Wondering how to become a freelance writer while staying home with your kids? Here’s the steps you need to take to get started and make your first $1,000 fast!
Hey there momma! Are you wondering how to become a freelance writer? I know it may seem impossible, with little kids running around, to break into the freelance writing industry, but I promise you, you can do it!
Freelance writing is one of the best careers you could have, as a stay-at-home mom. It’s easy to get started, and you can work around your children’s schedule. Plus, you can make money relatively quickly – especially compared to other avenues out there!
So, if you are seriously thinking about being a freelance writer, I’ll show you how I got started!
And, to help you take action immediately, I’ve even created a step-by-step checklist for you! Just give me your email address and I’ll send it to you!
Grab the freelance writing checklist &
Trello pitch board
{Some of the links below are affiliate links, momma, which means I earn a small commission if you decide to purchase the product or service. It costs you nothing extra and helps support Making Mommas. For more information, see my disclosure policy.}
How to Become a Freelance Writer Key Takeaways
As a sahm, I know you’re busy and have a lot going on- which includes reading this article!
So, if you are in a rush, momma, here are my top tips for starting a freelance writing business:
- Decide what kind of writer you want to be – Choose from copy writing, content writing, blog writing, ghostwriting, academia, grant writing, or columnist writing.
- Decide who you want to write for – Identify your ideal freelance writing clients.
- Choose your niche – What do you want to write about?
- Set up your freelance writer site – Grab Elna Cain’s Writer Site in a Weekend Course to get it done super fast.
- Build a portfolio of writing samples – Start guest posting or pitching to sites that pay you for submissions.
- Look for freelance writing jobs – Check out freelance writing opportunities on job boards, reach out to your network, follow other freelance writers, and make some cold pitches.
- Perfect your pitch – Create a template that you can reuse, including testimonials, when you get them.
- After you land your client – Wow them with your customer service and ask for a testimonial.
- Rinse and Repeat! – You’ll need to keep a steady stream of clientele.
There you have it, momma! Just pin this article and come back to it when you have more time.
What qualifications do you need to become a freelance writer?
You might think that you can’t become a freelance writer because you aren’t qualified. I know; I thought that at first too.
I was a social worker when I first started out. The only writing I ever did was grant writing. And although that is writing, it is completely different than the freelance writing work I now do!
Although many writers do have a background or experience in writing, not all do. Most freelancers are self-taught, learning as they go. Just like me and you!
In fact, to become a successful freelance writer, the only real skill you need is the ability to learn. 😁 Because if you are willing to learn, and work your butt off, you can do anything, momma.
Here’s a few other qualifications that can help you become a freelance writer:
- You thoroughly enjoy writing
- You have a knack for putting pen to paper
- You like to learn new things – and writing about them is even better
- You are a fast typer, or are willing to learn
- You are great at research
- You pay attention to detail
- You are organized and can create an effective writing routine
- You can meet deadlines
- You can “learn the language” – the lingo of the writing world
- You know how to create an outline
- You are willing to learn how to create effective titles, format correctly, add graphics, etc.
- You can follow a style guide to the T
- You can take criticism without losing your gasket
If you have these writing skills, momma, you can start a freelance career!
>>> To Do <<<
Go through the list above and highlight the skills you already have. Those you don’t – write them down on your to-do list! It’s time to start learning, momma. 😉
Then write down three specific things you can do to learn that first skill. Put the first thing you can do on your to-do list for tomorrow!
How much do beginner freelance writers make?
Ah, now that is the magic question, isn’t it?
The truth is freelance writers make as much or as little as they want to.
If you are a freelance writer, you run your own freelance writing business. That means you set your own prices, decide how many hours you want to put in, and how many clients you want to write for.
You can be a high achiever or a lazy bump on a log – or anywhere in between! It’s all up to you. It’s all up to you. You’re the business owner.
I have found that a freelance writing career is just like any other job – you start at the bottom and work your way up.
As you gain more experience, you charge more.
Some freelance writers charge per word
Many freelancers start out around 3-5 cents a word. That is definitely on the lower end. You wouldn’t want to stay there, but it is okay to start there. Sometimes it’s more about validation than it is about actually getting paid.
Your first paid article makes you feel like you made it!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 It builds confidence. I didn’t care how much I was making that first time. I was just happy someone was willing to pay me for my writing. 😆
Personally, I think 6 to 15 cents a word is okay. You have to hustle to make any money freelance writing at that price, though. I mean, if you think about it, you have to write 7,500 words a week to make $3,000 a month at 10 cents a word.
That could be one long article per week, four articles consisting of 2,000 words each, or five 1,500 word articles. Or anywhere in between. 😆
But, every time you get a new client, you raise your rates just a bit. And soon, you are making 25 cents a word! At that rate, you need only write one 3,000 word post a week to make $3,000.
See how it’s done?
Some freelance writers charge per piece
Now, some freelancers charge per piece, rather than word. And some clients prefer to pay freelance work per piece rather than word. It’s easier for them to budget that way.
My first paid post was for the Washington Post. I don’t remember how much I was paid for that one… 🤔 $100 flat rate?
But I regularly wrote for Grown & Flown not long after, and they paid a flat rate of $50 per article.
If you charge per piece, you want to figure out how long it will take you to write that piece, and then assign an hourly rate to it.
