Great Books Club

Freelancer is someone who pursues his/her profession without any long-term commitment to the employer. The fields that are common for freelance writers are journalism and any form of writing. The reason why many people opt for freelance profession is that they can choose their work schedule, unlike those who work in full-time jobs. Freelancers also have the privilege to choose as many clients as they want, as long as they are providing quality service.

As a freelance writer myself, I can say that there are many benefits in doing this. But of course, it has also its downside. When I first started as a freelance writer, I had experienced not being paid for the articles I had written. I no longer heard anything from my estranged client, and my long hours of working in front of the computer were a simple waste of time.

Of course I was disillusioned with that unfortunate experience. Because of the informality of my work relation to my client, it was hard to make any legal move.

Also, during my first few projects as a freelance writer, I was disheartened to know that most clients were only looking to pay under market value for my writings. The competition is so thick in the world of freelance writing that it seems almost impossible to get paid fairly, but in essence those small budget jobs is what helped me excel as a freelancer. I took on the projects knowing that it wasn’t paying much, but soon enough I got my name out there which lead to bigger and better projects which lead to me eventually getting paid larger sums. I am now able to charge higher for my work because I have a brand name, many samples of my work to point to, and many clients who I use as references plus my clients bring me a fair share of work and new business. It all worked out!

One thing I can advise to people who aspire to be a freelancer is to always be prepared to encounter swindlers (those looking to get over on you). When I apply for a client who is looking for a writer, I send him/her only my sample articles that have already been published. At least, if ever the person attempts to use my work, he/she may be penalized for plagiarism.

Freelance writing is all about building trust between you and the client. You trust him/her to give you the agreed payment; and the client trusts you to provide quality service, and not a mediocre one.

I have a professor in literature who told us that the best thing about being a writer is that people will pay you for something that you can easily do. She may be right for saying this, albeit it is easy for us, it still takes a lot of time and effort to come up with a good story.

Online activities have increased by numbers during the recent years defying the genuine purpose why the Internet was developed. But things just can’t stop to get better and better. Through the Internet, people are able to earn decent cash while doing online writing jobs and staying at home. There is real money with freelance writing jobs and everyone is invented to witness how to make it real.

Let me share to you some tips useful in finding freelance writing jobs that can guarantee you good money. Just a precaution, be sure to prepare yourself to take little risks in order to gain more. Here are some tips:

Do a thorough research about making money online through freelance writing

This is the very basic thing that you need to do in order for you to find freelancing jobs. Replete yourself with enough knowledge on what the business is all about and grasp only the things that you need to learn. Also, by doing a research, you will be able to find legitimate sites that can offer you freelance writing jobs.

Join social networking sites

Some social networking sites have special sections for freelance writing jobs. You may find forums, ads listings, and even blogs that offer online writing opportunities that you can take advantage.

Visit legitimate and proven money making sites

Register and be an active member of money making sites that have sections for writers. Some of these sites include elance.com, getafreelancer.com, and hundreds of other sites that you may encounter.

Improve your membership profile

Being a member to these money making websites does not guarantee you an instant writing opportunity. You must remember that there are other people interested on a single client and you need to be competitive. Improving your membership profile can give a client an impression to what you are capable of producing.

Read Relevant Ebooks about Freelance Writings

Most ebooks about writing contain real life experiences from authors who have made their fortune of our writing. Reading their experiences and taking their advices will allow you to follow their footprints and guarantee yourself that you will be able to find writing jobs just like them.

Promote your service

Promoting your service does not necessarily mean paying or investing a lot of cash to advertise your offered service. Instead, you can use free ads listing on several websites. Site such as craigslist.org is a good place to start promoting your service.

Create a portfolio

A portfolio is very important when one decides to shift to a writing career. Every client requires a good portfolio for them to judge the quality of work that you can do. It is more than just a collection of your works, but will also serve as your voice to your clients.

Know how to bargain

Writing is a trial-and-error scheme. You are not guaranteed to produce the best quality product on your first writing assignment, but you can try. Offer review copies to your client in order to build confidence and gain their trust.

