That bit about hourly rates was one of the biggest hurdles for me, getting started. I just picked a number out of a hat, with no real justification. It's actually hard to find that information for freelancers.
Yeah, it is super tricky. I flailed about for a good while myself. The trick is to recognize your worth and understand that you would probably be doing yourself a bigger favor refusing the "free exposure" or obscenely underpaid gigs in favor of writing for yourself (on a blog or Substack) and building your portfolio and experience.
At any rate, in my opinion, no US-based writer should ever write a blog post or other content for less than ten cents a word—and that is really a low rate that only inexperienced writers should take. But I've seen posts for "write 10K words a week for us for $0.04 a word" like it was some sort of deal. That's the equivalent of five 2K blog posts for $400, which is in my opinion an unacceptable rate for a professional writer.
Thank you for the good tips Jackie. I love writing fiction but I know that making money from that will be difficult. I'd like to make money from writing but the whole pitching thing scares me. And there are so many scammers out there too which I have run across already. Any ideas?
I don't really recommend going on freelance sites like Upwork or Fivrr because there isn't much money to be made, and I would also avoid content mills. The best way to make money is to network locally or in online groups and find businesses that need writing in niches you want to write in. So if you are interested in tech, network with tech companies, hang out in groups with other tech pros, etc. If you're interested in alternative health, make yourself known to local chiropractors, acupuncturists, herbalists, etc. Write articles in the niches you want to work in and have examples on a website or create a new Substack. If you want to write for major publications, again have samples that would fit their criteria, and pitch articles that you think would fit their needs and bring new ideas to the table.
I was lucky in that I was in a local freelancer FB group and got some early clients that way, and got my main gig that I have today based on my experience and skillset and thanks to my personal network. So it can take some time but you can get there.
That bit about hourly rates was one of the biggest hurdles for me, getting started. I just picked a number out of a hat, with no real justification. It's actually hard to find that information for freelancers.
Yeah, it is super tricky. I flailed about for a good while myself. The trick is to recognize your worth and understand that you would probably be doing yourself a bigger favor refusing the "free exposure" or obscenely underpaid gigs in favor of writing for yourself (on a blog or Substack) and building your portfolio and experience.
At any rate, in my opinion, no US-based writer should ever write a blog post or other content for less than ten cents a word—and that is really a low rate that only inexperienced writers should take. But I've seen posts for "write 10K words a week for us for $0.04 a word" like it was some sort of deal. That's the equivalent of five 2K blog posts for $400, which is in my opinion an unacceptable rate for a professional writer.
Thank you for the good tips Jackie. I love writing fiction but I know that making money from that will be difficult. I'd like to make money from writing but the whole pitching thing scares me. And there are so many scammers out there too which I have run across already. Any ideas?
I don't really recommend going on freelance sites like Upwork or Fivrr because there isn't much money to be made, and I would also avoid content mills. The best way to make money is to network locally or in online groups and find businesses that need writing in niches you want to write in. So if you are interested in tech, network with tech companies, hang out in groups with other tech pros, etc. If you're interested in alternative health, make yourself known to local chiropractors, acupuncturists, herbalists, etc. Write articles in the niches you want to work in and have examples on a website or create a new Substack. If you want to write for major publications, again have samples that would fit their criteria, and pitch articles that you think would fit their needs and bring new ideas to the table.
I was lucky in that I was in a local freelancer FB group and got some early clients that way, and got my main gig that I have today based on my experience and skillset and thanks to my personal network. So it can take some time but you can get there.
Thank you so much Jackie. I needed this push. Your tips are helpful.