If your hourly rate is $20 an hour, and a post will take you 4 hours to write, you’d charge $80 for it. If it takes you 8 hours to write, you’d charge $160 for it. Capicé?
Some writers will just set standard rates, like $150 for 2,000 words and under, and $300 for 2,000 – 3,000 words. Or whatever. I’m just tossing out numbers, here. 😂🤣
The average annual salary of a freelance writer
According to Zip Recruiter, the average salary of a freelance writer in the United States is $68,690 per year. Or, $33 an hour. Some make more, some make less.
Just the other day, I saw a (full time) job posting for $128,000. 🤷🏻♀️
It’s what you make of it, momma!
>>> To Do <<<
Think about how much money you want to make, momma. What is your monthly goal? A couple hundred extra dollars? $1,000? $4,000?
And then work backwards.
1. Take your desired monthly salary and divide it by 4 weeks. That is how much you need to make each week.
2. Divide that weekly amount by how much you hope to be paid – 6 cents is a good starting point. That is how many words you need to write that week, to make that much money.
3. Now divide that word count by five days. That is how many words you need to write each day, to make your ideal weekly income.
Consider that most clients want anywhere between 1,500 and 3,000 words per post. How many posts would you have to write each week, to make your weekly income?
Is that doable?
If not, adjust your rate. Or lower your income goal.
How do I become a freelance writer with no experience?
Alrighty momma! If you are still reading, that means you are serious about becoming a freelance writer! And that’s awesome. 😁
Because freelance writing is the BOMB.
So, how to start being a paid freelance writer?
Just enter your email below and I’ll send you the checklist to get started with your freelance writing career!
Grab the freelance writing checklist &
Trello pitch board
1. Decide what kind of writer you want to be
I absolutely love writing for other moms. But I didn’t start out that way.
I started out thinking I was going to be a grant writer. After all, it was the only thing I knew how to do. 🤷🏻♀️ But back then, nonprofits didn’t think they needed a blog. Or a newsletter. Or website copy. Or pretty much anything else content marketing related. 🤣😂
And they didn’t hire grant writers – program managers did the writing.
So, I decided to pursue parenting.
But most parenting gigs are paid submissions, not actual clients. Sure, you can land a big contract, like writing for Huggies. But they aren’t going to hire you now. You’re just starting out!
You have to work your way up to the big wigs.
So, I spent a lot of hours submitting pitches to various publications and print magazines, hoping to be accepted. It didn’t take long before I grew tired of that. 😆
Then I spent many years wandering and dabbling, trying to find my niche – my little home on the internet.
And that’s okay. But there’s a much easier way to do it.
It’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do yet.
We’ll go through each kind of freelance writer, and then you can decide which ones you’d like to try on for size.
If they don’t work out, you just try another! Eventually you’ll find your home, too, momma. 😉
Freelance copywriter
First up, freelance copywriter!
If you are a freelance copywriter, it is your job to convince people to buy a product or a service.
That means you will use a proven, data-driven approach to your writing, because it’s all about content marketing and persuasion. You are trying to get the reader to take action with your content writing.
If you are a freelance copywriter, your writing jobs might include:
- Social media ads
- Slogans
- Tag lines
- Landing pages
- Project descriptions
- Sales pages
- Digital marketing campaigns
And so much more!
Freelance copy writing doesn’t pay too shabby, if you do it well. Your clients will make much more from your copy than they invested into it. 😉 So, you charge what it is worth to them.
Freelance content writer
A freelance content writer writes online content that informs, educates, or entertains the reader. The post you are reading right now is educational content – it is teaching you how to become a freelance writer.
If you are a freelance content writer, you need to know how to write articles for search engine optimization, that will rank well in Google. You also need to be able to write in a variety of styles and tones, as you’ll need to match your client’s voice, tone, and style.
Some examples of online writing you might do include:
- Blog articles
- Web pages
- Video scripts
- White papers
And so much more!
Freelance blog writer
A freelance blogger is also a content writer. If you are a freelance blog writer, you’ll be writing blogs for your clients.
That’s what I do. ☺️ And I love it!
Blog writing is very casual, as you can see, just from reading this blog. You write as if you are literally having a conversation with the reader.
But, as a an aspiring writer or blogger, you’ll need to match your client’s tone and style. If you are ghostwriting, which is often the case, you also need to be able to match your client’s voice.
Ghostwriter
If you are a ghostwriter, you write content on behalf of your client, giving credit for the written piece to your client.
Your goal is to sound and write exactly like your client does. The whole purpose is to lead the reader to believe your client actually wrote the piece.
Ghostwriting is a learned skill, and you can usually charge more for it.
I personally love the challenge of trying to sound like my clients. 😁
Ghostwriters also work closely with their clients, because they have to know how to speak like their clients speak. They must match their voice, style, and other specifications to a T.
Ghostwriters work on a variety of writing gigs:
- Fiction books
- Nonfiction books
- Manuscripts
- Online articles
- Manuals
- Speeches
- Marketing emails
And so much more!
If you like working with people, and can easily put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you may be a great fit for ghostwriting.
Freelance columnist
A freelance columnist writes a daily, weekly, or monthly column for a newspaper, magazine, or website. These articles are more journalistic than casual conversational pieces.
If you are a freelance columnist, you might write for a specific section of a publication, such as:
- Sports
- Politics
- Religion
- Family
- Parenting
- Cooking
The possibilities are endless!