Familiarize yourself with the technology used

To be versatile, it is recommended that you accustomed yourself with the trend of making money online. Some clients prefer to provide assignments to people who are capable of doing other things aside from writing. You can study on how to create blogs and include that on your profile.



Provide a solid Curriculum Vitae (CV)

People who are in need of long term writers for their businesses require CV’s from interested individuals. Provide them with an exceptional CV containing experiences and expertise that you can contribute to their success.

These are just simple tips on how to acquire freelance writing jobs the easy way. Implementing these techniques will give a boost to your writing career and will earn you more cash from writing.

You may or may not have heard this before - On the Internet: Content is King. Or to put it another way: the websites that deliver the most up-to-date and relevant content also tend to be the most popular. And if the website(s) in question have a commercial aspect to them, which is most of them; then popularity goes onto equate with increased income for the website owner.

The explosive growth of the Internet and the attendant growth of Internet related commerce has created an unprecedented demand for written content. Now the fact of the matter is that is very rare for webmasters to go about each day creating this content themselves. They simply don’t have the time. What you will find is that they source the content from elsewhere and are happy to pay for it.

You can see where this is going, can’t you? If Webmasters are happy to pay for outsourced content then there is an obvious opportunity for freelance writes to create that content and get paid for it.

It gets better: Not only is there a demand for freelance writing skills but some specific online markets have sprung up that allow freelance writers to present their wares as it were. Webmasters know to go to these markets to secure outsourced content so it really streamlines the process of selling your writing skills.

It gets better still: The constantly evolving nature of the Internet means that new avenues are continually springing up - all of which are in need of new content. If it’s not website owners that need sales copy, then it’ll be bloggers who need fresh content for their blog readers. And if it’s not blog owners that need content, then it’ll be article directories looking for more content so that webmasters keep coming back to them. And so on and so on. If there’s one thing the Internet is not: it is static. Opportunities abound wherever you look and content creation is one of the biggest of them.

Two of the biggest and most popular online auction sites are Elance.com and Guru.com. Webmasters know that they can go to these central resources, create a job description, and then have freelance writers bid to do that work. It works like a dutch auction with the lowest bidder usually, though not always, winning the bid and securing the job. Of course once you’ve done good work for someone once, they may opt to bypass the bidding process the next time around and work with you directly.

The beauty about selling your freelance writing skills these agencies is that not only do they provide an efficient marketplace for you to sell your skills but they also act as a governing body to ensure that your invoice is paid within 30 days or sooner. People that do pay you late on these sites tend to get kicked off. In that respect it is very similar to the eBay auction system except that you are dealing with writing services instead of “shipped goods”.

If you’re a writer looking to make an income by writing online then it behoves you to make yourself visible where the buyers of content all go to shop. Elance.com and Guru.com are the best places to start.

If you have browsed the internet for just a few minutes, the chances are you have read some content written by a freelance writer. This is because it is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to get unique content in a place where unique content is valued above all other things. It is valued so highly as web pages will only rank well if there is unique content, any plagiarized text will severely hurt a sites rankings.

So who writes this content? College professors? Journalists? Well sometimes yes, but often it is written by your everyday person, with no official qualifications. That means that even you can earn an income from freelance writing! However there are both pro’s and con’s to this very current and fluid business.

The pros of freelance writing seem so obvious. Firstly you can often work the hours that you want, whether it is in your lunch break or in the middle of the night. As long as you have your work completed by the deadline, it doesn’t matter when you do it. The other benefit related to this is you can do this work wherever you like: at work, home or in between. A lot of people can fit freelance writing into their spare time to increase efficiency and make use of time that would otherwise be wasted.

If these benefits don’t tempt you, then imagine going to work, marching up to the boss and telling him how much he has to pay you. This is the freedom that freelance writing gives you, if a client wants your writing skills, then they have to pay what you ask for, though staying competitive is important.

