If you’re a writer who has considered working with an agency then you’ll be interested in this first-person case study. Working with agencies isn’t for everyone but for some it can be the financial and career breakthrough you’re looking for as a freelancer.
It was May 2014, and I was panicking.
I was laid off from my job at a New York media startup three months before, and was squirreling away whatever severance money I had left.
To complicate things, I moved to Orlando after getting married, abandoning the biggest media market in the country for a city where media jobs were scant.
So, I did what any job seeker would do and scoured the job boards.
I came across the Orlando Public Relations Society’s job board and saw a contract position working for a local marketing agency on a hospital’s website redesign.
That three-month project launched my freelance career and became part of a strategy I’ve used the last three years to continually increase my income while growing a sustainable freelance content-marketing business.
Why working with an agency can help your freelance career
Most freelancers shy away from working with agencies for two reasons: the positions are usually in-house and the pay can be lower than working directly with a client.
Those are valid concerns, but with the rise of content marketing there are more opportunities for remote work than ever.
My first agency project, which involved creating content for a large hospital’s website, required four in-person meetings over three months. I did most of my work from home.
That first position led to more projects with the agency, producing ghostwritten blog posts, press releases and content for email campaigns. Eventually the agency put me on retainer—and I still work for that team today.
Freelancing is a hustle.
Getting clients—and keeping them—is key to building a business. But this is often the most difficult part for freelancers. Marketing takes time, but agencies cut down the lead time for freelancers to get new clients because they’ve already done the hard work of building the relationship. They also manage the whole process, so you don’t have to worry about all the administrative work and meetings that are part of a direct client engagement.
Over the years, all my agency work has been remote. I’ve worked with an agency in California that hires freelancers to produce longform B2B content, a New York-based content marketing agency that works with Fortune 500 companies and a Boston content marketing agency that does the same thing.
I’ve also worked with the in-house content studios of a few New York media companies, another type of agency that’s emerged as the content marketing industry has grown. Many of these clients pay $1 a word. Some pay less, but all have given me a steady stream of work, which mostly has helped me avoid the financial ups and downs that are typical with freelancing.
How to get started working with an agency
The best thing about working with an agency is that if you’re good, the work keeps coming. But how do you get work in the first place? Follow these tips.
Start local
Reach out to local marketing and PR agencies. Marketers are skilled strategists—not skilled writers, so many agencies need people with journalism skills to write for their clients. Consider purchasing a Book of Lists from your local business journal, a comprehensive directory of the top local companies that also has contact info for their key executives. Or, scour online sources to find information for agencies in your area.
Send a Letter of Introduction
After you’ve identified companies, send the marketing manager or director a letter of introduction (LOI) highlighting your writing experience and subject expertise. Make the letter concise and tailor it to their business. You may get work right away or it may take months. Either way, an LOI can put you on a marketing manager’s radar and establish an initial relationship.
Stay connected
If you live in a smaller town, social media is the best way to expand your reach. Stay active on LinkedIn and Twitter (X), because this is where potential clients live. Engage in conversation, like their posts and share interesting content. Last year, I landed work after staying in touch with a former colleague on LinkedIn who now worked for an in-house content studio. She wouldn’t have known I was now freelancing had I not updated my profile.
Join organizations
Join the local chapter of a marketing or public relations organization. Attend chapter events or volunteer. Doing this will let you connect with people in the industry you’d likely never meet. If you’re an experienced freelancer, join the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). ASJA is starting to embrace content marketing and holds virtual events and a big conference every year where you can connect with clients.
Start a blog
Start a blog focused on a topic you’re passionate about. I attended a webinar with Skyword, a content marketing agency that works with big clients, and their community manager said they often look at a writer’s blog when selecting freelancers for campaigns. A blog can show potential clients your writing style and knowledge about a topic—and it doesn’t cost you a cent to launch one with a platform like Medium.
Working for agencies has helped me create a sustainable freelance business.
I love doing content marketing, but there’s no way I would have written for brands like Hewlett-Packard or Marriott without an agency.
Freelancing can be feast or famine, but agencies can help you navigate these extremes so you never starve for work.
If you’re wondering what opportunities exist for freelance writers in 2024 (hint: there are plenty!) then make sure to register for the free webinar called How to Successfully Break Into Journalism in 2024! You’ll learn about the different types of journalism and what you may best be suited for, and the top skills successful journalists need and what it can lead to.
This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.
“Trying to make it as a freelance writer is scary AF.”
With a subject line that bold (and accurate), I wasted no time in opening the email. It was from a young woman who’d recently graduated with a dual degree in English and journalism, asking me how, how, how to become a freelance writer?
It wasn’t the first time I’d received an email to this effect, which feels patently insane. If you’d told me just a few years ago I’d be earning my keep as a full-time freelancer — let alone giving advice on the subject — I’d likely have laughed in your face.
Even when I was working a staff writing gig, I had never so much as drafted a pitch to an outside publication.
I only got brave enough to start submitting ideas after lots of encouragement from my good friend (and fellow TWL writer!) Susan Shain. Thanks again, Susan.
Now, I’ve got almost three years of working for myself under my belt — and in the first year, I actually earned more than I had as a staffer. I enjoy location independence and a workday uniform of yoga pants and t-shirts, so it’s no surprise that fielding the “how do you do it?” question has become a common conversation.
But it’s never easy to answer.
[sps_reusable_block post_id=43047]
So really though — how do you become a full-time freelance writer?
Here’s the thing.
There’s no guaranteed, step-by-step process that will land you the freelance writing career of your dreams. Ask 10 different writers, and you’ll get 10 different how-I-made-it stories — or, more accurately, how-I’m-making-it-up-as-I-go-along stories.
The actual mechanics of how to get started freelance writing are pretty simple, though not easy: Have good ideas, be good at explicating them clearly, and spend lots of time and energy on the Sisyphean footwork of finding publications that will pay you to publish them. (And convincing them to do so.)
As you’ve likely already discovered, this blog is a great resource for figuring out these logistics and improving your skills at each level. We also offer an ebook dedicated to freelance writing jobs for beginners.
The honest truth about how to become a freelance writer
As far as stringing it into a full-time living, though, I’ll be honest with you: A *lot* of it is luck, and also getting very cozy with rejection. If I get a positive response for just 10-15% of my pitches, I count that as a huge win.
But if you have your heart set on making it as a freelance writer, there are some actionable steps you can take to make it happen.
Here’s my best advice for how to start freelance writing.
1. Seek out education or training
Don’t worry; you don’t have to have a formal degree to be a freelance writer. But if you’re starting from scratch, you’ll likely want to educate yourself in some way, so you can produce quality work from the get-go.
If you don’t have the money or time to get a degree from a university, look for an online writing course. They’re typically more affordable than formal degrees, and you can work your way through them from home (and in the evenings or on weekends if you’ve got a day job).
If you’re planning to go to college or are in the process of earning your degree, you may want to consider formal studies that will help you achieve your goal.
