Introduction
Another article from our writers at Writers-House.com. Freelance writers are one of the most popular professions in the world of online communications. As the internet grows and explores new industries, the intellectual product becomes more demanded. In turn, the changing situation in the market offers new opportunities, along with the increased competition.
Being a freelance writer implies certain benefits:
- You can work anywhere you want;
- You learn new things and get paid for it;
- You have your own schedule;
- You can write about things that are interesting to you;
- You can choose your clients;
- You are self-employed.
However, this job is no different from any other job because some positive sides are balanced with certain difficulties. In this article, we are going to help you overcome some common challenges.
Opportunities for Freelancers
Morden freelance writers can use many different opportunities. There are so many options available for beginners that sometimes they don’t know where to start. Many beginners are concerned about the security of this job and their first steps in this profession. Let’s see what you need to know to become a self-employed writer:
- Benefits of major platforms (like Writers-House.com) compared to searching for work yourself.
- Main differences between consumer writing and business writing.
- What skills you need to have to be your own boss, and how to be completely independent.
- Benefits of freelance writing you’ve never heard of.
- Specifics of working with clients.
- The most important things about payment.
- The necessary tech tools.
- How to earn money faster.
- The main skills that any writer needs to develop in order to succeed.
- How freelancing makes you a better writer.
If you’re ready to start building your new career full of rewards and challenges, we are going to navigate you through all the difficulties to help you get started.
1. Writing Gigs VS Writing Platforms
Writing platforms, for example, Writers-House.com, and freelancing through many gigs are two completely different approaches. Platforms offer a number of benefits, while gigging implies a stronger competition. Working with a platform you can focus on writing itself, with no need to care about the administrative aspects of this job. Writing platforms allow self-employed writers to fulfill all of their gigging needs in one place.
Working with such platforms, writers don’t need to put a lot of effort into advertising, trying to determine the necessary price for their service. Customers choose our website because we have a great reputation and they know that we can deliver exactly what they want. Satisfied customers have always been the best type of advertising. Freelance writers are engaged in a sort of small business, and our platform allows them to eliminate all the stress associated with such work.
If you don’t have a reliable platform, you also need to take care of advertising, contacting clients, networking, and competing with other professionals. In addition, you need to manage several payout schedules. So many responsibilities can damage your productivity because you won’t have enough time to focus on creativity and the quality of your work.
Freelancers Are Their Own Bosses
If you’re a freelance writer, it means that you’re your own employee, boss, advertiser, HR department, and accountant. It’s hard to focus on writing itself and create content of the high quality when having so many exhausting responsibilities.
On the other hand, when you work with platforms like Writers-House.com, you can focus on doing your best while the platform communicates with clients. In addition, we have competitive prices and offer various bonus and loyalty programs.
Many clients like to work with writers who have already demonstrated good writing skills. In this case, they want to keep working with a certain writer. Therefore, you have an opportunity to build long-term relationships with loyal customers. All the experts who work on our platform, including editors, tech crew, and support team, do everything to keep clients satisfied and to attract more clients so that writers can focus on doing their job.
An interesting fact about gigging websites is that they often outsource their jobs to major writing platforms. Everyone knows what benefits such platforms offer, and writers appreciate the opportunity to delegate solving of all their problems.
Platforms or Gigging?
Gigging websites are associated with many additional responsibilities which put pressure on writers. They don’t perform many functions associated with their business, which can result in exploitation. Writers-House.com understands that the success of the whole company depends on writers, that’s why we are always clear about our policies and standards.
Without a good platform, you may spend a lot of time competing with other writers in order to get more clients. It’s hard to create an effective advertising strategy on your own. You need to be familiar with SEO marketing, social media networking, Facebook ads, and other features of online marketing that are not only difficult but also time-consuming.
If you choose a reliable platform like Writers-House.com, you can be sure that you always have enough work and receive a fair compensation.
2. Consumer Writing VS Business Writing
If you want to build a successful career, you need to define what are the best applications for your writing style and knowledge. Business to consumer and business to business (B2C and B2B) are two common models that may be beneficial for one writer or another. These two models are completely different and the chosen model determines what platform is best for you.
B2B companies are focused on their writing objectives so they need to both inform and sell products. This kind of writing is aimed towards professionals rather than the wide public. In this case, many features of traditional advertising are unnecessary, as the buyer is already determined to invest or purchase and interested in learning more details about the product.
Unlike B2B, B2C often purchase products they actually don’t need. B2B purchases are aimed towards maintaining the market position, and all the decisions are made by shareholders. B2B content is usually technical, very specific, and not really attractive for the average reader.
