A No-Frills Guide to Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer

Want to get more out of frills starting career freelance without the guesswork? Below we walk through the essentials in plain language, with practical steps you can use right away.

Key Takeaways

• Four years ago, I was sitting at my desk, trying to figure out exactly what I didn’t know about having a writing career.
• Right now, I consistently make $6,000 a month freelancing.
• I have bylines in national magazines and newspapers that still make me giddy when I look at them.
• That old saying is true: You don’t know what you don’t know.

How Frills Starting Career Freelance Really Works

I knew that I could write well, but I just couldn’t figure out the missing step between writing for my small blog and actually getting paid to write. I had recently moved into a new apartment and set up an office, but I sat in that room stumped and had no concept how to begin the freelance career I desperately wanted.

• Worth noting: although I work from home, I feel like I have colleagues I can rely on since I am connected to a robust network of other people making a career out of freelancing.
• Freelancing has become an integral part of my daily life, so it’s straightforward to forget that aspects that seem obvious now were massive challenges at the beginning.
• More importantly, that can make it seem impossible to get started.
• If you’re wondering how to go from wanting to write to walking down the right path, here are some first steps that can make a large difference.

Getting the Most From Frills Starting Career Freelance

Although I’m focusing on freelance writing, the same principles could be applied to any freelancing career. Step One: Present Yourself as a Professional If you’re like numerous women getting started on a new endeavor, you’re probably struggling with imposter syndrome.

• Remember that you have to ditch that ASAP, or at least fake it ‘til you make it.
• You may know that you’re just getting started, but there’s no require to let others on to that fact.
• You know that annoying guy in school or in the office who thought he was God’s gift to earth?
• Take a dose of his confidence and run with it.

Tips That Make a Difference

As a rule, since you’re a confident professional, you have to present yourself that method. The best method to do that is by compiling all your clips (i.e., previous projects).

• If you’re ready to invest in a website, that’s excellent.
• If not, Contently offers a excellent free place to put your portfolio.
• In short, the site also connects you with clients, but I used it for years just to display clips.
• At the highly least, you should have your clips neatly stored as PDFs on your computer so that you can send them to editors.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

If a piece was published online, just sending a link to the article is enough. If you’re genuinely new, you might be worried since you may not have any clips, but if you’re seriously considering a writing career, that’s probably not true.

• Worth noting: did you work for the school newspaper in college?
• Do you have a blog?
• Those are clips, so reveal them with confidence.
• If you genuinely don’t have any clips, editors will probably wish to see a finished piece from you (rather than just a pitch meant to sell them on the concept).

Is Frills Starting Career Freelance Worth It?

More importantly, this is called writing “on spec.” Taking time to make a piece excellent before sending it can make up for not having a portfolio. Step Two: Figure Out How to Contact Editors When I was getting started, this was the biggest mystery to me.

• How do I get in touch with the people who will eventually publish my work?
• Luckily, even in the few years since I started, it’s become easier to find editors’ contact information online.
• Remember that first, figure out the sites or publications you’d like to contribute to. (I suggest beginning with local publications or smaller sites initially.) Then, figure out who edits them.
• Numerous websites have a “contact us” section on the bottom where you can frequently find information for contributors.

Where the Real Savings Hide

Print magazines and newspapers generally have the editor’s contact information listed (typically in the front of the magazine). If you only see a name but not an email, find the editor on Twitter, and see if their email is listed there.

• As a rule, another excellent trick is to search for a publication name and “editorial calendar.” That will tell you exactly what topics the editor will address in each issue.
• It may feel awkward to stalk down an editor’s email, but believe me, all your favorite writers are doing it.
• Step Three: Embrace the Cold Email Once you’ve compiled editor contact information and your portfolio, it’s time to put them to apply.
• Cold emailing can feel pushy when you’ve at no point done it before, but trust me, editors are used to it.

A Closer Look at Frills Starting Career Freelance

In short, my highly first freelance assignment came from cold-emailing the editor of my local newspaper. I didn’t hear back initially, but unknown to me, he had passed my email to the highlights editor who eventually got in touch.

• I still freelance for them years later.
• When you craft your email, remember that you wish to solve a problem for the editor, not ask them to solve your problem.
• Worth noting: don’t write, “I’m a freelancer after work.
• Do you have any?” Instead, send a specific story concept that lightens the editor’s burden of finding quality stories.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I save money on frills starting career freelance?

Compare prices across a few retailers, look for active coupon codes, and time bigger buys around sales events. I had recently moved into a new apartment and set up an office, but I sat in that room stumped and had no concept how to begin the freelance career I desperately wanted.

Is it worth shopping around for frills starting career freelance?

Usually yes. Worth noting: although I work from home, I feel like I have colleagues I can rely on since I am connected to a robust network of other people making a career out of freelancing.

What should I check before buying?

Read the terms, confirm any code still works, and factor in shipping or returns. Freelancing has become an integral part of my daily life, so it’s straightforward to forget that aspects that seem obvious now were massive challenges at the beginning.

Smart Ways to Save More on Frills Starting Career Freelance

• Leave items in your cart for a day; some stores send a follow up discount.
• Pair cashback with a coupon so you save twice on the same order.
• Stack a coupon code with an existing sale whenever the store allows it.
• Sign up for the retailer newsletter to catch first time and seasonal discounts.
• Compare the final price including shipping, not just the headline number.

Final Thoughts

Put these ideas to work and frills starting career freelance gets a lot less expensive. Bookmark this page, check back for fresh deals, and let the savings do the talking.

Originally published at savingswitch.com.