Mission-and-Vision-ProWriter-Featured
Company

A Look at ProWriter’s Mission and Vision for the Future

by Dave Polykoff
July 20, 2020

The problem we set out to solve

Dusten and I have run a content agency, Presto Media, for over 5 years. During that time we worked with bloggers, brands, and publications that needed highly-vetted and specialized writers who could not only write quality content but write it efficiently and consistently.

This meant we needed to hire a lot of writers.

At first, we hired writers from the typical places you would expect. UpWork, ProBlogger, FreelanceWritingGigs.com, etc.

The problem was, we’d get hundreds of applications back from our job post, but:

  • They all were sent via email – so it became a game of flagging and filtering emails as they came in.
  • Applicants either did not possess the writing skills we required or did not properly reflect in their application that they possessed them in the first place.
  • Applicants would ghost on us after we reached back out to hire them.
  • Applicants did not properly read the job listing details and employment discussions became more complex than they needed to be.

To make things worse, when we talked with our writer network we discovered that while the employment side of the relationship had its problems, so did the freelance writer side.

During our discussions, we discovered freelance writers wanted 3 main things:

  1. High-paying freelance writing job opportunities from credible brands.
  2. A way to showcase their writing experience (without needing to know how to build a website).
  3. Education and community to help them launch and/or grow their freelance writing career.

When we initially launched, our focus was on solving the first two problems seeing as this not only helped writers but also helped employers as well.

If we could help writers showcase and verify their writing experience and skills, that would help employers not only filter through qualified applicants faster but also help them feel more confident in their decision to hire the writer.

We have since invested into ProWriter products like the Portfolio and Jobs board to help solve this problem.

These products allowed experienced writers to showcase and verify their writing experience and skills from our Portfolio product. Use that clout to land their next writing gig from our Jobs product. And then manage their relationship with their client with our Messages product.

We found experienced writers were able to sign up and use these products right away.

But for the majority of other writers who signed up, this was not the case, and here’s why…

What we learned we needed to solve along the way

As we continued to release products like Portfolio and Jobs, we saw there was a roadblock in being able to use our ProWriter solutions – already having a writing career to showcase.

The main problem wasn’t the ability to showcase your career, it was the ability to launch one.

Many writers who signed up to ProWriter were not able to complete their portfolios because they didn’t have bylined articles to add to it yet – and didn’t have the education and competencies to land the writing job to earn them the bylines for their portfolio.

Quite the double-edged sword.

It became more apparent that we not only need to help experienced writers grow their writing careers but also help new writers launch theirs.

This made us revisit problem #3: Writers wanted writing education and a community to help them launch and/or grow their freelance writing career.

This was something we always planned on introducing into ProWriter but with the feedback we received over the first few months of ProWriter’s launch, we saw it was necessary to expedite it on our roadmap.

ProWriter’s vision for 2020 and beyond

ProWriter focused on building tools for writers like our Portfolio and Jobs products. But now, we are focused on building community and education.

This means we are focused on providing a platform and foundation for writers like you to learn from professional writers, SEO experts, and journalists to help you launch and grow your freelance writing career.

To establish and grow the ProWriter community, we’ll be introducing forums, chats, and Facebook Groups to the ProWriter website.

  • Forums: Publish and respond to forum post questions from your freelance writing peers to help you learn from the ProWriters around you.
  • Chats: Establish real-time connections with your writing community to get industry news and advice as soon as you need it.
  • Facebook Groups: Connect with your ProWriter community on Facebook and share posts, news, and tips on the go.

To provide freelance writing education we’ll be introducing freelance writing courses, webinars, and podcasts.

  • Courses: Learn the foundational steps and skills to launch and grow your freelance writing career from the experts at ProWriter.
  • Webinars: Watch to learn the latest industry best practices in blog writing, SEO writing, and how to land that next writing gig.
  • Podcasts: Listen on the go to learn from fellow ProWriters on how they launched their writing career and turned it into a full-time business.

It’s our mission through these tools, community, and educational products to help freelance writers launch, grow, and manage their freelance writing careers.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your feedback to ensure we’re providing the resources you need and expect.

If you have 1 minute to spare, please send me a direct email to [email protected] with what you hope to see from ProWriter in the coming months.