Contrary to popular opinion, English major jobs can be profitable, and the same is true of other writing-intensive majors like creative writing, communications and journalism.
Studying humanities flexes your rhetorical muscles, which will make you a much better writer and pitcher. Plus, these programs lend you the soft skills employers look for — which is good, since you’ll likely need a day job while you’re finding a way to make the whole yoga-pants-forever thing work.
If college is already in the rear view, you might also consider grad school, or more specifically, an MFA. But be careful. The additional expense won’t guarantee you work down the line, and if you’re already dealing with student loans, you could just be digging the hole deeper.
In the case of freelancing, it’s more about experience and practice than the fancy pedigree.
Fortunately, if you’re aching to go back to school, you don’t have to go broke to do it. Many MA, MFA and PhD programs come with tuition waivers, provided you teach, or assist in teaching, a number of undergrad classes while you study.
You can also find fellowships, scholarships and other forms of loan-free financial aid if you’re diligent.
If you’re looking for a group to help you get the ball rolling on your freelance writing career, the Freelance Writers Den might be exactly what you need. It’s a group of like-minded writers who are all looking to take their writing skills seriously and start to grow their careers.
2. Consider starting with a staff job
Yes, I know: Finding an editorial position — or any job, really — is easier said than done.
But websites and publications do hire writers, and getting a full-time position will give you two amazing, irreplaceable benefits: an instant stack of clips and a world of hands-on education you just can’t get any other way.
Working closely with editors and other creatives every day will make you a better writer, period; if you work for a digital publication (likely), you’re bound to get some SEO training and other know-how in the bargain.
I know for a fact I owe my success to my tenure at The Penny Hoarder, whose managing editor — Alexis Grant, who also started this website — essentially handed me a writing career whole cloth in hiring me.
3. Get out there and start pitching
“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy, and that hard.” – Neil Gaiman
At the end of the day, the only way to become a freelance writer is…to start writing.
That means taking a pretty scary leap: You’ve got to start pitching publications and applying for gigs even if you don’t have many clips. Hey, everyone’s a beginner at the beginning.
Of course, even if you’ve never published professional work, there are other ways to showcase your writing prowess. Got a killer short story that hasn’t found a home quite yet? Maybe even a particularly well-wrought essay from college?
I applied for The Penny Hoarder with a short memoir I wrote in grad school and — I kid you not — wine-tasting notes. Most employers and clients are more concerned with whether you’ve got the goods than where you’ve managed to land them.
Not sure where to start when it comes to finding paid writing gigs? Check out these online gold mines for finding freelance writing jobs.
4. Showcase your work online
Your pitches will be far more effective if you link to an online writing portfolio where editors can check out your work.
This doesn’t have to be anything fancy! A static website will do, even one created with a template.
As far as a portfolio is concerned, I recommend Contently. Not only is it a clean, easy-to-use digital showcase, but it can also land you valuable work: the platform matches editors with writers and other content creators based on specific beats and skill sets. I’ve earned literally thousands of dollars simply because I chose to use it.
If you want to take this a step further, consider starting a blog. Writing regularly is a great way to practice your craft, and you might even grow a following for your work.
A blog also gives editors more samples to review when they click over to your site from your pitch; every blog post is an example of the kind of work you do. That doesn’t mean they have to be perfect, but know that if you have a blog, editors will look to that for insight on your skill and creativity.
Finally, having a website will make you feel way more legitimate. (Impostor Syndrome is totally a thing in this business, so get ready!)
Oh, and while you’re at it, make sure your social media accounts reflect well on you, too. Any good editor will explore those to learn more about you.
5. Networking: Yup, it’s a thing for writers, too
As a serious-business introvert, “networking” has always felt like a four-letter word to me. In fact, I was drawn to freelancing in large part because it got me away from the noisy, crowded office environment.
Nevertheless, my first major client — the one that made quitting my day job possible, and whose work still makes up a sizable percentage of my income — was an opportunity I landed in part because of a shared connection.
I’ve also written web copy for gym acquaintances, friends and family members, which were gainful projects both financially and in broadening my experience.
The Write Life’s managing editor Jessica Lawlor blogs about how she landed her first freelance client, as well as the ones she found thereafter. From sorority sisters to Twitter friends to existing professional connections, nearly every single story involves networking.
Case in point: Don’t overlook any of your current social spheres when it comes to writing opportunities, and get ready to actively work to increase them. Everyone needs the written word sometimes!
Inside of the Freelance Writers Den, you can learn how to use LinkedIn to your advantage when it comes to networking. Instead of cold pitching, there are ways you can simply adjust your profile and settings and connect with a ton of potential clients.
6. Figure out how to get paid
This sounds obvious, but it can be a hurdle when you’re just getting started. Once you’ve found a client and produced the work you promised, you need a way to get money from their bank account into yours.
Many freelancers have given up on paper checks and rely primarily on online payments. If you’re just testing the waters as a freelancer, keep it simple by creating a PDF invoice and emailing it to your client, then asking for payment via an easy-to-use system like PayPal.
Not sure what to include in your first invoice? We’ve got you covered! Here’s how to write an invoice, plus an invoice example.
Once you feel confident you’re sticking with freelance writing, it makes sense to move to a software that will create the invoice for you and help you track payments. We’ve got a list of some of the best invoice generator tools for freelancers.
7. Know this: the work isn’t always glamorous
When I tell people I’m a freelance writer, they often think I’m publishing exclusively in glossy magazines with chic, single-word titles. The closest I’ve come to that, so far, is Yahoo! — a byline I’m very happy with, but whose trademarked exclamation point does not exactly bespeak elegance or sophistication.
The bulk of my paying work is far less illustrious, but critical for rounding out my bank account. Website copy, SEO work and listicle-style blog posts aren’t what anyone dreams of when they feel the pull of the pen, but they’re some of the most reliable ways for freelance writers to pay the bills.
Many businesses can provide a steady stream of this kind of work, becoming the anchor clients by which you build a semi-reliable paycheck.
The idea is to pick up as much of this bread-and-butter work as you need to survive, and then use the rest of your time to pitch those dreamy projects you can’t wait to work on.
It can be a hard balance to strike, but even un-fun writing counts as valuable practice. You’ll hone your craft and earn your keep all while amassing more clips — and better chops — to show off when you’re pitching the big boys. Then, you can slowly scale up to working exclusively on better-paid, more interesting content.
8. Expect the unexpected
Fickle income, weird hours, totally unmitigated refrigerator access — working for yourself is a strange and sometimes dangerous world.
At the very least, you’ll want to prepare yourself financially for things like managing income flow and expenses, paying your own taxes, buying your own health care and funding your own retirement.
And for even the best writers, clients come and go, so be sure to build up a significant cushion for those inevitable dry periods.
It’s also a good idea to impose rules to lend your otherwise-loosey-goosey day structure — like deciding you’ll only write at your desk as opposed to your couch, for instance, or making yourself put on real pants for the duration of your work day. (Or maybe not. Let’s not get crazy.) This is especially true during times like the holiday season when you’ll need to be extra disciplined to get your work done.
