Freelance writing is a tough gig, right? There are thousands of writers out there earning a few dollars per article, struggling to keep a roof over their heads. When you’ve got to hammer out thousands of words a day just to make ends meet, you begin to wonder what attracted you to this job in the first place.
What’s more, when you’re putting all your energy into your paid work, your passion projects suffer. When all your creative energy goes into writing you’ve no heart for, by the end of the day you’re only good for crashing in front of the TV. Spending even a few minutes on your novel or poetry seems pointless.
I’ve been in that place – where even the thought of sitting at your keyboard fills you with dread. It’s not a good place to be.
What’s the solution? It’s two-fold.
First, you must start taking yourself seriously. It’s time you put yourself first, not in a selfish way, but just to take care of yourself. By looking after yourself, you’ll have more time and energy for what matters to you. When you’re able to give creatively, the world becomes a better place for everyone.
Second, see your writing as a business, rather than a hobby that earns money. Go for projects that give you the best return on your investment – both in terms of how you feel about yourself, and the money you earn for the time and energy you put in.
Showing you how to make decent money from your writing work is key to what we do here at Freedom With Writing. We’re here to show you how to make a good living as a wordsmith.
To that end, here are five gigs most freelance writers overlook. They’re easy in that they pay well for a relatively small amount of work – as long as you’re good at your craft. Freelance writing doesn’t have to be about pounding your keys for thousands of words a day, spinning articles and blog posts. You can earn a decent income without sacrificing your life and creativity.
1. Email Writing
Email is the most effective online marketing tool there is. Bloggers have known this for years, but many businesses are only just realizing it. When businesses jump on the email bandwagon, they need writers to help them out.
You can easily earn $20-$30 for writing short 150-250 word emails. When it comes to longer emails, where you’re promoting products, the sky’s the limit, especially if you negotiate a share in the sales made from clicks in your email.
What’s more, it’s a regular gig. Every client you get will be monthly income, because email marketing works best when you contact your customers regularly.
How to get email writing gigs: First, learn about the benefits businesses get from having an email list and staying in touch with customers through email. To most potential clients, you’ll be selling the idea of having an email list, rather than your writing skills.
Next, research businesses in your niche by visiting their websites. If they don’t have an email sign-up form, get in touch and explain the value of email. Once they’re sold on the idea of an email newsletter, you can step in to be the person who writes it.
If they already have an email list, sign up to it. Watch to see how many emails you get. If you don’t hear anything from them, then you’ve a potential client! They’re clearly struggling to find time to write their email newsletter. Drop them a line and ask if they’d like help coming up with ideas on staying in touch with customers.
2. Writing Resumes and Job Applications
Looking for a new job is one of the most stressful situations in life, and it’s something we’re all faced with at certain points.
As a writer, you’ve got the skills to help people get a foot in the door. You can polish up their resume and cover letter so they get an invite to interview. It’s a great feeling to know you’re helping people get back into work.
If you’ve got what it takes to get people into interview, then you should be charging a minimum of $200 per resume.
How to get resume writing gigs. If this is a new field for you, start by helping out friends and family. They’ll be grateful for your advice, and you’ll quickly learn what works and what doesn’t. As you help people get jobs, they’ll pass on your name, and your reputation will grow.
Once you’ve got the confidence to promote your services publicly, list resume writing on your professional website. You can also join the National Resume Writers Association (NRWA), who will provide you with opportunities to network and promote your services.
3. Proofreading
Although it’s not technically a writing gig, proofreading is the perfect addition to any freelancer writer’s toolbox. In my experience, correcting copy uses a different part of my brain to writing copy. When you’re zoned out from writing, you can turn to proofreading as a way of maximizing your chargeable hours.
You can earn $30+ per hour proofreading. Even if you only charge $0.005 per word, you’ve only got to get through 100 words a minute to hit $30 per hour.
How to get proofreading gigs. If you’re anything like me, as a writer you’re always being asked “Can you read this over for me?” by clients and friends. It’s time you asserted yourself and let people know your fee for this service.
Additionally, there are a ton of proofreading jobs available on freelance bidding sites such as elance. Bid competitively, earn good feedback, and you’ll quickly build up a reputation as a go-to proofreader.
4. AdWords Ads
This gig is super-easy in terms of word count. Adwords ads are only 130 characters long in total, with 25 characters for the headline, and 105 characters for the description. That’s about 25 words. If you’re good at writing ads that attract clicks, then you’ll be the one naming your fee.
The tricky part is learning what attracts clicks. You’ll learn best from experience, but to begin with, at least get familiar with the basics of headline writing.
How to get Adwords gigs. Google a range of topics in your niche, and look at the ads which come up alongside the search results. In particular, look for the ads that fail to grab your attention. Those are the ones you can help with. Click through the ads to find the company that needs your services. From there, get in touch and see if they’re willing to take you up on an offer to boost the clicks they get from their ads.
5. Greetings Cards
Writing slogans for greetings cards is a really special gig, and is ideal if you like to craft words that touch peoples’ hearts. You don’t need a talent for rhyme either, and many publishers prefer slogans that don’t rhyme. It’s a competitive market, but the pay is excellent, typically $25-$100 per slogan, with some companies paying up to $300 for short poems.
How to get greeting cards gigs. Head to your local gift store, and look at the greeting cards they have for sale. Jot down the companies who publish the cards. Then, get online to find contact details, and contact greetings cards companies directly for submission guidelines.