Also, don’t forget that there is often no middle man in these client-writer relationships, cutting costs even more. You don’t have to travel in and go through a range of interviews before you are even hired, you just have to do the work and you will get paid, much less paperwork.

Not only can you skip interviews and often a resume, but you also don’t have to drive or spend time getting to work, therefore cutting down on the rising costs of car use, petrol or public transport. This in itself is a major benefit and will make the amount you are paid for writing seem even greater.

Although there are many good reasons to pursue an income through freelance writing, there are also many disadvantages which make freelancing a lot harder to find success in than it may first seem.

Firstly, you have to have a certain level of writing skill, without this you will probably not get far or not make enough income to warrant the time spent. It is possible to improve your current level of writing ability but this takes much time and practice. However even if your writing level is decent, there will probably be many other people who also have a decent writing ability, even if English is not their first language. Remember that there will always be someone who will work for less than you, even when rates get ridiculously low.

Most pay in the freelance writing business is per a certain amount of writing and not per your time, so if you are unable to write quickly, it may be difficult for you to succeed in this business. However if you are confident in your writing ability and you think you can create lots of content in a relatively short period of time, your chances are certainly looking better.

So what if you are given a job, told a whole group of articles is due in a week and then you will be paid.

The most essential part of any work at home opportunity is the ability to stay motivated and have enough self-discipline to get the job done. Many writers give up half way through a project and as a result not only develop a bad reputation but also have wasted the time that they spent on all work in that project as they will not receive any pay.

In order to combat these disadvantages you must never take on a project which you doubt you can complete, whether it be due to length, subject, or other commitments. You also must be realistic about your quality of writing and how much you are getting paid compared to the effort you are putting in.

It is from this that we can see freelance writing is definitely not for everyone, no matter how simple it may seem, it takes a lot of work and commitment that often rivals your usual day jobs. However if you have the skills with the motivation to match them, you can make a steady and handy income and even enjoy yourself at the same time.

The best thing about freelance writing jobs is the fact that you can hold your position on regular job and still can write for freelance job. That’s the good thing in having a creative profession, you can do freelancing jobs and without sacrificing your salary in regular work.

There are some freelancing opportunities that can pay a lot and can exceed, even, in your monthly income. however, permanent writing job provide higher security.

Freelance writing jobs are offered in great numbers most particularly when the Internet was established. Writers are delegated to various websites do write contents. Writers are important to Internet because they are the ones who are doing substantial web content, update information, etc.

To know more about how to become an effective freelance writer, consider some hints below. You can apply them an see for yourself its significant results.

First, go on-line. There are a lot of writing job that you can get in the Internet and one good thing about this is that, this freelance writing jobs can be done at home. Actually, most of them do not require to pass your article in person. Internet is one of the powerful tools that you can utilize to succeed in freelance writing job.

Because on-line freelance writing job does not require you to physically go out, this is an advantage for those who want to work but working at home is just the possible option. Good thing also is, you can receive payment for your freelance writing service through the Internet as well or through transfer to your bank account.

Second is, you need to establish a network of people and this can be done though joining in social networking websites. The significance of this is that, you can build friends on-line and will eventually recommend you to others who need individuals to do freelance writing jobs. There are expert on page ranking who are looking for writers that can be assigned to specific tasks. Also, there are companies who need press release writer, advertisement writer and website maintenance personnel.

Many people are searching for freelance writing job around the net. Be sure that you are competitive enough to outdo those people in the arena of on-line business and in the competitive world of freelance writing jobs.

Ask for a referral or a recommendation

Asking for referral on-line is one of effective way to get a freelance writing jobs. You can have this done by, in the first place, establish a good reputation. Remember, it is not easy to gain trust on-line. So, you have to do good to people on-line. You can also ask recommendations from person who needs writer. They may know someone else who needs your service of freelance jobs.

Of course, the most important thing, remember to write well. This is the most effective way to gain trust and to build good reputation. Have your writing authentic, genuine and unique and of course strive to submit your articles on or before the deadline.