If I had to summarize it all in brief, I’d say this: Becoming a freelance writer requires equal parts semi-pathological levels of type-A dedication, boundless curiosity, and total insensitivity to rejection.
Oh, and luck. A lot of luck.
But like all of the best things in life, even though it’s not an easy journey, the road to the write life is definitely one worth taking — and one we’re excited to help you travel.
Ready to take the next step?
You’ll want to check out the Freelance Writers Den if you’re looking to succeed as a freelance writer. It gives you all the tips and tools you could possibly need to succeed.
This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.
When we think of magazines, our minds typically go to the glossy newsstand publications: magazines about fitness, celebrity gossip, home decorating or recipes.
But covering parenting faux-pas and nifty new placemats aren’t your only options if you’d like to write for magazines. In fact, those glossies are only a tiny fraction of the publications out there looking for writers.
Today we’re going to talk about a corner of the magazine market that has less competition, higher rates, and a ton of prospective markets: trade publications.
What is a trade publication?
Most industries have trade magazines tailored to professionals in their field. From supermarket produce professionals to sign makers to nail salon owners to roofers, most fields have one or more magazines specifically for people in their profession.
For example, AdWeek is a trade publication that caters to advertising professionals. Aviation Week & Space Technology is a go-to resource for professionals in the aviation field. Animal Pharm News targets professionals in the animal health and nutrition space.
Trade magazines cover a specific industry for a specific group of professionals. They tend to use language those professionals are familiar with (and others might not understand), including jargon and acronyms.
How much do trade magazines pay? Often up to $1 per word or more. And they don’t receive as many pitches from up-and-coming writers as some of the household names you see on the newsstand.
Your opportunities range from publications that cater to long-term care professionals to bowling alley managers to a wide array of other industry pros. I’ve written about everything from mango merchandising to how golf course managers maintain their greens despite herds of elk wandering through.
Who writes for trade publications?
In some industries, you’ll need specialized, advanced knowledge to write for industry publications, but other fields are far more open to writers who don’t have advanced knowledge of the field. Be sure to read the publication’s guidelines to see if you have to be an industry expert before spending your time crafting a pitch.
Linda Formichelli, a freelance content writer who has also taught others how to earn money writing, has written for a wide variety of trade magazines over the years. Her trade clips include a pizza restaurant-owner publication, a magazine for credit-union executives, a publication for those who own in-plant print shops, and one that appeals to boat-related business owners.
“I admit it — with trades, the glamour factor is missing in action,” Linda wrote. “You won’t get the same thrill seeing your byline in Boating Industry as you would in Glamour. But guess what? I’m not in this game for the bylines. I’m in it for the paychecks.”
And keep in mind, many industry publications also run articles that aren’t specifically related to their fields. Many business, finance and law publications include short sections to appeal to a broader spectrum of interests, such as stories about travel and dining.
How do you find trade magazines to pitch?
When I first looked into trade magazines several years ago, I turned to Writer’s Market and pored through its many pages of listings. Some love the online, subscription-based version, but I went the old-school, library-book route. I lugged the thick volume home and spent hours going through the huge “trade journal” section, making a note of every publication that seemed like a good match.
I spent a lot of time copying down crucial info from the guide and transferring it into a spreadsheet. But as soon as I went online to cross-reference the contact info, I realized some of the names from the print book were already out of date.
It’s often a better idea to use print publications and online directories to find the names and website addresses of publications that might be a good fit — not editors. Then go directly to that publication’s website and find the writers guidelines to get the most up-to-date information.
Google’s also an easy-to-use resource. Look for lists of trade publications like this one. Or Google “[your favorite industry] + trade magazine” and see what comes up. You’ll find quite a few resources and options with a quick web search.
How do you decide which trade publications to approach?
If you have experience in a particular industry, that’s a great place to start.
For example, if you have experience with horses, pitch horse magazines. If you were a realtor once, look for real estate publications. Be sure to mention your qualifications and relevant experience in your letter of inquiry, as that can help you stand out from freelance writers who don’t have any background in the field.
If you write often for publications in a particular industry, you’ll develop a niche over time. That can be more lucrative, because you’ll have more experience and know-how than other writers.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to be an expert in a certain topic to write for a trade magazine. Many publications are happy to work with skilled, reliable writers who have basic knowledge of a subject and can conduct research and interviews to fill in the gaps.
How do you pitch a trade magazine?
Once you’ve chosen a few publications, you’re ready to reach out.
Before pitching, thoroughly research the publication by reading back issues to see what types of topics they like to write about, as well as what they’ve covered recently. Your goal is to tailor your pitch to their particular needs. Trade publications, even in the same industry, can vary widely in their coverage of similar topics.
Double-check you’re following the freelancer contact instructions for each particular magazine. Some may prefer you pitch stories while others prefer a general “letter of inquiry.” If they don’t have specific information, a letter of inquiry is often a good place to start.
An LOI is a “letter of inquiry,” “letter of interest” or “letter of introduction.” Your LOI introduces yourself, demonstrates your familiarity with the magazine and topic, explains why you’re qualified to write for the publication, and presents some of your ideas as well as your credentials.
“You write it once, and you reap the rewards repeatedly. That’s why it’s important to get yours right from the get-go,” wrote Mridu Khullar Relph, who highlights the importance of having a letter of introduction in your back pocket to demonstrate you’re the best person for the job.
This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.
Recently, though, I had a mindset shift. I’m not just a writer; I’m a business owner.
I’m selling my services. And if you’ve ever been on a company’s email list, you probably know that they follow up with a vengeance, time after time after time. Does it work? 50% of sales happen after the fifth follow-up, so that’s a yes.
Here’s why following up on your pitches is so important for freelance writers, and the best ways to do it with success.
Don’t be afraid to follow up
Too many freelance writers are afraid to follow up. They think it makes them seem pushy or annoying and they’ll never get a client from a follow-up email, so why bother?
I used to have the same fears — that is, until I started getting clients from follow-up messages.
Think about your inbox. It’s crowded, you’re busy and sometimes things fall through the cracks. If you delete a message without reading it (and without fully realizing what it is), would you be mad if the sender emails you again a few weeks later?
Of course not — especially not if they’re offering something of value.
Remember, the person on the other side of the computer is just that: a person. If you follow up after an appropriate amount of time and do it with respect and kindness, they should have no problem with your email.
Do follow up correctly
How long should you wait before following up on a piece of marketing? Use five business days as a bare minimum; people are busy, and they don’t have time to dig their way to the bottom of their inbox each day.
If you’re approaching or returning from a holiday, give people even more grace. And remember, life circumstances can strike at any time, making email even less of a priority.
There’s a little controversy about how many times to follow up with any one client. I know some writers who don’t follow up at all. I know others who keep following up for years. I fall somewhere in-between.
I used to send two follow-up emails to each prospect — one a week after my initial point of contact via LOI (letter of introduction), and one more two to three weeks after that first follow-up.
