Writing is one of the most rewarding careers in the world. Especially if you are someone who genuinely enjoys writing. However, it cannot be denied that it is something that not everyone is sure of. Looking for freelance writing jobs for beginners can seem quite daunting.
You will often wonder about how you can set your foot in the door. You will also question yourself often. How to find success sooner rather than later? How can one generate a full-time income from freelancing?
Getting ready
A portfolio is as important for freelance writers as a resume is for job applicants. If you are a beginner looking for freelance writing jobs, make sure you are ready with the following:
1) A blog: Your personal blog can serve as your entire portfolio. It is the simplest and most beneficial way to build your brand and showcase your skills. It is even more precious for a beginner, as a portfolio will include your own blog posts even when you do not have published work to show. The blog also needs to have a brief overview of yourself and your skills.
2) Niche: Find out what your areas of expertise are and develop a body of work around it. It is always better to be great at something than being average at everything. Figure out where you would like to focus and devote your energy there.
3) SEO and copyright skills: Learning to drive traffic by upping your SEO and copyright skills is pivotal to becoming a successful freelancer. Looking up for short courses or online study material to get adept at SEO is a great way to better the chances of finding freelance writing jobs for beginners.
Related: 11 free content distribution platforms to drive insane traffic
4) Courage: It is not easy to put yourself out there and pitch to companies. You are going to feel insecure and intimidated. There are going to be challenges and critiques. But if you learn to push through, pitching, promoting and growth will all get better.
5) Consistency & Time: Like in any other field, patience is the most important virtue that a beginner looking for freelancing jobs must possess. You will only make it if you learn from your mistakes, constantly adapt and don�t give up. All of this requires both time and patience.
And once you have all these prerequisites, you can move on to the next step of finding the right jobs.
Here are different ways to find freelance writing jobs for beginners in India:
1) Sign up on freelancing sites
Freelance websites help connect freelancers with potential jobs. They may be dedicated to general freelance work or specialized niches. Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, iWriter and Problogger are some of the well-known sites to find writing work.
There are many others too. While these may not ultimately be your big source for work, they are great for beginners or when you hit a dry spell.
Related: Top freelancing sites in India to find your next dream project
2) Join Facebook groups
The quickest and easiest way to find freelance writing jobs for beginners is to join Facebook groups related to freelancing and writing. One of the most popular groups includes Media Jobs Daily (India) where clients post several writing jobs (both freelance and full-time).
You can also join other similar groups such as Media Movements and Freelance Content writers. To find more such groups you can use keywords like freelance writing and content writing. The main advantage of these groups is that most clients are willing to work with freshers.
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3) Online Internships
Getting an online internship is a great opportunity to build your profile if you are on the lookout for freelance writing jobs for beginners.
Internshala and Let�s Intern are some of the websites where you can find Freelance Online Internship opportunities. This will also give you the much-needed experience before you can take up independent projects from bigger clients.
4) Join Coworking Communities
We, humans, are social creatures and being around others can improve productivity. If you are a beginner looking for freelance writing jobs you can benefit from coworking because it gives you an opportunity, boosts creativity and helps you meet new people.
Working amidst people doing different kinds of work makes one�s own work identity stronger. It also helps create a flexible structure and discipline which is highly motivating.
Joining a community such as myHQ will enable you to work from the coolest cafes, lounges, coworking and office spaces. This arrangement is not only affordable but it will also give you the perfect space to work, network and co-create from.
By working from a myHQ space you can connect with over 10000+like-minded individuals, get professional help, find your next client or perhaps, a buddy for life! Sounds amazing, isn�t it? You can subscribe to the Super-Flexi plan or explore more by clicking here.
5) Cold Pitching
You can bag some really lucrative freelance writing jobs through cold pitching. Wondering what Cold Pitching is? It�s when you “pitch” your services to a company or client who is not actively seeking to hire.
Cold Pitching involves writing to them, describing your skillset and aligning it with achieving their goals. In some cases, the client and company in question are still not aware of what these goals might be. You will fill them in on that too!
However, cold pitching can seem quite intimidating in the beginning. The best way to start is to do a Google search for the industry you want to write in. Start taking notes on prospective businesses.�Find out if they have a blog and determine if you can improve their content.
Related: Best tips for freelancers to write the perfect pitch mail
This will come in handy when you are cold pitching. It’s important to mention where exactly you can help them with your skillset.� As a beginner looking for freelance jobs, you can also contact businesses through older ads found across the web.
You can go through what the old requirement was and pitch them new and fresh ideas to them regarding what they wanted previously.
6) Become active on Networking Sites
Although Instagram is a very visual platform, it is still a great place to connect with others over your writing and ideas.
Tags make the Instaworld go round and they will help people in finding you and vice versa. Some popular writing hashtags include� #writersofig #writersofinstagram #igwriters #amwriting. Use these tags when you are posting a photo that has to do with your assignments.
You can also use them to search for new writers that you can follow and learn from. Following prominent writers that you admire can give you a better insight into their work and life. Along with inspiration, you can also learn to overcome roadblocks by reading about their personal experiences.
You can also follow publications that you may want to write for. By doing so, you�ll get to see the pattern of their content. It will give you a better understanding of the brand aesthetic which in turn help you pitch better.
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LinkedIn is another great platform to find freelance writing jobs for beginners. It is full of businesspeople looking to hire freelance writers.�LinkedIn is most often used just like a search engine by potential clients to find writers.
Make sure your LinkedIn summary is precise and catchy and tells the client what exactly you do. Take care to ensure it isn�t vague and mentions a niche. Always include keywords in your profile and headline.
You can add your potential clients as connections and start interacting with their posts and build a relationship with them to stay on their radar. Another effective way of finding freelance writing jobs for beginners is joining LinkedIn groups consisting of target clients.
You can participate by responding to questions about content marketing or writing. Doing this consistently will make people reach out to you because of how you�ve already shown that you�re a helpful expert.� You can also join groups with fellow writers to keep you company and benefit from referrals.
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7) Start writing Guest Posts
Guest blogging on other blogs will help you build a portfolio of your writing on a wider scale. Doing this regularly also means that it is easier for a client to trust you owing to your wide body of work.
Outbrain, India at a glance, About, and Mashable are some of the websites which accept Guest Posts. There are several others as well. While some of these pay for guest posts, it is a lot harder to get your posts accepted especially for a beginner.
Related: 13 free guest posting sites you should submit to (for traffic & visibility)
Free guest post spots, on the other hand, are easier to land and are mostly accepted. Hence, the process of building a portfolio becomes quicker for beginners seeking freelance writing jobs.
Writing guest posts will not only build your confidence but is also a great marketing tactic. It will help connect you with your ideal client and earn your money as a freelance writer.
You can also read the following articles to know more about becoming a successful freelancer:
11 Best Apps For Freelancers To Stay Productive & Organised
Importance Of Networking For Freelancers & How To Create One
9 Step Guide To Becoming A Top Freelance Consultant In India
