How to Start a Career in Freelance Writing

I get asked one question more than any others. Several times a month, I get emails from friends, peers, students, and acquaintances that want to know how I became a freelance writer and how they can do it too. Some are interested in bringing in extra income, some have had the sneaking suspicion that they have wanted to be a writer their entire lives and have finally decided to act upon it, and others are just exploring their creativity.

I'll tell you, I'm always happy to answer anyone's questions, because along the way to becoming a professional creative type myself, I've had several people who helped me when they certainly didn't have to. So I'm happy to pass the favor along, and I also always get that giddy happy feeling seeing people get closer to living their dream. I received my first paycheck for freelance writing in January of 2007, and this is what I've learned in the time since then about how to find work, how to get paid, and how to start a career as a freelance writer.

1. Practice different styles of writing, then find your niche among them. There are a blue million freelance writers out there. (That's an official estimate.) You certainly don't have to be on top of that heap to make a living, but you do have to have a niche of some kind in order to get work. So try writing in different styles to see what works best for you. Try writing instructional articles, humor articles, product or film reviews, personal essays, fiction stories, poetry, news and anything that you can think of that appeals to you. Whatever you gravitate toward, consider focusing on that style first. You can't choose what type of writing to do based on market demands alone. Even if you find the most lucrative writing right now is instructional manuals, eventually the tide will turn to another style in high demand. Instead, it's best to find the style that you enjoy most. If you love what you're doing, you're less likely to burn out.

2. Start small, stay humble. The first piece of writing I ever got paid for didn't even get published; it was a description of a film ("Paris J'Taime") for Indianapolis Monthly. But it allowed me to add something to my resume, gave me a writing sample of something I had worked on with an editor, and got me my first paycheck. You may have grand visions of getting published at first, and for some people it happens right away, but the important thing is building a professional base or work samples and contacts. I did a lot of tedious assignments for a paycheck when I first started. At one point, I was writing paragraph-long travel reviews for a German tourism website for two dollars a pop. I slaved over two hundred to get my first four-hundred dollar paycheck and it almost felt like a magic trick. Money for writing? It seemed too good to be true. I also wrote an interview piece about a new gas station going in at a low income part of town and tried to craft it into a human interest piece, which sort of worked but not really. The newspaper that it was for was published out of a tiny house and was usually ten pages per issue.

Don't be discouraged if you have to do the most random work ever in the beginning, it's not about doing something glamorous right away, it's just about getting the work, proving you can meet deadlines, etc. Also, remember, editors are your friend. They make your work better. Don't be squeamish about having your work changed, having sections cut out, and more. This is where the humility comes in. I've had a few bad encounters with rotten editors, but 98% of the time, they make you look good, better than you really are even, and they can teach you so much about the business. So be kind to them and gracious about the changes they make. Someday after you've won the Pulitzer prize, you can fight with editors over what to keep and what to throw out, until then, be humble and do what they say.

3. Be your own agent. This is probably the biggest sticking point for anyone trying to get work in a creative field of any kind, and they never seem to teach you about it in school. (At least, not in any of the classes that I've ever taken, though I do try to teach it to my college students.) That is, how exactly do you find the work? Most people have no idea what to do with their existing writing or how to find freelance jobs. There's one reason for that. They're almost never advertised. There is a very specific way of getting work in writing and it starts with you going to a publication you want to work for and pitching them. You won't find any want ads for "Seeking Interview with Local Musician" or, "Looking for Review of Local Independent Film". No, you have to shop your own work, be your own advocate, and sometimes offer your services "on spec". "On spec" means that you are willing to work initially for no pay, with the hope that once you have proven yourself, you will be paid. Getting writing work is very similar to auditioning. You contact the editor of a publication you want to work for in an email. You can usually find contact or submission info via the "About" links on a publication's website. Also, be sure to follow their individual instructions listed for how they accept queries. This is your first chance to prove that you can follow instructions and nothing is more important than a first impression when trying to get work.

4. Be patient. You may have to contact fifteen to twenty editors to get a single response. Don't worry if that's the case, it's normal. To increase your odds of finding work, offer something unique. Mention that you'd like to write an article about something that you think other reporters or writers might not have covered yet. Also, make sure to pitch an article that's very relevant to the publication you are pitching. Research the publication first to get a feel for their style and what they like to feature.

5. Pitch the right publications. If you aren't looking for journalistic work, there are still plenty of magazines for you to submit your work to. There are fiction magazines, genre magazines, websites, journals and more. In this case, Google is your friend. You should also take a trip to your local bookstore and walk the magazine racks, writing down titles of publications that you would like to work for, these little field trips to the book store can help you generate goals and ideas. If you're new, consider investing in a book called, "The Writer's Market". It doesn't do anything you can't do on your own, it's sort of like a phone book for publications, telling you who accepts what and how much they pay. But it's a great tool if you're just starting out as it can save you a lot of time researching on the internet.