Eventually I realized that I was getting lots of responses to the first follow-up email, but zero responses to the second. So I decided to let prospects go after just one follow-up message. And with job applications, I rarely follow up at all.
Experiment and figure out what works for you.
You also may want to make sure your emails are getting opened. Use a tool such as Hubspot Sales or Streak, which is a Gmail add-on, to see if your initial email was opened. If it wasn’t, you might have the wrong email address, or your message may have landed in the recipient’s spam folder. Whatever the case, you don’t want to waste your time sending emails into a black hole.
Finally, change your mindset about following up. You’re not just asking for work — you’re cultivating a relationship. Consider sending your point of contact an article that made you think of them or wishing them a happy holiday during the appropriate times of year.
Craft your follow-up message carefully
A good follow-up email has three primary components:
A compliment to the company
A reminder that you’re available
A timely hook to bring it all together.
For instance:
Subject: Congrats on ABC award!
Hi [first name],
Congratulations on winning ABC award for XYZ initiative. That’s pretty cool — this must be such an exciting time for you!
I wanted to reach back out and send you an article I recently had published about [relevant topic]. With your new XYZ initiative to [do something similar], I thought you might find it interesting.
Meanwhile, I’m looking at my calendar for the next few months and was wondering if you could use any help producing content with the holiday rush coming up? I’d love to hop on a call and discuss your needs. Are you still focusing on blogging as a big part of your content marketing strategy?
Thanks,
[your name]
Yes, following up really works
But does this method really work? Yes, absolutely!
I keep a handwritten log of all my marketing efforts — sending LOI’s to companies, applying to jobs from job boards and pitching article ideas to magazines. My log for LOI’s (it’s very basic) has four columns: company, date sent, date of follow-up and the response.
When I flip back through my notes, one trend stands out — often, I got a response from the company after I sent a follow-up message. Sometimes they said no, sometimes they asked for clips of my work, sometimes they said to check back in a few months. And other times, I won big.
That’s what happened when I sent an LOI to the marketing manager of a leading digital marketing agency in my state. Over a week passed and I hadn’t heard anything, so I sent her a quick note just to make sure she’d received my message.
She responded and said she’d been on vacation and had missed my email; she was impressed with my experience and wanted to know if I could write a blog post for the agency’s website? (I could!)
That turned into a steady stream of work equaling $1,000 a month for the next few months.
Thanks to that freelance position, I became very well-versed in digital marketing and gained many new clips to add to my new portfolio. In that case, following up was 100% worth it — and if you begin following up with your prospects, you could win big, too.
If you don’t ask for the work you want, you’ll never get it.
Let’s look at how to improve the way you ask for that work.
We’re going to focus on pitching articles, blog posts and stories. Pitching isn’t the only way freelancers get gigs — I’ve gotten jobs by submitting a resume and clips, as well as by completing a sample assignment — but it’s one of the most common.
If a job wants you to submit a resume and clips, it’ll say so in the application guidelines. For everything else, including the majority of the blogs and online publications out there, you’re going to need to get really, really good at pitching.
[sps_reusable_block post_id=43047]
So how do you write a good pitch?
If you’re pitching a publication with a set of submission guidelines, start there. A lot of publications tell you exactly what they want.
Be aware that the submission guidelines are sometimes hidden under “Contact” or “FAQ,” and it never hurts to search “[PUBLICATION] submission guidelines” if you can’t find anything on the outlet’s website.
Sometimes editors write blog posts or tweets describing what they want in a pitch. If you’re interested in working with a specific editor, it doesn’t hurt to search their name plus words like “submission,” “submission guidelines” and “pitch me.”
Get clear on the story you want to tell
Once you’ve figured out what submission guidelines to follow, the next step is to get really clear on your story.
One of the most common mistakes people make is failing to state the story they want to tell.
What do I mean?
Well, writers often say they want to write about something. “I want to write about Famous Person X.” “I want to write about gender in the workplace.” That’s an idea, not a story.
By the time you pitch, you should have enough background research to be able to pull the story out of your idea, as follows:
Hit Musical Hamilton Is Great — But Is It Addictive? Just about everyone I know is obsessed with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new musical Hamilton, to the point that we’re listening to the 2-hour 22-minute cast recording nearly once a day. What makes music like this feel addictive, to the point where the first thing we want to do after finishing the album is start it at the beginning again? I’d reach out to a musicologist and a psychologist for their thoughts on the nature of addictive music.
That’s a real pitch I sent to Popular Science, which they accepted. Notice how my pitch included not only the story, but also the method by which I plan to research the story?
Writers often skip this step, but adding a sentence or two describing your methodology shows an editor that you’re serious about your idea. It also lets an editor know that you have a plan of action, and that your finished draft will be backed up with both sources and substance.
Not all stories require research, of course. Personal essays, for example, don’t necessarily need a methodology statement. But too many writers pitch stories as if they were personal essays: “My thoughts on why Hamilton is addictive,” for example.
No editor cares about my thoughts on Hamilton. They care about a music expert’s thoughts on Hamilton, crafted into an eye-catching story that promises a reader an answer to a question they’ve probably asked themselves: Why can’t I stop listening to this album?
That bit about promising the reader an answer to a question they’ve probably asked themselves? That’s the pitch’s benefit. Whenever you craft a pitch, think about how it will benefit the publication’s audience.
Will it give them the answer to a question? Will it prompt a discussion in the comments? Will it ask them to think differently about a common experience?
You don’t need to state your benefit directly in the pitch — in fact, please don’t write “this story will prompt a discussion in the comments” — but it’s important to consider the benefit as you put your pitch together.
After all, publications aren’t interested in what you want to write. They’re interested in what their readers want to read.
Lastly, my Hamilton pitch was only a paragraph long because I had already built a relationship with one of Popular Science’s editors. If you’re pitching a publication for the first time, put a short bio at the end with links to a few relevant clips that — you guessed it — establish expertise in your beat.
Here’s a sample pitch
Here’s a sample pitch to review, so you can see exactly what a solid pitch looks like.
Writing a sample pitch email is tricky because every publication has slightly different guidelines. With that in mind, here’s what a good pitch email might contain:
SUBJECT LINE: Check the publication for guidelines. I often write “PITCH: [HEADLINE]” in the subject, e.g. “PITCH: Are Dogs Better Pets Than Cats?”
SALUTATION: You can go with the formal “Dear [EDITOR]” here, although I often just start my emails with “Hi!”
INTRO PARAGRAPH WITH HEADLINE: Introduce your relationship to the publication, if relevant, and your pitch’s suggested headline. (I got the “always add a suggested headline” advice from Carol Tice.)
STORY AND METHODOLOGY PARAGRAPH: Briefly explain your story and the methodology by which you will tell it.
BIO PARAGRAPH: Share a bit about yourself and link to relevant clips.
NAME AND CONTACT INFO: Thank the editor and “sign” the email with your name and contact info.
