Freelance writers: how did you get started?

[Anonymous]

I'm a SAHM who was an English major. Would like to start freelance writing as a way to have a creative outlet and bring in some income. I did some writing for my previous job but not articles. What is the best way to get started? I'm a good writer so I don't need to work on the basics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a SAHM who was an English major. Would like to start freelance writing as a way to have a creative outlet and bring in some income. I did some writing for my previous job but not articles. What is the best way to get started? I'm a good writer so I don't need to work on the basics.

You get started by writing something.

With no clips to your name, you're not going to get an assignment. Instead, anything you submit you'll have to do on spec.

Start by understanding your target publication and its needs. Write something good. Find a contact. Submit. Get a rejection. Try again.

Don't worry about the money -- there's not a lot of cash in this business.

[Anonymous]

Ditto the previous poster. Freelancing while a SAHM is not going to bring in extra income. The amount you make will be a pittance, and you'll spend six months chasing half your checks. If freelancing fits into your broader career plans, that's one thing, but just to do something to bring in a little pin money, it's not worth the effort.

[Anonymous]

13:50 here again.

It helps to have something to write about. Are you especially knowledgeable about a topic? Start there.

Pro-tip: Avoid the parenting articles. No one cares what you think, and there's no market for your insights there.

Instead, think about what you understand:

Stamps? Write something about stamps.

Electricity markets? Write something about that.

Tax policy? Lots of publications in that space.

Roller coaster design? Awesome!

Find a niche. Develop stories in that niche.

[Anonymous]

As someone who makes a living writing, I tend to think people who start threads like this (not just here, but on other forums) instead of doing the legwork on their own don't really have what it takes to make a career of it. I don't say this to be mean. It's just that the nature of the job is involves doing the work on your own, unprompted.

[Anonymous]

It's just that the nature of the job involves*

[Anonymous]

Try sites like Odesk or elance to get some ideas of what services freelance writers are offering.

[Anonymous]

You can certainly make money doing this. I suggest you start by going to journalism school. Do some internships. If you're lucky you may land a job as a cub reporter at some obscure local daily or an obscure trade publication. Do that for a few years. When you have some clips you can then network and meet editors looking for freelancers. Come up with good, unique story ideas and pitch them. Eventually they might give you an assignment. If you're lucky you might develop a great relationship with an editor and get regular assignments (where you don't have to seek out the story).

But don't make the mistake of thinking that because you're a good writer you'll be a good reporter. There are different skills involved. YOu need to not only know how to write but also what questions to ask and what makes news.

[Anonymous]

13:54 here, inspired by 13:58.

To put my comments into greater context, I own a small business in an arts-related field. I have a couple of product lines, and offer some complementary services. I also do freelancing for some publications related to that field. When I started the business, I offered the services as a way to start while I was developing the product lines. Now that the product lines are starting to move, my focus is on building those and am hoping to transition away from most of the services I offer (except for those that help promote the product line -- think teaching classes that encourage the use of my products). I wasn't able to start getting any nibbles on my freelance work until I had a name you could google and find relevant hits, because people aren't nearly as interested in learning something from Joe Schmo off the street as they are from someone with a demonstrated expertise in the area. You may not need that kind of profile to start the kind of freelancing you want to do, but it helps a lot to have some kind of background to demonstrate why a publication should buy your piece rather than one of the many other submissions they receive. So I agree with 13:58, figure out where your expertise lies and develop that. But even now, with a number of published articles, I don't look at freelancing as a revenue stream, it's a means of promotion.

I also agree with 13:59. Freelancing is a form of self-employment, and self-employment requires that you be a self-starter who's willing to do their own legwork. Once you have an idea for a piece, typically no one is going to hand you your research, your interview subjects, etc. You'll need to figure out how to find those for yourself, and figuring how to get started in freelance writing is a great introduction in how to do that.

Further, you're basically asking your prospective competition to hand you all of the tricks of the trade. What incentive do I have to help you, when it just means one more person I'm out there competing with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who makes a living writing, I tend to think people who start threads like this (not just here, but on other forums) instead of doing the legwork on their own don't really have what it takes to make a career of it. I don't say this to be mean. It's just that the nature of the job is involves doing the work on your own, unprompted.

But you don't know how much research she's done. This post might just be one small part of her information gathering. I think it's smart to ask others who are doing it for insight.

[Anonymous]

If you know anything about finance, take a look at writing for a blog like motley fool. My DH has written a few articles for them and has gotten paid.

[Anonymous]

OP don't get discouraged by these responses.

You can still succeed despite the question.

You don't have to go to journalism school; plenty of independent writing gigs for blogs, pr, proposals, manuals, ad copy, correspondence, etc.

There are plenty of writing jobs to go around, so be generous when people ask you this very question down the line.

I do agree that it's helpful if you find a niche. You can also start by volunteering, or writing for free. You can offer services to a small charity or look on Linkedin in order to build your clips.

GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:54 here, inspired by 13:58.

To put my comments into greater context, I own a small business in an arts-related field. I have a couple of product lines, and offer some complementary services. I also do freelancing for some publications related to that field. When I started the business, I offered the services as a way to start while I was developing the product lines. Now that the product lines are starting to move, my focus is on building those and am hoping to transition away from most of the services I offer (except for those that help promote the product line -- think teaching classes that encourage the use of my products). I wasn't able to start getting any nibbles on my freelance work until I had a name you could google and find relevant hits, because people aren't nearly as interested in learning something from Joe Schmo off the street as they are from someone with a demonstrated expertise in the area. You may not need that kind of profile to start the kind of freelancing you want to do, but it helps a lot to have some kind of background to demonstrate why a publication should buy your piece rather than one of the many other submissions they receive. So I agree with 13:58, figure out where your expertise lies and develop that. But even now, with a number of published articles, I don't look at freelancing as a revenue stream, it's a means of promotion.

I also agree with 13:59. Freelancing is a form of self-employment, and self-employment requires that you be a self-starter who's willing to do their own legwork. Once you have an idea for a piece, typically no one is going to hand you your research, your interview subjects, etc. You'll need to figure out how to find those for yourself, and figuring how to get started in freelance writing is a great introduction in how to do that.

Further, you're basically asking your prospective competition to hand you all of the tricks of the trade. What incentive do I have to help you, when it just means one more person I'm out there competing with?

Then don't help her. Why did you post a response at all?

[Anonymous]

Craigslist!

[Anonymous]

If you have an area of interest or expertise, you can start blogging. You won't get paid initially, but there's little outlay at the beginning, and you can potentially build an audience if your skill or area of expertise is unusual. You might make some money that way, but it will take a while.

Freelance writing is no way to make a living, as PPs have said. It's almost impossible, unless you have a lot of experience and very good contacts within the business.

Good luck, OP.