Or, use the below questions as a starting point:

  • What is the biggest problem you face in your writing career?
  • What is the most time-consuming part of finding jobs, writing articles, and managing clients?
  • What freelance writing skills do you want to master?

We are here to help freelance writers succeed in their careers. And we’ll continue to build this community together.

Product

Introducing the ProWriter Freelance Writer Jobs Board: Find, Apply, and Earn

by Dave Polykoff
June 23, 2020

One of the largest pains we hear from our writing community is the daunting, timely, and daily task of finding credible writing jobs they actually want.

As freelance writers ourselves, we certainly feel this pain too.

Every morning you open 10 browser tabs of different job boards and spend the next few hours scraping through them all to hopefully find 2 to 3 gems you actually care about.

This doesn’t even take into consideration the time it takes to apply to each of these jobs.

But don’t worry. Your feedback was taken to heart and we’re very excited to announce the launch of our aggregated freelance writing jobs board.

This jobs board aggregates the prime writing opportunities from around the web including:

Our goal with the freelance writing jobs board was to eliminate the time it takes a typical freelance writer to source great writing opportunities from around the web every day.

This first iteration of the jobs board gives you that time back so you can spend more of it writing and earning money!

How do you find these freelance writing jobs?

Every morning before 8am EST, we scrape through the web to find newly posted freelance writing or editing jobs since the previous morning.

This means ProWriter’s aggregated freelance writing jobs board is updated daily with fresh writing jobs to search through.

The daily feed of new freelance writing jobs was a key piece of feedback we received from our writing community. While others update their job listings once or twice a month, we wanted to ensure you had fresh job listings to review every morning.

We then import these writing jobs one-by-one into our ProWriter freelance writing jobs database with all of the job listing details that we could find within the original job listing post.

The details we look to capture for each job listing include:

  • Employer name
  • Employer website
  • Job title
  • Job description
  • Job industry
  • Job location
  • Job duration
  • Position
  • Employment type
  • Average article payout
  • Average article minimum word count

We look to find freelance writing jobs that will resonate with freelance writers of all talent levels and interests. We know not every job is perfect for every writer but one job is perfect for at least one writer.

Your feedback is also key to how we evolve the writing jobs board so if you have any preferences or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to us!

How do I view and follow these job listings?

First, go check out ProWriter’s freelance writing job board at ProWriter.co/jobs.

Again, we update this page daily, so feel free to come back every morning and search through the list for your perfect writing job opportunity.

Speaking of search, we have a search bar at the top of the page where you can enter a keyword, industry, or topic to find all job listings that include those words.

Once you find a job listing that looks interesting to you, click on it to view the job listing details page.

On a job listing details page, you will find all of the important information around the writing opportunity that I listed above.

If you’re interested in learning more about the company behind the job listing, you can click on the “View company” button to be taken to their website.

If you want to apply to the job listing, then click on the “Apply to job listing” button and it will take you directly to the original source of the job listing where you can complete the application.

Is ProWriter affiliated with the job listing?

The quick and simple answer is “no” we are not associated or affiliated with these job listings.

Furthermore, the employers that publish these job listings are not compensating us for distributing them on our site nor do we get any compensation if you apply to the job or get hired.

The employers behind the job listings may or may not have an existing ProWriter account, but the jobs we post are not affiliated with an account they may already own.

While all of the current job listings are sourced from external brands or job boards, we have plans to introduce job listings from our ProWriter employer users.

Speaking of…

What can I expect from this freelance writing jobs board in the future?

While the current iteration of the freelance writing jobs board provides value to our writer community by eliminating the time it takes to search through dozens of job boards, we also have some very exciting plans for it in the future as well.

Some of those future updates to look out for include:

  • Job listings from ProWriter employers
    • The jobs board currently focuses on aggregating job listings from external sources, but soon ProWriter employers will be posting their job listings directly onto our job listing page.
  • Messaging employers directly
    • If you apply to a job listing that was posted by a ProWriter employer directly onto our job listing page then that employer has the ability to message you using ProWriters messaging system. You can discuss the writing opportunity, follow up with files and additional requests, and land on terms you both agree with to kickstart your new writing opportunity.
  • Managing jobs you have applied to
    • You will be able to easily keep track of the writing jobs you have applied to – whether they are jobs from external sources or ones posted by ProWriter employers directly.