Hi! I’m a huge fan of Dogs and Cats Daily — I comment as DogFan27 — and I wanted to pitch a story that I haven’t seen on the site but I think your readers will appreciate: Are dogs better pets than cats?
This story will look closely at three different families, each of whom have dogs and cats in the home. I’ll interview each family, asking them to share stories about their pets’ behavior and comment on which pets they enjoy interacting with most. I’ll also interview a veterinarian and a pet psychologist to learn more about animal behavior and discuss whether dogs or cats make better pets for certain personality types.
I’ve previously been published in Dogs Are Great Monthly and I Love Cats Magazine. My clips include: “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Puppies,” “Cats Are Purrfect,” and “Do Dogs or Cats Save More Lives?”
Thanks for considering my pitch!
Goldie Retriever
GoldieRetriever.com
@DogFan27
Pitching can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be such a daunting task. Do your homework and follow this simple email pitch formula and you’ll be well on your way to getting an editor to say “yes” to your idea.
Yes, the guru moniker is used with too much abandon these days, but Friedman’s laudable credentials, practical books and excellent website have earned her the title in my book.
If you get nothing else from this article other than an introduction to Jane Friedman and her work, I’ve done my job.
That said, the inspiration for this article stems from Friedman’s most recent release,The Business of Being a Writer, a fantastic primer for any writer looking to take their writing from a personal hobby to a possible business.
Or maybe you’d just like to earn coffee money. That’s OK too.
In the book, Friedman presents dozens of options for your consideration as you look at what you write and how you could turn that into some form of income.
Your art and your commerce can, in fact, commingle.
Writer, beware
Before we dive into the major areas of making money from your writing, I have to relay one hard truth. Friedman brings it up, and my professional experience has borne it out.
As she writes, “Very few people can make a living solely by writing and publishing books.”
Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write and sell your books. It means that “this one pursuit should not constitute one’s entire business model.”
And this is why you should make yourself aware of the many different ways we as writers in the 21st century can turn a buck from turning out words.
Write your books. Sell hundreds — millions — of copies. But don’t begin your career by banking your future on that collective dream of every first-time author.
If you want a career in writing, think wide and think long.
As Friedman encourages us, “It remains possible to make a decent living from writing if you’re willing to pay attention to how the business works, devise a business model tailored to your goals, and adapt as needed.”
Think wide about your writing
If you’re at least a year or two into taking your writing seriously, you likely have a type of writing you enjoy. Maybe it’s short stories, or poetry, or freelance writing, or fiction.
Whatever puts fire to the kindling of your writing life, keep doing that.
By all means, leverage your writing strengths and experience. Don’t negate your gift in the pursuit of income.
But.
If you want to create and maintain a financial foundation for your future as a writer, you will need to think wide. In other words, you need to think beyond what you currently do as a writer. You need to continue honing your craft, but you should open your mind to the possibilities of peripheral writing and writing-related work.
Ask yourself, “What other writing work could I do that both encourages me to write and provides compensation?”
If nothing immediately springs to mind, let’s consider seven ways you can monetize your writing, using Business as our guide.
Note: Business goes into further detail about each of these paths, and Friedman’s website has even more information. I’ve also listed useful articles and books to help you get started along any of these pathways.
1. Traditional publishing
For many authors, traditional publishing is the pinnacle achievement, the bucket-list Mt. Everest they need to climb.
But, as Friedman writes, “Most authors will earn little, or at least nothing close to a living wage, from their books…Industry insiders estimate that 70 percent of authors do not earn out their advance.”
Again, write your books. Publish them yourself through Amazon self-publishing. Work on your platform and your marketing.
Whatever you do, don’t believe the lie that anyone will “just find” your self-published book once it’s released. You cannot “just write” your book and “just hope” it will do well.
You must apprentice yourself to the craft of writing first, to the means of self-publishing second, and to the necessity of platform and marketing third.
Even then, you might just recoup your investment — which is a great start to your business of being a writer.
To enjoy a sustainable living through self-publishing, you’ll need strategy and purpose, and, honestly, a good amount of luck.
Heed Friedman’s warning when it comes to freelance writing: “It now takes considerable experience and expertise to land paying work at a traditional print publication, and I don’t recommend it as a first line of attack. New writers will do better to look to online-only publication.”
However, pitching articles to websites is an excellent way to bolster both your experience and your expertise. In time, you might also augment your income.
To wit: I first pitched The Write Life in late 2014 for the article that eventually becameAbout to Respond to a Negative Review of Your Book? Read This First. I pitched my next article a few months later. I pitched a column three years later. Now readers contact me about editing because they’ve seen these articles.
In other words, freelance writing has cross-promotional benefits to all of your other writing.
And just think about when someone googles you: if you’ve written for dozens of known websites, you just might own the front page for your name — a definite boon for any author.
Friedman writes, “It may take a very long time before you see a direct connection between your blogging and your monthly or annual income.”
If you’re not consistently and strategically producing quality content, your blogging may not be earning the results you’re hoping for, whether that’s newsletter signups, page views, or affiliate income.
But, if you think long and ensure there’s a method to your online madness, your blog can become a significant contributor to your bottom line.
It’s worked for Jane Friedman, as it has for many other known entities you likely follow. After you’re introduced to their work in some way and you see how consistently they produce worthwhile content, you involuntarily begin to expect their regular content.
As a freelance editor, I wanted to place this choice first — but I know that editors are wired differently.
If you find yourself more engaged in your critique group when discussing what works and what doesn’t about someone else’s story, you might be a developmental editor in waiting.
If you have a negative physical reaction to an improper your instead of you’re, you might be a copy editor.
If you’re good at pretending to write in someone else’s voice, you might be a ghostwriter.
All of these writing-related services are valuable and needed today, but — as seems to be the case with every point on this list — establishing yourself in any of these areas requires patience, education, and, yes, learning how to sell yourself.
For what it’s worth, a majority of my income as a freelancer has stemmed from copyediting, developmental editing, and ghostwriting.
If you have a few years of experience and the capability to form coherent sentences out loud and in public, your knowledge and insight can help other writers.
As an introvert, I challenged myself in 2017 to increase my freelance profile by seeking speaking engagements and teaching opportunities. It was one of the best things I did for my job that year.
Disclosure: my speaking engagements and teaching opportunities did not directly lead to increased income. But the relationships I formed with other area writers were worth far more than income. Plus, they can now refer me to people in their circles, and I can refer them.
When you overcome your fears, you might be amazed at what kinds of doors open to you, either in the immediate future or years down the road.
For what it’s worth: speaking and teaching seldom pay well — or at all. This is one area where I would encourage you to pursue them for the benefit of exposure.
However, in time, as you accrue experience as a speaker or teacher, you will be able to ask for payment. Or you can channel your newfound confidence into an online class or podcast.
If you really want to go all-in and you live in or near a town or city with a publisher, literary agency, or other writing-related business, apply for a job there.
What better way to understand the business than to be in the business.
Jessica Strawser, the erstwhile editorial director of Writer’s Digest, comes to mind. After leaving her full-time post with the magazine after a decade, she released her first novel to critical acclaim. She’s since released two more.
