Freelance Writer Central

You as Boss | FAQs | Marketing | Organizations | Rates
Organize Thyself! | Websites | Writing Contests  

Welcome to Freelance Writer Central!

Working as a freelance writer offers the allure of earning tons of money working for yourself. Just you, your lap top, and maybe a sunny beach somewhere.

I’ve read enough books on freelance writing where the authors promise a life of independence. All you have to do is work your butt off and market yourself correctly. Heck, you don’t even need to be good at writing, just good at convincing people you’re good at writing.

Are they right?

Well, yes, mostly. The truth is, working as a freelance writer is no different than any other self-employment opportunity; it all hinges on how hard you work at it.

You wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t already sure you were cut out for the world of self employment. But let me just play “devil’s advocate” and ask you some questions.

1)    Do you like to write? Not just an article here or a newsletter there, but can you sit down every day and pound out words for other people or businesses?

2)    Are you willing to do a lot of marketing and sales? That’s right; it’s not just about writing, first you have to find the jobs. Marketing can easily take up 75% of your time, and should at the beginning.

3)    Are you organized? There are so many details inherent in owning your own business, from keeping track of job deadlines, accounts receivable, marketing campaigns, whether you’ve stuffed the pipeline with jobs to keep you busy. What if you run out of work in December and once again find yourself making Christmas gifts for family and friends out of your “Funny but Tragic Experiences of a Budding Freelance Writer?”

And yes you do have to be able to write well, but not perfectly. There's a lot of bad writing out there. Just pick any five random websites to see it. Many businesses will pay you for good, decent copy. There are a hundred other skills and techniques that will determine your success as a freelance writer, but if you can answer “yes” to the three questions above, this site is for you.

Follow the links below to explore the world of freelance writing. You’ll find a huge amount of tips, "how-to's" and informational articles, as well as links to online freelance writing job sites.

I)        You as Boss: do you have employees?

a)    10 ways to delegate effectively

b)    Effective bossing techniques

II)       FAQs for freelance writers

III)      Marketing your writing services

a)    Are you “customer service” savvy?

b)    Cover letter “How To’s”

c)    Do's & Don'ts

d)    Job sites for freelance writers

e)    Query letter “How To’s”

f)     Who do you write for?

IV)      Organizations for freelance writers

V)       Organize Thyself!

a)    10 signs that you’re a clutter-head

b)    Setting up your office

VI)       Rates: how much to charge

VII)      Websites: do you need one?

a)    Web hosting services – The best I’ve found

b)    Why have a website?

c)    And if I don't??

VIII)     Writing Contests