We look forward to continuing our mission toward helping freelance writers start and grow their freelance writing careers through the best writing tools, resources, and education.

If you have any feedback or suggestions on what you’d like to see in this jobs board then please feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected]!

ProWriter Freelance Economy Covid-19 Survey
Uncategorized

This is how freelancers are managing unique COVID-19 challenges

by Dave Polykoff
April 14, 2020

We asked over 1,000 freelance writers all over the world how they’re doing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also shared:

  • Industries where the work has dried up the most
  • How freelancing will change 3, 6, 12+ months from now
  • Pearls of wisdom for younger freelancers unsure of what to do

It’s been several weeks since the COVID-19 pandemic radically changed daily life the world over. Most of us are sequestered in our homes adjusting to new realities and trying to stay healthy as the story continues to develop.

While the complete effect of social distancing on both the spread of the virus and our economy is not yet fully understood, many are out of work and facing an uncertain future with more unemployment claims filed than at any point in our history.

Out of the millions of workers impacted by the pandemic, freelancers are in many ways among the most vulnerable.

From “gig economy” breadwinners to contractors with revolving sources of income, widespread economic shutdowns do more than just compromise earning potential; they leave exposed professionals who don’t have the same protections salaried or even hourly employees may be able to take advantage of.

That’s why we wanted to do a quick pulse check on the freelancer market.

We sent a survey to over 1,000 freelancers, mostly professionals working in content marketing, graphic design, writing, and editing. Responses came in from affected countries all over the world.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”ProWriter sent a survey to thousands of freelance writers to see how this pandemic is affecting the gig economy. Here’s what they said…” quote=”ProWriter sent a survey to thousands of freelance writers to see how this pandemic is affecting the gig economy. Here’s what they said…”]

They gave us a boots-on-the-ground look at what kind of work has dried up or picked up, how concerned they are about their finances, and what kinds of opportunities they see on the other side of the pandemic.

Many also offered great advice for freelancers less secure in their careers who might be struggling.

If you’re a freelancer reading this, hopefully, you’ll come away strangely encouraged (we did) and if nothing else, know that you are not alone in what you’re facing right now.

How hard has the freelance market been hit?

Roughly half of the respondents (46 percent) said that they had lost work due to economic slowdowns caused by the pandemic. Many freelancers told us that steady work had started to dry up or that contracts fell through at the last minute.

“I’ve had one digital marketing client that was just on the cusp of signing a deal and has now completely stopped responding to me,” said one of the respondents.

For others, the loss of work was absolutely devastating. “Eighty percent of our retainer revenue was lost in 48 hours,” said one agency marketer. “We have several content creation contracts and every one of them canceled (hopefully temporarily) because of closing their businesses.”

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Like so many others affected by the outbreak, many freelancers are worried about their financial prospects.

Half said that they do have some emergency savings. But a majority of those without a nest egg are looking at limited options.

For example, roughly 56 percent of freelancers we surveyed do not have full-time employment elsewhere to rely on when freelance opportunities dry up. Among that cohort, 64 percent do not have a partner’s income or family help to fall back on, either.

Despite these numbers, only 23 percent of respondents said they are somewhat or extremely concerned about their professional income and earnings prospects during the course of the pandemic.

What freelancers are saying:

“Frankly, this has been a positive shift for me career-wise because it’s forced me to think more creatively and take some risks.”

— Jana, Portland OR.

Nearly 37 percent were only moderately concerned, with the rest feeling fairly optimistic.

Though public stimulus policy will certainly help the struggling cohort, most of the freelancers we talked to had what we can only describe as a kind of noble grit about their situation.

“Dwelling on stress doesn’t actually make the problems go away,” said Jessica, a full-time artist and writer in Mexico City. “If you’re not making money and there’s nothing you can do about that, put your energy into a passion project. Doing that will only make your life better.”

Where is the work right now?

Many businesses are in the midst of making difficult cuts to stave off recession hardships. Because of this, it’s tough to get a real idea of the actual economic impacts on various markets right now.

Still, many of the freelancers we talked to saw work diminish in some of the same industries. Others pointed out impacts that may become a bellwether for other freelancers looking for work.