Freelance jobs can be stressful if you do not follow effective strategies to do that. If you can make your performance in freelance writing job, however, this is really rewarding.

When the Internet was first introduced, its use was commonly focused on spreading information to the rest of the world. But now, the Internet is capable of providing a steady income at the convenience of your own home. It was then that the concept of freelance writing jobs was born.

Considering the number of writers on the Web practicing their trade, not all of them can brag of success and profit. In fact, many of these individuals fail to understand the factors involved in freelance writing jobs; thus, they only get mediocre success that is not enough to achieve the goal of making a sizeable income.

Computer Savvy

The first factor that affects freelance writing jobs is how literate you are when it comes to computers. You need to be familiar with the tools of the trade and how it can affect the success of your venture.

For starters, freelance writing jobs require familiarization with word processing software available today. Word processing can be easily described as an electronic pen and paper that allows you to write content easily and then edit to clean it up without spending much time and effort.

Another way is to look for the information you need on the World Wide Web. If you are not familiar with the topic assigned to you, then you need to look for one on the Internet that will help you create quality content that will please your client.

For starters, you might want to make use of Internet-based tools, such as search engines, plagiarism checking tools, and so on.

Quality Content

It is very important that you always turn up quality work if you want to stay longer in this type of business. In truth, freelance writing jobs are ideal for writers that can provide quality and informative content consistently.

If you are still quite new in the writing business, then you might find it difficult to come up with quality content that your client might like.

If such is the case; it is advisable to scour the Internet for other works with similar topics. Never plagiarize. Don’t copy them word for word; but instead, read through their content and understand how they are constructed so you can have ideas on how to come up with your own.

Deadline

Aside from quality work, freelance writing jobs require prompt submission. Avoid angering your bosses by submitting quality articles way past the designated date, or time, of submission. If you miss a deadline, then it is a sign of sloppy, unprofessional work ethic — and that would reflect badly on your reputation.

Freelance writing jobs could be a reliable source of income if you’re doing the proper steps. Good luck in your writing endeavors!

Web writers are in high demand because Web sites’ traffic and sales depend on a constant stream of fresh new content. This means that you can make money freelance writing for the Web, even if you’ve never been published before.

I know several bloggers who are making triple their former “day job” incomes just from blogging. Ghostwriters who write articles are doing well too. Neither of these writing jobs required any technical expertise, just the ability to write effectively and regularly.

Every week I receive several “How do I get started Web writing?” questions from new writers.

The answer is “Start anywhere, and keep writing.” There’s really no mystique. You need to write and publish what you write online to prove that you CAN write. No one will hire you on your say-so, you have to show that you can write for the Web, that you can follow instructions, and that you can deliver what you’re asked to deliver ON TIME.

The upside of this is that when you are hired, you’ll be paid a retainer of half your fee, with the remainder paid when you send in your material. This contrasts sharply with writing for print, when you’re paid on acceptance or even on publication… which sometimes translates to “never.” I’m still waiting for “on publication” payments for articles I wrote in the 1980s.

Writing for the Web is all about building your credibility.

If You Can Write, Just Build Your Credits Until You’re Paid Well

Just as in the print world, there’s a range of fees paid in Web writing. Payments depend on the success of the Web site or business which hires you. You can be paid $1 a word and more by high-traffic sites, but you need to develop your name and reputation first before such sites will hire you.

It’s all about your NAME. Anyone who’s thinking of hiring you online will Google your name. If your writing shows up, that’s a large tick for you. People hiring a Web writer want to see your name on the Web. That’s simply common sense.

So let’s see how we can get your name out there so that people can find you and realize that you can help them by writing for them.

1. Create a blog

This is the easiest way. You can create a free blog in seconds. Just start posting to the blog.

You can blog about any topic you’d like to be hired to write about - parenting, tropical fish, bike riding, etc. Avoid blogging about yourself however, because no one will hire you to write about you, unless you’re famous.

On your blog’s sidebar, just add a link to your “Hire Me” page.

