Freelance Basics: What is Freelancing Writing? And Yes, You’re Qualified!

You’re anxious to get to it, aren’t you? To learn about Freelance writing, to find out if it’s something you can do, something you want to do, and if not, something you can learn to do!

Here I’ll be answering the simple questions:

• What is freelance writing?
• What kind of writing can you do?
• What qualifications do I need to become a freelance writer?
• How do I get experience and samples?
• How demanding is freelance writing?

I’m ready to tell you, so let’s just jump right in, shall we?

What is freelance writing?

Freelance writing is when you write specified content for a customer (client) and are paid for the content you provide. Sounds simple enough, right?

Well it can get a little bit more complicated the deeper you research and honestly, if you’re thinking of moving towards doing freelancing on the side or taking the leap into full time, lots of research should be done.

But before digging so deep you feel overwhelmed and promptly click off this page, let’s just answer a few of the lighthearted questions, okay?

Take a deep breath and let’s get to it!

What kind of writing can I do? Do I have to focus on just one?

 There’s many different kinds of writing. Such as:

• Blog posts
• Articles (magazines, other)
• E-books/Books
• Site content (About Us page, Services page, etc)
• Quizes
• Newsletters
• Brochures
• Press releases

And that’s just to name a few. You do not have to just do one or the other, but the more  you work on a specific type the better you’ll get at it!

Pick a kind of writing that interests you (the most natural for many being blog posts) and put pen to paper – or fingers to keys, like I’m doing.

What qualifications do I need to become a freelance writer?

There’s nothing really specific you to need to get started in freelancing. There’s no specific age but being at least 18 is beneficial when it comes to contracts (don’t freak out, we’ll get to that later!).

Some freelance jobs will ask you if you have specific degrees though but it depends on the kind of job. Most asked for degrees I’ve seen have been:

• Journalism
• Communications
• English
• Creative writing
• Business/Marketing

Don’t get discouraged! Although some jobs ask for a degree many more don’t require one. For a lot of clients, a degree is just a formality and doesn’t positively or negatively affect a writer’s capabilities.

A degree also doesn’t dictate your passion or interest in the topics you’ll want to write about.

What do people want more than a degree? Experience.

So how do I get writing experience?

First you need samples of your writing. Don’t fret, getting samples is easier than you may think!

The best type of sample would be from having your writing published on another website. That would provide you samples and experience in one shot!

You can volunteer to write for websites you enjoy and know about (I did this briefly). It could even turn into your niche! (Sshh…a topic for a different time).

Or simply start up a blog and begin writing on topics you care about, keep up to date with, or have some expertise in such as technology, social media, beauty or entertainment – just to name a few.

Will freelance writing eat up a lot of my time? I have other obligations…

Not if you don’t want it to.

Many people freelance write as a hobby or a way to get some extra beer money. The best part of being a freelance writer is you set up your schedule, you decide when to write (but keep deadlines in mind!), and how often.

If you have a lot of work from a client or two, be open with them about your schedule, your flexibility, and how much estimated time you can commit to their pieces.

It’s only as demanding as you make it.

So what do you think? Are there any other entry-level freelancing questions you have but haven’t been able to find a simple answer to?

Let me know in the comments below!