Most respondents said their online publishing gigs (ranging from “celebrity puff pieces” to viral listicles) had either reduced workloads or disappeared overnight.

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Other markets that seem to be struggling include travel, food service, and nonessentials. One writer remarked that the hospitality industries are “practically non-existent right now.”

Casey, a writer and editor based in Ontario, said that the legal field has been a surprise casualty. “Work based on legal decisions is drying up fast because most courts and administrative tribunals have stopped hearing non-urgent cases.”

Some writers said that while direct client work had taken a hit, agency work was still flowing. A Vermont-based writer said that they have more work than ever.

“The content has changed to go with the times, but more and more people are online, so I have more work,” they said.

Rita, a freelancer based in Chicago, said that while she’s moderately concerned, she hasn’t seen a dip yet that falls outside the norm. “Last week, I had almost no work. This week, I’m overloaded again. It’s about the same as usual; feast to famine and back every other week.”

What does the future of freelancing look like?

One of the questions we asked freelancers is how they think freelancing will change, both during and after the pandemic.

We asked for both positive opportunities they see, as well as fears and anxieties (not directly related to their health) keeping them up at night.

The responses were polarized. Freelancers seemed evenly split between optimistic outcomes and worrying challenges ahead.

What freelancers are saying:

“There is work, but you must go out and build relationships to find it. And for the love of everything, stop taking less than 5 cents per word.”

— Elizabeth, Nashville TN.

In the positive outcomes camp, many saw the economic disruption as an opportunity for the freelance market to grow.

As businesses adapt to remote work, they’ll find that freelancers are an excellent and cost-effective resource they can turn to for a variety of jobs they may have relied on in-house, salaried workers for.

Many are also seeing a surge in demand for content related to the pandemic itself.

“As a writer, there are a host of opportunities to write about COVID-19 and all of its impacts. Demands have actually gone up,” said Gary, a writer based in Los Angeles. “There seems to be no shortage of demand for content, so I am keeping extraordinarily busy.”

But many freelancers are worried that massive layoffs will create more competition as formerly-salaried professionals begin seeking freelance work.

“I think (worry, really) that a lot more people will be working from home, and that the platforms will be flooded with new talent and people willing to work for less,” said Jessica, a freelance writer and editor from Coudersport, PA.

What freelancers are saying:

“You have time now, and lots of it. Build your portfolio. Write that fiction story you’ve had tumbling around in your mind for years. Journal your thoughts in a daily or weekly blog.”

— Jeanette, Boise ID.

Industry vets like Keith, a freelance writer with 18 years’ experience, worries that writers just starting out will have a harder time. “The competition just got a lot harder. The crisis might help well-established freelance writers. Anyone else might find it difficult to land gigs.”

However, some writers, though moderately concerned, think there will be an opportunity to make up for lost time. “I really believe that the economy will surge after this,” said Alicia, a part-time writer based in New York. “I am hopeful that I will make up any lost income.”

What younger freelancers should be doing

Lastly, we asked the full-time industry vets to provide some advice for the freelancers who are just starting out, haven’t built up a reliable client base yet, and might be more worried about their prospects.

Many responses recommended that new freelancers focus on new opportunities and keeping busy.

Ultimately, we identified 5 key takeaways from the responses for freelance writers to focus on:

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Though it might be tempting to make compromises to keep the lights on, some responses cautioned against this.

“Stay calm, showcase your talents clearly, and don’t reduce your rates just because of the current global situation,” said Jake, South Africa-based writer. “You’re worth your rates (probably even more than your rates). Don’t belittle your worth simply due to an epidemic.” 

Some respondents who work with freelancers suggested that this might be the time to carve out a niche.

“Specialize!” wrote Jason, a Marketing Strategist from digital media firm Mediastead. “There are hundreds of thousands of freelancers hustling for $50 jobs writing blog posts. The more niche your services, the more likely you will get high dollar value monthly retainers.”

Above all, most veterans wanted younger freelancers to feel reassured that there will be a tomorrow.

“Don’t panic.,” said Mandy, a writer based in the UK. “Every year there’s a time where work load is low. What we do know is that this will be over at some point.”

How to keep the conversation going

At ProWriter, our mission is to foster support for freelance writers by establishing a community designed to increase their knowledge and skills, build reputations for quality and professionalism, and establish rewarding careers.

