Freelance Writing 101

Freelancing is Freedom!

Stuck in home due to COVID-19?

Got fired and looking for a temporary job to pay your bills?

Feeling out of place in a day to day work environment

where you work from 9 to 5?

Think you are being underpaid for your work?

Or just feel like flexing your writing muscles?

Take your pick!

It may be one of those above reasons or it may be an

entirely different reason. The crux of the matter is - it
doesn’t really matter.

Freelancing is beautiful that way. You don’t need a college

degree or to sit through an hour long interview to begin
freelancing.

All it requires is that you have the skill to pull it off.

In a way, freelancing is about finding the right job that

leaves you satisfied. It isn’t about whether you are perfect
fit for a job. It is about whether the job is perfect for you.

You can be an Accountant who likes to draw, or a Scientist

who likes to write, or even a student who just wants some
extra cash. It doesn’t matter really. If you have the skill,
then you can be successful.
There are no superiors you have to kowtow to. There are no
co-workers with whom you have to play nice to, even if
you want to just punch them in the face. Most importantly,
there is no boss breathing down your neck and waiting for
you to smile so that he/she can pounce on you for whatever
reason.

Freelancing is about freedom!

It is the freedom to choose what work you want to do and

who you want to work for.

Yes! It’s unbelievable!

You might wonder why the world isn’t filled to the brim
with freelancers by now. After all, if what I had said about
freelancing is true then it sounds like the perfect job for
everyone, isn’t it?

So, why? Why only a select few individuals choose it as a

career option?

The answer for that is simple – it isn’t the norm. We

humans live in a world of normalcy. It is our firm belief
that anything that differs from the norm might not be the
right way to do something. And going to a 9 to 5 job is the
norm we were brought up in.

To an adult, the mere concept of sitting at home for

extended period of time would be distasteful. We crave for
the hustle and bustle of traffic as we go to and fro for our
jobs. We crave for the human contact we experience in a
workplace. We crave for the interactions and groups
formed in a workplace.
But to a select few those aren’t essential commodities.
They are fine with sitting in their home, working on their
computer, and earning money from their own comfortable
sofa. And these select few are the ones that choose
freelancing over the daily monotonous routine of a 9 to 5
job and shine in it.

Freelancing, for all its faults, provides you the opportunity

to live your life the way you want. When you become your
own boss, you can live your life the way you want. You
don’t need to answer to anyone apart from your clients.
You can choose when and how you want to work.

You can work for three hours a day or dedicate your entire
day to it. It doesn’t matter. It all depends on how you want
to do it. You can be a freelancer part-time or become a full-
fledged freelancer depending upon your comfort. Like I
said earlier, you can choose when and how you want to
work.

All you need is your skill, a laptop, and an internet

connection!

Because, freelancing is freedom!

 Freelance Writing 101

Now that you have a basic idea on what freelancing is and why
people choose it, it is time for you to get a crash course on what
exactly is freelance writing.

Do you want to be journalist who researches and writes about

the events around the world? Do you want to be a storyteller
who captivates audience with your written word? Do you want
to be someone influential in the world? Do you want to create
everlasting impressions on this world through your words?

Then, freelance writing is the perfect first step in your road to

success. Freelance writing is basically writing from your home
and earning money through it.

So, now the question is – should I try freelance writing?

Anyone who can and wants to write can try freelance writing. If
you have a way with weaving words and getting information
across in a clear manner, you can try freelance writing.

If you are someone who likes writing, whether as a hobby or a

full time job, then freelance writing is for you. It doesn’t matter
who you are or how many hours you can dedicate to it. All you
need is a passion for writing.

But, what if you don’t have a passion for writing? You are fine
with writing stuff, but aren’t seriously into writing. Is freelance
writing the right fit for you, in that case?

My answer is yes. You too can be a freelance writer. However, I

would advise you to do it as a part-time gig, instead of
committing your entire day to it. The reason for this is simple.
Unless you have a passion for writing, spending more time
doing that would lead you to become burned out.

On the other hand, if you have the passion to write then this is
the perfect fit for you. Why? It is because the more you write,
the more you grow as a writer. You begin to see patterns, the
way you describe things becomes more efficient, your
confidence grows, your word count increases, and most of all
you earn money doing what you enjoy.

Isn’t that a dream come true?

Now that we have established a basic idea on freelance writing

and who should do it, let’s get to the meaty part of the subject.
If you ask is that all there is to freelance writing, I am sad to
inform you that things aren’t so simple.

Freelance writing, as a whole, contains numerous divisions and

different types of styles. Before you begin anything, you must
determine what your style is and how you want to implement it.

Freelance writing can be basically split into two types – Articles

and Blogs.

Articles are the most commonly sought after type of writing. It

is a broad category that encompasses a wide range of divisions
ranging from news articles to listicles. Articles are pieces of
writing in which you recount factual information for a reader.

Blogs, on the other hand, help you express your personal

thoughts and experiences on a certain thing to the reader. It can
be your travel experience, your experience in using a certain
product, your thoughts on a certain technology or anything else
you want to talk about personally.
Next comes the different types of writing. It is wide-ranging and
ever evolving. Still, there are a few staples for you to start your
journey.

Article Writing deals with writing listicles, opinion pieces, news

articles and other writing that falls under the term of articles.
This type of writing is the best for beginners. It lets you get a
foothold easily.

Next would be Academic Writing. This is similar to Article

Writing, however it differs in the subject that it deals with.
Academic Writing is all about academics as once can guess from
the wording. It deals with dissertations, thesis, research papers,
essays, and other academic oriented stuff. If you want to work
with academics in any capacity this kind of writing would be a
boon to you. However, the drawback is that you must be
proficient in your chosen subject and have to learn about the
varying styles used in it.

Creative Writing, on the other hand, travels an identical yet

different route. While Academic Writing is all about academics,
Creative Writing deals with things like poetry, fictions, non-
fiction, and other stuff that require creativity. There aren’t any
fixed styles you need to learn in this. However, this is a kind of
writing which doesn’t have much demand. But, if you are
skilled, this kind of writing can help you relax in home
comfortably due to the kind of amount it pays.

Blogging is another kind of writing where you get to express

your opinions and experience on your chosen topic. Its free-
flowing and not a least bit restrictive unlike others. However, it
is hard to earn on the get go with this kind of writing. You need
to become a well-known blogger to start seeing money here.
Last but not least – Ghostwriting. A ghostwriter is someone who
is truly a ghost in the writing community. You will only come in
touch with this kind of writer when you are truly immersed in
the community of freelance writers. They are the jack of all
trades and king of none. They can write for any style and deliver
you a quality work.

However, the main drawback of ghostwriting is that you would

never get any recognition for your works. True to its name, the
writers of this style are ghosts in all but their name. A
ghostwriter has to give away any rights to his work. This is the
norm of the style. You write for someone, they take the credit
for your work, and you get paid.

Once you establish yourself as a Ghostwriter, you don’t need to

be worried about getting work after that. People line up to
acquire your services. Even other writers hire ghostwriters. But,
despite all your work, you would never get any recognition.

Now that you have an idea of the different nuances about

freelance writing, you need to pick your poison now. You are
here to learn how to become a freelance writer. You need to
choose what type of writer you want to be and what you want
to write.

Unless you have clear idea on what you want to do, the next
steps would not help you out much. While I can explain and
guide you through the process, you need to understand and
determine what kind of writer you are and what you are going
to write before setting out on your journey.

So, take your time and choose wisely!