Can You Really Make a Living as a Freelance Writer?

For all too long aspiring writers have been under the impression that it is impossible to make a career out of writing. It’s almost become a long-running joke of defiant teens proclaiming to their parents in TV series and films that they don’t want to go to law or medical school, they want to achieve their goals as a writer.

Yet, thanks to the advancement of technology, and the fact that a writer will (probably) never be replaced by a machine, the writer’s life is as attainable as any other option in 2018. That’s not to say that everyone is cut out to be a writer, or even that it’s easy. If you were one of those back in school, college or university who struggled with a staggering word count, it’s safe to say that the writer’s life isn’t for you. In this article, we will explore just a few of the ways you can make money online with your writing and how to get yourself noticed.

5 Ways to Earn Money as a Freelance Writer

  1. SEO Content Writing

Practically every functional website which is operating today contains content. Whether that’s an online store, or a band website. Take for example the MoneyReels.com Website. You’ll find content on the FAQ’s gamers have during gameplay, privacy policies, information on responsible gambling, and much more. To ensure that good quality content is provided to the website. They will have hired a writer either as an employee or on a freelance basis. The content which appears on a webpage no longer just serves to inform the reader of something. That information also helps the website to achieve a higher ranking on Google and other search engines. To ensure that websites get to the top spot, they hire writers who are proficient with SEO copy, and getting to grasps with the mechanisms and terminology of SEO isn’t as hard as you’d think. There are plenty of free courses which you can take to polish your SEO skills. Within a couple of hours, you’ll have gained a new valuable skill in today’s digital world. With this line of work, it isn’t always guaranteed that the content will be of any particular interest to you and it’s likely that you will be required to come up with significant word counts on a particular topic. If SEO sounds up your street, you can learn some new skills through MOZ’s beginner’s guide.

  1. Ghost Writing

Whilst it seems ludicrous that there are people who take pleasure in publishing material under their own name which they haven’t themselves created, it happens a lot more than you would think. The type of ghost writing you will encounter as a freelance ghostwriter will mainly be non-fictional but will vary from short stories, novels, poetry and even lyric writing. You’ll need to ensure that the writing that you create is of a professional standard. Whilst you don’t need to have a degree in creative writing to excel in the field, you’ll want to have a firm grasp of the language you are writing in, including a deep understanding of grammar.

  1. Guest Blogging

If you’re an expert on a particular field, guest blogging or writing for a niche topic website is another great way to earn money as a writer. So, whether you’re interested in makeup and beauty, cars, music, films, art, or any other topic you can make money writing about what you enjoy!

  1. Editing Work

Editing work isn’t for everyone, but if you’re confident that you have the eagle eye it takes to spot errors and opportunities for improvement within work, then it can be a very easy way to earn a living as an editor. Whilst some people will go in search for an editor to just give a piece of writing a once over, some will ask for a rough outline for the piece to be polished. You’ll always want to ensure that you have a firm understanding with the creator of the original work which direction they’d like you to take it in and how much of the original work they would like you to change.

  1. Translation

If you’re multilingual, your ability to read documents in one language and then recreate them in another is an invaluable service you can offer to clients. Whilst translators are available for use online and they’re more accurate than ever. They still don’t guarantee the finished product will be coherent and 100% grammatically correct. However, using a translator who is fluent in both languages and has the flair for writing often yields dependable results.

How to Get Noticed

If you’re thinking at this point “that sounds great, but now the hell do I get there?”. The answer is, it’s easier than you think. There are multiple online platforms which enable you to advertise your services as a freelance writer. Sites such as Fiverr.com enable people from all around the world to earn money from their laptops. Over two million people are now active and use Fiverr to purchase services or to offer their own services. There tends to be a diverse spread of individuals selling everything which could possibly be for sale online and it is the perfect way to start gaining experience as a freelance writer. Despite the name of the website, you are able to earn a considerable amount of money advertising your services via the platform. Fiverr may take a 20% cut, but it’s more than worth it for the opportunities which are presented to you via the platform.

Creating your own website and social media presence is always a great way to get noticed as a freelance writer. Always ensure that you have examples of your work to show potential clients the quality of the writing that they can expect from you and be prepared to put in the hours to ensure that your credentials as a writer stand out. There may be a plethora of aspiring writers out there today, so ensure you always make your unique selling points known.