Our thanks go out to everyone who participated in this survey. Efforts like this help us engage with the real challenges facing freelance writers so that we can better serve our growing community.

We’re always looking for feedback on how we can help freelancers with the problems they are actually facing. If you have some thoughts or feedback, or want to get in touch with us, you can do so here.

Content Strategy

Most Recent Google Update Favors Original Content

by Dave Polykoff
February 10, 2020

Content marketers avidly follow every adjustment Google makes to its algorithm, and one of the most notable changes they saw most recently is that the algorithm favors original content. Content that’s an easy rehashing of what’s found in other places won’t work as well.

How this impacts content marketing strategy

For many content marketers, this change encourages a shift in how they pitch, develop, and publish content. They’re now looking to see what they can add to what’s already out there and to be more unique.

What does this mean from a tactical perspective?

It means that smart content marketers are developing entirely new stories, an original angle on an existing trend, or commentary on work that’s already out there.

They’re also looking for new statistical research to include, or they’re conducting a unique interview that adds to their narrative.

If marketers come across an article from another source, can they still use it? They can pass it on to their readers as long as they attribute it to the original source with links. That action also helps build credibility.

The impact on keywords

At this point, keyword strategy is also changing for content marketers. Keyword stuffing – adding as many keywords as possible into an article so they’re flagged by the search engine – doesn’t do the job as well as it once did.

Instead, writers are encouraged to add keywords into an article as they make sense and relate to the copy. Original articles with natural keywords are the goal.

This change is ultimately a good thing

There are a few reasons why Google is making these changes. At the top of the list is the fact that they believed the way the previous algorithm worked encouraged content that was less valuable to readers.

They’re likely hoping that this will ultimately provide higher quality information. When that happens, everyone wins.

Getting Started

These Tips Will Make You Better at Landing Blogging Jobs

by Dave Polykoff
February 3, 2020

You’re focused on earning a bigger paycheck as a freelancer, but you can’t find clients. Or when you apply for jobs, someone else is selected for the position.

Those situations aren’t fun, but they don’t have to bring an end to your writing efforts.

While finding clients can feel overwhelming, there’s no reason to panic. We’ve got a brief list of things that successful bloggers do to land more work. Some of them may work for you.

Engage in job boards

In order to apply to jobs, you’ve got to know who is hiring. That’s where job boards come in. They offer an indispensable service for writers because they collect a list of potential clients all in one place.

As another bonus, most of the listings on job boards clearly state the details of the job including the focus area, the word count, and what they’re paying. That makes things more efficient for everyone.

If you see the perfect job, act fast.

There’s a lot of competition for the best jobs on a job board. If you see one that’s a good fit, don’t sit on it.

It means something to a potential client that you’re eager enough to be one of the first respondents to their ad.

In addition, sometimes they receive so many answers to a job post that the first ones they read make the biggest impression on them. Everything else is a blur.

If you get in early, you’ll have a better chance of being considered.

Put your best foot forward in your application

There are a few ways to make a stellar impression on your application. For starters, when you’re responding to an ad remember that everything you write for your application is a sample of your work. Be sure that these are clearly written and error-free.

Secondly, when you’re writing your cover letter, don’t shy away from showing off all your expertise.

Are you great with SEO? Do you have a working knowledge of WordPress? Do you have a track record of creating engaging content with metrics that back up your claim? Mention it.

Include samples

You also want to make sure that each application includes samples of your work and/or a link to your portfolio. Don’t skip this step. It shows you’re experienced, capable, and ready to take on their job.

Before you know it, you’ll be developing your blogging client list and you’ll have just the amount of work you were hoping for.

Writer Tip

Build Readability With These Three Tips

by Dave Polykoff
January 27, 2020

Bloggers, writers and other content marketers know that engaging content is the name of the game. If their content is boring or turns people off, it is game over.

Readers that aren’t interested in a story aren’t going to finish. They’ll leave the page mid-read, which not only means that they won’t learn as much about your organization, it can kill your site’s search engine rankings.

How do you get readers hooked? It is a skill that content marketers can learn and then master with practice.

Short and simple well-written content build readability

Quick, punchy and easy to understand sentences are the building blocks to readability. Luckily, you don’t have to guess at exactly how short something should be. Break up your text every 80 to 100 words and you should be fine.

