Freelance writing opportunities offer several benefits for talented writers who want to earn money from home. The projects can provide notable flexibility for those who can meet deadlines and provide quality content for their clients.
If you’re new to the world of freelance writing, it’s fair to wonder what goes on behind the scenes. The best articles are well-researched, but how much research goes into the average freelance article? If you’re looking for answers, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn more about time expectations and the research process.
Factors influencing research time
In general, it takes freelance writers between 30 minutes and several hours to conduct research before writing an article. That said, several factors influence the required time.
Topic familiarity
Topic familiarity is a significant factor to consider when estimating how long a freelance article will take. A writer with substantial background knowledge will need less time to research before starting the writing process. It’s a good rule of thumb to anticipate between 30 and 60 minutes of research for a 1,000-word article on a topic the writer is familiar with.
Depth of research
The depth of research also affects the time spent researching a freelance article. A piece that requires citation from peer-reviewed studies and scientific journals will take longer than other types of articles. These data-driven pieces can take hours of research to adequately cover the topic.
Article complexity
It’s natural that complex articles will require more research for a freelance writer. Business-to-business articles can take over six hours to research, while shorter articles can require closer to two hours. Words of Worth U.S. works to provide freelance writers with the same contract each month to increase familiarity and speed up the writing process.
Initial setup
Writing for a new client adds to research time because you’ll need to go the extra mile to ensure you’re using the desired format and covering all the points the client has requested. Expect the initial setup process to add significant upfront and ongoing research time.
Pitching
The final factor influencing research time for freelance articles is pitching. The process of developing a competitive pitch can take up to an hour. A large portion of that time is related to the initial research for the pitch.