2. Promote your blog and your writing services

Keep posting to your blog, adding a few blog posts each week. Your blog will be indexed by the search engines, and you’ll start to get traffic.

You can help the process along by promoting your blog, via the many online classifieds sites; by creating pages on sites like Squidoo pointing to your blog; by article marketing - there are dozens of ways you can promote your blog so that you start getting traffic and getting hired to write.

So there you have it: getting started as a Web writer just means writing and promoting yourself. The process I’ve outlined for you works. Just follow it - before you know it you’ll get the first of many Web clients.

Finding freelance writing jobs is not the proverbial searching the needle in a haystack. Jobs abound everywhere, but you need to have the requisite tools to tap into this vast ocean. You need to know where to search, how to search and when to search for such jobs.



The first prerequisite to finding quality jobs is a methodical research about how money can be generated through freelance writing. There is no dearth of information as various internet sites spells out the winning writing and marketing strategies. This is the most important task before a budding freelance writer.

Joining social networking sites and freelance writing related sites would give you the required visibility. EzineArticles, elance.com etc are some of such hundreds of networking sites available over the net. Writers with good profiles only can make an everlasting impression on prospective clients.

It is also highly important that you keep yourself updated by reading books about freelance writing jobs. Read the instructions given and follow them up diligently.

You need to promote your services and you can make use of free ads listing available on many websites. The ads should contain a detailed portfolio which helps your would-be clients have a better perspective about your writing skills.

In order to make your career more rewarding, it is required that you know how to bargain. The quality of the finished work should be directly in resonance with your quoted price.



By following above tips and techniques you can easily become a successful freelance writer. So what are you waiting for? Start you freelancing career today.

No matter where you live, landing lucrative writing assignments doesn’t need to be difficult. The secret to a profitable freelance writing career is to start small and build it from there. Another secret… you must remember to promote your business on a REGULAR basis. Don’t shoot off a few ads or letters, and then wait three months before launch another campaign. Promote your business DAILY.

So here’s your first technique: Approach your local newspaper editor. Ask if they need a freelancer to cover city council, school board, and/or county board meetings. If they do, you’re on your way earning a living as a writer because you’re about to earn tons of clips. You’ll also start making valuable business contacts. More on that later….

Armed with your local clips, you can start approaching bigger freelance markets. Markets like small and mid-sized magazines that are hungry for new articles. Start querying them and wait for their response. (Technique 2)

While you’re waiting to hear from your magazine queries, chat with few of the mayors, city council people, school board members, etc. that you’ve met at your meetings. Most of them are business people. Ask if they need a freelancer to update their brochures, write ads or direct mail letters, or if they need a writer-for-hire for a project they have brewing. You’d be surprised how many business people will take you up on your offer after they’ve witnessed your diligence and accuracy while covering their meetings. (Technique 3)

Now target local businesses and contact them. Offer to write their marketing materials. (Technique 4)

To start attracting more commercial clients, run a small ad in your local paper. As your expertise increases, place more ads in surrounding papers. (Technique 5)

Join your local Chamber of Commerce. You’ll meet even more business owners who may need a freelance writer and you’ll make invaluable contacts. (Technique 6)

Send out a direct mail piece advertising your writing services. If you’re not comfortable writing direct mail, you can put together a newsletter. Target the businesses you’d like to work with and make sure you contact them on a regular basis. (Technique 7)

Another technique to keep the money rolling in as a freelance writer is to keep lots of irons in the fire. Along with the magazine queries and copywriting, always have a book in the works and send publishers proposals for it.

