Meet the Journalism Dropout Making Six Figures as a Freelance Writer

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Key Takeaways

• Meet the Journalism Dropout Making Six Figures as a Freelance Writer Javier Ortega-Araiza transformed his passion for storytelling into a six-figure freelance writing career.
• See his top pointers and strategies for aspiring writers to turn their side hustle into a thriving profession.
• Worth noting: and, despite being a journalism school dropout and dabbling in other careers, his true passion has consistently been writing and storytelling.
• His business was a hit; Javier had surpassed $1.5 million in revenue within 18 months.

Is Meet Journalism Dropout Making Worth It?

Written by Jeff Proctor Last Updated: April 1, 2025 Home Freelance “I feel the world is driven by stories and there’s so much power in what we have to share. Through stories we can assist other people, we can inspire, we can inform, we can teach.” That was Javier Ortega-Araiza’s response when asked what inspired him to become a freelance writer.

• His story is proof that it isn’t consistently about what school you go to or what degree you have; if you have a passion for something, you can make a career out of almost anything.
• Though, his success came with challenges. “I was highly young and made wrong decisions, especially concerning people,” Javier admitted.
• More importantly, these poor decisions eventually led to the business’s downfall. “Losing that business jump-started my spiritual journey.

Where the Real Savings Hide

After being close to opting out of life, I re-emerged stronger, with numerous stories to tell,” he reflected Rediscovering Writing While an undergraduate, Javier built a six-figure business writing papers for other students. Though, he procrastinated on committing to writing as a career due to his own preconceived notions about its financial viability.

• He at no point viewed writing as a long-term career opportunity.
• Remember that but when the pandemic hit, he decided to provide freelance writing another shot. “I wrote a few articles here and there for various outlets, but nothing consistent.
• My most consistent attempt had been writing on Medium, but I got disappointed since my earnings on the platform at no point surpassed $20.” In 2022, Javier launched a few Substack newsletters and began pitching writing opportunities. “I started pitching each opportunity related to my topics of interest.

A Closer Look at Meet Journalism Dropout Making

The first few days, I received plenty of rejections, but gradually I got a couple of gigs, and I just gained traction from there,” he reflected. In 2021 and 2022, Javier’s writing efforts were sporadic. “I published articles here and there, but they were scarce, and I did not have a habit of pitching publications consistently,” he admitted.

• As a rule, this changed in 2023 when he set a clear and ambitious goal for himself. “I set a target of making at least five pitches a day, each workday.
• This strategy not only reduced the amount of pitching he needed to do but also helped him create a more stable and consistent income stream from his writing.
• Reaching His First $10,000 Month Javier’s persistence paid off. “I remember the first month my writing earnings surpassed $10,000.

What to Know About Meet Journalism Dropout Making

I was initially in disbelief. In short, did my words genuinely earn me that?” On average, he earns between $5,200 and $6,000 monthly from freelance writing, mostly since he has scaled back on some client work to focus on new projects. “I consistently have plenty of irons in the fire, so there’s no shortage of work,” he adds.

• Javier’s Top 3 Challenges Achieving success as a freelance writer did not come straightforward for Javier.
• Here are the top 3 challenges he says he faced as he was growing his business.
• Balancing social requires with a solo profession One of Javier’s biggest struggles during his first year of freelance writing was adjusting his schedule to meet his social and physical activity requires. “I require human interaction.

How Meet Journalism Dropout Making Really Works

Worth noting: i’m highly social, and I’m an athlete,” he said, referencing his background as a competitive tennis player. Writing, though, can be isolating. “I pivoted more times than I can count to be sure I had a schedule that worked for me,” Javier shared.

• Finding a balance that allowed him to be productive while maintaining his social interactions and physical activity was crucial. “When aspects are in balance, I love being in the zone and writing, but if I overdo it, I can get drained highly fast.” 2.
• Navigating the overwhelming “creator economy” Another significant challenge was finding his method in the vast and overwhelming creator economy. “The creator economy is enormous; we constantly get bombarded by all kinds of ads, courses, coaches, and opportunities,” Javier explained.
• More importantly, in the beginning, he found it difficult to know where to begin. “Everything can feel too much to digest.” To navigate this, he relied on newsletters that compiled opportunities from various platforms and centralized information, making it easier to manage. “I also relied on ChatGPT.

Getting the Most From Meet Journalism Dropout Making

It is an awesome assistant to structure complex scenarios and break them down into manageable tasks,” he added. Balancing workload and income Finding the right balance between making enough money and not overworking was another major challenge for Javier. “This required plenty of communication with my clients, especially those that paid per piece or per assignment,” he noted.

• While he acknowledges that focusing on a niche can be beneficial for specific publications, he believes that a writer’s body of work and personal brand can encompass much more.
• Remember that rather than limiting himself to one area, Javier embraces his numerous interests wholeheartedly. “I’ve written travel stories for literary magazines, done journalism for Canadian outlets, and even covered immigration issues,” he says.
• His passion for different subjects has opened numerous doors.

Tips That Make a Difference

For instance, his interest in entrepreneurship led him to write over 30 stories featuring inspiring individuals for Canadian newspapers like the Winnipeg Free Press and SaltWire-owned publications. “I’ve published poetry books, written SEO articles on sports betting, explored personal development through tennis, and delved into mental health and spirituality,” he shares. His diverse interests have led him to write for prestigious outlets like Forbes, FOX, and the New York Post on topics ranging from personal finance to tech startups and venture capital.

• As a rule, this diverse approach has strengthened his writing. “Embracing various aspects of myself has made me a method better writer and given me better visibility of the large picture,” Javier notes.
• He believes that each line of work enhances the other, allowing him to bring a unique perspective to each project.
• How Javier Finds Freelance Writing Clients Knowing how to write well and knowing how to find freelance writing gigs are two highly different skills, but you require both if you wish to make it in this industry.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here’s how Javier goes about finding prospective clients. In short, freelance gig newsletters Javier finds newsletters to be invaluable in his client acquisition process. “Some newsletters genuinely helped since they aggregate numerous opportunities and share them with people like me who don’t have the patience or time to scour LinkedIn, X, personal websites, and other portals like Indeed,” he explains.

These newsletters provide a centralized source of potential gigs, saving him time and effort.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I save money on meet journalism dropout making?

Compare prices across a few retailers, look for active coupon codes, and time bigger buys around sales events. Through stories we can assist other people, we can inspire, we can inform, we can teach.” That was Javier Ortega-Araiza’s response when asked what inspired him to become a freelance writer.

Is it worth shopping around for meet journalism dropout making?

Usually yes. His story is proof that it isn’t consistently about what school you go to or what degree you have; if you have a passion for something, you can make a career out of almost anything.

What should I check before buying?

Read the terms, confirm any code still works, and factor in shipping or returns. Though, his success came with challenges. “I was highly young and made wrong decisions, especially concerning people,” Javier admitted.

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Final Thoughts

Before you check out, line up meet journalism dropout making against current promotions and any codes you can stack. Small habits like these add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at dollarsprout.com.