Over the last four years, freelance writing has been an incredibly lucrative side hustle
for me.
From May 2017 to May 2021, I’ve made nearly $120,000 writing web copy and blog content,
which comes out to about $30,000 per year.
I went from doing it part-time in college, to doing it full-time when I graduated, to
doing it on the side again and even earning a full-time income on top of it, which has
given me a ton of flexibility in my life, and recently, a lot of extra income.
And this is a side hustle that I get asked a lot about, so in this video, I’m going
to tell you how to turn freelance writing into a substantial part of your income.
I’ll start with giving you a little background on my freelance writing career so you can
better understand my experience.
Then to kick things off, I’ll tell you exactly how to get started, with four specific platforms
to use to get that first writing gig and expand your clientbase.
But in order to really succeed and make some serious money with freelance writing, you
need to manifest it with how you work and the content you write.
So I’ll also give you crucial tips that will help you stand out, get more opportunities
and earn more money with freelance writing.
These tips come from my years of experience freelance writing, as well as being on the
other side of things and personally hiring writers for a variety of businesses and projects.
However, if you’ve been following my channel, you know that I’ve been trying to ease off
of freelance writing and other side projects.
And after finishing my final project in May, I’m proud to say that I’ve actually quit
freelance writing for good.
So be sure to stick around to hear more details about that, but for now, we’ll get into
the video.
I’ll start by saying I was very lucky to have a freelance writing opportunity fall
into my lap.
I had a friend with a connection at an SEO agency that was looking for writers, and I
decided writing blog content was a more relaxing gig than working part-time at a BBQ restaurant.
I personally didn’t have to seek out opportunities, which I later learned is really hard to do
successfully, so that’s why I’ve selected very specific platforms to share with you
here in a few minutes.
But this particular marketing agency specialized in the medical industry, so their clients
included plastic surgeons, dentists, wellness clinics and so on.
The great part about this was they paid me very well, at about $35 for a 500 word article.
The tough part of this was that I had to learn their procedures well enough to write about
them, which was a lot of work and research up-front.
So if they said, hey Tyler, this client needs a fresh blog post about the Brazilian butt
lift surgery - I’d have to figure out how the procedure was performed, where they made
the incisions, what kind of side effects were to be expected, how long recovery takes and
so on.
After a while, though, I learned just about everything I needed to know about these treatments.
So where I initially spent hours researching and understanding something to write about
it, I was eventually able to receive a topic and crank out an article in 15 to 30 minutes.
And now I’m an unauthorized expert in plastic surgery and medical spa procedures, so hit
me up if you have any questions.
But the point is, after my initial period of learning and figuring out the format, I
was really able to take off with my freelance writing.
Because I could turn around high quality articles quickly, I kept getting more and more work,
and built a stronger relationship with the agency that hired me.
This is what ultimately enabled me to continue working with them for the past few years and
become a high earning, highly productive freelance writer.
And we’ll cover more of these details when we discuss the freelancing tips I have for
you later.
But let’s get into how YOU can get started with freelance writing, either as a side hustle
or a full-time gig.
To get started with freelance writing, I’m going to recommend starting on a freelance
writing platform or a larger team of freelance writers.
I have a few reasons for this, the first being that you don’t have to pitch yourself to
potential clients.
If you’re just getting started, you may not have a portfolio of work or enough experience
to apply for individual gigs.
Once you get into it and gain experience, and perhaps a network of clients, you’ll
be better equipped to branch out and find your own work.
But at the beginning, joining a platform is the best way to gain access to freelance projects.
Plus, these platforms will often give you unlimited access to work.
One of the best parts about freelance writing is the potential to work as much as you want
and earn as much as you feel like earning.
If you join a freelance platform with lots of demand on the client side, you’ll have
an endless supply of projects to keep you busy, and you won’t waste any time looking
for projects or waiting for assignments.
Additionally, working on an established platform ensures you’ll be paid.
Although the platforms or businesses will certainly be taking a cut, it’s nice to
have the guarantee that the client is legitimate and you’ll be paid for your work, whereas
trying to get hired without any formal platform may come without escrow services and similar
risks.
