You may need a degree in Journalism, English or another related field in order to work with a publisher, a newspaper or a magazine, but when it comes to freelance writing, the only real background you need is the ability to write well. In fact, it is entirely possible for a recent high school graduate with no higher education to jump into the world of freelance writing and begin earning a great living simply by working on freelance writing assignments. While you don’t necessarily need a degree, however, there are some ways that a degree can benefit you.

Decreased Research

The fact is that writers must have some knowledge base to draw from when writing. Whether you are ghost writing a book or writing a short article, you must be able to draw from some prior experience or education to write with authority. When you lack the experience or knowledge required to write a piece, you are forced to spend your valuable time researching the information rather than performing the paying activity of actually writing.

Writing With Confidence

If you have ever been required to write a piece that you know little or nothing about, you know how frustrating and difficult this can be. You may stumble to find the right words and hit the “backspace” button repeatedly as you try to form cohesive, intelligent sentences. This is time-consuming, tedious and altogether unpleasant. When you have a background in a certain area, you can easily write with confidence because you are an authority in that area. This enables you to write more comfortably, produce higher quality work and even write your pieces more quickly.

Increased Earning Potential

As you might imagine, when you don’t have to spend your valuable time doing research, you can earn more money in a given day. You can spend your days writing rather than studying up on a certain topic. In addition, you can also earn more money when you write on a topic that you have a background in simply because you can complete your pieces more quickly. What you may not realize, however, is that you can also earn more money on pieces simply because of your background. For example, if someone wants to find a writer who can produce high-quality content on medical or health topics and you have a degree in Anatomy or Nursing, the client may be more willing to hire you for that job over other writers. The client may also be more willing to pay you a higher rate for your expertise in this area.

As you can see, there are several benefits that you can enjoy as a freelance writer when you have a solid education in a specific area. Provided that you have the fundamentals of writing mastered, the fact is that you can enjoy the benefits of higher education when your degree is in almost any field. Whether you have a degree in engineering, agriculture or any other field, there are clients who will need pieces written in those areas.