How To Land Your First Freelance Writing Jobs

When it comes to making money with writing, then it makes sense that you’ll need to find the most lucrative freelance writing jobs. But like with most things, that’s easier said than done. The world of online copywriting is a competitive one – and if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s easy to lose out on fantastic freelance writing jobs to both senior writers and copywriting mills that outsource their work on the cheap.
That’s where this article comes into play. I’m going to show you the steps I used to quickly land my first freelance writing jobs and establish myself as one of the top online writers working today. Some of the methods are traditional, while some might cause a few online freelance writers to collapse in shock. But not to worry – if you follow these tips, I guarantee you’ll get your first job freelance writing in just a few days:
Come Up With A Freelance Writing Portfolio. One of the biggest hurdles that many online freelance writers face is the lack of a writing portfolio. They think that since they don’t have any experience as a writer, they’ll never be able to land any lucrative projects.
Well, I’m here to tell you that this is a load of you-know-what. Clients with those freelance writing jobs don’t care if you’re an experienced journalist with a list of credentials to your name. All they care about is that you’ve got the goods to get their project done on time, in budget and with a smile. That’s why I tell all my clients to write up 500-word articles on topics – any topic – that they can use as portfolio samples. Think of it this way: if art students can use their school projects as portfolio samples to land jobs, then you can do the same as well!
Don’t Talk About Your Credentials. If you want to see those freelance writing jobs disappear at the drop of a hat, then go on – talk about your lack of experience or your minimal credentials. If you actually want to land a lucrative project, then frame your bid in terms of how your talents, skills and dedication for the job can take a client’s project to the next level.
After all, “I’m truly dedicated to delivering a high-quality product that reflects your company” sounds so much better than “I have a BA in English,” doesn’t it?
Underbid. I know, I know – if you want to make money writing, then this should be considered the cardinal sin. But if you want to land that first freelance writing job and get five-star feedback, sometimes you have to play a little dirty to win. However, don’t make a habit of this technique: consider it your get-out-of-a-freelance-writing-rut-free card.