A freelance writer is someone who is self-employed and writes (in some way) to earn pay.
You may have heard the buzz about freelance writing. “This person earned $300k in one year and bought a new car outright freelance writing!”
While the stories that make the headlines are often extreme or exaggerated, there is a huge demand for freelance writers right now and it can be a very profitable career.
Why?
Because almost every business in existence needs a digital presence — and that, my friends, requires a steady supply of writing.
But what exactly does freelance writing entail?
Let’s break it on down.
What is freelance writing?
To understand what freelance writing is, here’s a closer look at the two main components.
Freelance: A freelancer is a self-employed individual who can be hired by clients on a contract basis to complete a job. They are responsible for their own taxes and are not an employee of any business.
Writing: We all know what writing is — translating thoughts into words. However, it can take many forms. People often think of book authors when they hear someone is a writer. While you certainly could be a freelance book writer, freelance writers who write content and copy for businesses have become more common.
In summary, a freelance writer is someone who is self-employed and writes (in some way) to earn a living.
Because copy and content writing is in such high demand today (and it’s typically the fastest track to earning a living as a freelance writer), I’m going to focus on that type of freelance writing here.
What will you be writing as a freelance copy or content writer?
Businesses today need a strong digital presence. Why? About 50% of the world’s population is online and about 1 in 3 people use social media. Not to mention — the average person spends 59 hours per week online!
Online marketing enables brands to engage with prospects and customers with a depth and frequency that’s just not possible offline. They can also reach a much larger audience.
However, to do so, they need to publish a steady stream of content and copy across multiple platforms. As a writer, you can help to create all the writing they need. But what is copy and content?
While the two can overlap, generally:
Content refers to writing for marketing purposes that’s meant to inform and raise awareness.
Copy refers to writing for marketing purposes that’s meant to drive a person to take action now.
An example of content would be a social media post or blog post, while an example of copy would be an ad or a sales landing page.
Disclaimer: Some also refer to copy as a type of content so the terms can be confusing in the writing world — sorry but that’s just where it stands currently!
Where will your freelance writing be published?
Now, let’s take a closer look at where businesses typically publish content and copy:
- Social media: Sites such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, and more all present opportunities for businesses to network and grow a community.
- Websites: A company’s website is its home base. It should be full of content and copy to tell people everything they need to know about the business.
- Blogs: A blog should live on a business’s website and be full of posts that help to drive people to the site through search engines.
- Third-party sites: Businesses also need to be present on other websites from Google and Yelp to review sites and industry sites with authority.
- Email: Email provides the opportunity for businesses to communicate directly with prospects so is often used in marketing strategies.
- Internal materials: Companies also need writing for their internal team. This can include things like style guides, brand voice guides, one-pagers, and employee onboarding guides.
So what kind of writing is needed for each of these locations? Here’s an overview:
Social Media
- Social media profiles/bios
- Social media posts
- Engagement with other profiles (comments)
- Social media ads
- DMs
Website
- Home page
- Service pages
- About page
- Contact pages
- Product descriptions
- Portfolio pages
- Resource pages
- Landing pages
- Sales pages
- Testimonials
- Case studies
- Downloadable content
Blog
- SEO content writing (optimized for search and humans)
Third-party sites
- Guest posts
- Reviews
- Profiles
- Paid ads
- Press releases
- Podcast descriptions
- YouTube descriptions
- Email newsletters
- Email drip campaigns
Internal docs
- Brand, style, and design guide
- Pitch deck
- Employee handbook
- Employee onboarding guide
- One pager
This is not an exhaustive list but covers the basics of what you may be asked to create as a freelance writer.
Disclaimer: Just because all of these types of writing are in demand, doesn’t mean you have to offer all of them. You can try out different types to see what you like best and specialize in a certain one (or a few). And, as a matter of fact, choosing a niche can help you become an expert, raise your rates, and attract more of your ideal clients.
How do freelance writers learn to write all of these things?
Before you click back and say, “Forget it, I don’t know what those things are and I’m not qualified to write them,” let me tell you something…it’s nothing a Google search and some practice can’t fix.
Truly.
While you will need to have a basic ability to write and a strong grasp of the language you are writing in, the rest can be learned pretty easily and mastered over time.
Each type of content or copy has an underlying structure and a primary purpose. There are also a large collection of best practices available online.
(We’re working on guides here for the different types of writing but in the meantime, you can look to Moz, Hubspot, and Quicksprout).
If you can follow directions, understand business positioning, and communicate through writing, you can likely figure out freelance copy and content writing.
I can’t tell you how many times I Googled “what is a (insert content type)?” when starting.
Note: If you plan to write in a language that is not your native tongue, it will be critical for you to be able to write like a native speaker since you will be speaking to native speakers. Not just grammar-wise, but understanding humor, slang, sayings, etc. You have to be able to communicate without the distraction of unnatural language.
Do you need a college degree or formal training to be a freelance writer?
Absolutely not. You don’t need any formal training or college to be successful as a freelance writer.
I attended college but what prepared me more for my writing career was my career in sales and retail management. I learned about products, positioning, communication, cold pitching, driving desired behaviors, goal setting, and more. Yes, I wrote papers in school but it’s not the kind of writing I do now.
Oh and by the way — not once in my 9+ years of writing have I been asked about college. Not once!
The majority of content and copy for marketing purposes needs to be conversational. You need to know all the language rules but be willing to break them on purpose to make reading easier and more impactful.
What do you need to be a freelance writer?
So, what do you need to be a freelance writer?
- A computer
- Internet access
- Online research skills
- Drive
- A willingness to learn new things
- Followthrough
- A strong command of the language you’re going to be writing in.
- Awareness of the rules of the language (grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.)
- The ability to put yourself in other people’s shoes
- Creative thinking
- Business acumen (a fundamental understanding of business)
- The ability to take feedback and apply it
- Persistence
- Boundaries
- Organization
- Attention to detail
- The ability to sit, focus, and work for hours at a time
- The ability to discern which sources are reliable
- The ability to explain things in a way that’s easy to understand
- Client relations skills
- Networking skills
Where can you find freelance writing jobs?
There are many places to find freelance writing jobs including job boards, social media platforms, freelancing platforms, newsletters, and other groups. Not sure where to start? Check out our list of 25 legit ways to find freelance writing jobs in 2022!
Is freelance writing right for you?
I’ve mentored several people throughout my career and the truth is, freelance writing isn’t for everyone.
Some people are just not built to sit and focus on writing projects for hours day after day. You may not enjoy translating thoughts into words. You may thrive working face-to-face with people, working with your hands, and being in action. Or you may prefer to be employed and part of a team with structure, leadership, and camaraderie.
On the other hand, some are! If you want to be your own boss and enjoy helping businesses grow through carefully crafted words — freelance writing may just be the right fit for you!
Have any questions? Drop them below!