Some ideas for making money freelancing:
Sell ads on your website through joining a blog network such as BlogHer or putting Adsense ads from Google on your site. Write guest posts on blogs. Sell articles to magazines and newspapers online and offline. Write marketing and / or advertising copy for local and online businesses. Teach / coach on writing. Edit or critique manuscripts. Ghostwriting. Use Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com) to fund specific projects, like a book launch.
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I have to admit my head is still spinning since quitting the day job, but my next series of blog posts entitled "Am I bonkers?" will hopefully straighten out everything in my mind - and maybe even help you wannabe freelancers too!
You can feel lost without the camaraderie of an office environment, in fact, this was what I missed the most when I dipped my toes into the freelance world last time. I think stepping back and reflecting is really important, which is why I'm taking this holiday - to clear my head. My next step will be to plan my year, month by month (only roughly at this early stage, but good to get something on paper). My 30 things project is really important to me, yet I still want to have time for writing. Before I even start touching up my website, or look at the notes I've made on the sequel to Little Child, I'll be considering my options for every day freelance work. So, it might help to put together a little resume covering my knowledge and experience, what topics I'm an authority on, and what skills and qualifications I have. I ain't going to lie - freelance writing IS a difficult way to make a living and you shouldn't try this if you don't have savings! Also mentally you have to stay focused, strong and passionate about what you're doing. There's a fabulous opportunity there to shape and mold your career into whatever you want it to be and actively create your dream job. With only 5 days left of the day job (yes, really!) I'm about to dip my toes into the world of Freelance come the 1st January. Am I scared? Sure I am! Am I excited? Most definitely! Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be blogging tips, advice, bits and pieces I've picked up on, and some of the things I hope to achieve over the next 6 to 12 months as I prepare to take this mammoth and daunting step. We'll be covering everything from frame of mind to registering for self employment to finding markets for your work.
Stay tuned! It may sound odd, but when I embarked on the Writers Bureau course a good few years back, I had no idea what being published really entailed. I honestly thought in my naivety that you could write what the hell you liked and someone would be up for publishing it. Oh, how wrong I was! Writing is a craft like any skill and the world of publishing is a tricky and complicated business. So, I was very quickly going to have to learn how to do it well and how to do it right to even have a smidge of a chance.
First and foremost, throw the ego out the window and write the masterpiece in your spare time. The money is going to come from the hours you spend on targeted articles and other freelance work. Improve your acceptance rate by researching the markets you want to write for. Hone your writing skills so the style you use and the content you produce is suitable. Then, spend the time to review and revise. It goes without saying - be reliable and professional. The majority of freelance work is recommendation by word of mouth. Follow guidelines when submitting. There are times to be maverick, but this is not one of them. Keep your options open. And finally, be prepared to work and work and work - sometimes at the most unsociable of hours! ... That being said, you must ALWAYS stay true to yourself. As I tweeted earlier this week: "There's a lot of (hash tag)writing advice out there but I believe it's mostly about instinct. Based on that, I'll either win or fail (hash tag)thatisall." |
AuthorBlogging is an amazing concept so here I am giving it a whirl. You'll get words. You'll get pics. Sometimes a vid or two. You'll get tongue in cheek, the odd humble opinion and an honest insight into my travels and writing life. Maybe even a few gems along the way. I'll be musing on home turf as I see more and more of the UK and sharing my experiences further afield on holidays and adventurous trips across the globe. Archives
December 2022
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