Many students around the world rely on freelancing websites to boost their finances while they study. You’ll most likely have heard of places like Freelancer.com, Upwork, and Clickworker.com. These sites connect students with companies that want their products and services written for them. You may have even tried freelancing as well—perhaps through college cafes or even study nights on Instagram. While these side gigs can be quite the lucrative opportunity, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are many challenges that come with being a freelancer, and not all of them are obvious. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the ways in which you can make the most of this lucrative side gig.
The Gig Is Not All Sunshine And Rainbows
Let’s be honest, when you have a busy schedule as a student, it’s not easy to find the time to freelance. Even if you are in the fortunate position of having a lot of free time, there’s always that one essay or research paper that needs to be written before the semester ends. And when your workload is high, the last thing you need is the added stress of having to find time to write a few articles for cash. So, you may find that although this gig is quite the opportunity, it doesn’t always work in your favor. You’ll need to be realistic about your chances of making a profit, especially if you’re new to the scene. The good news is that this is a common problem and there are easy solutions to address it. The first step is to make sure that you are actually good at writing. If you can, you should consider becoming a full-time student journalist. The key skills you’ll need are finding your voice and presenting your point of view accurately. As a freelancer, you’ll soon find that these same skills apply for getting paid to write an essay or a term paper.
The Competition Is Cut-throat
Working as a freelancer is highly competitive. While this may not seem obvious, since you’re already competing against other freelancers for the opportunity to write a piece for a particular client, the pressure is also much more acute when you’re up against a student. After all, if you’re a student, you’re probably already used to being pressured by your teacher or your peers to do your homework. So, when you’re finally given the opportunity to prove yourself, the finishing line is much closer than you think. And although this may not always be the case, it’s a good idea to put aside your emotions and take a clear-headed approach to producing quality content.
The Pay Is Not What You’d Expect
When you’re starting out as a freelancer, you’ll probably assume that the income is proportionate to the effort you put in. You’ll have very little financial security, so when a lucrative opportunity like this comes along, you won’t have other jobs to fall back on. In most cases, you’ll be asked to write a short article for a few hundred words. For a long essay or a term paper, you may be asked to write a few thousand words for around $25. Keep in mind that the quality of your work will determine your earnings, so produce your best work and you’ll be paid accordingly.
Even though the pay is good, this doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to save lots of money. The truth is that unless you have extraordinary savings habits, the purse straining will be imminent. If you want to become a full-time freelance writer, make sure that you’re prepared to survive on low earnings for a few months to a year. Being a freelancer is a great opportunity, but you should be realistic about how much money you’ll actually be able to save once you start contributing to your income. You may need to find additional sources of income, such as contracting or becoming a part-time student again. Remember, everyone’s starting out as a freelancer, so there’s no such thing as a guaranteed paycheck.
Being A Woman Ensures You’ll Get Fewer Writing Opportunities
While there’s nothing bad in terms of possible paychecks that you’ll get as a woman, beating around the bush when it comes to earnings is a pre-established fact. For some reason, companies and organizations prefer to hire female writers. Maybe they think that your emotional connection to the material will make you more sympathetic to their causes. Whatever the case may be, being a woman in a male-dominated industry ensures that you’ll have to work twice as hard as your male counterparts to not only earn the same, but to even make a profit. This issue is so prevalent that there are entire websites like WomenOnWriting.com that aim to connect female freelancers with potential writing projects. If you’re looking to make a living as a writer, consider whether or not you’ll have better luck if you’re a man or a woman.
Protect Your Reputation
If you want to secure future opportunities as a freelance writer, you should consider building a reputation as a reliable, skilled contributor to the community. The best way to do this is by consistently producing high-quality content for your clients. When you’re starting out, you may not always achieve complete control over the content you submit, so it’s essential that you learn how to protect yourself when necessary. For instance, if you’re not sure whether or not a piece you’ve submitted is satisfactory or whether or not it meets the standards of the client, it’s best to ask for permission to re-submit the content. The reason behind this is that your original submission may have been satisfactory in your opinion, but now that you have more knowledge about the subject matter, you realize that there are numerous errors that you’ve made. Having the opportunity to re-submit your work and have it confirmed that your earlier opinion was correct is a great feeling and a wonderful vindication of your skills. It’s always best to seek permission before sharing your work with others — especially with clients who you intend on establishing a long-term relationship with. This way, you’ll be sure that your work is not being misused or misrepresented by a third party.
The Longer You’ve Been At It, The More You’ll Prosper
Even though it’s quite the opposite when starting out, the longer you’ve been at it as a freelance writer, the more you’ll prosper. This is because as you grow more experienced, the higher your rate of pay will be. If you want to make the most of this gig, save as much money as you can and don’t be afraid to negotiate with your clients about the rates of pay. It’s also a good idea to look for work that fits with your personal mission and values. While the income may be good, you shouldn’t get too comfortable with this side gig. Make sure that you’re constantly seeking ways to improve yourself and earn more. If you want to succeed as a freelance writer, make sure that you’re putting in the work necessary to achieve your goals.