B2B presents both advantages and disadvantages of a certain product so that other experts can evaluate it. When writing B2B content, you need to stick with the formal business tone.
Know Your Audience
Another difference between B2C and B2B is that the latter is aimed to provide cohesive and detailed information. This means that B2B writers can count on strong payouts but also need to invest their knowledge and to interact with customers frequently. As for B2C, this sort of writing is more emotional, concise, and straightforward.
The B2B audience is less inclined towards impulsive buying than B2C. It’s looking for a completely different approach and is focused on developing long-term business relationships.
B2B model often implies beginning with an introductory brochure, which is followed by business meetings devoted to the perspectives of the investment, and a 30-day trial. Thus, freelancers who choose this model have more work, but such work is also much more difficult than B2C writing.
3. You Are Your Own Boss
If you want to be a freelance writer, you need to consider your personal qualities and readiness to become a self-employed worker. This employment model is completely different from the traditional one: You work from home, you’re your own boss, and your portion of daily social interactions is very small. Thus, this job is good for people who don’t have problems with being alone and don’t need the social boost for their creativity.
Try to spend a few days alone and listen to your feelings. If you feel well and energized, this means that you won’t have problems with being your own boss. If you want to check your phone every few minutes and start feeling depressed, it means that freelance writing may be not a perfect match for you.
If you’re your own boss, you must have certain qualities which are necessary for any boss:
- Good attention;
- Management skills;
- An ability to stay organized;
- An ability to manage finances;
- Accountability
Define Your Schedule
First of all, you need to develop a reasonable schedule. Keep up with deadlines and make sure everything is ready on time. If you suffer from chronic procrastination, it means that this job will not be easy for you. As your own boss, you need to both reward and discipline yourself when necessary.
Even if you get a challenging task which drains all your energy, you need to stay focused on it. You need to create a comfortable working environment. Don’t procrastinate and don’t work too much — sometimes you just need to take a breath and switch between different tasks to stay productive and focused. You may benefit from various tools that help in staying organized and determined, however, the best tool is your own willpower.
4. Benefits You Never Thought About
The main advantage of being a freelancer is an opportunity to earn money regardless of whether or not you have an employer. Most people need to worry about maintaining their secure employment and look for a location close to home. When you’re a freelancer, you can work from anywhere on earth and be independent.
If you’re a smart boss, you get another sort of security that will be appreciated especially by young people who want to travel. You can make money whenever you want, anywhere you can find a stable internet connection. People who always try something new will surely like this kind of job.
Claim Your Expenses
If you’re self-employed, you can maximize your profits and translate your interests into tax benefits. When you purchase some text materials, they are tax deductible, which would be appreciated by bibliophiles. However, you have to save receipts and save money efficiently.
Another advantage of being a freelancer is that you can choose what clients to work with and what projects are interesting to you. This will help you stay engaged. In addition, it’s a great opportunity to always learn something new and get paid for it.
Another benefit is that you can work as often or as rarely as you want. This is a nice opportunity for people who have their main job but need an additional source of income. In this context, all the traditional employment models cannot compete with freelancing.
If sometimes you don’t have enough time to work because you need to take care of your relatives or kids, freelance writing can fulfill your needs.
5. Types of Clients
The main challenge of freelance writing is a necessity of working with demanding clients. Some clients don’t understand how hard it is to create quality content and may want too much for too little money. This is another reason why we suggest working with a reliable platform like Writers-House.com.
Platforms have strict rules regarding how orders are performed and paid for. If a client is unsatisfied, the platform will take on the negotiations. Our company does everything possible to help writers stay focused on writing, with no need to spend their time trying to fulfill unnecessary demands. We also guarantee that all writers will get paid for their work.
However, if you are working with clients directly, you need to prepare for some stressful situations. Our platform receives payments upfront, but many gigging writers need to go through a long process of rewriting and negotiating to finally receive their compensation.
Client Satisfaction and the Amount of Work
Gigging writers often face the same problem: They get put in a position of doing more work than they have initially agreed upon. Writers-House.com believes that professional American writers deserve to get paid for their work accordingly.
Working with platforms, you don’t have to worry about your clients taking advantage of you. All you need to do is write good content and build long-term business relationships with loyal customers.
Loyal customers are especially beneficial to writers because the more you work with somebody, the more you learn about the specifics of a certain topic. You also get a stable and reliable source of income.
6. Payment Options
When you work with a respectable platform like Writers-House.com, you are protected from any kinds of frauds because we guarantee that you’ll be paid for your writing. This is why our company is so popular among writers and this is our main advantage over gigging websites.
As for the payment systems, freelance writers usually use PayPal, as well as less popular systems, like PayPanther, Ronin, Paymo, Invoice Machine, Simplybill, Freshbooks, Quadermo, and Harvest.