Which makes me think she probably learned a thing or two during her tenure with the magazine.
That magazine, by the way, once employed another writer who’s now making her living from everything we’ve just discussed.
Jane Friedman was once the publisher and editorial director of Writer’s Digest.
I’d say she’s learned a thing or two as well — and we are all the beneficiaries.
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!
There are a few basic changes to how you run your writing business that reliably boost writers’ income.
What small steps make a big difference? Here are my top five tips for quickly doubling what you earn from writing:
1. Stop and analyze
Many freelance writers are caught in a gerbil-wheel trap. You spend every minute frantically doing current client work and checking online job boards trying to land more gigs. You’re barely earning enough to pay bills, so there’s little free time.
There are zero minutes spent reflecting on the big picture. Where is your writing biz headed? Who would you really love to write for, and how can you position yourself to get there?
In the world of entrepreneurship, this is called working in your business instead of on your business. You’ll need to stop the busy-busy and take stock of your direction to make course corrections. If you’ve got even a single hour, you could reflect on what’s happening and potentially chart a new course.
Question: When was the last time you made a list of all your clients, how much you make from them on an hourly basis — and where they came from?
Do you see any patterns in your marketing of where better-rate clients came from? Worse ones? That may show you it’s time to stop checking online job boards, and time to do more proactive marketing, or to double down on LinkedIn networking. Or perhaps one industry niche is paying better than your others, and you should troll for more work in that area.
Stopping to do a client analysis can help you see where you’re wasting time, which clients should be dropped, and which asked for a raise.
2. Drop the biggest loser
Once you know who your worst client is, lay plans to get rid of them.
Writers often stay trapped at a low income level because they fear change. “I love writing for client X!” writers tell me, even though the gig works out to under $20 an hour. Bulletin: That client isn’t loving you back.
Somewhere in your client list, there’s probably a client that should be cut loose, to free up marketing time to find better prospects.
Use the time you save to find a better client. Once you do, drop the next-biggest loser. And so on. This simple process of swapping out lower-paid clients for better ones is the main technique I used to build my own business to six figures — right in the middle of the last big economic downturn.
3. Create (or strengthen) your inbound funnel
Are great clients finding you online? Whether it’s from a LinkedIn profile or your own writer website, a thriving writing business gets inbound clients who see your work and contact you. You should wake up in the morning and find emails, InMails, or Messenger notes from good prospects.
If that isn’t happening for you, it’s time to build or improve your online presence. I’m currently teaching a bootcamp for new freelance writers, and I’m blown away by how many have fewer than 100 LinkedIn connections. Give the Internet a chance to help you find clients on autopilot!
Consider making network-building and site improvement a weekly goal – it can pay off in less active marketing you have to do. And we all want that, right?
If you’ve got a writer website but it’s never gotten you a client, it’s time to optimize it. Have you given SEO any thought, and are you getting found for the keyword phrase you’re targeting? It can be worth investing a little time to make sure you come off professional, and it’s clear what type of clients you want.
Remember, most clients are searching for someone who knows their thing. They’re Googling for an Atlanta healthcare writer, or a freelance cryptocurrency writer. Something like that. Be sure to think like a client and communicate your expertise.
4. Identify ideal clients
If your marketing is all over the place, it’s time to focus. One of the best ways to do that is with an ideal-client exercise. Here’s how:
Close your eyes and imagine your ideal freelance writing life. Who are you writing for? Is it Vanity Fair? IBM? Think big and make a list of at least 10 dream clients.
Next, ask yourself this: What clips would impress those clients? Who would be a good stepping stone down the yellow brick road to that Emerald City?
For instance, if you want to write for Forbes, you might pitch a piece to your city’s business magazine or weekly business journal, to start. Aligning current prospects with ideal clients helps you quickly assemble a portfolio that’ll impress the right people.
Stop taking any and all gigs that come your way, and writing about everything under the sun. Instead, build a path that leads directly to your best writing jobs.
Sometimes, this exercise will even lead you to realize you should pitch dream clients right away! I’ve seen writers pitch and get hired immediately by dream clients, once they did the ideal-client exercise and realized they had the portfolio to go for it.
Start figuring out how you’ll do it. Hint: You’ll need to target clients that have real money and understand our value — bigger-circulation magazines, larger business and websites. Generally, these gigs aren’t sitting around an online job board.
Make sure you know what you’re earning on an hourly basis (even if you charge project rates, like you should)…and keep inching that figure up.
If you don’t have the stomach to ask existing clients for a raise, be sure to bring in new ones at higher rates. If you’re not raising rates, you’re not keeping up with the rising cost of living.
I speak as someone who’s paying $7,000 for braces on kid #2 right now, that cost $5,000 with kid #1, about 5 years ago. The price of everything else is going up, and raising rates shows you’re professional and value your worth.
Once you’ve done the client-analysis process and realigned your actions to suit your goals, make a date with yourself to repeat it every six months- one year. Your client base will change, as will your best actions to grow your income.
We don’t tend to hit new earning levels without a goal. Set yours high and even if you fall short, you’ll be earning way more than you did before.
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!
Maybe you’re the type who welcomes Valentine’s Day with open arms — and a slew of candy hearts for good measure. Or maybe you’d rather ignore Cupid’s birthday entirely, rebranding the event S.A.D. (Singles Awareness Day, that is).
But whether you struggle with or celebrate this annual festival of fondness, one thing’s for sure: making money as a writer can be just as trying as navigating a romantic relationship…and just as blissful when the stars align.
In honor of the season of love, we’ve put together a few fun ideas for earning cash as a writer, even — or maybe especially — if you’re a little love-sick. (In either sense of the term.)
Below, find five dreamy ways to win a wage for your words.
1. Help the lonely find love as a professional dating profile writer
Just as we do for delivery meals and taxi rides, many of us turn to the wide world of the internet when we’re in search of Mr. or Ms. Right. (Or even Mr. or Ms. Right Now.)
But crafting a well-written online dating profile can be a serious obstacle for those who aren’t linguistically inclined.
Which is why “professional online dating profile writer” is now a real job title — and a uniquely 21st-century way to make money writing copy. You could offer up your services freelance on a platform like Fiverr or try to find a gig with a firm focused on this kind of content.
You might also just reach out to the singles you know in person and ask if they’d like to give their OKCupid “About Me” section a bit of a professional spit-shine. Besides, most online dating profiles would probably be more objective (yet still attractive!) if they were written by a third party.
2. Bring others’ romantic sentiments to life by writing greeting cards
How many lovestruck — or lovelorn — people turn to the staid stanzas of a pre-written greeting card when attempting to express their emotions?
You can use your way with words to help a stranger say what they really feel by writing those heartfelt, if generalized, sentiments.
There are many large greeting card manufacturers who hire full-time writers and offer internships to those who are still studying. That’s how poet and short-story author Keion Jackson ended up as a senior writer at Hallmark Cards. You can also write for major card companies on a freelance basis, earning a flat fee for each accepted submission.
