How hard is it to make a living from freelance writing?
By tacoman25
@tacoman25 (233)
United States
March 5, 2007 1:42am CST
So, I'm an aspiring writer at this point, and I'm looking into freelance opportunities. I would like to hear from other writers out there or people who might be knowledgable on the subject: how long does it usually take to be able to earn a living from freelancing? Do you have any recommendations or advice for me? What is the best way to get my writing out there? Know any websites that are looking for freelancers, etc? Ok, enough questions for now. :)
2 people like this
5 responses
@nishdan01 (3051)
• Singapore
6 Mar 07
I am not truly into freelance writing.But I do write articles.Making money out of one place alone may be difficult.
It takes some few months to put in clear image among readers.Hardwork pays.I really stareted earning after 5-6 months.
Some guide for you:
) All Freelance - http://allfreelance.com/
This site is a great resource for any freelancer. They have articles covering most everything, job boards, message boards, and free portfolio options.
2) Freelance Writing - http://www.freelancewriting.com/
This site is a wealth of information for any new freelance writer. Find jobs, join the discussions in the forums, get a portfolio, or browse their resources and research sections.
3) Freelance Writing Success - http://www.freelancewritingsuccess.com/
This site has lots of articles & resources to help you develop your writing skills and find writers' markets.
4) Worldwide Freelance - http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/
Helpful information on getting started as a freelance writer, including finding markets and learning how to get published.
5) Writers Digest - http://writersdigest.com/
This is one of the most respected and valuable resources for writers. The online version of Writers Digest offers tips for getting published, new market information, articles about freelance writing, and lots of great recommendations for writers just starting to freelance.
6) Writers Row http://writersrow.com/
This site is great for any freelance writer, but it's especially great for writers just getting into freelance work. The site is made up of a group of freelance writers, each of whom has a special section of the site. There is a section for freelance writing job leads and another for learning to be a successful writer. They also have a discussion board where you can get to know other freelance writers.
7) Writers Market - http://writersmarket.com/
Writers Market is one of the most valuable resources for freelance writers who want to find for newspapers, magazines, and online publications. This site has the most comprehensive and well-respected list of writing markets. The site charges a fee for membership, but you can sign up for about $3 per month. I recommend the website version to the book, because the online information is updated regularly, so the book is more outdated.
8) Writers Weekly - http://writersweekly.com/
This is a great site for new writers. They post new articles, job leads and markets weekly. They also have a very active forum.
9) Writing Career - http://www.writingcareer.com/
This site offers free career advice on transitioning to a freelance writing career, articles on freelancing and freelance writing book reviews. Also offers freelance writing jobs leads and a good list of other career websites and workshops for writers.
10) Writing World - http://www.writing-world.com/
This site has great information for new freelance writers, including articles geared toward the beginning freelance writer especially.
Hope this helps.
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
6 Mar 07
Wow, thanks for sharing all of these resources. I knew about some, never heard of others. I think that it takes a lot of discipline to work freelance, no matter what type of career you are pursuing, writing or otherwise. You have to spend as much time selling yourself and your work as actually doing it. I think a lot of folks think it will be easy, but it's actually much harder than holding down a regular job.
@tacoman25 (233)
• United States
6 Mar 07
Yes, thank you so much for taking the time to provide all of those resources and links. And thank you everyone else for your valuable insight and information. When I'm rich and famous, I will remember you. ;)
@kakangmas (121)
• Indonesia
9 Mar 07
I'm a ghost writer with more than 40 articles published in mass media and contributed in more than 5 books (all of them in bahasa indonesia), but actually have no experience in online writing. all information in this thread are very interesting. thank you. warm regards from indonesia
@scribe1 (1203)
• United States
5 Mar 07
The time that it takes to make a living from freelance writing varies. One important aspect is what you are interested in writing. Getting fiction published is likely to take longer, and you can just forget about poetry.
Perhaps the best way to get published is with articles and nonfiction books. For example, let's say that you are an avid gardener. Your gardening interest and experience already qualifies you as an expert! So, to that end, you should consider developing gardening article ideas and describing them in query letters to editors of gardening magazines and publications such as Family Circle and Good Housekeeping. You will find that getting one article published leads to other opportunities and eventually a book.
I relate this from my own experience as an elementary teacher. In the beginning, I sent article ideas in to magazines such as Teacher and Instructor and eventually had 30 articles published by Instructor. In time, I submitted book ideas to relevant publishers and after a few months, became a published author. My book, Teaching Ideas for the Come-Alive Classroom, was published by a subsidiary of Prentice-Hall.
Overall, it takes time and work. If you are persistent, you will see your words in print and begin to earn a living as a writer. Good luck in your efforts! I will also be happy to answer your questions.
1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
5 Mar 07
It's hard, especially at first. And it depends on what you mean by "a living." Some people are satisfied with less than others. I think the three most popular are Helium, Associated Content and Constant Content, but look up "writers forums" or writing markets and you'll come up with plenty of markets/work.
How long it takes depends on how hard you work at it and how good you are at seeing needs and filling them.
Advice... don't quit your day job yet! :)
Good luck.
@annettenasser (2992)
• Kuwait
22 Aug 07
as for the earnings is question then it will depends on your luck, if you got a place where you can put all your writtings and people agree to you contents then they will spend a penny to read your stuff and then your earnings will start to grows.
@mixey62 (305)
• United States
6 Mar 07
A great resource for short term freelance writing gigs is craigslist.org. Here they post these jobs typically under your cityGIGSWriting. I don't really know the answer to your questions on the long term because I write more as a hobby than a profession, but craigslist jobs have given me some things to write for on occassion.
Good luck to you in your career.
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