Freelance Grant Writer
Breaking into grant writing isn’t easy. It’s a very technical form of writing, for one. And you have to have a good understanding of the nonprofit you are writing for.
But also, a lot of nonprofits have a very meager budget, and can’t afford to hire grant writers.
It’s not impossible, though. You just have to find a nonprofit with a big budget, who can afford to hire grant writers.
As a freelance grant writer, you will:
- Need to understand how the proposed program will work – the services it will provide, and the cost of providing those services
- Possibly help create the program
- Complete research for the funding proposal
- Write the entire proposal
- Edit the grant proposal
It can be challenging, momma, but it is fun!
>>> To Do <<<
Review this list, momma. Consider your past experience.
And then ask yourself these questions:
❓Which type of writing would you already have the skills for, if any?
❓Which type would you have to learn how to do if you decided to pursue it?
❓Which one sounds like the most fun to you?
Choose one, and write down three skills you need to learn, in order to be successful.
For example, if you want to be a blog writer, you will need to learn:
1. how to write a helpful post
2. how to follow a style guide
3. how to create graphics for that post
And then put one of the three skills on your to-do list for this week!
2. Decide who you want to write for
After you figure out what kind of writing you want to do, the next step is to decide who you want to write for.
Seems easy enough, but there’s actually a lot that goes into it.
There are basically three types of clients you could write for:
Consumers
Consumers are people who are consuming the product. 😉 So, on a blog, the consumers are the readers, or the target audience. On a website, the consumers are the readers -and the customers.
Consumers are the general public.
You are a consumer of this blog post. I am writing directly for you.
I enjoy writing for consumers. I also help other blog owners, by ghostwriting for their readers. Or by writing as myself and receiving a byline for my work.
Either way, I still help their consumer.
Businesses
You can also write for businesses. This is usually content marketing materials, such as a website, blog posts, and social media profiles.
Some people write B2C, which means they write on behalf of the business, with the purpose of persuading the consumer. B2C stands for Business-to-Consumer.
Another form of business writing is B2B, which is Business-to-Business. Instead of marketing to a consumer on behalf of the business, you market to another business. It’s businesses that serve other businesses.
Either way, your goal is to sell a product or service.
Publications
You can also write for publications, either as a regular contributor or a freelancer.
You really have to hustle, if you write for publications. You’ll be pitching submissions often. In fact, pitching will be a big part of your day.
But you can work your way into a contributor role, where you have a weekly or monthly column or two, and you are now on their staff. 😉
It’s more journalistic, working for a publication. A totally different style of writing, than say, blogging. But it’s fun!
I wrote a featured piece for Minnesota Parent (page 40) when I was just starting out. I was very proud of that one!
>>> To Do <<<
Take a moment to consider what type of client you’d love to work with, momma. Would you like to write for blog readers? Other consumers? Businesses? Nonprofits? Or publications?
You can easily mix and match the type of freelance writing jobs you provide with who you want to write for.
For example, I am a content writer and freelance blogger. I mostly write blog posts. And I write for other mom business owners, but I write for their readers. And I usually do this by ghostwriting.
So, I provide freelance content to small business owners, for their readers to consume. 😉
Your turn!
3. Choose a niche
After you decide what kind of service you provide, and who you want to provide it for, then it’s time to choose your niche!
Your niche will be the industry you want to write for, or the topic you want to write about.
Some niches you may consider include:
- Parenting and family life
- Health and wellness
- Financial
- Personal finance
- Health care
- Lifestyle
- Pets
- Travel
The possibilities are endless!
Choosing a niche sounds easy, momma, but it is HARD!! 😂🤣
If you can’t narrow it down yet, that is okay. A lot of new freelance writers, myself included, will dabble in a few different niches for a while, until they really decide where they fit.
For example, I wrote for clients in:
- Nonprofits
- Parenting
- Health care
- Accounting
- Fitness
- Gardening
- Beauty
- Education
Before I finally decided that my niche is personal finance and parenting. 🤣🤣
But I don’t limit myself. I still consider basically any niche because I LOVE learning new things. And I’m a great researcher. And so that makes it easy to write in niches I’m not an expert in.
>>> To Do <<<
Grab a sheet of paper and break it into four sections.
In the first section, write down all of your hobbies or interests.
In the second section, list out your skills, education, and professional expertise.
In the third section, write down everything you are very passionate about.
And in the last section, list your personal experience.
The perfect niche will be where all of these things intersect. 😆
For example, I’m in the parenting niche because:
- I am interested in parenting, and continuously read and learn about ways to be a better mom
- I have taken many parenting courses, as part of my professional education, and used to help parents be better parents, in my role as a social worker
- I’m extremely passionate about being a good mom – I get super angry when I see moms verbally abuse their own kids, or traumatize them, literally for lack of knowledge. Not because they want to, just because they don’t know any better.
- And my personal experience – I’m a mom of six!
Parenting was just a no-brainer. 😆 But it isn’t always this easy.
If you need more help, Elna Cain has a GREAT workbook, in her Write Your Way to 1K Course. It’ll walk you through choosing out your niche, amongst many other things.
4. Set up your freelance writer website
After you know what service you are providing, who you are providing it for, and what your niche is, it’s time to get your personal website set up!
