November 19, 2018– You read the headline correctly; you can make money by freelance writing…IF you do it correctly. Here’s what you need to know about starting your own writing business: (Also, I don’t think that I need to mention that you should be a writing professional in some capacity before starting your own writing for money business).
- Decide what you are going to offer. Are you going to start a resume writing service? Are you going to edit people’s manuscripts? Are you going to write copy for a business such as a real estate office or medical center? Are you going to edit e-books before publication? There are so many things to choose from. I recommend choosing something that you’re really familiar and comfortable with to start, as your skills continue to develop, you can expand into new territories.
- Set a price point. How much will you charge for your services? What is the timeline in which your work will be completed? Will you have a contract? Will you charge per word or per chapter or per project? Will you charge by the hour or a lump sum? I recommend having a clear idea of what your price includes and what it doesn’t and being straightforward with your clients so that there is no confusion and you aren’t spending hours working for free.
- Find clients and writing projects. Now that you know what you’re offering and how much it will cost, you have to find clients for your business. Start by putting an ad on sites like Kijiji and Craig’s list. Also, get business cards printed and leave them wherever you go, like when you’re going out to dinner, leave a stack at the library on the front desk, hand them out to friends and family and encourage them to spread the word. Use social media to your advantage, put up samples of your work and your contact information as well as pricing. Brainstorm a list of businesses that could use your services if you’re offering copywriting. If you’re offering resume writing services, approach colleges, and universities. Make a list of all the people you know who could use what you have to offer and talk to them!
- Ask for referrals. Once you’ve got your first client under your belt and they’re happy with your work, ask them if there’s anyone they know who could also benefit from your services. You can also ask them to post a review on social media with a link to your email or website; this will lend to your credibility and people tend to work with people that others have recommended and trust.
Remember, there are a lot of ways to get paid to write and we only touched on a couple of them in the above post; don’t forget that you can be paid by magazines and publications who are looking for submissions! Here’s to your success, happy writing!
X LLB
