5 Steps To A Freelance Writing Career

Many people are interested in starting a freelance writing career. However, most people shy away from pursuing this option because they don’t understand how to get started. The following five tips are the basic steps to creating a portfolio and finding freelance work for yourself.

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1) Find Your Voice: Your voice in writing is what you are passionate about. You want to write about topics and subjects that interest you, otherwise you will burn out quickly. Take a note pad and write down at least five topics that you are interested in. These could include finances, saving money, travel, fashion or even politics.

2) Write Your Own Articles: To begin creating your own portfolio, choose from the five topics that interest you and write short essay’s on each one. Try to vary the lengths of each essay to include short articles and long articles. That way, when you find a potential employer, you can send them hard copies of your work.

3) Join Article Networks: Many article networks get a lot of flack, because anyone can join. However, when you begin pursuing freelance writing, most employers will actually ask for a link to your work. You can sign up through web sites line Ezine or HubPages. Create a profile and write articles on related topics. Keep track of them and share them around the web.

4) Create A Blog or Web Site: This may seem obvious, but a lot of people think that this is unnecessary. However, your blog or web site can quickly become your selling point. When employer’s are looking for a writer, they want to see someone serious about writing. Try to write updates at least once a week. Create your own assignments for yourself, so that your writing is unique and interesting. This will give you an online presence.

5) Join Freelance Forums and Boards: There are literally hundreds of freelance forums and boards where you can find job leads. Don’t just sign up for a few, sign up every day multiple times until you get a lead. When I first signed up with a freelance forum, I applied for roughly 20+ jobs before I finally got hired. Also, be willing to submit your first article for free to give them a better taste of your work. Generally, they will end up paying you, but they will see that you are serious about getting assignments.

There is no secret formula to securing freelance writing jobs. It just takes time, planning and patience like anything else. However, if you put your best foot forward and create a game plan for yourself, you should be well on your way to freelance writing assignments so that you can work from home.

Guest Poster Heather Pedersen from Work At Home Market is a freelance writer, blogger and photographer. She enjoys spending time with her husband, good coffee and traveling around the world.