And thanks to DIY sales platforms like Etsy, you could even strike out on your own, writing and selling artisanal greeting cards of your own creation — though in this case, it’ll probably help if you’re as crafty as you are literary.
3. Find work as a freelance romance writer
Yes, it’s true: finding any work as a freelance writer is already complicated. But it’s also true that you can get paid to write romantic fiction on a per-word basis.
Check out, for example, this listing from Radish Fiction, calling for freelancers who are “interested in the romance genre and serialized storytelling.” At $50 per 1500 words, the pay isn’t exactly stellar… but it is paid!
Romance writers are also sometimes in demand on freelance platforms like Upwork. This listing offers between 3 and 6 cents per word for “high quality romance writer[s],” and you’ll be provided an outline. Again, not exactly bread-on-the-table money, but a fun way to bring in a little bit extra!
4. Or pitch and pen your own piece about love
If you’ve got your own heartwarming (or heartrending) story to tell, you might be able to make significantly more than a few cents per word to tell it. You can earn a more substantial chunk of change, not to mention exposure and name recognition, if you successfully pitch your story to one of these literary outlets, which pay quite well for personal essays.
Just be sure your piece fits your prospective publisher’s submission guidelines, and ideally relates to any recent pitch calls the editors have made.
Keep in mind that editorial calendars tend to run several months ahead of publication, so you’ll probably want to reach out by December at the latest with a story you think would work well in February.
5. Feeling feisty? Self-publish your steamy fiction
Find yourself weaving wandering tales of courtship — or even out-and-out smut? No need to be embarrassed. In fact, you may be sitting on some serious earnings potential.
There’s a huge market for romance novels, which accounted for about 15% of adult fiction purchases in 2017, easily beating fantasy and sci-fi combined. And thanks to the accessibility of self-publishing, you don’t necessarily need to do the time-intensive footwork of finding an open-minded agent.
People always say no one goes into freelance writing for the money. But there are plenty of writers out there earning a good living from the written word — and they’re not just famous novelists.
If you’d like to increase your writing income, spend some time evaluating your business model and make a few adjustments to increase your bottom line. Read on to learn how to begin the process and boost your freelance income.
1. Learn about your income
The first step to making more money is learning more about the money you already bring in.
Many writers find an end-of-year review to be very helpful in terms of evaluating your income, business model, clients and setting goals for the year ahead. But you don’t have to wait for the end of the year to conduct a review. Any time you’re looking to make a big change in your business plan — like increasing your income — is a great time for a review.
Evaluate your clients
To evaluate your business, evaluate each of your clients and income sources. To do this, ask yourself the following questions:
How often do you write for each client?
What types of materials do you write?
What is the word count and pay like?
On average, how long does each project take?
How much do you earn a year from this client?
What is your “pitch to acceptance” ratio? If you have to pitch 150 times for every accepted story, it may be time to reevaluate working with this client or consider pitching differently to boost your acceptance rate.
What’s the revision process like? Endless rounds of edits can be frustrating and reduce your earnings on the project.
Do you enjoy working with the client? It’s okay to cut ties with a client who makes you miserable.
Figure out your current rates
After you’ve evaluated your general impressions of each client and the projects you do for them, calculate how much money you earn on average from each client. This could be per word, per hour or per project.
Many writers find calculating their “per hour” rate to be most useful. This doesn’t mean you’re necessarily charging your clients per hour (though that can be common in some fields, such as editing and copywriting). This means you’re figuring out how much you earn per hour.
To figure out your rate, first calculate how much time you spend on a project. This includes research, interviews, transcribing, writing, editing and other tasks like tracking down images. Divide your earnings for the project by how many hours you spend on it. For example, if you earn $100 for a project that takes 5 hours, $20 is your hourly rate for that project.
Now that you’ve spent some time thinking about your current clients and learning about your income, it’s time to figure out what you’d like to make.
2. Set goals
Think about how much money you would like to make and set income goals. You can set yearly, quarterly, monthly, or weekly goals, or a combination of all of these.
If your goals are longer-term in nature, it makes sense to break them down to have a better idea about how much you need to earn to stay on track.
For example, if you would like to earn $50,000 per year and take two weeks off each year, you’ll need to earn an average of $1,000 per work week to stay on track. If you would like to earn $100,000 per year with two weeks off, aim to earn $2,000 each week.
Be sure to keep in mind some of this money will go to taxes and expenses. Consult with a tax preparer or accountant to figure out how much you should save for these expenses (and how and when to pay your taxes).
As you set goals, keep in mind you’ll need to regularly check in with your goals and adjust your plan accordingly. If you are falling short of your goals, you may want to adjust your strategy. If you’re exceeding your goals, consider setting your goals even higher.
You may also wish to set non-income related goals. Consider if you’d like to set goals for work-life balance, working for dream clients, or even taking on certain types of projects, like writing magazine feature articles or breaking into the tech copywriting industry.
3. Raise your rates
When you have the same clients for a long time, it’s easy to keep the same rates for years. You may be afraid to scare a loyal client away with higher rates, but it’s often worth it to take the chance and ask for more money. Many freelancers like to ask for more money around the New Year, while others prefer to request an increase near the client’s new fiscal year or other times.
How much should you ask for? If you’re earning $150 per blog post, suddenly asking for $750 might be a little too much to ask for right away. Few clients have the budget to quintuple their rates instantly. But if you’re earning $150 and want to bump that up to $175 you may have more luck.
It’s very helpful to have an idea about the client’s budget when proposing a rate increase. If the company is slashing their budget and laying people off, it’s likely not the best time to ask. But if they just gained a lucrative new contract, it might be prime time to get more work and raise your rates.
Consider framing your rate increase request in a way that also provides clients with additional value for their money. One way to do this is to provide a package of services. For example, instead of $200 per blog post, you could charge $1,000 a month for a package of four blog posts. This provides you with reliable income and bumps your rate up while also providing your client with reliable content. You could propose a content schedule ahead of time and set everything up to make the process easy for your client.
Or you could pair your writing services with social media offerings if you’re skilled in that area. Just be sure packaging several services together ends up increasing your hourly rate overall, not decreasing it with additional time-consuming projects.
However you ask, be prepared to hear a “no” and have a plan for how you’ll respond. You may choose to continue working with the client, or you may prefer to part ways. There’s also a slight chance the client will think you’re not a good fit anymore, so do keep that possibility in mind. It’s always a risk to ask for more money, but it’s often one that turns out to be worthwhile.
4. Spend less time on lower paying projects
If you spend all day every day churning out articles for $20 a pop, it’s going to be hard to make a ton of money as a freelance writer. If you’re spending 40, 50 or 60 hours a week working on low paying projects, it may be a challenge to find the time and energy to find better paying clients.
Sometimes you need to free time in your schedule — and room in your client roster — to make space for higher paying clients. This doesn’t mean you should dump all your clients and only accept new ones that pay $5 per word (those will be hard to find).
