Writing is a compelling field that many want to get into. Traditionally, that would mean applying to write for a local newspaper, getting onto a larger company’s writing team, or taking the hard route trying to write and sell books.
Now, things are a little different.
Thanks to the internet, you can become a professional writer without even leaving your house. You can even make a good living off it.
Obviously, it’s a little more complicated than that.
Remote writers are typically freelancers unless they are hired by a traditional company with a remote work business model. Since the latter is increasingly rare these days, we’ll be focusing most of our time on freelancers making it on their own.
What Jobs Are Available In The Remote Writing Industry?
There are a lot of different jobs available for remote writers. Far too often, people hear the word “writer” and think all the person does is write books. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
First, you have the traditional content writers hired through companies. These writers get flat pay rates, job stability, and all the “perks” of a conventional job, but they get to work from home.
In exchange, they don’t get the freedom that is supposed to come with remote writing. Their work is often monitored, they have set schedules, and they’re paid hourly most of the time; so, they can’t increase their income just by working harder.
Then, you have the freelancing field that is separated into a multitude of other jobs.
Primarily, you’ll see a lot of marketing-related work. Writers in this category typically call themselves “copywriters”. They focus on writing content for companies such as product descriptions, SEO articles, advertisements, and even email campaigns.
With how prevalent online business and advertising are, this is one of the “easiest” ways to get money. It’s difficult to work, but it’s in demand more than any other type of writing.
Scriptwriters are also somewhat in demand. These are writers who write scripts for everything from advertisements to YouTube videos and even games.
Traditionally, high-profile studios in creative fields will have their own writers on the team to handle things such as game scripts or film scripts, but companies trying to make video ads, YouTubers, and indie developers all tend to hire freelance writers for their projects.
Finally, you have ghostwriters. Usually, this refers to people who write books, but the client takes credit for the writing. Essentially, a person wants to write a book, but they don’t have the writing skills to do it.
So, they hire a writer to create the book while they guide the writer along, and when they publish it, the client’s name goes down as the author.
You usually see this done for things such as celebrity biographies. You didn’t think all those celebrities took breaks from making movies to unleash their literary talents, did you?
Technically, remote writers can also be novelists who indie publish, as well. However, that’s not exactly the type of remote writer we’re talking about. Those writers have always been remote, and they’re generating a product instead of a service.
Most writers will specialize in one of these forms of writing, but if they need to pay the bills, they might step into different fields.
For example, a copywriter might also write scripts for advertisement videos, or a ghostwriter in between projects might get into script writing for extra cash.
There are no limits.
Most people in this field also write their own books, and that is usually the hobby that got them into writing in the first place.
How Much Do Freelance Writers Make?
This is one question that is almost impossible to answer accurately. It’s like asking how much restaurant owners make.
Some make excessively luxurious salaries, and some go bankrupt in three months. There are just so many factors to consider, and the same goes for writing.
In general, a good wage to go for is going to give the same earnings as a mid-range job in your area.
So, let’s say entry-level fast-food workers make $11 where you live.
Welders make $22.
Finally, lawyers are making a solid 6-figure income.
Well, you cannot reasonably price yourself for an 8-hour workday with a 6-figure salary.
You won’t get any clients.
You also don’t want to make the same as you could working 6 hours at a part-time fast-food job, because the work does require a considerable amount of skill.
In this case, $22 is where you should aim, and it’s about where the average successful freelancer ends up after they’ve gotten a bit of experience. It is in no way a limit, though. Plenty of freelance writers make $30 or more per hour.
That’s because of the factors involved. If you can write quickly and efficiently for good clients, you can increase your hourly earnings significantly.
One of our team members recalls completing a $1000 order in just 24 hours. Sure, they stayed up all day and night drinking copious amounts of coffee, and they felt like they got hit by a train the next day, but that was $1000 for a day of work.
Just, don’t try to make that a habit. It’s a horrible way to live, and clients get a little suspicious when you act like Superman. A word of advice: Set an earnings goal that’s realistic and cut yourself off after that.
However, if you’re a slow writer who doesn’t have much experience, and you don’t choose your projects wisely, you can easily make less than minimum wage.
You have to balance your time vs the potential profit, and you have to put out good work to make sure the client actually accepts it. You cannot cut corners if you want to make a living off this.
On average, a skilled writer who can work quickly and efficiently will make about $18 per hour. Again, there is no limit other than what you’re physically able to do. That’s just where the average freelancer finds themselves.
What Is The Job Of A Freelance Writer?
