So you want to be a freelance writer?

// June 15th, 2009 // Blog-a-holic, Freelancing, Work

Back in high school, during my senior year, I had a hard time filling out my university application form.  When I discovered my love for writing, I immediately thought of taking Creative Writing or maybe Journalism when I get to college.  But my dad had bigger ambitions for me.  He wanted a scientist for a daughter.  He said there’s no money in writing.  So I obeyed and listed down courses related to sciences.  College was a drag and if it wasn’t for my friends, I don’t think I could ever endure long lab hours, mind-boggling exams in Physics and Calculus, and the super boring classes.  Today, I am already part of the so-called workforce not as a writer, but as a business analyst.   But that love for writing never died.  Without further ado, here’s a quick list of stuff that every freelancer should know or have.

  1. A wide vocabulary.  Aside from knowing words, one must know idiomatic expressions and some slang, too.
  2. A source of clients.  My dad was wrong.  There’s money in writing.  And I got most of my clients from the internet.  In oDesk to be specific.
  3. Time.  Of course, writing takes time! So you’ve gotta have some alone time to write.  You can never rush a well-written piece.
  4. Discipline.  Freelancing means you will work and no one will be watching.  Thus, you will need loads of discipline if you want to accomplish your tasks.
  5. Creativity.  Every client requires a different approach of writing articles.  A creative mind is definitely a must-have.
  6. Excellent negotiation skills.  Whether you are negotiating about the price or timelines, a freelancer must know how to effectively negotiate with a client.  Treat it as your business.
  7. A computer and stable internet connection.  It will be very difficult if you don’t have these two.  If you want to be productive and be able to meet deadlines at the same time, you must have these two basic resources to help you.
  8. Great communication skills.  Clients won’t hire you right away, some would ask you to go through an interview.  If you can create compelling articles, then you should also practice your communication skills.

Freelance writing can be fun because of its perks – you can work from home, earn extra dough, and learn about different things.  But this is also something that not everyone can do.  Most importantly, this career just like any other, requires a lot of commitment.  So you want to be a freelance writer?

10 Responses to “So you want to be a freelance writer?”

  1. KaithNo Gravatar says:
    June 15, 2009 at 8:00 AM

    i have an odesk account already but i haven’t started applying for jobs yet. perhaps when i and my four-year old have created a study routine already. i have a full time work so i can’t afford to just sleep for 4 hours and spend the rest of my free time writing articles. hehe. but definitely writing freelance is a good part-time work. some of my friends are earning really well.

  2. VikkiNo Gravatar says:
    June 18, 2009 at 9:39 AM

    I suggest you try working freelance on weekends only or during your off. :)

  3. MoneyzealNo Gravatar says:
    June 19, 2009 at 1:17 PM

    As a Journalist and a blogger, I am so glad to learn your passion about writing. I however, respect those who have expertise in science( I never dare to study science, its seems very hard and boring to me!). So I studied journalism!

    I guess you are not only a good writer, you are a good web designer too, ya!

  4. BobNo Gravatar says:
    June 30, 2009 at 9:28 AM

    I wonder if I’ll get lucky with writing… Knowing me Vikki, what are my chances? ^___^’

  5. VikkiNo Gravatar says:
    July 1, 2009 at 12:54 AM

    Well, as long as you have the time and if you really want to write, I think you have a huge chance to succeed in this field. :)

  6. VikkiNo Gravatar says:
    July 3, 2009 at 4:59 PM

    Thanks! I envy you cos you took Journalism. That’s just so cool. :)

  7. Josh CerbitoNo Gravatar says:
    July 14, 2009 at 1:24 PM

    Wah! This is a very helpful post. I envy people like you who can write as if writing is just breathing.
    Well, I have time and I really want to write. But every time I try to write, it seems to me that the blinking cursor on MS Word is like daring me to play a let-us-stare-at-each-other-as-long-as-we-can game. The bad thing is, I always lose and I end up clicking on the close button. Haha!

  8. VikkiNo Gravatar says:
    July 16, 2009 at 1:37 AM

    Hi Josh. Thanks for dropping by. I guess there are some people who could write stuff right away but no worries, you can practice. I used to keep a small notebook and a pen in my bag so that when ideas come, I get to write it right away. Then try to put together your ideas. :)

  9. Josh CerbitoNo Gravatar says:
    July 17, 2009 at 6:52 AM

    Thanks Mam.
    Nice page design by the way.

  10. VikkiNo Gravatar says:
    July 19, 2009 at 2:31 AM

    Vikki na lang. Bata pa ko. :p

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