The downside with these platforms is you’ll probably be paid less than you would if you
worked independently, but the benefits are well worth it for anyone who's getting started.
So let’s take a look at where I would recommend getting started and progressing through a
freelance writing career.
Up first is The HOTH, which is an SEO company that offers a variety of content services
to a wide range of businesses.
This is my first recommendation because I worked here full-time for a few years, and
can verify that the freelance team, freelance community and managers are all outstanding.
This is a fantastic place to start to gain experience, because you’ll get tons of guidelines
and processes for creating effective web content all while building out your portfolio.
The HOTH has thousands of clients around the world in every niche you can imagine, so there
is no shortage of work available and plenty of topics to choose from.
The pay starts at $16 for a 500 word article, which increases depending on the word count.
And again, by working for a reputable business with an endless supply of projects, you won’t
have to pitch yourself to clients and you’ll earn as much as you can write.
I’ll leave a link in the description where you can apply, the only requirement is a writing
sample.
The next platform is called iWriter, which I’ve used personally to hire writers before.
This platform has a bit less oversight than the Hoth, so you’ll miss out on some of
those educational and community benefits at iWriter.
However, just like with The HOTH, you’ll have a practically endless supply of projects
available to you.
One of the main benefits of iWriter is that you select projects and work directly with
the client on any requests or adjustments, unlike the HOTH where you’ll be working
behind the scenes.
This means you can work on building relationships and communicating with clients, which can
lead to extra work or opportunities outside of the platform.
In all cases, writers on iWriter receive 65% of the price clients pay for content.
However, the price per word count can vary depending on the quality tier you fall under.
This image shows the various levels and the associated costs.
Everyone starts as a standard writer, where the prices are pretty low.
You can qualify for higher tiers and earn access to higher-paying gigs as you gain positive
reviews on the platform.
So it may be a bit of a grind at first, but if you can work up towards the top levels
the pay will definitely be worth it.
It’s also pretty easy to apply to iWriter, I’ll leave a link in the description if
you want to check it out.
Starting with FreeUp, the next two platforms may be better suited for experienced writers
who have honed their skills a bit.
FreeUp is a freelance marketplace that will match you with clients based on their needs
and your skills.
They also do much more than freelance writing if you are interested in seeking out other
types of freelance gigs.
On this platform, you’ll create a profile detailing what kind of work you do and what
pay you’d like to receive for it.
So here, you’ll get more control over what you’re earning and may be able to specialize
in certain types of content, if there’s an area you excel in.
And because FreeUp will match you with a client that’s a good fit, you aren’t quite reaching
out and competing with tons of different potential hires.
So in my opinion, FreeUp is a great place to start working with clients directly without
the hassle of searching for gigs completely on your own.
And as I’ll continue mentioning, the ability to form these personal relationships with
clients can be hugely important to unlocking future projects and additional income opportunities.
Again, I’ll leave a link below if you’re interested in applying.
Last is UpWork, and I’m really only mentioning this one because it’s where I ended up doing
all of my freelance work.
I don’t recommend this platform to start freelance writing, because I’ve found it
to be highly competitive and difficult to get hired without a ton of previous experience
on the platform.
But if you are able to have some of your clients work with you through this platform or you’re
able to land a gig on it, UpWork can be great for additional opportunities.
Your profile will reflect your experience with previous clients, which are hopefully
positive, and what potential clients can expect to pay for your services.
Then, you can apply for new gigs with a portfolio and a strong work history to back it up.
When you get here, UpWork has a pretty wide variety of freelance gigs, so you’ll have
more flexibility in choosing what you work on and how much you get paid.
And again, if you can find one client to build a strong relationship with, it can really
pay off.
There’s no application process for UpWork, but you do have to apply for each individual
gig.
So with these four platforms, you should have plenty of options for getting your first paid
freelance writing gig.
But if you want to grow your freelance writing income from a few hundred dollars a month
to a few thousand dollars a month, the secret is being able to blow your clients away with
every interaction, and here’s how.
First, you’ll want to make sure your grammar is never an issue.
When you’re providing written content to clients, everything you write to them is a
reflection of your writing skills.
