Legitimate Freelance Writing Jobs Online: How To Become A Successful Writer

There are plenty of freelance writing jobs out there on the Internet. If you can write well, you can make money. The growing importance of high-quality web content has created more writing jobs than ever before, making good writers an indispensable asset for companies in every industry. A college degree can be an advantage, but you don’t actually need one. In fact, your portfolio is usually more important to clients than your educational history.

If you’re new to the world of content writing, it can seem a bit intimidating. You might not be sure where to start looking for work. Fortunately, there are numerous places you can go to find real, legitimate jobs that really pay you money. Not all of the work will pay particularly well, especially when you’re starting out. In fact, you might want to start out part-time until you can begin to attract clients that pay higher rates. Many beginning jobs pay less than minimum wage. A career as a freelance writer has tremendous growth potential, with most writers able to support themselves full-time. Some even make six figures a year. To get there, you have to work hard and start from the bottom.

Where to Look for Legitimate Freelance Writing Jobs Online

There are a number of places where you can find real writing jobs online. One of the first things you can do is to sign up with a “content mill.” These websites higher writers, and assign content to them from various clients. They act as a middleman. They’re a great place to get started, and although the pay starts rather low, it often increases over time if you’re producing good work. You’ll gain valuable experience, and may even be able to use some of the work in your portfolio. However, keep in mind that in a way, you’re being cheated financially. This isn’t entirely a bad thing, since content mills offer beginning writers the opportunity to get their foot in the door and start getting paid to write. However, in the end, they’re paying you a fraction of what they charge each client per article.

Once you have some experience and have proven that you can write good, engaging, high quality content, the eventual goal is to go through customers directly. You can also consider finding a full-time position as an in-house content writer at a marketing firm. These tend to pay a decent entry-level wage, sometimes with a salary and benefits like health insurance. Full-time freelancing isn’t for everyone, and once you have experience, it’s worth considering the option of transferring your skill set to a regular office job. If you prefer working on your own terms, there are ways of finding clients more directly.

• Craigslist. On Craigslist, you can easily find dozens of listings for writing jobs and gigs. Some of these are directly from businesses that need content, and others are through marketing agencies who hire teams of writers. Both options are considerably more lucrative than content mills.
• Bidding sites like Elance and Odesk. These sites allow you to bid on various projects. You submit a proposal along with your rate, and the client chooses the candidate that best fits their needs.
• Real-world networking. The importance of actual networking cannot be overlooked. One of the best ways to find excellent, highly paid work is to meet actual people. Finding your first contacts can be tough, but once you have them, it progressively becomes easier to meet more of them. Over time, you can build a network of contacts that keeps you supplied with a steady stream of work.