You have writing skills… and the thought of running freelance writing business begins to inspire you. Before you hop into the venture, it’s important to understand the models of freelance writing. Here is all you need to know about the business.
What is Freelance Writing?
Sir Walter Scott was the first person to use the word “freelance” in 1771 to describe a medieval warrior. Using the name "free-lance" means that the mercenary's lance or spear is not limited solely to servicing the lord; it can service anyone who is willing to pay.
Today, the word means a self-employed individual who, like the knight or the mercenary, can service anyone for a pay. Therefore, a freelance writer is a writer who works for a company, an organization, or an individual on contractual basis.
With the help of the Internet, most freelance writers get their jobs online from bidding sites, such as Elance.com, oDesk.com, and Freelancer.com, or sell their custom-made articles through marketplaces like Ghostbloggers.net and ConstantContent.com.
Freelance writers also work offline for organizations, individuals, and media outlets. Some of the services freelance writers offered include:
• Article writing
• Web content writing
• Product description
• Copy writing
• Essay/non-fiction writing
• Fiction writing
• Ghost writing
• Journalistic writing
• Speech writing
• Grant/proposal writing
How Lucrative is Freelance Writing Business?
As the population of Internet users, bloggers, and online businesses has increased over the course of years, so does the demand for writing jobs has also increased.
According to the Web Server Survey (2012), there are more than 633 million websites as of December 2012. And most of these sites rely on the services of freelance writers to fill their web pages with informative content.
Freelance writers are, therefore, in high demand to write copies, newsletters, proposals, business plans, and articles for businesses and web masters. And that is why writers are earning decent amount of income from their services.
A recent survey shows that 44% of freelance writers earn under $1,000 per month, 27% receives between $1,000 and $2,000 by the month, and 28% brought in over $2,000 monthly.
Also, an Elance.com survey showed a top article writer who made about $16,000 for the period of 6 months only.
However, the amount of money that a freelance writer can make depends on so many factors, such as:
• Individual expertise
• Experience
• Time investment
How Much Do You Need to Start Freelance Writing?
Not much. Since you can start your freelance writing business through the Internet, you can operate it from the comfort of your home. For startup, you only need a small sum of money – less than $1,000 will do – to purchase the following items:
• A PC (or laptop computer)
• Microsoft Word Document
• Internet connection
You can also use your Smartphone to do freelance writing business online. Some freelance writers prefer renting small office to do their writing work, as it gives them the convenience they needed to operate. If you prefer to rent an office, add up the leasing cost to your startup capital.
Freelance writing business is competitive. Millions of writers are out there proposing for jobs on bidding sites and marketplaces. If you can compete and commit, you can launch a successful freelance writing career and stay financially independent.
Topic: Read This Before You Venture into the Freelance Writing Business (Read 2538 times)
