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Starting a Career in Freelance Content Writing
As a frequent visitor to online forums filled with
entrepreneurial stay-at-home-moms (and dads), I see posts every
other day asking questions along the same line. How do I go
about starting a career in writing? Where did you get your first
writing assignment? Can I be a writer?
Sometimes these posts are followed by an online game of 20
Questions, and often the thread ends up buried with relatively
few responses. Why? People by nature do not like to repeat
themselves. However, make a few friends in the group, or catch a
writer just after they've received their dream assignment, and
you might get someone excited enough to share a few tips with
you. Or, you could just follow these five steps for getting your
career start in content writing:
1. Educate yourself - Take the time to read about the writing
industry. Visit writer's websites and blogs, do online searches
via Google, subscribe to various news feeds, and join (and
frequently participate in) online groups and forums. There is a
world of information out there that will enable you to decide if
writing for a living really is for you. Tip: It's not for
everyone. You will also discover if you have the skills to pull
it off, and you may even find you need some formal education.
2. Hone your craft - Take a good look at what you want to
accomplish, and compare that to your skill level. Do you need to
take a college composition course? Are you in need of some basic
English tutoring? If so, you may want to rethink this career
choice. Writing is competitive. However, if you need to simply
sharpen your writing talent, try online writing courses. There
are also a number of free websites that will help you with your
grammar and//or spelling, such as Write 101. Lastly, the best
way to improve your skills is to read and write often. Join a
book club and subscribe to Writer's Digest magazine.
3. Put yourself "out there" - Nobody will know you want to be a
writer if you don't tell anyone. Do you have a blog? If not,
start one immediately. Write informative pieces about any topic
of interest, but don't get too personal if you plan on using
this site as your writing sample. I suggest a professional blog
with content leaning toward the type of writing you wish to
produce for pay. When you've done that, join online communities
and writing forums. Put your blog URL in your signature. Write a
few articles and list them on websites such as Associated
Content and Constant-Content. You can find the links to those
sites on the sidebar to the right. Also post free articles on
your blog or in free article directories. Offer the use of your
work on the condition there are no changes made and your byline
is listed. Get your name out there.
4. Apply for work and follow through - Once you have some
writing samples to show a prospective client, look for job
opportunities. Buy the current Writer's Market book from
Amazon.com. Look through job listings, which can be easily
located on websites such as Craigslist, and lesser-known sites
such as personal blogs and writing forums. I got my first
writing jobs at the WAHM writing forum, as well as by looking at
Deborah Ng's blog filled with job listings. Most importantly,
when you are given your first assignment, follow through and
give your contractors a reason to keep coming to you. Do your
best work, and adhere to all guidelines and deadlines given. The
best indication of a great writer is repeat business, which will
allow you to build your "clip" and "sample" piles.
5. Repeat as needed - The fifth and final step is the most
important. Once you've reached the point where you're getting
paid for your writing, repeat steps 1 through 4. Each time you
do, set the bar a little higher, depending on what your ultimate
goals are. Want more business? Start a website and market
yourself ferociously. Join more writing groups. Decide what area
of expertise you want to focus on, and begin building your
authority in that area. Whatever you do, build upon the
relationships you have with the writers, editors, and publishers
you have already worked with.
About the author:
Diane Penna is a freelance writer in Northern California. She
provides web and magazine content, as well as ghostwriting
services. You can read more of her work at
http://dianepenna.blogspot.com/.
Diane Penna
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