So you have decided to become a full time freelance writer. You have been offered a contract for a book and now you have to come up with content for it. What do you need to do to become a successful freelance writer?
The answer is quite simple, actually. All you need is determination and the willingness to put in the work. The good news is that thanks to the internet, there is now an entire online freelance writing community that you can benefit from. Thanks to platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com, it is now possible to get professional-looking articles written for you by the best freelance writers in the world. If you want to become a successful freelance writer, you need to understand how to find, communicate with, and utilize the services of these writers.
Finding Freelance Writers To Write For You
When you are looking for a writer to collaborate with on your book or website, you need to make sure that they are a professional member of the freelancing community. The best way to do this is to research their previous work and read their testimonials. Check out their profile on LinkedIn and see what previous clients have to say about them. You can also search for their name on Google and see what comes up. Also, don’t hesitate to read online reviews for the various freelancers you are considering employing. No one factor, such as credentials or experience, should determine your decision. Instead, you should look at a number of different factors that together make the person a suitable fit for your project.
Getting To Know The Personality Of The Writer You Are Considering
All of us have different personalities. Some of us are very quiet, while others are very talkative. Some are more creative than others, and so on. As a client, you need to determine whether or not you will be able to work comfortably with the writer you have chosen. If you have doubts or questions about their creative or logical thinking, it might be a good idea to go with someone else.
Some freelancers will need a little more training than others before they are able to produce top-notch content for you. However, that should not be a deal breaker. In the end, you need to be comfortable with the person you are going to work with. If you are not, then there is no point in continuing with the process. It is better to find out early on that you are not a good match rather than finding out much later on that you are actually working together.
Avoiding Pitfalls While Collaborating With A Freelance Writer
While it is easy to get involved in a collaborative writing project with a freelance writer, it is not as easy to avoid all the pitfalls that come with it. Make sure that you are both on the same page from the very beginning by having a conversation about the project you are working on and the direction you want to take it in. This will help avoid many of the problems that could arise from a rushed or unpredicted collaboration. You should also make sure that you have both agreed on the final contents of the finished product before you begin working on it together. Agreeing on the final version as part of the contractual work is usually a good idea so that there are no unpleasant surprises once the work is finished.
Using The Right Tools To Get The Job Done
If you want to be a successful freelance writer, you need to make sure that you have all the necessary tools for the job. For instance, if you are planning to write for magazine websites, you will need a magazine website editor to make sure that your content is laid out the way it is supposed to be and looks as good as new. You could also hire someone to do the social media strategy for your account so that you can focus on content development.
On the other hand, if you are going to be writing for a blog, it is best to go with an organic SEO expert who can help get the most out of your content, no matter where it is published. Since different platforms have different requirements, it is best to choose an expert who has experience in all of them.
The Different Types Of Writing Jobs Available
If you decide to become a full time freelance writer, you will be able to take on a number of different types of writing jobs. Depending on your skills, you can choose which one you want to focus on. Some of the most popular options include:
- Product description
- News article
- Blogging
- Product reviews
- Advertising copy
- Website content (including web content for mobile devices)
- Social media (especially for small businesses)
- Magazine article (including article for magazines on websites)
- Online marketing plan (including SEO)
- Corporate brochure
- Graduate Research
- Presentation (PowerPoint)
- Academic journal article
If you have not yet decided what type of freelance writer you want to become, it is best to focus on the ones that interest you the most. Once you have decided, you can look for the ones that suit your skills.
In any case, you need to understand that although the process of finding a freelancer to write for you may seem easy, it is a lot more complicated than just handing over the money and getting the article. That is not how professional writing collaborations work. This process is called “project management,” and a lot goes into it. The more you know, the easier it will be to manage the process and avoid all the unexpected hassles that come with working with a freelance writer. Good luck!