A freelance writer is someone who writes without belonging to any company but acts as an independent contractor. Freelance writing can be full-time or part-time to supplement a regular income. People generally work as freelance writers for money or sometimes it could be for fun or to enhance their skills.
How to start as a freelancer?
- You just need the following to start as a freelancer
- Desktop system / Computer
- Internet access
- Required degree
- Good writing communication skills
Step-by-Step process on how to start as a freelance writer
1) Simple writer: When you start as a freelance writer, start as a simple writer. You may not have rich experience by then. You need to have good grammatical skills. Good writing skills will help you to achieve faster in this area. If you are not qualified, consider taking a degree or some additional course to improve your writing skills.
2) Communicate clearly: When you want to write an article, communicate clearly. Write something which motivates the people and is positive. You can make constructive negative remarks, however, it should not hurt anyone.
3) Adopt self-discipline: Since you would be writing for a company or employer, you need to have self-discipline and a sense of responsibility towards them. If you promise to deliver certain articles or content by a specific time, delivery them within deadlines.
4) Update yourself: This is one of the important aspects of a freelance writer. You need to update yourself with the latest happenings across your country and world. If you are not updated yourself, you would be writing content that would be outdated and people would not be interested in reading it.
5) Participate in freelancer community programs: Participate in as many programs as you can in your freelancer community. While you would get a good name, your interaction with fellow freelancers would help you to gain knowledge of what is happening in your community.
6) Don’t quit day job: If you are doing a day job, don’t quit. Instead, start as a freelance writer part-time and continue your day job. Once you feel that you are earning sufficient income, you can shift to full-time as a freelance writer.
7) Get prepared yourself: When you work in your day job with some company, you would have proper infrastructure which may motivate you to work. However, when you work as a freelance writer, you need to create your set-up at home so that you would get motivated.
8) Account your income: I do not know how many of us would at least think about this aspect. Once you start earning income, you should know that such income would be taxable in most countries. You should get to know about your local tax laws and see that you make necessary income tax payment arrangements else you would end up paying penalties to the Government.