Another idea: I know one local freelancer who has cultivated a devoted clientele who has her write all their correspondence… including Christmas letters. Your projects are limited only by your imagination. (Technique

Make goals each day. Decide how many queries you’ll send out. Decide how many sales letters you’ll mail. How many words are you going to write in your book? How many new contacts are you going to make this week? Make your goals… then follow through with them. (Technique 9)

Ask and you may receive. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. If you’re a stringer for your local newspaper, ask the editor if it’s possible for them to run a small ad promoting your business at a discount (after all you’re a staff writer.) If you write for local businesses, ask them to recommend your writing services to their friends. (Technique 10)

Never tell anyone your phone number. GIVE it to them. Print a bunch of business cards and whenever anyone asks for your phone number, give them your card instead. (Technique 11)

Network. Make friends in the freelance writing. Give each other leads and help each other become the best writers you can be. (Technique 12)

Carry your latest project with you. If you’ve written a book, bring it wherever you go. If you just finished a big copywriting project, have it nearby. Got an article in the latest issue of a magazine or newspaper? Better bring it with you…. Nothing sparks a conversation faster than “What ‘cha been up to lately?” Then, next thing you know, you’ve got a prospective customer. (Technique 13)

I know, I know… I promised twelve strategies to start making money ASAP as a freelance writer. But I got on a roll and thirteen (I’ve heard) is an unlucky number so here’s one more strategy.

Read. Read everything you can get your hands on. If you write novels, read novels. If you write direct mail, read EVERY piece of direct mail those lands on your doorstep. If you write ads, read ads. Read what your competition is writing. Read what your friends are writing. Make note of what “works” for you and what doesn’t. Then write something better.

Read e-mags that will help you make your writing as sharp as possible. Perfect your craft, become the best writer you can be, promote your business, and you’ll have more work than you can handle.

So there you have it. Fourteen fantastic strategies to land lucrative writing assignments and make a great living as a freelance writer. The possibilities are endless. Find out what works for you, then run with it. You just may find yourself earning a very nice income.

The life of a freelance writer isn’t all glitz and glamour. Before you take the plunge into freelance writing at your work-at home career choice, there are a few things to consider. While you can work from home earning money in your pajamas, there are negatives to this career choice. Here’s a list of ten of the common drawbacks of freelance writing.

1. No sick days. Sometimes you have to work while you’re sick. If you don’t, you lose money and maybe a client. Clients aren’t very forgiving unless you have a solid relationship with them and even then, sometimes their deadline is more important to them than your health and well being.

2. No medical benefits, a 401K or even a guaranteed income. You have to pay your own taxes too. This can make budgeting tricky when you take the plunge into freelance writing for a living, especially if you’re the main breadwinner in your house.

3. Pay day is not guaranteed. You may go from famine to feast and then famine again regularly and payday doesn’t come every second Friday so it can be a tricky balancing act, especially in the early days.

4. Juggling deadlines and family responsibilities can be challenging at times. You may have to give certain parties and events a miss because you have a deadline. You may feel conflicted at times when you have to let the laundry or dirty dishes pile up so you can finish an assignment. You may have to learn write with a crying baby on your lap.

5. Chasing payments isn’t fun. There are customers who aren’t as eager to pay you as they are to take your hard work. Sometimes people don’t pay on time or try to short pay or not pay at all. You have to develop skills to protect yourself and may have to act as your own collections agent part-time.

6. Freelancers can have regular work, one-off gigs and can have a great paying regular deal that might suddenly disappear. The well can dry up regularly so you have to keep a constant lookout for work.

7. Reworking and multiple edits. You can slave over something for a client and they might **** it. You have to take criticism and might have to deliver work you don’t think is as well written after your client asks for changes. You need to develop a tough skin in this business.

8. Projects can be difficult to estimate. You can underestimate prep time and working time for a project and find that it has lost you money in the end. This can be difficult but until you’re very experienced, it will probably happen.

9. Sploggers, spammers and scrapers are rampant in online markets and want to steal your work and benefit from it! Be prepared to be plagiarized.

10. You have to have a really good eye for scams. When trying to establish yourself, it’s a learning process and many new writers are scammed a few times before they become wise to all the tricks and signs of a scam.

Regardless of the negatives listed here, freelance writing can also be a great gig that can earn you money, offer a flexible home based business and can be personally fulfilling if you love to write. With time and experience, you’ll find you are able to better deal with the downsides of writing for a living.