So, you like writing, and think you could do it for a living. You have a laptop, an internet connection, some spare time, and you are serious about making money from being a writer.
There’s just one problem… you don’t have any experience.
If you haven’t penned so much as a blog article or a simple product description, fear not – this is still a career you can go into. In this article, we are going to share seven ways to become a freelance writer, even without any experience to date. Read on to find out more.
Use what you’ve got
You may not think you have any writing experience, but is that really the case? One should never assume, but allow us the luxury of an assumption here… Assuming you can write, and have attended school, then you will have done some writing already.
OK, so the essays, assignments and exam papers you did at school might be slightly different from the articles, reports and features you might expect to pen as a freelance writer. Nevertheless, they taught you the basic vocabulary and structures of the written word. Without even knowing it, you have a skill set: a mental ‘toolbox’ that allows you to write content. It just needs some refinement.
The key thing is that the writing you have done up until now will allow you to make a start. And if you are an aspiring freelance writer with zero experience, that’s exactly what you need to do – get going!
Start a blog
It’s completely free, and a sure-fire way to build your experience. Choose a topic that you are genuinely interested in. It doesn’t matter if this is a small or quirky niche – it’s a chance for you to build experience.
Sites like Blogger, WordPress and Wix all offer free packages, and will host your blog on their platform. You’ll be able to write a regular blog, with unique URLs that make it easy to share your content with friends and family, as well as social media channels. Write what you want; just keep it consistent, and aim to publish several times a month.
You are now a blog owner. How does that sound? The sky is the limit – some blog owners are able to monetise their blog with affiliate offers from synergistic brands. Further down the line, there is also the chance to earn money from advertisements. We aren’t just talking about Google Ads – there are other advertising partners such as Mediavine and Adthrive with which you can earn a lot more money.
But let’s leave the affiliate and ad opportunities to one side for a second. To be clear – as an aspiring freelance writer with no experience, the most important initial benefit you will get from starting a blog is the body of work. Once you start writing a blog, you have work examples and credentials you can show to the websites, magazines and clients you may be able to write for.
Register for a job board
Another no-brainer is to get signed up to a job board, or three. There is typically no minimum level of experience to meet on these sites, which makes them suitable for you.
You will have to advertise yourself, apply for jobs and present attractive credentials to clients. For this reason, be sure to include any limited experience, such as your blog posts, in there. And what you don’t have in experience, you can make up for in personal and professional attributes.
When using a job board to post an ad looking for work or pitch to take on a project, use what you’ve got. You might not have mountains of experience, but let potential clients know that you write well, are motivated and passionate, and always meet your deadlines.
From People Per Hour to Upwork and Fiverr – there are many job boards out there for freelancers to join. We would advise you not to spread yourself too thinly, and concentrate on building your profile on two to three of these platforms. Reviews from past clients can really help, so consolidating your efforts on a smaller number of job boards can help you build trust with its users.
Remember – you will be joining platforms where inexperienced writers from all over the world are competing with each other to get work. This means that prices are naturally lowered in order to attract clients. While you might baulk at some of the low rates you are seeing, look at the bigger picture. The experience you get from a project might be worth a lot more to you in the future than the current project’s pay, so it may make sense to take on lower-paid jobs to get work under your belt.
When you begin to win work, add that experience to your CV. You can talk about what the project entailed, who the client was and which industry they were in. Before you know it, your experience is growing, and you are becoming a more trusted option for writing work.
Apply to join an agency
Copy and content agencies take on requirements from clients and hire freelance writers for each project. Many don’t have an ‘in-house’ team, and will rely on scribes from around the world who work online. These types of agencies can be ideal for you. Some will require more experience than others, so look for agencies that have lower barriers to registration.
At Words of Worth, we are an agency that is supportive of inexperienced writers. You don’t need to have a tonne of experience under your belt to come on board with us. What we do ask is that you have a very good command of the English language.
Agencies such as ours are always happy to guide inexperienced writers in learning their craft and improving. We don’t just offer writing work. Our team is always there to offer tips and constructive criticism – key pointers on your way to blossoming as a freelance writer. Then, there is the experience you will pick up in working to tight deadlines – handling this pressure is another fundamental in succeeding as a freelance writer.
An advantage of working for an agency is that you can spend more time writing and less time looking for work. The agency themselves will communicate with clients on your behalf, noting their requirements and putting together a brief for you to work with. Think of it as ‘writing work on tap’.
Take a writing course
Have you begun writing, but are having trouble picking up clients? Perhaps you’ve had some feedback that was less than positive, and have taken a confidence hit?
We’ve all been there. Having your work torn apart can hurt. If you feel that you need more guidance to take your writing to the next level, why not take a writing course?
You can do the course in addition to your continuing freelance writing work. It will allow you to hone your skills and perfect your prose while still earning an income. There are many different writing courses available online, including the likes of Coursera, Eleven and Udemy, to name just a few.
Put together a portfolio
As your body of work grows, be sure to update your portfolio. This can be a collection of the best work you have produced for clients – including blog articles, features, reports, product descriptions and website copy. When you don’t have any experience, you won’t have a portfolio, so don’t worry about it. But as soon as you have a few samples to put in there, be sure to update your portfolio accordingly.
You should attach your portfolio to your profile on job boards if possible. Also, it can come in handy when a client has read your CV and wants to see work examples to investigate your credentials further. Think of your portfolio as a working document, and seek to improve it as your selection of work examples to choose from grows.
Carry on reading!
It might seem obvious – and it is. The more well-written content you read, the better you can write. Your brain absorbs a tremendous amount of information when you read an article, feature or book. Each word and phrase you read can be adopted and adapted for your own writing. This isn’t plagiarism! It is the same way our language has been shared for hundreds of years.
And just because you are interested in writing about, say, cars, or have clients in the automotive sector, it doesn’t mean your reading should be restricted to this subject. On the contrary – some of the best writers incorporate ideas and styles from a wide range of literature.
Work for Words of Worth
Are you committed to becoming a freelance writer? Or perhaps you want to dip your toe in the literary waters? Words of Worth supports aspiring writers in gaining experience and improving their writing.
We offer paid remote work that can be done from anywhere in the world, allowing you to earn money from home and build your portfolio. Apply today and fast-track your freelance writing career.