Lauren's Life

Recently I began my journey as a freelance writer and I want to tell you guys all about it!

Since I started this blog I have wanted to venture into the world of freelance writing. I would watch YouTube videos and follow individuals that were in the field on social media and wonder what it took to do what they were doing. After months of research I found that the answer was simple. To get into freelance writing, I had to WRITE!

I started writing blog posts consistently, worked on newsletters, wrote newspaper ads, etc. Anything I could use as practice to perfect my craft I did it! I also started to follow other bloggers and picked up tips from them as well. Now, not to toot my own horn, but I have always been a great writer. I have loved to write since I was a child, but I was never sure whether I could ever get paid for my writing. That doubt held me back for a while, but as I have started to write consistently over this past year I gained a TON of confidence and that confidence recently (last month) landed me my first freelance gig!

Landing The Job

A huge resource for me during this freelance journey has been UpWork. This is a platform for freelancers to apply to jobs and market themselves too potential clients. UpWork is a great place for those who are just starting in the freelance world (me) to earn jobs!

After a couple months of applying to jobs through UpWork I landed my first one in September. It was actually pretty great! (besides the pay, which I will get into later) I submitted a proposal for a fashion blog that was looking for a freelance writer to write content for their blog each week. In my proposal I mentioned my blog, why I thought I would be good for the job and my past experience, which brings me to point number one.

1) Have confidence and be specific

When submitting proposals, resumes and/or cover letters for a freelance job it is very important that you are concise with what you say. Potential clients do not want to read a book about all of your experience. Instead, they want to hear what you can do for them. So, highlight your experience, but tailor it to the position you are applying to. Don’t add in extra details! You also need to have confidence in your words. Make them believe that you are the absolute best person for the job and that hiring you would assure the job is done right and in a timely manner.

Now, if a client is interested in hiring you on UpWork I am learning that you will hear back pretty quickly. I received a message back less than 24 hours after submitting my proposal and I made sure to respond in a timely manner!

2) Make yourself available

Clients love to know that they are your top priority (even if they aren’t). You have to let them know that you value them and the work that they are PAYING you to do for them. When communicating with a potential client it is important to respond to any questions or job offers in a timely manner. Just think, for every one interview they are doing there could be at least three more individuals that they are interested in as well. That is why it is important to be available as much as you can.

After a few short messages I was hired and signed my contract that same day! (Yay)

My big break taught me a lot, but it didn’t last too long. As I said above the pay was not so great. I made $5/hr for 600 words that had to be written within an hour time frame. After the fascination of earning my first freelance gig faded away it really hit me that I wasn’t even making a penny a word! I’m not saying that’s terrible, but I wasn’t comfortable making that little. I decided to end my contract and try applying to other jobs and I ended up getting a couple that I am currently working now.

3) Weigh the pros and cons

I realized this after landing my first freelance gig, so I would like to give you guys some advice so that you don’t make the same mistake I did. Please make sure you are getting paid what you are worth. As a beginner the pay in freelancing is not going to be a lot, but you should at least be making a penny a word. If your potential client is open to negotiating or hearing your rates before agreeing on payment make sure you know what to price your work at. Remember, you are getting paid for your time and creativity, so propose what you think you are worth and be confident in it.

Overall, I am excited to see what the future holds for myself and my writing career. Right now this is something I am doing for a little money on the side, but maybe one day it will turn into a full-time job for me.

If you are interested in freelance writing I would love to network with you! Feel free to leave a comment below.

-Talk to you later sweetieZ