How can you get started as a freelance writer?
I have either worked full-time or freelance as a writer for most of my life. My first ever proper job was writing for a magazine as a reporter when I was 18. I was shiftless and lazy back then and when I discovered I would get laid more working as a barman, I switched jobs.
I did, however, continue to work freelance because it was interesting and paid ok. It was all for print magazines back then which is weird to think back on as it seems like a different world.
Then I went from full-time in TV while working freelance in writing, to freelance in both, then full-time writing ‘for the man’. Until around a year ago I’d never worked purely freelance in just writing. It isn’t quite what I thought it would be.
What is different?
Good question. I think it is a subtle blend of paranoia and workload. Previously, I could always rely on income from somewhere. TV paid well, as does a full-time writing job. (Well, sometimes.)
None of my old clients was hiring anyone working freelance on a regular basis. I get the odd bit of work for them and a few clients but it was not enough to achieve my previous employed salary. So I set out for the world of Medium and Fiverr. (Those were both links to my profiles, not affiliate links, so check them out.) I have written about what it’s like writing for both of them here and here.
The main difference is that it’s awesome to not have to go to an office, work for the man, do HR assessments and so on. I can work on a beach or in bed. I live in Thailand and have been travelling a lot.
The bad side is that it is a bit stressful. You are always worrying about clients and having to haggle. I find myself having to be nice so a lot more people than normal.
Currently, though, it is been great. I have some regular clients and they have all been obtained through work on both sites. I am now simultaneously a bit stressed about whether I have enough clients and having too much work.
How to get started in freelance
If you are thinking of taking the plunge, I would suggest setting up a writing website and building a portfolio. Here is mine, for example. On the site, you can show off your skills and also provide a way for people to get in touch.
I have had people read my work on Medium or see my reviews on Fiverr and have consequently gotten in touch and offered work. This relieves some of the stress about money. I still do pretty well from both sites, but it is nice to have backups.
The main thing to keep in mind is that it will take a while. Quite a lot of people working freelance suggest cold emailing but I can never be bothered. It might be a quicker route but I get a lot of emails from people wanting to write on my sites and find it annoying.
So – set up a website. Start working on Fiverr and Medium and link to your site when possible. Then just be mega patient. I am now on a lot more than my last salary but it took about 9 months to get there.
Basically, I’d say go for it.