Any grammatical errors or typos are going to be a huge turn-off, even if it’s just
within your casual communications with the client.
So if you need to install grammarly or proofread a few times, do whatever it takes to make
sure every message with your client is flawless and well-written.
Obviously, your content should be this way too, but I think that’s a given.
Second, I always recommend over-communicating with clients.
Good communication is crucial when dealing with anybody online, especially in professional
settings.
This is an area where a lot of freelancers miss the mark, so if you can excel in your
communication skills, it may even be more important than your content itself.
When I say over-communicate, I don’t mean nagging the client unnecessarily, but just
consistently keeping them updated, informed and always making sure you’re on the same
page.
If you have questions about a project, ask them for clarification immediately so you
start off each project on the right foot.
If they have any specific questions, feedback or concerns with your work, specifically address
those concerns and repeat them back to your client in your communications so that you
know you have a mutual understanding.
Similarly, make sure you are responsive and don’t leave your clients in the dark with
anything.
Again, as someone who has been on both sides of freelancing, it is hugely beneficial to
be available to respond to emails and questions about projects in a timely manner.
If your client knows they can always reach you easily, you’ll be a much more valuable
freelancer to them.
My last tip is regarding deadlines.
You should never miss a deadline for any reason.
If you can’t make a deadline, don’t accept the project.
This is a huge red flag that you are an unreliable freelancer and it’s a surefire way to ruin
your relationship with a potential repeat client.
My favorite way to stand out in this area is beating deadlines.
In my experience, clients expect projects to be turned around within one or two weeks.
If I can, I’ll deliver projects within a few days to substantially beat that deadline.
The important thing here is to not sacrifice quality for speed, because the client will
be able to tell, but if you can consistently beat deadlines, it shows the client two very
important things.
First, it shows that you are prioritizing their work and that you potentially have the
capacity for more work.
If you’re consistently turning in projects early, your client will notice that you are
not waiting until the last minute and can likely handle more projects.
Then, if they ever need more content, they’ll likely have you take on a larger workload
instead of taking the risk of hiring an additional freelancer.
It also shows that they can rely on you if they need something done quickly.
There are many cases where clients can’t wait a few days or weeks to get fresh content,
so being available to produce content quickly can be a huge advantage for you.
In my experience, I’ve been paid and been willing to pay more to get content written
on short notice.
If you follow all of these tips while also producing great written content, your clients
will want to use you for every single project.
And building this relationship with clients is the secret ingredient that will take your
freelance writing from a side hustle to a major source of income, and potentially even
your main source of income.
These are the very tips and rules I followed myself to create a great relationship with
my clients, and I can almost guarantee I would not have been as successful if I did things
any other way.
But if I’m having no difficulties making $30,000 a year with freelance writing, you
may be wondering why I’ve decided to quit.
As I discussed in a previous video, I’ve been working myself to death with side projects
and all types of work.
Freelance writing has been my biggest source of income outside of my full-time job, and
it’s been phenomenal for growing my investments and other passive income projects.
However, as with most kinds of work, my success with freelance writing is limited by the time
I have available.
At a certain point, you can’t earn any additional income with freelance writing without just
working more hours.
I realized I probably have the highest-paying writing gig I will ever have for the work
involved, but I don’t want to keep putting in the time required.
On the other hand, my YouTube channel has been growing rapidly lately, without me having
to put in any extra time each week.
So what would be my “hourly pay” is increasing over time with YouTube, while it’s essentially
maxed out with my freelance work.
And after hitting an all-time high for monthly revenue on YouTube in May, I’m actually
at a point where I may be earning more money on YouTube than I do with freelance writing.
Considering I love what I do here so much more than writing about liposuction and Botox®
and stuff, the time has come for me to focus on the next phase of my online career.
That said, I would not have gotten here without freelance writing, which has been a huge component
of my financial health over the years.
I really can’t recommend it enough for anyone who wants to get a little more money coming
in on the side or try out self-employment, and I hope this video helps to get you started.
If you have any comments at all about getting started, feel free to drop them in the comments
below.
If not, be sure to keep your eyes on the channel and I’ll see you next week for another video.