You need a website for your freelancing business, to showcase your portfolio. A portfolio is a link with all of your best work in it. Your potential clients will want to see your writing style.
You need to be able to prove to them that you are as good as you say you are.😉
Your website is also where you list out your services, share your testimonials, and have a way for interested clients to get in touch with you.
It’s a pretty necessary part of your side gig, so it’s best to get it up and running before you actually start looking for clients.
And I promise you, momma, it’s not that hard to do. You can get it done in a weekend!!
Here’s how:
Choose your domain name
Most writers just use their real name. It works best.
For example, my site is Shannon Lambert, or shannonjlambert.com. Elna Cain used Innovative Ink (innovativeink.ca) when she first got started, and although that is still her url and domain name, her site goes by Elna Cain.
You really can use whatever you want, but since you are marketing a service, and your writing is the service, I’d go with your name.
Once you have a domain name in mind, type it into google and see if anyone has it. For example, if your name is Jane Doe, type in www.janedoe.com into google. You’ll see the name is already taken – and it’s a very odd site. 😂🤣
So, you’ll have to come up with a variation of your name. Or go with a different domain level.
As you can see in Elna’s url, it doesn’t end with .com. It ends with .ca. This is because Elna is in Canada, and .ca is like our .com.
Each domain level has a different purpose. For example, .com means it’s a commercial domain. And it’s what people naturally think of, when they type a url into the world wide web.
But some other options include:
.org – typically reserved for nonprofits
.net – used for network resources
.gov – government sites
.edu – educational sites
I’d stick with .com and just try a different domain name if I were you.
If your middle initial is J, you could try janejdoe.com. A quick google search of that shows a page that says, “We’re having trouble finding that site”, meaning it isn’t a site yet. And you can use it!
Select hosting
So, your domain name is the URL of your website. It is whatever follows the “www.” and ends with the “.com”. You can kind of think of it like your street address…it’s how people will find you, on the internet.
But your hosting is the building your business is housed in. It’s where your website lives.
And there are a ton of different hosting platforms.
I use Bluehost.
If you use Elna’s Writer Website in a Weekend course to get your website set up, she might use a different hosting service. I’m not sure.
I really like Bluehost. I have never had any troubles with them. And the couple of times that I haven’t been able to figure something out, I have just hopped on their chat feature, and someone from Bluehost took care of it immediately.
As a busy mom, you know that anytime you try to get on the phone to make a business call, all h-e-double-hockey-sticks break lose in your house! 😆 Bluehost’s chat feature has been priceless.
Install WordPress
Okay, so you have your building, which is your hosting. But now you need to decorate it (or remodel it!) to make it friendly and usable.
That’s what WordPress helps you do. If you install WordPress, you do not need to know how to use any code. WordPress offers you themes that you can customize for your website, instead. It’s super slick!
You could really spend days, weeks, months, yes, even years…. 🙄 playing around with your theme and designing your website. It’s fun! And it’s easy to get sucked in.
But you don’t have time for that!
If you’ve never had a website before, I’d highly HIGHLY recommend you use Elna’s Writer in a Weekend Course to get set up. Just use this weekend and go through her course, lesson by lesson. Get your website up and running and start looking for clients next week!
If you are a blogger, then you know how to do all of this. So go ahead and do it.
But….I’d recommend you use the Hello Theme and the Elementor PlugIn. The pro version.
Because it makes it so much easier!
I found this nifty little video when I relaunched my sites, and I followed it to a T. Now my sites are super freaky fast to load, and easy to set up! With Elementor, I was able to install their portfolio theme and customize it, no problems.
(Just ignore the part about setting up a shop…)
Set up your website pages
Okay, you have your website and your theme! Yay!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Now comes the fun part – setting up your pages.
You will need a:
- Home page
- About Me page
- Contact page
- Services page
- Portfolio page
That’s all you need to get started.
You can just follow your theme, and monkey around with the templates. Or you can use Elna’s course.
What if I can’t afford a website yet?
It is best to have your own website. I’d definitely invest in it, if I were you. But if you absolutely cannot afford it yet (which, believe me, I totally understand!) then Blogging Wizard has a great post on the different places you can host your portfolio for free.
>>> To Do <<<
Take the weekend and get your website up and running. If you’ve never done it before, enroll in Elna’s Writer Website in a Weekend Course. It’ll walk you through each step.
5. Create a few writing samples
After you get your website up and running, it’s time to start creating your samples!
So, when you start looking for freelance writing gigs, you’ll need a place to showcase your published work. Potential clients want to see what you can do, after all.
When these pieces are published, you link to them on your portfolio page. That way, if someone wants to see your portfolio, you got ‘em! Right there, ready to go.
But how does an aspiring freelance writer create writing samples when they’ve never been published?
Guest Post
Guest posts are articles that you write for another site – for free. And in exchange for the free article, they give you a byline.
This means you are listed as the author, with a short little biography.
Presto!
There’s a published post for your freelance writing portfolio. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t get paid for it – your potential clients just want to see that you are a good writer.
There are many sites that are open to guest writers. Usually all you have to do is google “write for us + _________” and fill the blank in with a website name or a niche.
A quick google search of “write for us + parenting” brings up all sorts of sites you can guest post on. 😉
Start a blog
Your own blog is a great way to showcase your work. When I decided to be a parenting and personal finance writer, I decided to beef up my blog. I had very little on there about money. And I’m glad I did!
