Become a Freelance Writer when You Are Laid Off

The economy has taken a nose dive and more companies have added more people to the already large list of those that have been laid off. This makes it harder to find even the usual lower paying jobs that many have used to get through a period when they are laid off. There is another option to make money when you are laid off. You can become a freelance writer. If you have a creative streak, good grammar and spelling then you can become a freelance writer. It will take a little bit of work, but you can make money by being a writer when you are laid off.

Step One

Sign up for writing sites online like Associated Content and Ehow. These sites do not require that you have a previous background as a freelance writer to join and they both pay for your writing. Associated content will give you the option to submit your articles for upfront pay as well as pay you per 1000 views of the articles. This is one of the most popular options for people that want to become a freelance writer after they have been laid off. You can get paid the upfront money on you articles usually within two weeks of submission if they are approved. Ehow pays you monthly based on a revenue sharing plan. The nice part of this writing site is that they continue you to pay you for your articles each month as people visit them and click on ads.

Step Two

Rework your resume so that you can become a freelance writer. Higher paying and private freelance writing clients will want a resume and writing samples when you apply for their projects. Focus on the knowledge that you possess and any writing work that you may have done. Even though you have been laid off, you will still be able to use your previous work experience to help you to land jobs as a freelance writer.

Step Three

Write a few well written 400 to 600 word articles to use as samples of your writing when you are applying to become a freelance writer after being laid off. You will want to write these samples based around the topic area that you will be trying to find writing work in. You can also choose to write on a topic that you are an expert on from previous work experience. This will give you the basic tools to apply to most freelance writing jobs.