6. Start a blog. This seems like outdated advice and people often scrunch their noses up at this idea. But a blog can be sort of like a walking calling card. It's a great place to display your work, a resume, a portfolio, and more. If you have the resources to make your own website, do it. But a blog from a free site, such as blogger, can do wonders for your career by helping you form your identity in the publishing world and for giving editors the opportunity to look at your work and aspirations. Remember, it's not about becoming some all-star blogger, it's just about having a site to send interested editors to if they want more information about you.

7. Set Your Own Worth. There's a saying in the world of freelance writing that goes something like, "Freelance writers are either starving or thriving." That's because we are negotiating our own prices. It's one of the perks and potential pitfalls of working independently. If you value your work at too low a price, you'll never break into a higher income bracket. If you aim too high initially, you'll be turned down. Financially, you have to set and maintain a price range that is realistic but also consistently ambitious, especially if you're looking to get into writing for extra income. Don't ever be afraid to quit if you feel that someone isn't paying you fairly, is pushing you too hard, or isn't holding up their end of a bargain.

I was once hired to ghost write a book and the process immediately became fishy to me. A fellow writer and I were asked to work too long, too hard, and for a boss that made erratic decisions and seemed to be putting off paying us. I walked away and later discovered that he had given me a false name and was simply trying to con someone into writing his book for him and he had no financial resources. (Note: I found this job on Craigslist and that's the last time I've used the site to find employment.)

You have to go with your gut where money is concerned. Often it takes paychecks a long time to arrive, and it's not unusual to wait for a paycheck for up to six months after a job. But even when that's the case, the editors should tell you what the payment schedule is. If you're afraid to talk about money with them, ask where your check is, ask for a raise when you need it, etc., then you may find yourself overburdened with work that isn't paying you what you deserve out of emotional obligation or low self-esteem. Set your price, be up front about it, talk about money in a frank way, and always sign a contract, otherwise known as a "writer's agreement". No contract, no go.

8. If you can get a steady gig somewhere, do it, even if it's voluntary. Try offering your services up as a weekly or monthly column somewhere, either in print or for the web. If you find a publication that you enjoy working for, pitch them regularly and try to appear multiple times. This can begin to garner you loyal readers who you can then send to your blog who may follow you to read your work in other areas.

9. Have an end game. I'm finally finishing my first book after years of trying to land a deal. I got so close I could taste a book deal once for a collection of essays on action heroines, and it may still happen someday. But it's important to know which ways you want to grow as a writer or you could get frustrated. For me, the end goal has always been books and performing my writing out loud for an audience. Which I've been fortunate to do a few times now and will be doing again in the fall and spring. For me, writing has been a path to performance and humor, a way to make people laugh. It's also been a way for me to talk about what I would be talking about to everyone anyway, movies and screen writing, and getting paid for it. What is your end game creatively? If it's just for money, you may not be able to go the distance. Decide now why you want to write, what you're passionate about, and what you will be working toward in your career. Give yourself a flexible time line and milestones that you can hit to stay encouraged

10. HAVE FUN! It sounds cheesy, but if you're having fun, you can do anything. My writing has been a way for me to follow my passions. Because of freelance assignments that I've given myself, I've been able to take trips, meet actors directors and producers that I've always dreamed of meeting, and so much more all behind the guise of a press pass or a print article. Freelance writing can be this magical key, opening doors, getting you in contact with personal heroes and so much more. If you're having fun, your work will soar. If you are writing about something that excites you, something that you genuinely want to share with others, the sky will honestly be the limit for you. I can't tell you how many happy surprises I've had over the last four years that I never could've imagined were coming my way. It seems almost too good to be true, but it's not. You just have to be ambitious, get specific with your goals (financial and creative), and be willing to put in a lot of hard work.

Doing work that you love will pay dividends. Just yesterday I was contacted and told that some of my writing was used in the forward of a book about Disney's, "Haunted Mansion" ride, one of my many obsessions. That interview was two years ago, but it's still paying dividends today. Follow what you love and it will pay off in the most unexpected ways.

Be aware that working for yourself is still a job. If it's all you'll be doing, then you'll want to put in over forty hours every week in order to start generating income. If it's just for fun or some extra income, consider taking on work one assignment at a time. Working from home is an incredible gift, but can also be extremely difficult. I may write a part two to this article in the future where I discuss working from home and how to do so effectively. Until then, feel free to ask questions in the comments section of this article and I'll do my best to get to all of them.

Good luck, freelance writing is a great career choice, no matter what concerned friends and family may tell you. In fact, freelance work in any creative form is very rewarding. Just remember, you make your own luck in "this" business and you have to be ambitious and hard-working to get anywhere. But if you have the inclination to give it a try, it's definitely worth it. What do you have to lose? If you would like to learn more about how I gathered this knowledge, feel free to visit my blog at www.bornforgeekdom.com (See how that works? Self-promotion is your friend!)