7. Tools
The main thing you need is a laptop (if you want to be mobile) and an internet connection. Obviously, you also need to type fast. You will improve your typing skills with time anyway, but we would suggest getting to work if you can do at least 60 words per minute.
Useful Tools for Your Job
There are many tools that can facilitate the writing process and make your work easier.
- Microsoft Word. This is the most popular text editor. It’s efficient and professional. It has many add-ins and useful tools that allow you to work with images, charts, and other types of content, as well as a plenty of formatting options. However, it lacks many advantages of Google Docs and costs $100.
- Grammarly. This tool will help you check grammar, spelling, and punctuation. It also knows different styles of writing and can help you choose the best synonyms. Writers who write a lot and don’t want to waste their time fixing minor mistakes will certainly benefit from using Grammarly. The prices start at $29.95 a month or $139.95 a year.
- Google Docs. This is a cloud platform that will help you stay organized. It’s your best choice if you want to share documents with others. You can work on the same document with other writers and enjoy many formatting options which Google Docs have built in. This platform is also absolutely free.
- Wunderlist. Here you can create various lists that will help you stay organized. You can install it on several devices and synchronize them. Convenient alarms will not let you forget about important meetings and deadlines.
- Trello. This is another listing app, which looks like a virtual whiteboard. This is an interactive tool that has many options for collaboration, creative thinking, research, and brainstorming.
- My Minutes. This is a time management application available for iOS. This tool will help you set goals, write to-do lists, and stay motivated. It has alerts and allows you to prioritize all the necessary tasks so that you know what to do first and what can wait.
- SelfControl. If you’re one of those writers who have problems with staying focused, this app may help you. It’s an open-source tool that will block such distractive apps and websites as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. With this app, you can block them temporarily and focus on doing your job without being distracted by countless notifications.
- HelloSign. If you don’t work with platforms, it means that you also have to take care of a lot of paperwork. This tool will help you make email signatures to verify various contracts, agreements, and proposals online.
- Rocket Lawyer. This tool helps create legal documents, such as contractor agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and intellectual property contracts, which are necessary for any freelancer. It costs $39.95 a month.
8. Make Money Faster
Freelance writing implies a wide range of prices, from 10c per word to $100 per paragraph. If you want to make your work profitable, you need to understand how to invest your skills properly and how to produce content of high quality. Writers-House.com has a transparent system that calculates a price of each order depending on its complexity, deadline, and the required level of writing skills.
Our clients need all sorts of content, and we always choose writers who can fulfill their needs.
The more you write and the more information you learn, the better you work with different topics. Research is crucial for freelance writing, and it’s quality often determines the success of your content. You need to improve your research skills and write fast in order to earn money and learn faster.
Another thing that determines your success is building relationships with clients who are ready to pay for good content. When you have clients who are willing to invest in quality, it makes your work much more profitable. This is also a reason why we suggest trying such platforms as Writers-House.com.
9. What Skills Do You Need
Now that you are your own boss, you need a great level of self-discipline, otherwise, you won’t be able to work as a freelance writer.
You need to be good at writing and reading, you have to be self-motivated and to properly estimate your abilities. Freelancers need to plan their work ahead and make rational decisions. You also must be flexible and have perfect communication skills.
However, the most important thing is your willpower. Without it, you won’t be able to stay motivated and focused no matter what. You must want to learn something new and understand that you’ll get paid for it.
Those who value self-awareness and mindfulness, as well as those who like to learn and share their knowledge, will certainly appreciate all the benefits of the freelance writing job.
10. Improve Your Writing Skills
Writing is a crucial skill that determines your success. However, you need to work on your skills if you want to evolve as a professional and enjoy all the advantages of freelance writing.
The most important thing you need is practice. Nothing will boost your writing skills better than a lot of practice. If you’re planning to become a published writer, freelance writing is what can sharpen your skills and prepare you for your big career. For example, Ernest Hemingway wrote reports for newspapers and traveled. That’s how he started writing his first novels and short stories.
Writing is required in many professions, and it’s up to you what applications you will find for your skills. Freelance writing also improves other skills, such as critical thinking, which is necessary for the creative work of any kind.
Conclusion
Before you decide to make your first steps in the world of freelance writing, you have to learn some important features of this job and make sure you understand what are the requirements. When you’re a self-employed writer, nothing can stop you from exploring new career paths and evolving as a professional.
Writers-House.com is a perfect place for any freelance writer who wants to write and learn without worrying about the flow of clients and other details. Here you can build your career and improve your writing skills. In addition, we guarantee fair pay and professional support.
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!