First and foremost, the job of every freelance writer is to write. So, you should probably get pretty good at that. If you don’t, you won’t make it past your first couple of clients.
No matter what discipline of writing you get into, you should have a firm grasp on the language you’re writing in, and you should understand the fundamentals of creating an interesting piece.
Beyond that, your job varies depending on the field you go into. If you go into marketing material, your job is to sell whatever it is your client is selling.
If your client is selling a rice cooker with a built-in toaster, it’s your job to make that ridiculous thing seem like a must-have item. More importantly, a good writer can pull that off.
If you’re a scriptwriter or ghostwriter, it’s your job to convey the message that your client is aiming to convey and to do so in an engaging way.
At the end of the day, it’s all the same thing. You’re writing. The only difference is that your goal and the approach you take will differ depending on which discipline of writing you’re working in.
Beyond writing, you also have the job of being a business owner.
Freelancers don’t have bosses that tell them what to do, manage the business, and write paychecks. You have to handle all the backend stuff.
We will be talking more about the skills involved in this soon, but being a freelancer is basically a two-part job. You handle writing, but you also handle the business side of things.
What Skills Are Needed To Be A Freelance Writer?
Across all writing disciplines, the skills required are mostly the same. There are a few differences, but they’re nothing too big.
First, you need writing skills. This is where a lot of people get overzealous and try to pursue degree programs at fancy colleges.
You don’t need that.
It can help you land a traditional job, and it will certainly increase your grasp on the art, but it’s not necessary for freelancing. You can have no formal experience, and as long as you can show your worth to clients, you will get gigs.
The caveat is that you cannot be overconfident in your skill level. If you charge top-rate prices while offering writing that is only acceptable on a Facebook post, you will not last long.
For marketing, you have to have a deep understanding of the consumer mindset.
Your main job is to sell products or services, after all. That requires you to have the ability to appeal to someone’s emotions, and word things in ways that will trigger them to see something as necessary.
That’s how you get people to buy things. Of course, you also have to be able to draw a line and do that ethically. Flat-out manipulating people or making things up is never a good trait.
Storytelling is necessary for every discipline of writing. You’ll need to be able to weave together a coherent story whether you’re writing a book or an effective ad. This is how you create an engaging piece that keeps readers on the hook.
Finally, you have to have the business skills we mentioned earlier.
There are three core areas to focus on immediately.
First, you need to have professional communication skills. Clients come to you the same way you go into Walmart or any other establishment.
They expect you to respect them and show a certain level of professionalism. That doesn’t mean you can’t be slightly casual. In fact, your clients will usually strike up more casual conversations on their own.
However, you’re not on social media or hanging out with your friends. Speak professionally and with respect.
Then, you need to be able to crunch numbers and develop a pricing model that benefits you and your customers. This will include a number of factors such as your cost of living, skill level, and the average price of the competition.
It’s more complicated to find a sweet spot than you might think. You also need to be able to adjust this on the fly to accommodate orders that are outside of the norm.
Finally, you have to be able to market yourself. You’re not working for a company. You’re working for yourself. No one is going to magically appear before you and offer you work.
You have to develop your own ads, put them out there, and attract customers. However, your reviews and reputation will eventually do a lot of the work for you.
There are also backend skills, but those will be picked up as you go, and they’re not as complicated as they seem. Nowadays, most of it is automated, anyways.
You just have to learn how to work with those systems in a way that gets you paid on time and your clients satisfied.
How Do I Become A Freelance Writer?
By now, if you’re the type that likes a challenge and values freedom, you’re probably ready to get started with freelance writing. How do you do that, though?
Well, it’s not that difficult.
Thanks to the internet, freelance writing is easier than ever. In fact, there are tons of platforms designed to get you to work almost immediately. Here’s how to do it.
First, you should know that these platforms vary greatly in quality. Some get almost no legitimate traffic and are scam risks. Some have insanely anti-worker policies. However, some are great places to work with minor reasonable caveats.
It’s up to you to research the different platforms that are available and choose the one that’s right for you.
Once you do that, it’s time to start marketing yourself. Clients won’t appear out of thin air until you have a great reputation. The best way to do this is by leveraging social media.
Copy a link to your business profile, put your writing skills to good use by writing some stellar copy, and send it out over social media. This is a great way to get your service in front of companies and potential clients who need writers.
Once you get your first client to place an order, it all comes down to reputation building. Treat your customer right, put your best effort into the project, and then move on to the next.
In no time, you’ll find clients coming to you just because they can trust your track record.
That’s about all there is to it nowadays.
