How to Get Access to the Best Freelance Writing Jobs in 5 Simple Steps

Over the last ten years, freelance work has increased online. More people than ever before are working as freelance writers from the comfort of their home. In order to make a living in this career field, writers need to find the best freelance jobs available.

Ditch the Day Job

One of the main things that stops a writer from becoming successful is keeping their day job. Afraid to take the risk, they are unable to go after the larger projects. As long as freelancers are unwilling to make the leap, they will lack the time necessary to pursue the most lucrative jobs. Initially, working part-time could be an alternative. At some point, the writer will need to focus entirely on their writing career if they want to succeed.

Create a Portfolio

For many clients, a writer's work experience, resume and recommendations do not matter. These clients only care about the writing. To get the top-dollar jobs, writers have to demonstrate that they possess a real talent at manipulating the written word. A strong portfolio will include samples of the writer's best work and examples of previous projects. If the freelancer does not have any samples, they need to spend some time writing out an example.

Set Standard Rates

Newbies in the freelance industry may feel weird about charging for their services. Only days or weeks in the past, newbie writers were creating content for free. Even if it feels awkward at first, writers should always charge their clients. Undercharging or offering free articles only devalues the writer's work. At some point, the writer needs to pay their bills. Although low-dollar projects can bring in some money, it is generally not enough for the writer to survive.

Pick a Niche

Marketing to every freelance niche is impossible and a terrible business strategy. Freelancers will get more projects if they stick to writing about a particular niche. Knowledge of a certain subject area or a type of writing can help the freelancer to reach more clients. In addition, writers who area already experts in a technical area can command a higher pay rate.

Schedule Wisely

New freelancers will often accept every project that is offered to them. In the beginning, this strategy may work. Once the writer has plenty of work available, accepting every assignment will only cause them to become frustrated. Writers should create a 20 to 40 hour work schedule and stick to it. Over time, the writer will learn how much work they can complete in a day and they can schedule accordingly.