Freelance Writing Questions: Creating A Writing Business

by Sharon Hurley Hall on January 28, 2008 · 7 comments

in freelance writing, Freelance Writing Questions, writing business, writing career

If you’re going to write for a living, then you need to put your writing life on a business footing. That doesn’t mean giving up the pleasure of writing; it just means that you need to take it seriously and get others to do the same. So how do you transform your writing from a hobby into a business?

Professional Presentation

One of the first things to do is to present yourself professionally. These days, that means having a decent website that includes:

  • your name and contact details (either an email address or a contact form)
  • a resume or CV which shows your education and writing background
  • some samples of work
  • some real testimonials
  • a photo and some text about you that makes you human
  • your rates (this is optional; not all writers do it)

That’s only the beginning. Once you’ve got an online presence (I always recommend that you buy your own domain), it’s time to let people know. You can do this by optimizing your website and promoting your site through article marketing.

Create Some Profiles

Next, set up profiles at some of the major freelancing sites. I love the profile features at Ifreelance. Although I don’t take many projects from there, it has been invaluable as a promotional tool. There are many other freelancing sites out there. It’s up to you to find the one that works best for you. Whichever you choose, remember to include a link to your website and to your best work.

Subscribe to the feeds of the major sites that offer freelance writing jobs. Use a feed reader or have the latest job listings come directly to your inbox. This means that you’ll be able to bid for jobs as soon as they are posted.

Writing Samples

Prepare some samples that match the kind of writing jobs you are looking for. It will save time when prospective clients ask you to show what you can do. In my samples folder, I have a ‘how to’ article about blogging, an article on consumer finance and another on real estate. However, my website has links to articles on parenting, blogging, education and all sorts of other areas we have covered.

I haven’t talked about equipment yet. You’ll need a computer with a decent internet connection, a word processing program, a spreadsheet or accounting program for tracking your writing work and finances and some equipment for recording interviews. I also find it handy to have a desk diary or online calendar for keeping track of deadlines.

I’m not claiming that this list is exhaustive. Writers will have additions that they can’t do without. However, this setup works for me. What did you find essential when you moved your freelance writing from being a hobby to being a business?

Got more freelance writing questions? Ask them here.

Technorati Tags: ,,,

Tagged as: freelance writing, get paid to write, writing, writing business, writing career

Article by

Sharon Hurley Hall has been mentoring writers here at Get Paid To Write Online since 2005 to help them improve and build sustainable and successful writing careers. Check me out on sharonhh.com. Feel free to connect with me online on Google+.

Sharon has written 653 awesome articles for us at Get Paid to Write Online

Twitter: @SHurleyHall | Facebook | | Blog → Writing Portfolio

{ 7 comments }

Amy January 28, 2008 at 17:42

Thank you. That was some great advice! :)

Alexander Kohl January 28, 2008 at 18:41

Great idea to set up profiles at the bidding sites.
Do you get inquiries through them or mainly send interested clients there?

Katherine January 28, 2008 at 22:32

These are all great ideas! This is why I love reading your blog. :) I’ve been doing this freelance thing for a while, and I never even thought of putting the feeds in a feed reader so I can bid on projects right away.

Sharon
Twitter:
January 29, 2008 at 08:23

Thanks for your comments, everyone. Alexander, I get inquiries through my site, but I use the profiles when bidding/sending queries to encourage prospective clients to look at my work. Katherine, I got a job this week, because I was able to be one of the first three bidders. :)

Opal Tribble - Addicted To Writing January 30, 2008 at 15:09

These are excellent tips.

I’m currently working on the list you mentioned. I put it on my “to do” pile for this week. Actually, I need to do something like this on my main website also. I’ve received most of my clients from my main website. I have business products for my natural skin & hair care business, but I need to business cards that focus on writing.

I had my picture on my website, but I took it down. I want to take another photo and add it to my about page. I like seeing the face behind the author. I always flip to the back of the book to see whether the writer has included their photo. :-)

Sharon
Twitter:
February 1, 2008 at 14:13

Thanks, Opal. You should have seen my first website picture – I decided that it didn’t convey the image that I wanted, so I removed it. I like seeing the face behind the blog, too. :)

gracepub April 26, 2008 at 02:40

I just finished writing a few articles on ‘how to write a CV’ and what business owners look for in a CV. Most writers don’t understand that it should be a snapshot of their passions and talents – not a list of their education and jobs.

Previous post:

Next post: