Whether you’re a seasoned freelance writer or a new writer with no experience, freelance writing jobs that pay are still plentiful in 2024, and beyond — if:
You know where to look…
You know how to promote yourself…
And you know how to differentiate yourself from your fellow writers.
That’s where we come in.
If you’re a copywriter, blogger, or any type of freelance writer who wants to earn a full-time or part-time income doing what you love, this definitive, A-to-Z guide will help you do just that.
Let’s dive in.
Chapter One: 6 Steps to Help You Prepare (& Land More Freelance Writing Gigs)
![](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/steps-to-success.jpg)
The philosopher Seneca (allegedly) said, “luck is what happens when practice meets opportunity.”
The book of Galatians in the Bible tells us we reap what we sow.
Stephen King put it this way:
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”
The common theme? Success tends to find those who are prepared for it.
As a writer, here are six things you should do to prepare for freelancing glory:
1. Create a Writing Portfolio That Kicks Butt
“Do you have writing samples?” “Can I see some of your freelance writing work?” “What are some high-quality articles you’ve written?”
As a freelance writer, you’ll hear questions like these often.
And your answer?
At least, that should be your answer. But unfortunately, many freelancers skip the whole “prove you actually know how to write” thing.
As Scott Weiland once sang, “let the proof be in the pudding, sugar.”
Don’t simply tell prospective clients that you’re a talented freelance writer. And don’t assume they already know you’re the cat’s meow and the bee’s knees.
Show them.
2. Supercharge Your Writing Skills
Unless you want to spend your freelance writing career slumming through content mill after content, and getting paid peanuts, you need to level up your content creation skills.
Because those high-paying freelance content jobs you lay awake dreaming about? Companies don’t hand them to just anyone.
They give them to the best writers — content creators who:
- Realize the importance of SEO (search engine optimization) and can create SEO content with both readers and Google in mind;
- Understand the importance of proofreading and submitting error-free work;
- Write fast, meet deadlines for their writing projects, and are seemingly immune to writer’s block;
- Craft amazing headlines, write with clarity, and support their points with examples;
- Have top-notch communication skills;
- Can connect with readers on an emotional level.
The good news?
With hard work, anyone can improve their writing skills. And for the few who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do it, the payoff can be huge.
This site is filled with helpful how-to articles on copywriting, content writing, writing contests, content marketing, article writing, and SEO writing. And if you need training, we have that too.
3. Ask for Testimonials
Have you already landed a writing job or two? Awesome.
Did you ask the client to give you a testimonial? A few words declaring their undying love and/or satisfaction with your work (that you can use to help you land more writing clients)?
No? Well, you’re not alone.
Most writers who do freelance work, either due to ignorance or fear, don’t ask for testimonials. Our own Jon Morrow says he’s only had a small handful of writers over the years ask him for a testimonial — even though he would’ve been perfectly happy to give one to them.
So how should you ask for one? Keep it simple.
Here’s how Karen MacKenzie asked for a testimonial after we published her first post on Smart Blogger:
“Would it be possible to get a testimonial for my website? I know you are really busy, but I’d really appreciate it.”
And because Karen did such a good job on her post, I was happy to give her the following testimonial:
Want a great testimonial like Karen’s?
Create testimonial-worthy content for your clients and then — this is key — ask them for a freakin’ testimonial.
4. Learn How to Craft a Killer Author Bio
Picture it:
A wealthy business owner sitting in a Herman Miller chair on top of a rug made out of recycled Herman Miller chairs is reading an article you’ve written.
She’s impressed. She calls to her butler, Jeeves, and asks him to bring one of her suitcases filled with money.
Your article is so good, she wants to hire you.
But then she gets to your byline — the one you threw together at the last minute. The one that lists your hobbies and has no clear call to action.
“Throw the suitcase in the fire, Jeeves,” she says. “I shan’t be hiring a writer today.”
If you don’t want this totally realistic scenario to happen to you, you need to get really good at writing author bios.
Why?
Because someone who’s made it to your author bio is primed. They’ve read your work and want to learn about the attractive, intelligent individual who wrote it.
Maybe they want to check out your website content. Maybe they want to find you on social media so they can follow you.
Or maybe they want your contact info so they can hire you.
A byline should shout to the world your expertise. It should say to prospective clients, “if you thought this article was great, you should hire me and see what I can do for you.”
Taking the time to craft a great one is time well spent.
5. Know How to Write a Pitch
Few people enjoy cold pitching to prospective clients.
But you know what?
The job seekers who are willing to do it have an edge. And the ones who are good at it — and I mean really freakin’ good at it — are never more than an email or two away from snagging a new writing job.
So how do you get really freakin’ good at cold pitches? For starters, don’t make these rookie mistakes:
- Don’t write long emails. Editors and clients are busy. Respect their time.
- Don’t send the exact same pitch to different people. Every freelance editor and every client has unique needs, audiences, and styles.
- Don’t ignore their guidelines. Want a sure-fire way to have your email deleted? Pitch to a website that has clearly stated submission guidelines, but ignore said guidelines.
But just as importantly, do these things:
- Research. Do your homework.
- Find the name of the person you’re pitching to. Address the person by name in your email.
- Get to the point. Don’t beat around the bush. Tell them what you want and why.
- Sell them on you. Popular websites receive pitches all the time. Why should they hire you? Explain it to them.
These pointers and more (as well as email templates) can be found in our post, How to Write a Pitch That’ll Wow Editors & Clients.
Read it, bookmark it, and reference it often.
6. Learn the Legal Side of Freelancing
One of the big, scary unknowns when you’re working online is how to handle the “legal side” of things.
![The Definitive Guide to Freelance Contracts, Invoices, & Taxes](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/freelance-contract-template-invoice-taxes.jpg)
Should you have contracts with your freelance clients? How do you send invoices? What about taxes?
The legalities can seem so scary and daunting that many freelance writers choose to stick their heads in the sand and ignore them — or, worse, give up on their freelancing dreams rather than have to deal with any of it.
That’s why we put together this resource:
The Definitive Guide to Freelance Contracts, Invoices, & Taxes
If you’re a freelance writer or any kind of self-employed contractor, it’s a resource you’ll want to bookmark.
Chapter Two: 16 Hacks for Finding Under-the-Radar Writing Opportunities
![](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/find-under-radar-opportunities.jpg)
Anyone can find a job board and search for a freelance or remote writing job.
But that’s both a good and bad thing — anyone can do it.
That awesome writing job you found online? The one you’d be perfect for? Fifty other “perfect” people found it too.
We’ll go over some great job board options in a moment (because they do have lots to offer new freelance writers), but first, we’ll take a trip down the road less traveled.
By knowing how to identify hidden freelance opportunities many of your fellow writers don’t know about (or do know about, but are too lazy to pursue), you can find writing jobs from well-paying clients who fly under the radar.
For example, did you know you could…
1. Use Twitter to Reverse-Engineer Online Writing Jobs
Want an outside-the-box way to find writing job opportunities?
Try Twitter’s advanced search engine.
In the example below, I searched for tweets that included the phrase “writer wanted”:
![advanced twitter search example 1](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/advanced-twitter-search-example-1.png)
I kept the search simple, but I could’ve also searched by language (native English, Spanish, etc.), hashtags, date range, and more. The more options you choose, the more refined your search results.
Click “Search” and you’ll see a list of tweets with various job postings for writers:
![advanced twitter search example 2](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/advanced-twitter-search-example-2.png)
Scroll through the list and tweak your job search, as needed.
Some of the results will be scams, but most will be legitimate.
Many will be for remote writing jobs, but some will be location-specific (usually New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Miami, Washington D.C., Dallas, Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Portland, Oklahoma City, Greenville, Atlanta, and other major cities in the United States).
Just skip over the ones that don’t apply to you.
If you look at “Top” tweets, as shown in the screenshot above, you’ll find brand-new freelance jobs mixed with older ones. Click “Latest” if you want to see recent tweets first.
The nice thing about Twitter’s advanced search feature is it’s only limited by your imagination.
Want to find guest blogging opportunities (since many websites these days pay for guest posts)?
Enter “guest post” into the “this exact phrase” option, and you’ll see every tweet written by someone looking to promote their latest guest blogging masterpiece.
That’ll give you a list of websites that accept guest posts, which you can later whittle down (after you’ve done a little more research) into a list of sites that pay guest writers.
Wash, rinse, and repeat.
2. Follow Leads on Social Media
When you use Twitter’s advanced search feature for finding freelance writing jobs online, you’ll discover certain Twitter handles pop up fairly frequently.
One example is @write_jobs:
![writer wanted tweet 1](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/writer-wanted-tweet-1.png)
When you find a good lead, follow them. That way you can cut through the noise of Twitter and go straight to your best sources.
Even better?
Add them to a private Twitter list so that tweets from all your leads can be found in one handy repository.
Here’s how you do it:
Here are a few more handles to get your Twitter list started:
3. Check Out Agency Job Postings
Everyone likes to talk about job boards (which, again, we’ll discuss in a moment). But you know what resource most freelance writers ignore?
Agencies.
Per Jon:
How to Become a Freelance Writer, Starting from Scratch
So how can you get work from agencies? Well, you could contact them directly and ask if they have any freelance work (Jon calls this a “gutsy but effective approach”).
The other way is to keep checking their “career” page:
![Agency job postings](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/006-agency-job-postings.png)
The Content Marketing Institute maintains a detailed database of agencies. Click here to check it out.
4. Find (and Woo) Clients on Their Turf
Most articles that tout social media platforms as a good place to find leads will point you to Facebook Groups.
And it makes sense. After all, search Facebook for “writing jobs”, click the “Groups” tab, and you’ll see dozens and dozens of options that are open to the public:
![facebook groups for writing jobs](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/facebook-groups-for-writing-jobs.png)
If you’re looking for a safe space where like-minded individuals offer tips, advice, and writing inspiration; such groups are great.
But if you’re looking to find paying gigs, you’ll likely be left wanting.
Most members of these groups are looking to be hired, not looking to hire writers. And when someone wanting to hire a writer does come along, the person who raises their hand first is usually the one who gets the job.
That’s not to say Facebook Groups can’t lead to writing jobs that pay. The trick is you need to find groups where the buyers, not the sellers, hang out.
Think “masterminds”, “think tanks”, etc.
Of course, that’s easier said than done. Such groups are usually private. So, what’s a writer to do?
Skip the Facebook Groups. Go Straight to the Sources.
One of the amazing things about technology is the way it allows us to connect and interact with people with whom we’d otherwise never have the opportunity.
In 2014, I didn’t know Adam Connell of Blogging Wizard. But I joined his mailing list and, lo and behold, a “welcome” email with his address arrived in my inbox. I responded, he wrote me back, and a friendship was born.
After reading one of her posts and admiring her writing style, I connected with Henneke Duistermaat of Enchanting Marketing through a humble blog comment. The same was true with Syed Balkhi. I connected with Pamela Wilson via Twitter. For Jon Morrow, the man who would one day hire me at Smart Blogger, I got on his radar by becoming a student in one of his online courses.
Want to write for a mover and shaker in your industry? Want to befriend an influencer who can open doors for you (the kind of doors that lead to paying jobs)?
Make a connection. Be generous. Give without asking or expecting anything in return.
That means following them on Twitter, sharing their content, and interacting with them. It means subscribing to their email list.
And, yes, it may mean buying one of their products. Because here’s the thing:
When you’re their student, an influencer is invested in your future. Your success is their success. You’re a walking, talking testimonial. So many — not all, but many — will do everything they can to help you succeed.
And that includes pointing leads in your direction.
5. Pitch to Software Company Blogs
More from Jon:
e-Commerce companies with blogs tend to publish a lot of content. After all, every article they publish tends to pay for itself (and then some) thanks to the traffic it brings to the website — traffic that often leads to sales of their product.
As with agencies, you can either cold pitch the software companies (which sometimes works), or you can keep an eye out for open freelance positions:
![Pitch software company jobs](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/007-pitch-software-company-jobs.png)
6. Don’t Be Scared of Ghostwriting
A lot of writers don’t like the idea of ghostwriting.
I get it. You’re letting someone else put their name on and take credit for your hard work.
Yes, that’s ghostwriting in a nutshell (minus the theatrics). But here’s the thing:
- Ghostwriting pays better than regular freelance writing. When you ghostwrite, it’s not unheard of to increase your fee by 15%-20% (or more).
- The opportunities in ghostwriting are virtually endless. You could ghostwrite blog posts, articles, scripts used on YouTube channels, or even books sold on Amazon.
- You can make great freelance writing business relationships by ghostwriting. People who pay for ghostwriters tend to have money (and connections). Oftentimes, these clients can refer you to others.
If your primary goal is to build up a strong list of writing samples, ghostwriting isn’t for you.
But if your goal is to make money writing and build potentially profitable business relationships, it’s something to consider.
And here’s the best part:
Because so many freelance writers loathe ghostwriting, there isn’t as much competition.
7. Find Clients Who are Already Hiring Successful Freelance Writers in Your Niche
Want to write for great clients in your niche who pay top dollar?
Well, you can either wait until they post job ads, then compete against everyone else who applies…
Or you can take initiative and proactively seek out these ideal clients.
One of the best places to find ideal clients is in the portfolios of successful freelance writers in your niche.
By studying other writers’ sample content, you can identify clients they’ve worked with in the past.
These clients are ideal targets because:
- You already know they hire freelance writers;
- You know they have years of experience working with freelancers, so they’ll be easier to work with;
- And you know they pay decent wages, otherwise the successful freelance writer wouldn’t work with them.
Start by finding freelance writers in your niche. You can find them by Googling “[YOUR NICHE] + freelance writer” like so:
![Freelance writers in B2B niche](png/freelance-writers-in-b2b-niche.png)
Scroll through the search results until you see a freelance writer’s website. These writing sites don’t always rank highly, so you may have to go through several pages of search results to find them.
Click on a writer’s website and check out their portfolio. There you’ll find links to articles the freelance writer wrote for various companies in your niche.
Click on a writing sample and visit the client’s website to make sure you’d be interested in writing for them. If everything looks good, add them to your list of potential targets.
Do this over and over again for every freelance writer you find in your search. When you’re done, you should have a big list of ideal clients to target.
Pick one client to target and visit their website.
Study their content to get an idea of what they publish. Pay close attention to their most popular content, as well as the article the freelance writer wrote for them. These will give you a good idea of what type of content to pitch.
Check their website for submission guidelines, which will give you a better sense of what they’re looking for from freelance writers and tell you who to send your pitch to.
Use all of this reconnaissance to brainstorm ideas for good articles to pitch them. Pick your best idea, develop it into a pitch, and send it in.
8. Apprentice With a Successful Writer in Your Niche
Another way to get work from established freelance writers is to build a mutually-beneficial partnership with them.
Many successful freelance writers need help with certain aspects of their business. They could use someone to do their research, proofreading, copy editing jobs, etc.
Of course, they could pay a professional writer or do these tasks themselves. But most would prefer to have someone do it for free.
That’s where you come in.
By offering free assistance to a successful freelancer in your niche, you can save them time and help them make more money in exchange for steady work and writing experience.
Often, successful freelance writers have to turn down work because the client can’t afford to pay their rate. Instead, they can pass this work off to you and split the earnings (again, more money in their pocket).
They can also help you by critiquing your work, giving you tips on how to succeed in the industry, and endorsing you to editors.
Once they trust you and you’ve proven yourself as a writer, they may also let you do some assignments for them.
Successful digital marketing entrepreneur Dan Lok got his start in the copywriting industry this way — by apprenticing with his copywriting mentor Alan Jacques:
“Why did this work out so well? It wasn’t worth Alan’s time for that price, but it was worth my time, because I wanted the experience. I needed clients to gain experience and get better. I got my clients with his endorsement and supervision.” — Dan Lok
So how do you start such an arrangement?
It’s not easy, and there’s no direct path. But your best bet is to buy one of their courses or products. As mentioned earlier, when you become their student, they become invested in your success.
You can also try:
- Getting an introduction from someone who knows them;
- Connecting with them on social and building a relationship;
- Creating a piece of content (perhaps copy for a landing page?) they could use and giving it to them for free.
9. Reverse-Engineer Writing Samples From Job Ads
Ultimately, most clients don’t care about your experience or credentials. They just want a freelance writer who can complete their assignment and get results.
Your job is to convince them YOU are that freelance writer.
And the best way to convince them you can do the assignment is… to do the assignment.
Most job ads ask for relevant writing samples. When applying to these ads, most freelancers provide similar writing samples.
In other words, they provide articles they wrote for another client that sort of match what the ad is looking for, but not really. Unless they’ve written for an identical client before, their writing samples will be a bit off.
You can immediately differentiate yourself from other applicants and increase your odds of getting hired by creating a writing sample tailor-made for each client.
Start by finding job ads on job sites like Upwork.
Don’t just look for any old job. Get specific with your search criteria to find ideal jobs — jobs that are in your niche, about subjects that interest you, and offer to pay premium prices.
When you come across an ideal job description, study it from top to bottom. Make note of everything the client is looking for in a writer and the assignment.
Then brainstorm ideas for articles that perfectly match what the client wants. If necessary, research tactics and techniques for creating such content.
For example, in the screenshot above, the client is seeking someone who can “write about boring, dry, technical topics.” You could Google, “how to write about boring topics”, then apply what you find to your sample article.
Select your strongest idea and write it. Try to pick a short, simple idea that won’t take too much time to write. Otherwise, the client may hire someone else before you finish.
Finally, apply to the job and submit your tailor-made content as a writing sample. You can either publish the article on a free site like Medium or submit it with your application as a Microsoft Word or Google Doc.
The best part of this strategy?
Even if the client doesn’t hire you, you’ll still walk away with a strong writing sample to add to your portfolio.
And if you repeat this process, you’ll quickly build a portfolio of writing samples that are super-relevant to your ideal clients.
10. Pitch Every Service You’ve Used in the Last Year
If you’re a beginner freelance writer, one of the best places to find writing gigs is with the companies/products you already use.
They make great potential clients because:
- You’re already familiar with the product/service;
- You’re in their target market, so writing for their audience is easier;
- You already have a relationship with these large and small businesses.
In fact, you should include these points in your pitch.
Start by making a list of every product/service you’ve used in the last year. This can include gyms, hair salons, landscapers, etc.
Visit their websites and perform a content audit:
Are there problems with their web copy you could offer to improve?
Do they have a regularly-updated blog? Could you contribute to it in an impactful way? Could you help them target certain keywords with their content?
Basically, you’re trying to match the services you offer with the content they need.
While you may be able to convince these companies to start a blog, the best targets are companies that understand the importance of content marketing and invest in it accordingly.
Once you’ve identified your targets and how you can help them, send an email to someone on their marketing team offering your services.
Your pitch should mention you’ve used their product/service and love it, as well as the fact you’re a member of their target market and will be able to effectively influence their audience.
Offer to work for a price you think they can afford, based on your research. You may not get paid top-dollar initially, but the real goal is to establish a working relationship, get steady work, and contribute to your portfolio.
By sending out 30 such emails, Julie Wilson was able to generate over $1,000 in her first month employing this strategy.
11. Write Tutorials for Products You’ve Used
This tip is similar to the previous one in that you’ll be soliciting a business you’re familiar with.
However, this technique differs because it involves writing articles on spec — creating articles for free before you pitch them.
Make a list of products you’ve used that fall into your freelance writing niche. For example, if you want to become a SaaS writer, make a list of software you use or have used in the past.
Visit the websites of these companies to determine if they’re good prospects. Look for companies with well-established, regularly-updated blogs.
Check to see if they have submission guidelines, which will give you information on the type of content they’re looking for and let you know if they hire freelance writers and/or accept guest posts.
Then write a tutorial (that includes a thorough product description) on how to use their product to achieve a desired result. If possible, create a case study describing the results you achieved with the product and how you did so.
Contact someone in the company via email or LinkedIn. Tell them you’re about to publish the article on Medium (or some other blog) and were wondering if:
- They want to publish it on their blog instead;
- They’d be willing to share and/or link to the article once you’ve published it.
Even if they don’t buy the article, you’ll add another writing sample to your portfolio while establishing a relationship with a potential client who may keep you in mind for future work.
12. Find and Fix Weak/Old Content
By now, we’ve established the benefit of demonstrating your value to potential clients in advance.
Another way to demonstrate value is by improving their weak, flawed, or outdated content.
You’d be surprised by how many influential, well-established organizations have flawed web content.
Often, these organizations are so preoccupied with creating new content they overlook small errors or forget to update their content to meet new developments.
That’s where you come in.
By identifying weak spots and fixing them for free, you can establish a relationship with a potential client that gets your foot in the door.
Of course, you shouldn’t just visit hundreds of random websites hoping to find bad copy or content. Think of how time-consuming and unbearably boring that would be.
Instead, make a list of 10 to 20 blogs, companies, or influencers you’d most like to write for.
Visit their websites, analyze their content, and make note of areas you can improve.
Look for older content that could use an update. For example, a headline like “How to be a freelance writer in 2016” is a great candidate for modernization.
(On the other hand, something like “Google Authorship: The Complete Handbook for Getting Respect, Readers, and Rankings” wouldn’t work because its main topic, “Google authorship”, is no longer relevant.)
Dan Lok used a similar tactic to get work from guerrilla marketing guru Jay Conrad Levinson. Dan rewrote Jay’s entire sales pitch on spec and sent it to him. Not only did Jay use the updated sales copy and pay Dan for his spec work, but the new copy tripled Jay’s conversions!
Maybe you’re not a copywriting expert like Dan. But if you find a website with weak or unremarkable sales copy, you could try researching the subject and giving it a shot. At the very least, this makes for good practice.
Once you’ve identified and updated your content, send an email to your target explaining what you did.
Tell them you came across their website or blog article, noticed some flaws, and thought you could help them out by improving it.
While they may offer to pay you for your work like Jay did, I don’t recommend trying to sell it to them.
The true power of this tactic is you’re establishing a relationship by being helpful and demonstrating value upfront. And it works best when done for free.
Trying to sell them your work can come off as opportunistic, arrogant, and reduce the chances they’ll bite.
But if you help them for free and they like your work, they may decide to pay you (like Jay did) and/or keep you in mind for future assignments.
13. Dominate Quora
Quora is a social media platform where users can post questions and get answers from other users.
Whether or not you get clients from Quora, it’s an insanely useful marketing platform for writers that allows you to:
- Connect with people in your niche in a helpful way and demonstrate your expertise;
- Show potential clients you can write for their target audience;
- Generate long-term traffic from each answer you post (popular Quora questions and answers often get ranked in Google);
- Establish yourself as an authority in your niche and build an audience, both of which make you more attractive to potential clients.
Networking on Quora can be an effective, albeit indirect, method for getting freelance writing jobs online.
The essence of a Quora marketing strategy is this:
Find questions that are relevant to your niche; provide helpful, in-depth answers that demonstrate your writing skill; and advertise your writing services in your profile.
Start by creating a stellar Quora profile.
Treat your Quora profile like your freelance business website. You should include your position as a freelance writer, a high-quality profile picture, a description of the benefits of your services, and links to your writing samples and website.
In the “Credentials & Highlights” section, list all of the credentials and experiences that reinforce your position as an authority in your niche.
In the “Knows About” section, be sure to include topics related to your writing niche as well as your role as a freelance writer (SEO, content marketing, blogging, and so on).
![Example of a stellar Quora profile](png/stellar-quora-profile.png)
Next, find and follow trending topics related to your writing niche as well as the type of content you create (articles, content marketing, email copy, web copy, etc.).
When your profile is all set up and ready to go, start searching for questions relevant to your writing niche. “Relevant questions” include questions that are of interest to potential clients and/or their audience.
You can find relevant questions either by clicking on a Topic and scanning for them, or by typing relevant keywords into the search bar.
When you come across a relevant question, bookmark it in the “Answer Later” section for easy access.
Finally, write phenomenal answers to your saved questions.
Your answers should be helpful. They should answer all parts of the question in the best way possible. And you should include links to additional resources if and when necessary.
Your answers should tell stories. Stories are not only a great way to engage readers and increase views, they also help readers learn and retain information better.
Your answers should incorporate visuals. Visuals break up your text and make your answers more visually appealing and easier to read.
Be sure to link to your writing samples when possible. In fact, whenever you publish a new article, you should spend some time finding and answering Quora questions related to it as a way to drive traffic.
Regularly answer questions to build your Quora audience and views. You’ll increase your position as an authority in your niche, increase your value to clients by building an audience, and potentially get freelance work from employers who come across your answers.
14. Offer Referral Deals
If they like your work, most clients will happily refer you to others.
But some clients may be reticent to refer you to others because they want to keep you to themselves.
Other clients simply require a bit of motivation.
A simple way to provide this motivation is to sweeten the pot with a referral deal.
Tell clients that for every referral they send your way that turns into a job, you’ll create one free piece of content for them.
Even though you’ll waste some work hours on free work, you’ll more than make up for it with the steady stream of new clients you get.
Short. Sweet. And simple.
Just remember:
It’s important you honor your word.
If a client finds out they referred you to someone, you got the job, and you reneged on your end of the deal, your relationship with the client will end and your reputation as a writer will be tarnished.
15. Monitor Companies That are Hiring for Content Marketing Roles
When you see an ad for a content marketing role, a “job opportunity flag” should be raised in your head.
A new content marketing hire is a sign a company is either investing more in content marketing or changing its content marketing strategy.
It can also simply mean they’re filling a vacant position.
Either way, a new hire still signifies a change in strategy. And it’s likely they’ll need more content and more help creating that content.
Rather than waiting for the company to post an ad for freelance writers (like those other lazy freelancers), take the initiative and demonstrate value upfront.
Reach out to the company (or even their new hire) and offer your help executing their new strategy.
First, use LinkedIn to monitor job ads seeking content producers and marketers.
With LinkedIn, you can use filters to narrow your search by job role, job type, and industry.
You’ll want to filter out any companies that aren’t in your writing niche using the “Industry” filter. If you write for software companies, limit your search to software companies.
It’s also best to limit your search to top-level content marketing roles. Top-level hires are the best indication a company is investing in a new content marketing strategy and increasing content production.
To filter for top-level roles, use keywords like “Content Marketing Strategist”, “Content Marketing Manager“, “Content Marketing Specialist”, “Head of Content Marketing”, etc. You can also use LinkedIn’s “Experience” and “Title” filters to narrow your search to top-level positions.
![LinkedIn Job Filters](png/linkedin-job-filter.png)
The best part about using LinkedIn for this strategy is you can set a job alert and have new job ads emailed to you. No need to waste time running new job searches over and over again in order to find job openings. Just set it and forget it.
Next, read the job ads to get a sense of the opportunity potential.
If the job ad indicates the company will be producing lots of new content, you know they’ll be a good source of potential work. Often the ad will say something like, “we’re looking to ramp up our content marketing efforts.”
Keep an eye out for any information on the new direction of their content strategy. If the ad says they’re looking to use written content to build authority in their niche, then make note of it. You’ll use it later in your pitch.
Once you’ve identified a few good prospects, it’s time to start crafting your pitch.
A great pitch should include:
1. An introduction that aligns you with their goals.
You might say something like, “I understand you’re looking to build authority with your blog and I think I can help.” This shows you’ve read their ad and understand what they want to achieve.
2. An article written on spec that you’ll let them publish for free.
This demonstrates your value and writing abilities upfront. It’s also a great way to start a positive relationship by giving them something of value for free.
3. A list of 5 to 10 article ideas you think they’ll like.
This demonstrates your ability to regularly produce great content ideas and will be a valuable asset to their new strategy.
Finally, send them your pitch.
It’s best to send your idea to the newbie hire once they’ve filled the role — the new hire will be most receptive because they’re new to the company, eager to make a good impression, and stand to benefit most from bringing a talented freelancer on board.
While this tactic takes a bit of effort, the potential for steady, long-term work makes it worthwhile.
16. Use an Ad Fishing Strategy
Ad Fishing is a technique that involves using Facebook or LinkedIn ads to target warm leads.
For simplicity, we’ll describe how to employ this strategy on Facebook, but the process for LinkedIn is identical.
To perform this strategy, you’ll need:
- A Facebook Page;
- Your own website/blog with the Facebook Pixel installed;
- A case study describing how you helped a client achieve a certain result with your content marketing.
First, you’ll need a case study that demonstrates the value of your freelance writing.
Your case study should describe a positive result you helped a client achieve and the process you used for doing so. The positive result could be as simple as helping them boost monthly web traffic with a blog post.
Make sure your case study has a killer, benefit-oriented headline. For example:
“How I Got 10k New Monthly Visitors for a Client With One Blog Post”
The case study should also include a CTA (call to action) at the end inviting readers to contact you if they want similar results.
Next, create a “Bait Article” — an article your target clients will want to read.
For example, if you want to work with health care companies, you could create an article titled “7 Ways Health Care Companies Can Generate More Web Traffic”.
Promote the article wherever your target clients hang out. Post it in relevant Facebook Groups. Link to it in answers to relevant Quora questions. Or, simply promote it to your targets using Facebook Ads.
Finally, create a Retargeting Ad sharing your case study with anyone who reads the “Bait Article”.
The essence of this strategy is to use the “Bait Article” to find and qualify warm leads — people in your target market who want the results you can help them achieve.
Then you hook those warm leads with a case study that clearly demonstrates how you can help them achieve the desired result.
Because the ad only targets a small number of qualified leads, ad spend will be low and ROI (return on investment) will be high.
Chapter Three: 15 Writing Job Boards That are Packed with Writing Opportunities
Next up, let’s look at some popular (and some under-the-radar) job boards used by freelance writers all over the world.
If you’re new to freelancing, job boards will likely be your easiest entry point. You’ll be able to find writing jobs of all shapes and sizes.
Once you have some writing samples under your belt and you begin getting good referrals from clients, more opportunities will become available to you.
Let’s start with my favorite one:
1. Smart Blogger Jobs Board
We’ll start with our own Smart Blogger Jobs Board.
![](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/smart-blogger-jobs-board.png)
With top-notch jobs that have been vetted by a member of the company’s editorial team…
A slick searcher and filter option that helps you find the perfect job…
And a deep catalog of free training material that’ll help you land that perfect job…
The Smart Blogger Jobs Board is the one-stop shop for writers, bloggers, content marketers, copywriters, and more looking for part-time, full-time, and freelance jobs.
Call me biased, but I think it’s pretty great.
2. LinkedIn Jobs
If you’re a professional, there’s a good chance you already have a LinkedIn profile (even if, like me, you tend to forget about it for months at a time).
![LinkedIn - Profile](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/024-linkedin-profile.png)
Its job board, as you would expect from a site that specializes in professional networking, is huge.
How huge?
Well, at the time of this writing, there are over 35,000 job postings for “copywriter” alone:
![linkedin jobs example for copywriter](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/linkedin-jobs-example-for-copywriter.png)
Thankfully, LinkedIn offers lots of filters. Search by date, the job’s industry, the job type (full-time jobs, part-time writing jobs, etc.), experience level, and more.
If you’re already on LinkedIn, it’s a good place to start.
3. Upwork
Depending on who you talk to, Upwork (formerly Elance-oDesk) is either awful or amazing. And the funny thing is, the reasons for its awfulness and amazingness are one and the same: low rates.
![Upwork](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/upwork-screenshot.png)
Employers love Upwork because you can typically find qualified applicants who live in areas with lower cost of living. As a result, they can get great work at reduced costs.
Those who hate Upwork do so because they’re competing with the aforementioned applicants who can comfortably live on less money.
So what does this mean for freelance writers?
Unless you’re content with low-paying freelance writing rates (because you need the practice, you want to build up your portfolio, you need all the work you can get, etc.), you’re better off with one of the other job boards mentioned.
4. ProBlogger
As its name would suggest, the ProBlogger Job Board is a popular one among bloggers in search of freelance writing work and blogger jobs.
With a $70 starting price for posting a job, you tend to find smaller companies on ProBlogger. There are exceptions, of course.
One neat feature offered by ProBlogger is a Candidate Database employers can search to find writers. It’s free for writers to join, and you can use it as an online resume and sales page. Here’s an example from Smart Blogger student Mark Tong:
![Problogger resume for Mark Tong](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/problogger-candidate-dashboard-example-2.png)
5. BloggingPro
BloggingPro requires clients to publish job ads that pay a minimum of $15 an hour (or have at least 500 words).
![BloggingPro](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/bloggingpro-screenshot.png)
Job categories are blogging, content writing jobs, copywriting, and journalism. And types of work include contract, freelance, full-time, part-time, internship, and temporary.
As job boards not named LinkedIn or Indeed go, it’s pretty detailed.
6. FlexJobs
FlexJobs specializes in all types of online jobs and remote work, including remote jobs for writers. It isn’t free, but you get a lot for your money.
![Flexjobs](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/flexjobs-screenshot.png)
For starters, you’re safe from scams — each job posting is vetted by an actual human. You also don’t have to hunt for work from home jobs that’ll allow you to write in your pajamas — all online writing job ads (from blog posts to white papers to press releases to academic writing) are for remote positions. It’s kind of their thing.
Plans start at $14.95 per month. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can try it out, see if there are any promising writing jobs, and cancel if you don’t like what you see.
7. Freelance Writers Den
![Freelance Writers Den](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/freelance-writers-den.png)
Founded by Carol Tice, the Freelance Writers Den is a paid membership site with a long track record.
Unlike most job boards, you also get bonuses. There are over 300 hours of training material, pitch examples, templates, and monthly live events.
Membership is $25 per month with no contract. You can cancel anytime and not pay the next month’s dues. There’s also a 7-day money-back guarantee when you first join.
8. Who Pays Writers?
According to its website, Who Pays Writers? is “an anonymous, crowd-sourced list of which publications pay freelance writers — and how much.”
Translation: Once you’re ready to write for a high-profile publication that’ll look amazing on your portfolio, Who Pays Writers? will be a helpful resource you can use to discover which publications accept applications (and how much they tend to pay per word).
It’s definitely one you should bookmark.
9. FreelanceWriting.com
Curating the best freelance and remote writing jobs that Indeed, Craigslist, BloggingPro, and others have to offer (as well as their own, exclusive writing opportunities); freelancewriting.com is a one-step resource for freelancers.
![Sample job ads from freelancewriting.com](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/freelance-writing-com-screenshot.png)
Not all job listings are for remote writing jobs, but you can filter the ads to fit your needs. Categories include:
- Blogging and marketing jobs (WordPress, SEO, content manager, content strategist for startups, etc.)
- Writing (freelance copywriter, staff writer, short stories, article writer, non-fiction writer, creative writer, grant writer, medical writer, healthcare report writer, real estate writer, personal finance writer, creative content writer, scriptwriter for podcasts, etc.)
- Proofreading (writer/editor, copy editor, content editor, proofreader, etc.)
- Journalism
- Non-profit gigs
- Copywriting jobs
- Social media (marketing manager, social media manager, etc.)
- Technical writing (technical writer, proposal writer, cover letters, service writer, or even freelance resume writer, etc.).
If you’d like to keep your list of remote job boards short, freelancewriting.com is a good one to keep on it.
10. Freelance Writing Jobs
Freelance Writing Jobs curates blogging jobs from Craigslist, Indeed, Journalism Jobs, MediaBistro, and others.
Every week day, Monday through Friday, they publish a short list of hand-picked job ads. So, if you prefer quality content over quantity, it’s worth a bookmark.
11. Be a Freelance Blogger
Owned and operated by a Smart Blogger student, Sophie Lizard’s job board keeps things pretty simple: if you want to publish a job ad on Be a Freelance Blogger, it has to pay at least $0.10 per word or $50 per post.
![Be A Freelance Blogger](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/beafreelanceblogger-screenshot.png)
If you’re just starting out, it’s definitely worth looking into.
12. Behance Creative Writing Jobs
Though it’s primarily known for its portfolio features, Adobe’s Behance has a job board for creatives of all shapes and sizes.
![Behance](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/behance-screenshot.png)
Job listings for everything from advertising to public relations to freelance writing can be found, making it a solid resource for all kinds of freelancers.
13. Constant Content
Constant Content is a freelance writing platform that facilitates connections between brands and writers. You register for an account, complete a quiz, provide a short writing sample, and — once you’ve been accepted — start applying for writing jobs.
![Constant Content](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/constantcontent-screenshot.png)
The brands they work with include Uber, Zulily, The Home Depot, Walgreens, Hayneedle, CVS, and eBay; and they claim their top writers earn up to $90,000 per year.
14. Journalism Jobs
If you want to target magazines and newspapers, Journalism Jobs is a great resource. With close to 3 million page views each month, it’s the largest resource for news writers and journalism jobs on the web.
So, if publications are your focus, it should be on your short list.
15. Copify
![Copify](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/copify-screenshot.png)
Copify is a different kind of freelance writing job board. First, you apply for membership. Once you’re in, you can take writing jobs when and if it suits you.
Its aim is to provide you “hassle-free” freelance writing opportunities. So, there are no contracts or commitments, and no need to submit bids or proposals. If you value simplicity, Copify could be a good fit.
Chapter Four: Common Freelance Writing Questions (& Answers)
![](https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/freelance-writing-questions-answers.jpg)
Still have questions? Don’t worry. It’s perfectly normal.
We’ll wrap things up with a quick FAQ.
Here are the common questions we receive from freelance writers. (If you have a question not discussed here, be sure to leave a comment below!)
You should also check out our Freelance Writing Hub. From elevating your writing skills to getting paid to write, it’s a go-to resource for everything you need to know about freelancing.
Now on to the Q&A…
What is freelance content writing?
Freelance writers are self-employed contractors who are hired by clients to create content for them. The type of content ranges from production descriptions to email copy to full-fledged eBooks — and everything in between.
What do you do as a freelance writer?
Well, hopefully, you write. A lot. 🙂
But you also:
- Proofread and edit
- Market and network
- Hone your craft
- Send invoices, do taxes, and other administrative tasks
- Find paying gigs
And speaking of looking for work:
How do freelance writers find work?
How freelance writers land gigs tend to vary based on their experience writing. When you have a good body of work, you’ll get many of your blog writer jobs through referrals and repeat customers. As a result, if you’re an experienced writer, you typically make more money.
So, when you first start writing, you’ll need to be proactive. The job boards we discussed earlier will likely be where you have the most success initially. And don’t forget about the outside-the-box, under-the-radar strategies we discussed. You can find success with those too.
How much do freelance writers make?
When you’re just starting out, you’ll likely be in the $0.10 to $0.15 per word range. But, as you grow, you can command $500, $1,000, and more per article.
Once you have a body of work and you can prove you get results for clients, your pay increases.
How do freelance writers get paid?
Every client will have their own methods for paying writers, but typically you’ll submit an invoice via a service like PayPal, Stripe, or TransferWise.
Make sure you understand the payment terms before you begin work. If you’re unsure, ask the client.
How much do you charge for a 500 word article? How much should I charge for a 1000 word article?
Using the $0.10 to $0.15 per word range we just discussed, as a new freelance writer you can expect to earn between $50 and $75 for a 500-word article.
For a 1,000-word article, a new freelancer could expect to earn between $100 and $150.
But again, as time goes on, your rate should be higher.
How much does a freelance writer make per hour?
It depends.
Most clients will pay freelance writers by word count or individual project. For such clients, your hourly rate will depend on how fast you work.
But there is some data available to give you a broad (probably too broad) idea:
- According to PayScale, the hourly range for freelance writers is $11.50 to $63.02. On average, the hourly rate is $24.07.
- ZipRecruiter’s numbers are even broader. It says the hourly range is between $5.29 and $76.68 for freelance writers, with $30 being the national average in the United States.
Takes these numbers with a grain of salt, though.
How do you start freelance writing? How do I become a freelance writer with no experience?
Freelance writing experience or no, if you’re willing to accept lower-than-ideal pay rates on job boards, blog content mills, or freelance marketplaces (think Fiverr and Textbroker), you can get started right away. Find freelance job postings, apply to them, and get to work.
But big picture, the answer depends on which group do you belong to:
- I’m a skilled writer, but I don’t yet have a body of work. Or,
- my writing leaves a lot to be desired.
If you’re in the former group, focus on building a good writing portfolio. If you have your own website, publish articles on there. Medium is a good option too (and it’s free).
If you’re the latter, you really should focus on improving your writing skills. You can probably find work as you are, sure, but a portfolio filled with crappy articles won’t help you find good clients.
Our writing articles here at Smart Blogger can help you. So can the excellent writing content at Enchanting Marketing, Copyblogger, and others. And if you need formal training, the free class I mentioned earlier is well worth your time.
Can you be a freelance writer without a Bachelor’s degree (or even High School Diploma)?
Absolutely. I have a Master’s in Computer Science that I paid way too much money to acquire. Know how many times I’ve been asked by a potential client if I had a degree? Zero. Know how many times the word “degree” popped up when Jon was interviewing me for Smart Blogger? Zilch.
If you can do the work, you can do the work. A degree in creative writing, or lack of one, won’t matter.
Are “guest posts” the same thing as freelance writing jobs?
Semantics aside, yes.
With a guest post, you’re writing content for a website you don’t own, you’re credited as the author, and you get an author byline (or, at least you do with good guest post opportunities). With a freelance writing job, you’re writing content for a website you don’t own, you’re credited as the author (unless it’s a ghostwriter assignment), and you get an author byline (unless, again, you’re ghostwriting).
The only difference is compensation.
All freelance writing jobs will pay you money. With guest blogging, some blogs and websites pay writers to write guest posts for them; with others, you don’t receive monetary compensation, but you get perks like having your work seen by new audiences and beefing up your writing portfolio.
Do guest bloggers get paid?
Some do. As mentioned above, some websites pay writers to write guest posts for them.
To find out if a guest blogging opportunity is a paying one, you need to check their website. Look for a page named “editorial guidelines”, “guest posting guidelines”, “write for us”, or something similar.
Then (and this is important) you need to thoroughly read said guidelines.
If it’s a paying freelance writing gig, or even if it’s just an unpaid freelance writing opportunity for a popular website, you want to get your relationship with the target website off to a good start. And nothing will get your relationship off to a bad start quite like failing to read their guidelines.
Many websites, especially large ones that receive lots of inquiries, will use their editorial guidelines to eliminate sub-par candidates.
For example, here are a few of the guidelines Smart Blogger used to have in our since-retired “Write for Us” page:
re: the chances we'll accept your post
If you prefer to deliver one draft and have it published pretty much as-is, this is not the blog for you. If you prefer not to have your ideas tested or your writing scrutinized, then again, this is not the blog for you.
re: the grueling blog writing process
re: guest posting length guidelines
And, trust me, there was a lot more where that came from. Each paragraph, each sentence, was carefully designed to filter potential candidates.
Most blogs and websites won’t have such detailed guidelines. But they will have some guidelines (and if one doesn’t, it isn’t one you want to do business with).
Read the guidelines, follow them, and you’ll do fine.
What are the highest paying freelance writing jobs? What niche should I pursue if I want to make lots of money as a writer?
The list of profitable writing niches can change for a variety of reasons (just look at what the coronavirus did to the “travel” industry in 2020), but here’s an evergreen tip for finding high-paying gigs:
Follow the money.
If you see lots of job ads for freelance writing jobs in a particular niche, chances are the niche is profitable.
True, smart, and sophisticated businesses will continue to hire freelance writers and produce content during a recession (it pays off for them long-term), but unsophisticated clients will stop — unless they’re still making money.
This is a simple but effective hack for finding profitable niches.
To learn more, check out 17 Freelance Writing Niches That Still Pay Big Bucks.
Is freelance writing legit?
I’ll resist the urge to make an M.C. Hammer joke. Instead, I’ll simply say:
Yes, freelance writing is legit.
(You could almost say it’s too legit.)
Ready to Become a Successful Freelance Writer?
There may be lots of online writing jobs out there, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy out there.
Landing paid writing jobs is difficult. Getting started on your freelance career path is difficult. But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t doable. It’s very doable.
With the tips and resources in this post, you’re now armed with knowledge. You know what steps you need to take in order to be prepared, you know under-the-radar places to look for opportunities, and you have a sizable list of freelance writing job boards from which to choose.
All that’s left is for you to take action.
Are you ready to get started? Ready to take a huge step towards quitting your day job and following your dream? Ready to find that first (or hundredth) paying assignment?
Then let’s do this thing.
Wow, right where I’m at, Kevin! Thanks again for this great actionable advice. And also for confirming that I was spinning my wheels in some areas to find writing jobs.
Hey Vicky,
Awesome! I’m so glad you found the post helpful. 🙂
Thank you for such an insightful post, a few months ago I have up on my freelance writing but I have now seen great reasons to get back to it while managing my blog.
Hey Joan,
You’re welcome (and thank you)! I’m glad the post inspired you. Yes, do give freelance writing another go. Don’t give up. 🙂
I’ve just started to write as a freelancer and these tips would definitely help me find the best jobs. Thanks 🙂
Hey Manjula,
Welcome to the wonderful world of freelancing! I’m glad you enjoyed these tips. Let me know how things go!
Hey, that’s what it is! 21 This “Beginner-Friendly Tips for Landing Freelance Writing Jobs” is really helpful, just by sharing these amazing tips, you’re really helping people. I want to show this to my friends right now and I’m going to take action immediately. Thank you very much for that.
Hey Daniel,
Thanks, man. Appreciate that. Hopefully, this post can help a lot of people. Thank you for sharing it with your friends!
Great article! Many interesting tips 🙂
Hey Marcin,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for the solid tips.
I particularly liked the Twitter tip. I will try it.
Please check your inbox and help me put my freelancing house in order 🙂 I’ve reached out twice, maybe my emails were nabbed by crazy spam spiders.
Enjoy your day.
Off to share!
Hey Qhubekani,
You’re welcome, my friend! Thank you for the kind words (and the share).
So you’ve emailed me? Let me check. Sorry about that. I’ll go find them today and get back with you soon.
Thanks again for reading and sharing, Qhubekani!
Snake’s’ hips maybe haha.
Awesome post, Kevin! Wish this came earlier when I was just starting out. Bookmarked the agency directory.
Quick question: As one of the big players in the industry, I’m interested in your your opinion on the right time for a beginner or an intermediate writer to transition from content mills like Upwork to cold pitching or scavenging for direct clients in Job boards like Pro blogger?
Do you also happen to know of writers (newbies can look up to) who have made it huge without stepping foot into content mills or the ones receiving the briefcases full of cash while pitching?
Last, regarding asking for testimonials, sites like Upwork allow clients to leave one after their contract with the writers has ended. So, is it worth for beginners to utilize such sites while building their portfolio working with direct clients or should they stick with only one through the dip.
Btw, received your mail, when should we also expect any nugget of wisdom from Be A Better Blogger?
See you on Twitter!
Best,
Antony
Hey Antony,
Thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
“As one of the big players in the industry” — gosh, I don’t know about that, Antony. I appreciate the compliment, though. 🙂
To answer your question: In my opinion, you should transition ASAP. The rates for content mills are really, really low. Too low. If you’ve got the skills (even if you still have room for improvement… if you can write a decent article right here, right now), I wouldn’t hesitate to visit ProBlogger’s job boards (as well as the other job boards I listed) and compete for higher-paying jobs.
As for writers that newbies can look up to: That’s the funny thing. Most writers, when they’ve made it big, tend not to admit they ever participated in content mills when they were starting out. My guess is many avoided them, but many didn’t. They had to go where the work was, you know?
Henneke, who I mentioned in the post, is a great writer to look up to. I’ve had very good experiences working with Ali Luke (who you’ve probably seen on ProBlogger). She’s another good one. Mel Wicks and Colin Newcomer, two frequent Smart Blogger writers, are others. So is Sarah Peterson, who has written for Smart Blogger and worked for Sumo, and who commands big bucks as a freelance writer. Elna Cain is another one I’ve had the pleasure to work with.
Honestly, there are too many to list, Antony. Haha. But hopefully, that gives you a starting point! 🙂
For your last question: Upwork reviews left by clients will likely only help you land more jobs on Upwork. You could, in theory, mention your high Upwork score to non-Upwork clients, but that could backfire. Because everyone knows the writing rates on Upwork are low, your using Upwork as “proof” could cause prospective clients to undervalue you.
My take: the good assignments you had on Upwork should definitely be used in your writing portfolio. Just don’t mention you got the work via Upwork. You had a writing assignment, you did a great job on it, and that’s all that matters.
Hope all that helps, Antony. Thanks again for the kind words.
You’re welcome, Kevin. Thanks for the wonderful feedback too! It’s of great help to others who are planning to start or are part of the freelance writing journey.
Yeah, true Henneke is amazing. I’ve interacted with her. I’ve been enjoying her series of emails from Enchanting marketing too. I’ve heard of Sarah and Mel. Actually Sarah was outranking Jon.
The last time I checked Jon was ranking number one for “power words” but I’m shocked to see him at position 4. You should shove his b@tt as one of his sidekicks to reclaim the position he deserves.
I’ll make an effort to greet all of them in the course of next week and probably pass your words or greeting maybe haha.
Great day!
Knock on wood, but as of this writing we’re back at #1 for “power words”, Antony! 🙂
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”
That quote alone made this post worth reading.
I love that a lot of the advice, especially at the beginning, has value for anyone looking to increase their sphere of influence.
I want to make connecting with influencers one of my top blogging priorities in 2020. Which reminds me, I think I forgot to reply to your last email!
Excellent post Mr Editor, hope the fame and fortune isn’t going to your head (although I wouldn’t blame you if it did 😉
Have a Merry Christmas Kevin!
Hey Geoff,
Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, I love that quote too.
How are you doing with your “connecting with influencers” goal?
Hi Kevin
Thanks for these tips. For a begineer like me, This will definitely help me. Thank you again.
You’re welcome, Abhishek!
Hey Kevin J. Duncan ,
Great post. Thanks for being so generous. I am a beginner in freelancing and i have no idea about it. Yout blog has helped me alot in knowing about these things. Keep up the good work.
Hey, Harry! So glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks Kevin for the tips on how freelancers can earn good income from writing jobs. I have picked out two points. 1. Have a kick ass writing portfolio 🙂 2. Follow social media leads this I am working on starting now. Do you usually offer mentorship?
You’re welcome, Silvia! Not doing any mentoring or coaching at the moment. Though, I do interact with our students. 🙂
The information you provided about freelancing jobs site is insane. It helps a lot to student like me. Thanks man keep it up.
Awesome. You’re very welcome, Sagar!
I’ve just started to write as a freelancer and these tips would definitely help me find the best jobs. Thanks
Glad to hear it, Bikash! Be sure to come back and let me know how it’s going for you so far.
Hi Kevin,
This right here is rock-solid advice.
It took moments of reflection to read it all and l can confidently say that the Twitter tip stole the show. It’s something l will be working on soon and l hope l can hit a home run with it.
Without further ado, let me head off to Twitter and spread this gospel.
Hey Edwin,
So glad you enjoyed the post and got so much value out of it. Really appreciate the kind words (and tweet)!
Hi Kevin,
The best way to search for a freelance writing job is by joining a freelancer marketplace such as odesk, freelancer, etc. But if a person do not have required skills then he can never become success as an freelancer.
Your tips are surely going to help people who want to be successful freelancer.
Thanks!
Thanks, Gaurav. I certainly hope the post helps people. 🙂
Hey, let’s say that i have writting skills. where i can start my business?
Hey, Saida. If you’ve got the writing skills, start working on two things: writing good pitches to prospective clients, and building a good portfolio. We’re working on a new Smart Blogger post as we speak that can help you with the former. For the latter, this post should help: https://smartblogger.com/writing-portfolio/
Good luck!
I’ve just started to write as a freelancer and these tips would definitely help me find the best jobs. Thanks
Glad to hear it, Alamin!
Hi,
This is good to see you beginner friendly tips and having right post article to see you here. Thanks a lot for sharing with us.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Adrina!
I’ve been hiring writers for over 10 years. Each site or niche is different and it astounds me how much some writers expect to receive per word. I’m willing to pay for good writing but writers, especially new ones need to be reasonable about their rates. If they get in with a good corporate gig I can see them making the rate they want. Anyone freelancing that is looking for work needs to keep their expectations humble. You can always ask for an increase after you develop the relationship. Great resources on this page.
Hey Richard,
Appreciate your perspective (and happy to know you enjoyed the post)! Very true that each niche (and client) is different.
Thank you for sharing this important information with us because freelance jobs are much better than full-time jobs. You can earn more money as a freelancer. So once again thank you for sharing this important information with us.
Glad you found it helpful, Vivek!
Thanks for all that valuable information!! I just want to say your article is very helpful, that’s very clear.
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Anil!
Thanks for taking initiative and providing this information which will be beneficial for freelancers. Freelancing in these days is going to help many.
I certainly hope the post helps freelancers. Glad you enjoyed it, Shubham!
Thanks for the detailed article on finding freelance writing jobs. These days it is very difficult to freelance. As there is lot of competition. I feel Facebook is overcrowded and also ineffective. I never know the features offered by ProBlogger until this article. I will check that for sure.
Thanks & Regards
Aria Mathew
You’re welcome, Aria. I’m glad you found the post helpful!
How did ProBlogger’s job board work for you?
I didn’t know it so many freelance websites to sign up with. I am only familiar with upwork and blogger. Thanks I will definitely look into some of these on your list.
You’re welcome, Marcus!
Hey Kevin,
This a great article. In this post You have covered all the sides of this topic. This proved that Freelancing is not a simple process unless there is a full commitment to the work. It is the right place to learn much about freelancing and to correct the flaws.
Thanks for sharing!
Appreciate the kind words, Jones. Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Kevin,
How are you doing? Your article caught my attention when it landed in my inbox, but I decided to save it for later. I like that you highlighted creating a portfolio and honing one’s writing skills at the top. A collection shows potential clients what a freelance writer can bring to the table. And when you improve your writing skills, you set yourself up for more writing work and recognition by top marketers.
For example, when I started freelancing in 2017, I landed my first client month after that. So I thought I was in my A-game. So, I thought it would be ideal for getting published on top blogs like SEMrush. I wrote and submitted a few articles, but they were rejected. It was when I received their remarks that I realized my writing wasn’t good enough.
So, I took the time to improved my skills. Fast-forward 2019/2020, SEMrushhs published my articles with the editor, Melissa emailing me to submit more content for publishing. Creating a portfolio, as stated earlier, is perfect, but it is wise to leverage some underused channels like LinkedIn for portfolio creation as well.
For instance, LinkedIn is a top B2B2 lead generation platform, but many writers are not taking advantage of this goldmine for content writing jobs. I used the LinkedIn “Experience section” to create a mini portfolio, my page views increased dramatically, and I landed more high-paying jobs.
Iikethearticle you put out, and I have already scheduled it for posting across channels.
Thanks for sharing!
Hey Moss,
Glad you enjoyed it (and appreciate your support)!
It’s fun to read about your journey so far. SEMrush is a great site, so congrats for getting published by them. That’s certainly excellent portfolio material!
Agree with you that many writers aren’t taking advantage of LinkedIn. We have a post on the topic in work, so hopefully we do something about that soon. 🙂
Thanks again for the kind comment, Moss. Have a good one.
Thank you so much for sharing such an insightful article. I do believe in these times of widespread pandemic, it is important to keep going and not sulk. Freelance work is something which will surely earn you some pocket money and at the same time help you revise your skills and knowledge. It will help you go through your area of expertise again and again which helps you improvise every time.
Thank you, Deepankshu. Glad you enjoyed it!
(And, yes, totally agree. You’ve got to keep going. Keep moving forward.)
I am really overwhelmed with this article. I would like to thank for the efforts you have made in writing this post. Thanks for sharing. Great websites!! 🙂
Hey, Richa. I’m glad you were overwhelmed in a GOOD way! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Very very complete, thank you very much for this!
The resources are really awesome, very useful for me to start freelancing writing.
I really love this one, and shared it to my social media.
Thank you and keep posting awesome articles!
Hey, Menulis. You’re very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!
Hey Kevin,
I’ve bookmarked this as a daily job search reference. This post is meaty, yet each directive is separate. Nothing bugs me more than having to fish back through content to piece the instructions together.
The number “33” in the headline got my attention. It’s such an unusual headline number I thought “Mmm, Kevin must be serious about this number of suggestions, I must read this”
I’m familiar with a few of these tactics. By using this as a reference, there’s no doubt I’ll execute my search better.
Tactics like poaching from other writers, Quora searches and many others, weren’t even on my list … so thanks!
I read this just in time for my May marketing push so about to get started on my spreadsheet to chart my progress.
You’re the best!
Lyn Marler
Hey Lyn,
Good to see you here in the comments section! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
I’m glad you found the layout and sections of the post to be clear and easy to navigate. That was one of the trickiest parts about putting this post together, so I’m glad it worked.
How’d your May marketing push go?
Thanks, Kevin for all the tips. I was finding it difficult to find a freelancing job as a content writer. This article actually helped me. I followed all your sets and finally got a job which I applied at Job Vacancy Result
Thanks!!!!!!
That’s awesome, Vedang. I’m glad the article helped you!
Pretty awesome article. i am already working as a freelancer but definitely this article going to help me even further more. Thank You.
Glad to hear it, Muhammad. Good luck!
The Quora part got me. I am active in quora as reader because the answers are always relevant and easy to read. The community are also very supportive there. After reading your article I just realize that Quora can be used as platform to promote our writing skill. That is amazing.
Hey, Utomo. Glad you found the Quora part to be enlightening! Best of luck leveraging the platform going forward. 🙂
Just landed here from Google and believe me, I’m stoked. So many options to choose from. Great article Kevin.
Hey, Gaurav. Glad you found the article! Did you have a favorite tip or suggestion?
The people I found in LinkedIn have always been literate and have done a good job. Also, when you want to hire a freelancer, search the forums and you will see his work and style. If you like him, he’s your man.
Thanks for the tips, Panagiotis. Appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment!
I am looking for writers those who can come to my office and write. Its hard to find them
Hey, Yogesh. Yeah, finding local writers can be difficult. Is hiring writers who will work remotely not an option for your business?
Hi, i started blogging, i found article writing is difficult task, because it’s need to have good knowledge in English and also need to research on the topic so i decided to outsource articles for my blog
Rishad,
Yes, article marketing can be challenging. But in order for it to be fun and worthwhile, it has to be a labor of love to you. Do it when you don’t feel like doing it and start off with writing one or two articles per week. Then, focus on updating your blog or website with lots and lots of content. If you can manage to write 1500 words a day for 5 to 6 days a week for 2 to 3 years in addition to publishing two articles a week with links in the body of the article pointing back to your blog website, you should be good to go. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your insights, DNN. 🙂
Hey, Rishad. Makes sense. Lots of entrepreneurs outsource their writing. If it isn’t something you’re good at, or — as DNN mentioned — it’s not a labor of love, hiring talented freelance writers is a good call (if you can afford it). 🙂
Damn ! This article is really helpful thanks a lot for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it, James!
Thank you for this super helpful post Kevin. Lots of unknown tips and insights which help us not waste time. Kudos to the great Smart Blogger team, one and all.
You’re welcome, Jeanette. Thank you for the kind words!
As a content writer, I’m always hunting for jobs. You see the thing with content writers and web developers are that our job is only one-time.
There’s nothing recurrent, therefore, I ask you to please suggest some platforms for content writing jobs other than twitter and linekdin.
Thanks
Hey Swati,
The hunting for jobs is a constant struggle for many writers. Look into tips 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15 in the “16 Hacks for Finding Under-the-Radar Writing Opportunities” section. They should give you quite a bit to work with.
Also, look into the other 12 job boards we mentioned (besides LinkedIn). I’ve personally heard some good things from writers about ProBlogger’s job board, so that could be a good place to start.
The money is everyone online quietly waiting to be tapped into. You just have to be willing to keep going regardless of the awesome challenges life presents. If you really want to make freelancing and the side hustle work for you, you must be willing to do the transformation business work, out of inspiration or desperation.
Hey DNN,
Great advice. What often separates the success stories from the cautionary tales is the willingness to “keep going” through the challenges, trials, and tribulations.
Appreciate you stopping by and commenting!
Good article, worth spending time…. though a bit lengthy
Hey Sandy,
Glad you enjoyed it. Yep, it’s quite lengthy. Most of my posts are, I’m afraid. 🙂
When did the blogging rules change that required blog posts to be so long that a Table of Contents was required?
And, current year is not a good idea for a Captcha. In Thailand, where I live, it is year 2563.
Hey Lawrence,
I wish we didn’t have to use Captcha at all. Never been a fan of it, regardless of implementation.
Definitely the most comprehensive resource on the internet on this topic. Fantastic read and tremendously helpful.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Umer! “Most comprehensive resource” is what I was going for. 🙂
I am so glad I came across this article today … really helpful
Glad you found it helpful, Kshitija.
This is a well-written post. One site I would recommend apart from twitter, Quora, and Fb would be Fiverr. I feel the biggest challenge writers face are from the article spinning sites
Hey, Vinod. Glad you enjoyed the post!
I was just finding a way to start a new fresh content & suddenly got this article on google. It really helped me.
Hey Kishan,
I’m glad Google led you here. Happy to hear the post helped you!
Was a great article. Freelance writing is not simple as it seems, you have to show commitment. Anyways, good job.
Hey Nik,
Yes, you definitely need to commit to freelance writing if you hope to make a career out of it. It’s certainly worth it. 🙂
Thanks for the list! I’d love to see a more in-depth course on this. Finding freelance writing jobs is the hardest thing…
I have just started to write. Even trying for some freelance writing jobs. But was a bit confused about the new things, but I think this will help me a lot to proceed further.
Writing is the king this days because contents the king, however, most writers find difficulties to do freelancing work because they are not aware of the proper platform. Thanks for this article, I love to write and I will try definitely for freelancing.
Amazing!!!
I was wondering how could i spend time in this pandemic. i came across this article, it gave me lot of strength.
Thanks a lot for this wonderful article
Thanks for this information KEVIN.
Previously, we had bad experience with freelance writer. Therefore now we have our own professional content writer team, serving exceptionally great services to all our In-House clients. We believe that fresh & good content also help us to rank better on Google SERP.
It’s a wonderful post for a starter like me.
I have started a blog just a month over and I am very much confused about how I can take this further as my career, but thanks Kevin you have resolved lots of my confusion. But still, I am worried about one thing is that I am not a seasoned writer. I used to be a programmer and I just started writing. Before starting to write, the one thing that comes in my mind is that what I will write and how I will write. Can you give any guidance on how to resolve that fear?
Hi Kevin,
Absolutely amazing article. I really appreciate that you put on a great effort to bring out such outstanding content.
As a freelance writer I find all these tips very helpful for finding more clients for me. My favorite tip was “Twitter’s advanced search engine”. It worked like magic for me.
Hello Kevin,
It’s a valuable post especially in these days of COVID-19 when everybody is looking to work from home and looking for freelance work. Thanks for your contribution.
Regards,
Ovais Mirza
The article has a bunch of useful information and resources for freelancing writers who are struggling for finding writing jobs.
You have done a great job 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing this! I just started a blog recently but I’m very much new to the writing space and figuring out these sort of things. So this was very helpful thank you!
Great Post. It tells me that where is the opportunity as the freelance writing jobs in this pandemic time. Thanks for sharing this. This post helps the writing community very much because you share useful information in this blog. Thanks for sharing. and keep sharing this type of content.
Great job on this article Kevin.
It has been a crazy year on so many levels. Your tips are dead on. Especially the tips on the bio and testimonials. Love the Quora tip too.
Hope you and your family are safe and sound.
Sincerely – Bill
Hey Kevin! As a freelance writer, I’m always looking for new ways to snag the next gig, and this list is FANTASTIC. Particularly love the reverse-engineer Twitter job search. Why didn’t I think of that sooner?! Thank you so much! -Neal
Kevin, you have written such a great article! It’s just amazing! You tips are accurate for writing content. Love it absolutely!
Thanks
Raj
Hi Kevin,
It was an impressive article. Thanks for sharing. Perfect 🙂
Very nice posts, I have started a blog and I am very much confused about how I can take this further as my career, but thanks Kevin you have resolved lots of my confusion. But still, I am worried about one thing is that I am not a seasoned writer. thanks a lot for this article.
I came back to this article in the year 2021 to say thank you. The tactics here worked for me like magic.
I’m as of now a freelancer but definitely however certainly this article going to help me even besides. thank you very much for this!
Thank you and keep posting awesome articles!
Greetings Kevin,
It’s good to know that you have done a thorough and deep level of brainstorming blog topic on freelancing content writing tasks. This will make beginner-level content writers grow in this field and make it advanced level.
Amazing & thank you.
Haha this is another amazing article from you Kevin! You always have amazing tips with you to give!
This is one of the most in-depth and helpful guides for freelance content writers. I am going
to try and implement a lot of tips mentioned in this blog.
Thank you so much for this incredible guide
Thanks, Kevin, It’s quite informative and motivational for me, Literally, I was scared before reading this article from content writing. now it’s quite helpful for me to do so. thanks again. ‘ll proceed with my work from now.
Good job Kevin,
That’s an amazing article, but most of these sites usually looking for professional writers.
There is very little chance for newbies.
A nice and well descriptive article ever I seen. In this corona time many people like me are finding online works. Your article is helpful for them and me too. Thank you for these special tips.
This is another amazing article from you Kevin. It’s good to know that you have done a thorough and deep level of brainstorming blog topic on freelancing content writing tasks.
Very useful tips for freelancers. I love this post and your work. Now a days content is the king.
Thanks!
some of the best talented writers have a bad habit of missing deadline and it is very bad habit that we cant ignore
you are 100% right about the freelancing jobs and great tips like quora and having knowledge on SEO is a must
I have been writing for quite some time and now I am quite better but to get a job is the hardest part. 🙁
Very informative post, really liked this post… Thanks for sharing.
Hey Kevin I have been reading your blogs for quite some time and every single one gives a lot of information as compared to others. Thank u so much for that 🙂
Hi Kevin,
This has been super helpful. I’m going to implement it and hope to see good results. I don’t suppose you have an article on finding topics that you can point me to? One of my fears right now isn’t pitching, it’s how do I come up with a topic that’s as good or even better than what’s already on their site?
Hey Kevin. There are a lot of people interested in doing freelance jobs compared to previous years. With the pandemic going on, some people are choosing to work from home.
I like the testimonial and Quora tip. I think it’s simple yet effective way to promote yourself. Thanks!
Hey Kevin. There are a lot of people interested in doing freelance jobs compared to previous years. With the pandemic going on, some people are choosing to work from home.
I like the testimonial and Quora tip. I think it’s a simple yet effective way to promote yourself. Thanks!
I just have started working as a freelancer and these are wonderful tips to become a successful writer.
I have just started as a freelance writer, i have idea about direct dealing but not a perfect, i ll surely use this tips to grow and enhance my skills.
Awesome piece. with the pandemic’s experience online freelancing has gained more popularity. Reading this will help many individuals
Thank you for the post. I feel smarter and more intelligent by going through this blog post.
Your content is Very impressive, looks like you are also blessed with sharp writing skills. I liked the fact that it was easy to understand. Guys keep visiting Here..
You are doing a great job, and up to date with technology.
Very nice blog, good to see nice content keep posting more like this.
Wow! What an in-depth post you have created Kevin. Freelance writing has evolved with time and is still one of the best freelance gigs out there. This post is super helpful for beginners as well as seasoned writers, I only wish I had seen such a post when I first got started as a writer. I like the fact that you have made emphasis on the legal side of freelancers as I have been duped by many people in the past by not paying or paying only a part of the agreed upon fees after completion of the project. I’m sure this is something freelancers would be struggling with even now. Thanks for sharing such a detailed guide, I will be sharing this with anyone who asks me advice on how to get started as a freelance writer.
I have just started as a freelance writer, i have idea about direct dealing but not a perfect, i ll surely use this tips to grow and enhance my skills. Thank you for the post.
Hello,
Thank you so much for sharing this very informative article. This will help me and many others also. thanks a lot.
hello,
Thank you so much for providing this really useful post. This will benefit both me and many others. Thank you very much.
Hey Kevin I have been reading your blogs for quite some time and every single one gives a lot of information as compared to others. Thank u so much for that
Hi Kevin,
That reverse-engineering blogging work on Twitter is clever. I enjoyed my freelance writing days before I decided to go with passive income. Fun way to profit online. Excellent post.
Ryan
Hi Kevin,
I try to read most of your blogs. Your writing is very much informative and helpful. This one also goes in the same way and it would certainly help freshers who want to earn by freelancing. Yes here I agree with you that for freelancing, a strong portfolio is a must, and after that one has to show his skill to earn more through freelancing. It would be a bonus if have any testomonial.
Greetings Kevin!
I loved reading your post. It was helpful for me in such a different way that I am not able to explain in words. I have been writing content for a number of years, but just for local companies. When I heard about online freelancing, I was thrilled. And, throughout my journey, Smart Blogger has really helped me from polishing my skills to connect with international websites.
Thanks a Lot.
Hi, Kelvin,
This is in-depth, actionable, and provides lots of advice to help up your game as a freelancer.
Though I am not a freelance writer, I write a personal blog to help my business, there are a lot of advice I learned from reading this post that will help my writing and business.
Thanks, Kelvin.