Because now when I pitch to personal finance clients, I can refer back to this blog for samples.
Just a pro note here: when you first start writing your blog, you need to publish sample articles that are the same kind of writing you want to do.
So, if you want to be a case study writer, you need a case study on your blog. If you want to write reviews, need a few reviews on your blog.
You can either just start freelance writing on a separate blog, like I did, or put a blog on you writer’s site. Either one works.
Write for other platforms
There are tons of writer’s platforms that will publish your work for you!
Some are free, some are not.
>>> To Do <<<
Write a few samples, momma. Try to write one sample for each niche you want to write in, and for each type of writing you want to do. You need to be able to show your potential clients that you can write what they are looking for.
If you need a little help, get Elna’s Writing Sample Starter Kit – she’ll walk you through it all, momma! Pinky swear!
(That Elna! She thought of everything, didn’t she?!? 🤣😂 Love it!)
6. Look for your first writing job
Finally! 😆 You are ready to start looking for paid writing opportunities. That was a lot of work to get here, wasn’t it, momma?!? 😅
Okay, there are A LOT of different ways you can look for clients. It can be incredibly overwhelming.
And let me tell you, just between me and you – it will feel like an INCREDIBLE WASTE OF TIME.
So not kidding you!!
I hate pitching. Absolutely hate it. It’s a lot of work to send out a pitch. And there’s no guarantee that your pitch will even be opened, much less looked at.
As a busy mom, that will feel like a huge waste of your time.
And here’s another little truth bomb: if you do it wrong, it REALLY IS time wasted.
I should know. I spent YEARS wasting time. Sending off pitch after pitch and getting absolutely nowhere.
What did I do wrong?
A lot!! 😂🤣 But my BIGGEST mistake was not learning from someone who has already successfully landed clients.
I know you are on a tight budget. I know there’s nothing left to spare. But a course makes all the difference in the world!!
Know how I got my courses?
Every time my hubby asked what I wanted for my birthday, or for our anniversary, I told him about a course I wanted. 😁
I had Elna’s Write Your Way to 1K Course for probably 2 years before I finally decided to literally go through it, step by step.
I mean, read the lesson, watch the video, and then actually DO what she tells you to. Literally.
Know what happened?
I landed a client within two weeks!! 😂🤣 🤦🏻♀️ Instead of the years I had spent sending out one pointless pitch after another.
So not kidding you.
So, momma, if you want to fast-track your freelancing, and start landing clients immediately, just enroll in Elna’s course. You’ll get your money back with your first client.
Probably within two weeks. 😆
Apply to job boards
Okay, with that said! 😅 My next word of advice is to start applying to job boards.
NOT content mills. Okay? I want you to stay away from content mills!!
Content mills are places like Upwork and other such sites, that will pay you pennies for your work. Don’t go there! It’s not worth your time. Literally.
You are way to busy to be paid pennies for your precious time.
Instead, start with these:
- ProBlogger
- Freelance Writer’s Den
- LinkedIn Jobs
- Contena
- ClearVoice
- Contently
- nDash
- BloggingPro
- MediaBistro
- All Freelance Writing
- Cision
- Freelance Writing Gigs
- Freelance Writing
- JournalismJobs
- The Write Life
ProBlogger and Contena are my absolute favorite. ClearVoice is right behind them. MediaBistro is not too shabby either. 😉
I like job boards because you don’t have to cold pitch. With job boards, people are actively looking for writers, and they put out a job application, just like any other company.
You then apply. 🤷🏻♀️
Check them every morning, before you do anything else, and apply write away! They get A LOT of applications.
But don’t be discouraged. You just have to make your pitch stand out from the crowd. And there’s an easy way to do that: you match what you can provide to what the potential client is looking for.
If you want to learn how to do that, Contena has an awesome course!! I took their course, and started pitching the way they teach, and landed nearly every client I pitched to! 😂🤣
It makes perfect sense, really.
But I know you can’t take two writing courses, so don’t worry – Elna has a great process as well. Like I said, I landed my first client within two weeks of following her course.
Use social media
Okay, I’m not going to lie. I don’t use social media.
I hate social media. 😆
One day soon, when I’m not so busy, I’m going back to Elna’s course though, and will at least start using LinkedIn the way she teaches. 😅
So, I really can’t tell you much about using social media. But I can tell you that people do successfully use it.
Cold pitch
I rarely land a client cold pitching. Mostly because I no longer do it. 😂🤣 But I used to do a lot of it! And let me tell you – I got pretty good at accepting criticism! And crickets. 😁
When you cold pitch, you reach out to companies you’d like to write for and let them know about your services. It’s a numbers game – the more pitches you send out, the better chance you get of landing a client.
A lot of people are successful with this.
There really is a formula to cold pitching. And you can use the same formula for your guest post and submission pitches as well. So once you get good at it, you can use it anywhere.
Again, if you want to learn all about it, enroll in Elna’s course. 😁
Reach out to your network
Know anyone in real life who needs a writer? 😁
People in your old industry?
I was a social worker. So, I reached out to the nonprofits I used to rub elbows with. I had to agree to work for free, but I did land a gig. 😆 I still use it in my portfolio, too!
So, think of the different places in your real life that need content, momma. This might be places like:
- The school
- The library
- The newspaper
- Nonprofits 🤷🏻♀️
- Small businesses
- Literally anyone who has a website 😆
If you need help getting started, Elna does have a good article about networking:
>>> How to Network to Land Online Jobs for Writers <<<
Get to know other freelancers
If you get to know other freelancers, they can help you get started.
We’ve all been where you are right now, momma. And we all want to see you succeed! So don’t be shy!
- Follow them on social media
- Join their Facebook groups
- Join their email lists
- Comment on their posts
- Offer to write for them, if they have a website
The neat thing about Elna’s Write Your Way to 1K course is that she runs a private Facebook group for all course participants. So, you meet TONS of other writers! And they all want to see you succeed.
Plus, she does training videos, just for her group. It’s fantastic.
Pitch to sites that accept paid submissions
That’s how I got started, momma. I pitched to places like The Washington Post, A Fine Parent, and Grown and Flown.
They accepted my pitch, I wrote the article, and was paid for it. They never became a client. But I did write quite a few articles for Grown and Flown.
I personally grew tired of constantly having to pitch. I like to have steady clients, and weekly assignments.
But to each their own! Some people thrive on it.
To find paying clients to pitch to, you can do a google search, or browse Elna’s website. She has some articles there. Of course, she has a list in her course as well. 😉
>>> To Do <<<
The easiest way to assure you get started freelancing as quickly as possible is to take a course, momma! And I can’t recommend Elna Cain’s Write Your Way to 1K enough!! Like I said, I sat on her course for years before finally dusting it off and implementing it, literally step by step.
And I landed a client in two weeks!
I know you can do the same. Just do what she says. 😉
But, if that isn’t a possibility right now, then commit to browsing job boards every morning. Challenge yourself to apply to one job a day!
You can do this momma!!
7. Perfect your pitch
Pitching is hard. But there is a formula to it, and once you learn the formula, it gets easier. Because then all you have to do is copy and paste your pitch – and of course, personalize it for each potential client. 😉
I use a word document to keep my pitch template on, and then I use a task management program, such as Trello, to track my pitches. I create a card for every pitch I send.
I put the pitch on the card, and then track any responses as well. I also move the card from 1st follow up, to 2nd follow up, etc. It makes it super easy!
If you want to use my Trello board to track your own pitches, just give me your email! I’ll send the link to the Trello board with the freelance writing checklist.
Grab the freelance writing checklist &
Trello pitch board
One thing to keep in mind while pitching: it’s a number’s game. The more pitches you send out, the more successful you’ll be. And it can be disheartening, because the majority of your pitches will be rejected.
But that’s normal. Just keep pitching until you get one that is accepted. 😁
Also, a little trick I learned from Contena: as you land clients, and they love your work, collect testimonials! You’ll need them for your website, but you can also put them in your pitches!! It made a BIG difference for me when I started doing that.
>>> To Do <<<
Create a pitch template that you can use over and over again for each pitch. Also, grab your copy of my Trello board and start tracking your pitches. You’ll need to follow up!
Grab the freelance writing checklist &
Trello pitch board
8. After you land your client
Getting your client is the first step, momma! After you land your client, you not only have to write for her, but you also have to totally impress her! You want to keep your client, after all.
I have had clients that I wrote for a month for, only to be let go at the end of the month. ☹️ It happens. You aren’t going to be a perfect fit for everyone.
I think of it like a doctor or hair stylist. Some you just LOVE. And some you know you will never go back to. 🤷🏻♀️ You want your client to JUST LOVE you!!
Here’s how:
Be a professional writer
I had a client that I worked my butt off to get. She paid GREAT. But because she told me she didn’t use deadlines, I always put her work at the bottom of my list. I got all of the work done that had deadlines first.
After completing only two articles in maybe three or four months, she let me go. 🤦🏻♀️ Just because she didn’t give me a deadline didn’t mean she wasn’t high priority.
It was very unprofessional of me. And it cost me my highest-paying client.
No matter what you do, be professional. Every client is important and should be treated as such. You should make each and every client feel like they are your only client.
Super hard lesson for me to learn.
Under promise and over deliver
Never ever promise something, and then don’t deliver. In fact, it’s always better to under promise, and then blow them away afterwards.
If they ask you how long it will take you to write something, tell them longer than you actually think it will, and then work your butt off to get it done before the deadline. Your client will be amazed with your quick turn around!
Make necessary edits quickly
This is another reason why I lost that above-mentioned client. Again, because I didn’t feel the need to hurry, I did their edits last.
Edits should be given more priority than a new project, as your client is waiting on that piece. Make those edits the same day you received them if you can.
Invoice your client
I send all invoices out on Friday. That helps me to stay on top of them and feel more professional. But some clients like an invoice just as soon as they approve the piece.
So, talk to your client and find out what process works for them, but be sure you send an invoice. If you forget, they aren’t going to remind you. 😉 And you don’t want to work for free.
Ask for a testimony
Don’t do it right away. But after you’ve worked with your client for a couple of months, and built that relationship, go ahead and ask for a testimony! If you are doing your job, she’ll be more than happy to give you one.
And then use it in your pitching and on your website.
>>> To Do <<<
Set up a writing routine, complete with a time set aside for editing and invoicing. Create a checklist for each client as well, so that you remember to ask for a testimony after a couple of months.
9. Rinse and repeat!
If you want to make money, you’ll need more than one client. So, you have to go through the entire process again and again.
Also, keep in mind that some clients will just quit.
I had a client who got hit by the power outage in Texas a couple of years ago. She used that time to rethink her life, and decided she was taking her blog in a different direction, and no longer needed my services.
I had another who told me he was buying a house and had to let me go for a while. When I checked in on him later, he had completely taken his blog down. ☹️
These things happen, and you have to be ready for them. Don’t rely on just one or two clients to fuel your business. And always be ready to quickly replace a client when you lose one.
>>> To Do <<<
Keep a running list of potential clients, so that you can quickly pitch to one when needed. I use my Trello board for this.
Grab your FREE freelance writing checklist, momma, and the link to my Trello board, to get started freelance writing today!!
Grab the freelance writing checklist &
Trello pitch board
How to become a freelance writer: FAQ’s
Alright, momma, I know that was a lot!! And I know you have more questions than answers right now. 😆
So, let’s go over a few of the most asked questions. And if you still have more questions, then post them in the comments below. I’m happy to help!!
How much do freelance writers charge?
I think we covered this extensively above, so I’ll just recap for now. 😉
Just like in any other profession, you are paid based on your skills and experience. The more experience you have, the more you can charge. Likewise, the more skills you can showcase, the more you can charge.
You need to start at the bottom and work your way up, charging each client just a little bit more than the last one.
If you can start out around 6 cents a word, I think that is great. I wouldn’t go much lower than that. Unless you are really having a hard time landing clients and are getting desperate. 😉
And there’s no shame in that. Sometimes it’s more important to land that first client than it is to worry about how much you are making.
Personally, I think a good price is 15 cents per word. I’ll happily work for that. 😁 But some freelancers charge 25 cents per word.
You could also charge a flat rate per piece. For example, $100 for 1,000 words and under.
Or you could charge different rates for different types of content. If you provide technical writing, ghost writing services, highly optimized posts, etc., you might want to charge more than you would for a simple blog post.
How much you charge also depends on who your client is. Some clients have bigger budgets than others. For example, if you write for Huggies, they will pay you more than my little mom blogger can afford to pay me. Huggies has a far bigger budget.
The best way to set your rates is to figure out how much money you need to make, and how many clients you can handle.
Then you adjust your rates accordingly.
How hard is it to become a freelance writer?
That honestly depends on you, momma. How hard do you want to work? 😁
It took me YEARS to land my first client. I wrote a lot for publications, but I couldn’t seem to land a client that would give me consistent, weekly work.
Until I dusted off Elna’s Write Your Way to 1K Course (virtually dusted it off, of course…) and literally did what she said to do – in the order she said to do it. When I did that, I landed a client in just two weeks! 😂🤣🤦🏻♀️
If you can afford to, invest in a course. It’ll keep you from wasting time. But if you can’t, you just gotta know that you’ll have to put in the time. There’s no way around that.
Time is money. 🤷🏻♀️
Can a blogger be a freelancer?
Absolutely! In fact, I’d recommend it.
A lot of other freelance writers, such as Elna Cain, are also bloggers.
I started freelancing to support my blogging habit. 😁 No, seriously. My blog doesn’t make a lot of money. 😂🤣 My freelancing income supports Making Mommas.
I’m working towards monetizing my blog (I’m taking an awesome course, momma, that’ll get me there too!) but until that happens, I needed another way to bring in some money.
So, I use everything I’ve learned to help other moms get started! And you can too.
In fact, the fastest way to monetize a blog is to offer a service.
How much do freelance bloggers charge?
Freelance bloggers charge the same as writers. In fact, Elna Cain makes a lot of money as a freelance blogger. And she’ll show you exactly how she does it, in her Freelance Blogging in a Weekend Course.
How do freelance writers get paid?
Just like in any other business, you need to invoice your client.
Your client will then pay you through Paypal, Wise, or some other service. Or, in some instances, your client may directly deposit the money into your bank account.
Some clients will even send you a check in the mail. It really depends on what the two of you have agreed to.
Do I need an LLC for my freelance writing business?
No, not right away. And not unless you want to. A sole proprietor works just fine.
How do I make my first $1,000 as a freelance writer?
Okay, momma, after you go through the steps I laid out above, to find freelance writing jobs, you rinse and repeat. Until you hit your goal.
But there are a few other things you can do, as well…
1. Commit to your goal
Don’t start freelance writing, and then quit! Keep going!!
Remember why you started this journey – to make enough money to stay home with your kids. That is so important!! Well worth committing to.
My best piece of advice is to deliberately become obsessive. 😆 To the point where you literally have a one-track mind: land a client, land a client, land a client, land a client… 🤣🤣
And don’t stop until you do!
If you have trouble committing to your goal, read my post How to Commit to Your Goals.
2. Set aside time for your new freelance writing career
If you want to start your own freelance business, momma, you have to treat it like a business. That means scheduling freelance writing time, just as if you’d go into work.
Take a mean look at your schedule and figure out where you can carve out some time to dedicate to your new business.
Even if it means getting up early, staying up late, or working the weekends. Sometimes you have to do that, to get something new up and running.
And then put that time down in your planner! Write it in! It is YOUR time, for YOUR NEW BUSINESS. Take it seriously, and don’t let anyone infringe on that time.
3. Ask for support
Sometimes you need to NOT do something, so that you can work. This might be making supper, cleaning up the house, or taking care of the kids.
And then it will be important to ask for help. Either from your husband, friends, or other family members. You may even have to hire a sitter from time to time, to get your freelance writing done.
That’s okay! Do what you need to do and don’t feel guilty about it. Your family will thank you later, when you have the flexibility to run to the pool on a hot afternoon or pick up a sick kid from school. 😉
4. Take a freelance writing course
Now, you can do what I did, and spend years trying to hit $1,000 all by yourself.
Or you can just cut to the chase and take a freelance writing course.
(I’ll list a bunch at the end of this post.)
But then, again, you can do what I did, and just let that course sit there, on your virtual shelf, for a couple of years, while you try to hit $1,000 all by yourself… 😆
Or you could make the commitment to actually implement everything taught in the course. And land that client immediately.
And make $1,000 in a month. 🤷🏻♀️
Obviously, I don’t want you to do what I did. So just get the course and get busy!
Is freelance writing a good career?
Yes! Freelance writing is a great career, especially for stay-at-home moms.
What I love about freelance writing:
- You can work from home!! 😁
- You set your own schedule. That means you can work around your children’s needs.
- You also get to determine your own workload. You can take on as many clients as you’d like – a lot, or just one. Of course, this, in turn, determines how much you make.
- You get paid to learn new things!! I love researching new things and then getting paid to write about what I just learned.
- You get to meet new people. One of my favorite clients is a sweetheart who lives not too far from where I grew up. 🥰 How cool is that?!? 😂🤣
- It’s challenging work. I mean, you are starting your own business. Whether you succeed or fail is ultimately up to you.
- It’s a creative outlet. If you like creating things, freelancing is a great career. There is an art to it.
- It’s easy to get into. I mean, most of the time. 😆 But it doesn’t take any special skills or fancy education. Just persistence and the ability to learn.
- The sky is the limit. You can earn as much as you want to! You can even scale your business, and hire writers underneath you.
Freelance writing is the perfect side gig for a busy mom like you. But there are some drawbacks, just as there are with any career.
So, here’s what I don’t like about the freelance writing jobs:
- It’s inconsistent income. Especially when you are first getting started. You’ll gain – and lose – clients for a while. Until you kind of get into your groove, and have a process worked out.
- It takes self-discipline. You don’t have a boss standing over you, telling you when to get up, when to turn in that assignment, and how many pitches to send out this week. You have to do all of those things yourself. And hold yourself accountable. Or you won’t see success.
- Speaking of bosses…you have many. Not just one. 😬 Yes, you work for yourself, and you are your own boss. But really, every one of your clients is also your boss. You meet their deadlines, do the work they assign you, and make the edits they request. Or they fire you. 🤷🏻♀️
- It can be boring. And repetitive. It depends on your clients, but I’ve had some that give me a template, and then I just copy and paste it each time, with new research and a new keyword. Not fun. 😬
- Deadlines are tough. Especially with small children. You may find yourself working at inopportune times, such as on the way to the lake, or while everyone is out enjoying the campfire, because you have a deadline to meet.
- Burnout happens quickly. Especially if you push yourself and have a heavy client load. The other thing I’ve noticed is that if you are a blogger, you have to treat your own blog as a client, as well. If you don’t, you won’t make time for it, and you’ll start to resent your real clients, because they are taking you away from your blog. 😂 You don’t want that to happen.
- It gets lonely. Especially if you are a very social person.
Take a moment, momma, to weigh the good vs. the bad. You don’t want to waste time pursuing something that isn’t going to work for you. If that’s the case, there’s so many other online jobs, besides freelance writing, that you can do to make money from home!
Check out some of these:
19 Exciting Online Business Ideas for Sahms
10 Easy Online Business Ideas You Can Start for Super Cheap (or free!)
At the end of the day…
At the end of the day, momma, it’s all about making money from home, doing something that you love. So that you can stay home and be with those that you love, more than anyone else, in the whole entire world – your babies.
And when our babies are the driving force behind what we do, we can do anything. 😁 Seriously. There is nothing you won’t do for your child.
If done right, freelance writing will give you the income and flexibility that you need, to provide for your family AND to be there for your family.
It’s every mom’s dream. 🥰
And it’s easy to get started!
If you want a step-by-step checklist to follow, of everything we just talked about, give me your email! I’ll send you one, lickety split. And you can get started building your dream life with freelance writing.
Today. 😁
Happy writing, momma!!
Grab the freelance writing checklist &
Trello pitch board
More on freelance writing & blogging
35 Online Mom Jobs that Actually Make Money for Stay at Home Moms!
Mom Blogger Elna Cain Answers Our Biggest Questions About Blogging
19 Exciting Online Business Ideas: How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom
10 Easy Online Businesses for Stay at Home Moms to Start for Super Cheap or Free
7 Quick Steps to Starting a Mom Blog
Freelance Writing Resources
Write to 1K – A step-by-step course to get started as a freelance writer
Freelance Blogging in a Weekend – learn SEO and B2B writing skills
Freelance Writing Prep Masterclass – learn everything you need to get started freelancing
Get Paid to Write Online – a free email course
Become a Rockstar Freelancer – a free mini course to start freelancing
Website Writer in a Weekend – a step-by-step course to create your freelance writing site
Contena Academy – A step-by-step course + job board to get started as a freelance writer
