Last Updated on January 23, 2023 by Nadeem Ahmed
Enhancing your career as a freelance writer means learning how to break into the industry and what kind of freelancing opportunities are available, as well as improving your writing skills.
So, if you’re looking for a way to start your freelance writing career, then these strategies will help:
Create a Portfolio Site
Having a portfolio website is one of the most important aspects of starting your freelancing career. You will want to create not only an online collection of all the work that you have done but also include images for each piece of work so that potential clients can see and easily know what you produce.
There are many ways you can build your portfolio site:
- Free website – If you are a free taker or don’t have much money to spend designing your portfolio, you can always create a free website. Learning HTML is not required if you can access WordPress and other free hosting services. You will still need to find images of your work that people can see and contact and add them to your site to look professional.
- Build from scratch – If you want something more advanced, more professional, and completely custom-built for the web, this might be the way to go. This will be a worthwhile investment if you have the money available to hire a web developer and designer.
- Utilize social media – You don’t need to spend much money to create an online presence and get your portfolio out there. Building your website is great, but social media is also a good way to promote your work and get jobs. If you already have a blog or Facebook page, it can be used as part of your portfolio.
Write To Build Your Portfolio
Many people think getting freelance writing jobs means waiting for an opportunity to come to them, but the best way to get work is by putting yourself out there. You can start by writing articles or blog posts for your blog or website. If you have a blog, try pitching an article idea to a website interested in covering the topic. This is one of the easiest ways to get freelance writing jobs, and it doesn’t cost you anything because you don’t need a client or employer.
Take Classes
Another way to enhance your freelance career as a writer is to take courses in writing and editing skills. Like many other professional careers, you will often find that no matter how good you are at what you do, the better you get, the more work and opportunities will open up for you.
Taking writing classes or courses on editing or proofreading will help develop your skills and improve upon your current techniques. If you already have a writing job, this might be something you can add to your schedule on the weekends.
Apply for Opportunities
When trying to get into freelance writing or a job as a writer, it’s best to keep your eyes open. You never know when a chance will come and possibly help your career. Several organizations have writers that they have hired full-time in the past, and it’s always best to go through their website and apply for opportunities with them if you are interested in doing freelance writing. If you aren’t familiar with the organizations, Google the name and see what comes up.
Take Advantage of Technology
Technology is obviously a huge part of the world we live in today, so it only makes sense that you use technology to your advantage as a freelance writer. Get familiar with using search engines to find open blog sites, and utilizing whatever email platform you use to its fullest potential. This might include connecting your email to your cell phone, creating message templates, or scheduling follow-up emails ahead of time. Many writers are also finding that plagiarism detection software features can help ensure their content is 100% unique. These programs will scan your articles and compare them to other articles that have already been published elsewhere. They prove to be an excellent way of ensuring that you create an original piece of work that publishers want. So, if you are looking for freelance writing jobs, keep this in mind when submitting your work.
Final Thoughts
Even though it is not something you can do overnight, learning to enhance your career as a freelance writer is important. It will help you get more work and better opportunities as a freelancer. Always ensure that you are seeking positive opportunities in your field and stay on top of any trends that might come up.
