at a nearby internet cafe and decided to give it a try. These guys were paying ksh100 for every 500 words !!

After a few weeks of working with the agency, a friend recommended that I join iWriter, and I did, after which I went to other popular sites like Upwork (formerly oDesk), Elance, and Freelancer until I gained more experience and achieved reach direct and high paying customers.

I do not regret working for low wages. I am always grateful to these websites as they helped me improve my writing skills and create a portfolio. The only downside to iWriter is its high content rejection rate. It sucks to work without pay at iWriter.

Do you want to start like me? At the time, I couldn’t even tell the difference between article writing and academic writing.

Find someone with vast experience in freelance writing, offer to take them out for lunch, and learn from them. Each profession has different ways of landing freelance jobs, but as long as they all work and make you smile all the way to the bank, why not give it a try too?

2. Create a portfolio

Clients want to hire someone who has worked before. If you’re bidding on jobs, one of the things a customer will ask you for is a sample. Nobody wants to be your first customer!

Now that you’ve done your research, write an article, blog post, press release, or product review and deliver it to an established writer who can read it and correct any errors in the document.

Do your best to write high-quality, informative, and engaging content that is free of spelling and grammar errors. You don’t want to show poor work to potential clients, do you?

Alternatively, you can volunteer and do free work. You may also want to do some low-paying assignments. iWriter has an easy-to-use interface; therefore, it is a good site to build your portfolio while earning a few dollars. Make sure your clients leave you a testimonial / review if they liked your work.

The more samples you have, the better your chances of applying for sample-relevant jobs.

3. Set your rates

Setting rates has been, for so long, the most complicated and difficult thing for many freelance writers. New freelance writers, in particular, don’t know what the average fees are in the freelance writing industry. Contact other freelancers and find out what they charge. Find out what the most expensive writers charge and what the inexpensive writers charge.

Now that you’ve decided on a reasonable rate, stick to saying no to clients who have rates below your standard salary. Once you start pitching, work, and gain more experience, increase your rates until you earn a reasonably decent salary – at least $ 50 per 500-750 word article.

4. Start throwing – throwing! Playing field! Playing field!

Now is the time to start pitching. Sometimes clients choose the person who delivers the best speech, rather than the best writer. Clients want to work with someone who is excited about the advertised position. You have to stand out from the crowd.

Don’t give up on the first ten or twenty failed pitches you send out. If you don’t keep looking for assignments, it is highly unlikely that you will receive them. Keep pitching and you will surely win long-term customers. Just remember to throw! Playing field! Playing field!

Freelance writing is not for people who lack perseverance and self-motivation. If you expect freelance work to be immediately lucrative, you will find it quite frustrating. It takes some time, so you have to hurry. Don’t expect to be successful or become a skilled writer overnight.

Do you want to be a freelance writer? Congratulations!

Do you want some advice? Let me know what is holding you back and we can find a solution together!