Like many would be writers, I used to lack the confidence I needed to turn my passion into a full-time job. Then, one day the decision was forced upon me.
I was unable to continue in my usual line of work due to illness and, after weighing up all of the possible options I decided this was my chance do what I’d always wanted to do.
As someone new to the world of fulltime freelance writing, I had little idea of where to start so I began my journey as a freelance writer with job boards and bidding sites.
Next, I used the portfolio of work I had gathered together to secure better paid projects. In just a few months, I went from not knowing how I was going to earn an income to becoming swamped with work from all around the world. And, I learned some essential tips early on that I am happy to share.
For those considering the bidding site route, I would suggest looking for clients that offer ongoing work in order to build a client base quickly. And, look for content writing projects as they often pay much better than blog or article writing.
When cold pitching, find the contact details of the CEO or content manager. Pitch directly to them to improve your chances of success. When searching job boards, go straight to the website if you can and apply that way so your application doesn’t get lost among all of the others.
Moreover, I would advise anybody starting out in the world of freelance writing to focus on their strengths. Many would-be writers seem to think they need to develop a fresh new set of talents in order to be successful. However, most people have transferrable skills that they can use to further their writing career. For instance, I had worked in the media, which meant writing press releases and news articles was second nature to me. Fortunately, these are also services that are in great demand.
Finally, focus on a niche. I had a keen interest in health as I used to work in the alternative health industry. This was the most obvious area for me to explore. Soon after starting out as a freelancer, I secured my first major job as a ghostwriter for a health book, which was quickly followed by four more books.
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Jane Fazackarley is a full time freelance writer. Her work has been featured on numerous websites, including Digital Journal. She has also ghostwritten five health books, and she writes for clients across a broad range of subjects including health, media and fashion. As well as non-fiction work, Jane writes fiction, and has recently released her debut novel, Then He Left Me, which is currently available on Amazon. Her website can be found at .