In addition to being shorter, the content should be well written. If the content contains endless, wandering sentences that don’t seem to have a point, why should readers continue to the end of the page?

Leave the reader with something they didn’t have before

In addition to a shorter structure for your content, be sure that the content itself provides the reader with something new. Something they need that can’t be found on every other site.

Original, compelling content will keep people reading through until the last paragraph. As long as they’re getting information that they find is valuable, they’ll stick around.

Use graphic elements to break up text blocks

In addition to short paragraphs and interesting information, use graphic elements between areas of text to keep readers moving through your page. Place them every 200 words or so.

What kinds of graphic elements? Photos, pull quotes and subheadings work well. These elements also help people scan through the article and understand the news, advice, and information you’re trying to tell them.

As you use them, you’ll see that graphic elements act like bread crumbs, leading readers to the destination you’d like them to reach — the full end of your story and any calls to action you have.

Content Strategy

How many times should I use a keyword in a blog post in 2020?

by Dave Polykoff
January 6, 2020

Trying to figure out how many times to use a keyword in an article isn’t always easy.

Use a keyword too frequently and your search rankings will fall. The same is true if you don’t use a keyword enough.

In other words, your visibility will suffer.

Inserting keywords into your content requires careful balance. The general rule is to keep it to 5 times in a standard post.

Why Keyword Stuffing Can Hurt You

Did you know that Google will penalize you for “keyword stuffing”?

Keyword stuffing is using the keyword repeatedly throughout the content. Basically, using the same word so often that your original content does not read as “natural prose”.

When you do overuse a keyword, Google will lower your rankings so your post is not as visible as you might like.

Lower rankings equates to fewer visitors to your site and this means a loss in potential revenue.

Avoiding Keyword Stuffing

Keyword stuffing can be easily avoided.

It is worth your time to learn how. If you are overstuffing your content with keywords, you lessen the chances of being ranked at the top of a Google search. This makes it harder for potential customers to read your content.

Avoiding keyword stuffing isn’t hard.

You just need to create content that meets the needs of your target audience.

Keywords should be included within the context of the post, without disrupting the post’s flow.

In other words, include your keywords, generally around 5 per post. Make sure that they read naturally.

Keywords And SEO

SEO is an important part of content writing. You don’t want to overload the post but you also don’t want to have too few.

It is a delicate balance.

Just remember, you want the post to read naturally. You don’t want excess keywords cluttering up the post to the point where readers miss the idea you are trying to get across.

Career Help

7 Podcasts That’ll Make You A Better Freelance Writer

by Dave Polykoff
December 9, 2019

Freelance writing can be a crazy competitive career field, so it’s essential to always be learning and growing.

These 7 podcasts can help you improve your skills, creativity, and productivity, and teach you more about the business side of writing.

#AMWriting

This podcast covers everything you need to know about writing books, such as how to write your first draft, how to crush it with self-promotion, and how to find an agent.

Co-host KJ Dell-Antonia is a former editor at the New York Times, and fellow co-host Jessica Lahey is a NYT-bestselling author.

The Accidental Creative

If your goal is to conquer the world with your brand and your ideas, then this podcast hosted by Todd Henry is perfect for you.

It’s chock full of inspirational ideas and thought leadership, so it’s definitely worth listening to on a regular basis.

Better Biz Academy

Coach Laura is a highly successful freelance writer who gives away all her deepest secrets on her podcast. These include how to land quality freelance writing gigs and how to build a sustainable and rewarding business.

Beyond The To-Do List

This podcast was made for freelancers who want to reduce stress and improve their productivity, creativity, and focus.

Host Erik Fisher and his guests talk about things like self-care and why it’s important to take breaks sometimes, instead of being constantly obsessed with work.

High-Income Business Writing Podcast

For those who aspire to earn six figures or more through freelance writing, coach Ed Gandia is your guy.

He interviews some of the top freelance writers in the world on his podcast, which covers a wide variety of topics that can help you become a top writer too.

Grammar Girl

Even if you feel like your grammar’s perfect, you should definitely check out the Grammar Girl podcast.

It covers everything from how to use semicolons properly to the minute differences between very similar words, so you’ll definitely learn a lot.

