May 21st, 2018 | Updated on July 22nd, 2022
The job market is becoming flooded with high numbers of graduates for the market to handle and this reality is hitting those former students who have their tools sharpened for work.
In seeking to find ways to make money, freelance writing is becoming a reliable option for most people as a means of making money. A freelance writer is someone writing for a payment but without belonging to a company.
You can decide to make money through freelance writing either as a full-time job, as a part-time job to compensate your monthly salary or even as a recreational job to learn the skills of writing and expand your knowledge through research. The trick lies in getting to start off as a freelance academic writer.
So, here are a few steps that can be used to start off as a freelance writer. Among them would be having the right tools for the job, decide on the jobs to write, find online freelance companies, create a portfolio, be self-motivated and disciplined.
1. Have the Needed Tools
One cannot start on a job without having the right tools for it, freelance writing just like any other job has a set of tools. First, you need to have a computer and the internet connection.
Most writing jobs demand immense researching both online and from books. You need to have a fast and a reliable source of internet.
Additionally, have a functional computer, a desktop or a laptop, the latter comes in handy because it is portable and you can even work in the park or in a bus on your way to the mall.
The most important thing of the above mentioned tools is gaining some experience before starting the freelance jobs.
Get to know what types of jobs are available online and learn how to do each of these as well as learn the writing styles such as APA and MLA. This way, you will know what is expected in the freelance writing world.
2. Job Specificity
Before embarking on freelance writing, you need to decide upon which jobs you are best skilled in.
The world of freelance writing has an array of jobs such as data entry, research, translation, transcribing, managing blogs, writing articles and essays just to number a few.
Not many people can be versed in different areas and there is nothing wrong with being specific with one job type.
If you are a graduate, you can decide to pursue a writing job in your area of study or an area you have a passion in.
It may not necessarily be your area of study, you could be good in composing poems, creative writing or have a general interest in a particular subject.
This will allow you to be enthusiastic and become perfect as you gain experience in that field.
3. Find Freelance Companies
After having the needed tools accompanied with know-how and being clear on which area you are best suited to focus on, it’s time to look for jobs.
The internet is full of different freelance writing companies such as topwriterlist.com which offers jobs for academic writers.
You should find a reliable company lest you fall culprit of scammers who refuse to pay writers after a job is done.
You need not fulfill the myth that a freelance writer must be taken advantage of by doing a job that won’t be paid. Do a thorough research on different companies to find the most reliable and professional one to work from.
4. Portfolio
After settling on the company to order work from, you need a portfolio that will market you to clients; it should contain samples of your jobs and qualifications.
Write a brief description of your skills and qualifications and upload the best samples of your work to be reviewed by clients.
5. Have Self-Motivation
Freelance writing demands your time and enthusiasm and it is core to be self-motivated in order to succeed in this job. You will be your own boss and accountability is yours only. If you are not self driven and lack a passion in your job you will not succeed.
6. Be Disciplined
Freelance writing just like other jobs demand you to be self-disciplined. Meeting a client’s deadline is one of the quality that will help you get started off well as a writer. Have the discipline to look for jobs and meet the prompted instructions and deadline.
7. Wrap-up
Getting started off as a freelance academic writer is easy when you know what to look for, have the right tools accompanied with motivation and discipline to do what is needed in a job.
Look for a reliable company and draft a professional portfolio that will market you to clients and keep learning to improve yourself as a writer.