But when you are able to free just a few hours each week in your schedule to cultivate new client relationships and send out pitches and proposals, you’ll likely have better luck finding higher paying clients than waiting for them to come to you.
For example, if you’re working on lower paying projects for 45 hours a week, consider cutting that down to 40 or 42 hours a week to free up three to five hours each week to pursue higher paying clients. You’ll still earn the bulk of your income, but hopefully this extra time will make it so you can take on higher paying clients and gradually transition to higher paying work.
5. Find higher paying clients
Everyone wants higher paying clients, but how do you find them? Resources like Who Pays Writerscan help point you to publications that pay within the range you would like.
It also makes sense to consider different types of writing. Content writing can pay fairly well, so if you’re looking to earn a little more, it might make sense to take on a few content writing clients and offer website copy, reports, ghostwriting,and other services.
One good way to find content writing clients is to spend some time networking. Sending letters of introduction and samples of your work to potential clients can also be a good way to start building a relationship and hopefully gaining a new client.
6. Set your new rates
Figuring out what to charge can be a bit of a challenge. Rates and rate structures vary widely. Freelancers can get paid by the word, the hour or even a per-project rate.
For guidance on typical rates, the Editorial Freelancers Association shares a list of market rates for a variety of services, from transcribing to ghostwriting. These rates are a good starting place for negotiation, but they’re not set in stone.
When determining what to charge a client, consider how long the project will likely take you. If an article pays $200 and takes two hours of your time, your rate is $100 per hour. If a $500 project takes 15 hours, you’ll earn $33 per hour., but if the same project takes 40 hours, your pay rate drops to $12.50 per hour — a rate brushing up against minimum wage in some locations.
It doesn’t always make sense to take the higher paying article if the per-hour rate is much lower.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to charge each client the same rate. Most writers have a range of rates. It’s okay to charge high-budget clients more and cut a break for a nonprofit you love. If you know a client will want a lot of revisions and meetings that take up a lot of your time, by all means charge a premium rate to account for your time and effort.
Another technique is to ask a client about their budget for a project and then provide them with a few options of what you can provide for that amount. For example, if they have $1,000 per month to spend on editorial services, you could give them several options for what you can provide for that fee. Perhaps that’s two long blog posts, or maybe it’s rewriting a few pages of web copy. Clients generally like having a few options to choose from.
Sometimes it pays to earn less
Sometimes a project isn’t all about the paycheck. There may be other factors that make a lower paycheck worthwhile. For example, if you’re devoted to the local animal shelter, you may be willing to charge them a lot less than your corporate clients.
If you’re delving into a new field, or want to start writing about a new topic, you may need to start at lower paying publications to develop your expertise and promote yourself as an expert in that field. For example, if you write mostly about technology and want to veer into the health and wellness space, you may have to start at publications that pay less in order to get started and build your name in that field. Then you can likely use your clips and connections to work your way up to higher paying publications in the same field.
When you take actionable steps to set goals and work towards them, you’ll likely have a better chance of getting to where you’d like to go. But be patient with the process. It won’t happen overnight, and it’s likely to have ups and downs. Working towards your goals, even with small steps, is a great way to achieve them and ultimately earn more income as a freelance writer.
How do you work towards earning more income as a freelance writer?
Do you spend your weekends glued to the TV watching your favorite teams battle it out?
Or, better yet, at the game decked out in the home team’s colors cheering for your sports heroes?
If you’re a sports fan, it’s time to turn your love of the game into a potential payday with sports writing.
Why should you consider sports writing?
As a sports writer, you’ll likely get access to games, as well as players, coaches and super fans.
Why watch your favorite baseball player on TV when you can chat with him about his hopes for the season instead?
Of course, not every sports writer will have instant access to big league players, coaches and teams, but by breaking into the world of sports writing, you can immerse yourself in your favorite game, while earning cash at the same time.
How to break into sports writing
If you have a history of playing or writing about a specific sport or even if you’re just a devoted fan, be sure to mention that in your letter of introduction or pitch to an editor or outlet.
Sports publications want people who know, understand and love the sport to write about it.
They also don’t want people they have to explain the sport to or people who might not be familiar with the rules, players and lingo.
Break in like you would with any other type of market. Research the possibilities, study the publicationsand write your best letter of introductionor pitch.
Want more tips to break into this exciting and potentially lucrative market?
Here are six ways to get hired for sports writing jobs.
1.Don’t stick to the pros
While professional sports might see most of the glitz and glamour, high school, college and amateur sports still need to be written about, too.
Don’t overlook these beats!
It’s easier to break in with smaller beats, and you’ll likely find less competition if you try your hand at writing about the local minor league baseball team rather than a high-level professional team.
2. Be open-minded about opportunities
When you say you love sports, maybe it’s basketball or football or hockey you have in mind. But there are plenty of other sports that need coverage.
Consider everything from lacrosse to ice skating to competitive archery. Covering some of these lesser-known sports is a great way to make a name for yourself in the business.
Of course, if you truly want to pursue a specific sport, like baseball or football, go for it.
If your goal is to write about professional football, for example, writing about college football will be more helpful than covering the local lacrosse league.
3. Write for the local newspaper
Local papers generally have a sports section, so why not reach out to them and see if they could use a sports writer?
You could cover high school, college, amateur or professional sports. They may need coverage of home or away games or a variety of other types of stories.
If you know a lot about a variety of different sports, consider seeing if they need a sports columnist. Being the voice of the sports section can help establish you as a prominent local sports writer, which could lead to other opportunities.
4. Learn how to pitch popular publications
ESPN is a household name, but it’s just one place to approach if you’re interested in sports writing.
Who Pays Writerslists a number of sports publications and their rates, including ESPN Esports, Excelle Sports,Vice Sportsand Vice Sports Canada.
Contently’s rate databasealso lists a number of sports-related publications and contributor-reported fees, including one writer who received $1,500 for an investigative piece for SB Nation Longform.
Many large newspapers and magazines also include sports coverage, so these are smart places to approach once you have a few clips under your belt.
5. Find interesting angles
When you’re looking at a publication and preparing to pitch, be sure to take a close look at the types of stories it covers.
While you may pitch stories about coaches talking strategy, or a team preparing to play a major rival, don’t overlook a story about a groundskeeper who has kept the team’s field pristine for the past 40 years.
People love reading about sports, but they also love a good sports-related human-interest story.
Don’t just write the obvious stories. Write the captivating ones.
6. Try the trade publications
Don’t limit your sports writing to the big markets with familiar names.
Sports-related trade publicationsneed writers, too! A trade publication could be anything from a publication read by coaches of a particular sport to a magazine for uniform manufacturers that addresses the needs of the industry.
However you choose to break into sports writing, it probably makes sense to try a few different options. Perhaps pitch a few popular publications, contact your local paper and reach out to a number of different trade publications.
A multi-pronged approach is often best when trying to break into any field of freelance writing.
And it might just be a chance to watch games and talk to players — a dream come true for sports fans.