Writing Excuses

This podcast geared toward fiction writers features a panel of published authors from various genres explaining things like character arc and how to insert elements like humor or romance into your stories, plus they cover the business side of fiction writing.

It’s now in its thirteenth season, and the four main hosts have since written a book together.

Listening to podcasts every day is one of the simplest ways to improve your game as a freelancer, and the best part is that you can just play them in the background while doing your usual daily tasks.

Getting Started

How To Earn Your First High-Paying Writing Client

by Dave Polykoff
December 2, 2019

Freelance writing can be one of the most lucrative ways to earn money online, but getting started can feel super intimidating.

There’s no need to fear though.

Even if you have no prior experience, following these steps will help you find your first high-paying client soon.

Choosing Your Niche

Although being willing to write for everyone may sound like a good idea, it can actually backfire on you.

A better idea is to choose one or two niches and position yourself as a specialist.

Here are some factors you should consider when choosing a freelance writing niche:

  • Does it have a high return on investment?
  • Is it in high-demand?
  • Most importantly, does it interest you?

The reason the last one is the most important is because you don’t want to write about things you hate.

That’s like working a job you hate, just because it pays well.

It may seem like it’s worth it at first, but it’s only going to make you miserable in the long run.

Plus, choosing a niche that you enjoy means you’re probably already pretty knowledgeable about it.

Creating Your Portfolio

Once you’ve decided on your niches, the next step is to create your portfolio.

Because there’s no point in applying for jobs if you can’t send them writing samples.

Any legitimate writing job is going to expect them.

Don’t worry though, your samples don’t need to be real.

You can always write fake ones if you don’t have any real ones yet.

What matters most is making sure the client can see your skills.

Where To Find Your First Jobs

Once you’ve gained some freelance writing experience, you’ll probably start to have clients reach out to you.

But in the beginning, you’ll need to pitch them.

The best place to start is on freelance job boards, like UpWork and PeoplePerHour.

All you have to do is search for the keywords for your niche, and then send out pitches to jobs that resemble your portfolio samples.

That will increase your odds of getting hired.

Many freelancers make the mistake of sending out the same generic pitches to everyone though, so the key is showing that you read the job description and that your work aligns with what they’re looking for.

Another option is to cold pitch companies you’re interested in working with, by searching for the contact person on LinkedIn and sending them an email.

Jobs found this way can be better-paying compared to the ones posted on job boards.

Conclusion

If you follow all of the above steps, you’ll have your first freelance writing client soon.

But even if it takes you a while, don’t give up! Keep sending out pitches every day and eventually someone will decide to hire you.

Getting Started

How Much Money Do Freelance Writers Make?

by Dave Polykoff
November 18, 2019

The Surprising New Trend with High Earning Potential

It’s becoming more and more popular to be a freelance writer in the gig economy. The industry is being flooded with potential. From stay-at-home-moms to young professionals to travelers, the freedom that freelance writing provides is endless.

But how much does a freelance writer actually make a month and/or year? You may be surprised at the writer earnings potential. Take a look at some of the information provided below to see if you should leave your office job and start freelance writing.

The Writer Salary Facts and Figures You Need to See

In a study conducted in 2015, most freelance writers were making over $50,000 annually. Many facts and figures have been released to provide freelance writers an idea of rates and market value. Some of the most successful freelance writers had very consistent marketing of their talents and skills.

The potential for higher writer earnings all depends on what you want to accomplish as a freelance writer. If your goal is to escape office life, travel the world, and write during your free time, then you may take a bit longer to receive a higher writer salary. However, if you want to build a brand and take on more difficult writing pieces, you may climb that freelance salary ladder a bit faster. In 2017, more technical writers have reported a writer salary over $70,000 annually.

How to Stand Out Amongst the Freelance Writers

Clients looking to hire a potential freelance writer for their project are looking for experts. In order to earn more, you have to stand out as the best. This will support higher rates and increased business. In addition, as a freelance writer, you will need to invest time, energy, and some money into yourself. You will need to treat your freelance writing career as a business whose success is dependent upon the dedication of its owner.

A writer’s salary is not earned overnight. However, if you choose to leave your full-time office job to follow a more flexible career doing something you enjoy, then fully dedicate yourself to that decision. The more effort you contribute to your freelance writing the more benefits you will reap in writer earning potential.

 

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