freelance creative writing jobs

freelance creative writing jobs

The Benefits of Freelance Creative Writing Jobs

1. Introduction

One of the most popular positions is creative writer. This is due to the fact that it is usually decentralized and can potentially allow the creative writer to maximize the use of their talents and realize greater profits. Many writers are looking at the possibility of launching out into the world of freelancing. The career outlook is quite excellent. According to info from Protagonist (2002), creative writing and editing jobs are expected to grow in the next decade. The Internet has provided creative writers with an endless amount of opportunities to make money from their writing. Websites need fresh new content on a regular basis to remain competitive. This is a tremendous opportunity for the freelance creative writer to make a solid living. Actually, it has been suggested that if a writer can develop a plan to land 5 to 10 regular clients, they can make a good living just by having these clients. Any other work that is landed in addition to these clients is just extra money in the bank.

2. Flexibility and Work-Life Balance

A lot about freelance writing is freedom. This can be one of the most satisfying aspects of writing for a living. If you work well under pressure or within strict guidelines, there is work that will meet those needs. Alternatively, if you’re the type of person who likes to create your own schedule and work at your own pace, there’s plenty of work out there for you, too. External structure for writers is often set by employers rather than in collaboration with the worker. With freelance writing providing a greater sense of independence, experienced writers can set their own deadlines and work hours. This situation can be an embodiment of freedom for the writer who wants to be able to work more when a deadline is nearby and take it easy during off-peak times. With a more haphazard schedule, writers can work intermittently and take days or weeks off at a time; it all depends on what the writer considers being a suitable work-life balance.

Freelance writers have the luxury of working from home, or wherever they happen to be at the time. While some writers might feel more comfortable working from an office, the option is always there to work from home. This can be a big plus if you have young children or are caring for a loved one. You can also save a good amount of money by not having to commute to work each day. Plus, you won’t have to buy a large wardrobe of professional clothing. Most importantly, no longer will you be bothered by a formal dress code. This means no more wearing uncomfortable business clothes. You can work in your favorite t-shirt and shorts. Imagine how much more productive you can be when you’re that much more comfortable.

3. Diverse Writing Opportunities

Today’s writers are not restricted to penning articles for print media. Writing opportunities are available over the internet, whether it is through copywriting or content writing for search engine optimization. Many companies and websites require a writer to compose articles on various topics with specific keywords. This type of work generally pays per article and offers a good income source for freelance writers. While some may argue it is tedious and restricts creativity, it must be said that it still allows the writer to work from home and choose from a variety of topics. There is also freelance work available for resume and academic writers. This type of writing is more traditional, and it will best suit someone who has a strong background in English. The diversity of writing jobs ensures that there will be something out there for everyone.

Freelance writing allows an individual to write on a wide variety of topics, from social sciences to TV and movie reviews. This freedom of expression and choice allows the writer to select assignments that she feels comfortable with. It also allows the writer to work at her own pace and select hours that are most productive.

4. Potential for High Earnings

Rewrite project instructions. Value and potential return is likely the most common concern for industries working in the creative fields, writing being no exception. According to the 1999 NEA Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, 5.6 percent of the U.S. adult population, or 11 million people say that they have used writing as a form of artistic expression. The survey also indicated that 7 million adults consider themselves creative writers. This is a substantial market. Now consider the rapidly growing population access to the internet. According to the Nielsen/NetRatings, an estimated 207 million Americans had access to the internet as of May 2003. This is an increase of 14 percent from March 2002. While not all these people are potential employers or clients, they do represent easy access to a very large market. Read more at Suite101: The Benefits of Freelance Creative Writing Jobs | Suite101.com [Link] Consider an increasingly web dependent market to be a massive expansion of print market. The price is right for content. As increasingly less traffic is seen on traditional magazines and newspapers and more traffic is seen in web print, the market for web content will grow. This simply means more work for writers. Due to a high speed demand for information seen in the web audience, many online companies are finding themselves in a position where they can’t write content fast enough, or they need to employ writers to boost the quality of their website copy. This comes as very good news to beginning writers. Web content is a broad market with a relatively low barrier to entry. Many people who have never before considered using their writing skills for money will try to tap into this market. Matching their low levels of experience, they will accept low paying jobs. How then is this good news to a beginning writer? As a new writer with little experience, it’s often very difficult to land a job. Experience is a writer’s best selling point, and without experience, it’s very difficult to get more experience. High supply low paying markets are the perfect place for a beginning writer to build portfolio. Heavily under pricing their worth, it’s not uncommon these writers will become discouraged after writing loads of content for unimpressive pay. But since low pay is generally acceptable to the unskilled worker, the job pool will remain open to more skilled and experienced workers. With new workers trying to move into higher paying jobs, high paying workers trying to occasionally take low stress/steady income jobs, and high paying workers trying to fill their high paying hours, there’s a model market pyramid. This is the very model the web content market will follow. At the very top of the pyramid is a small job pool consisting highly skilled and experienced writers doing high paying work. The size of the job pool and the skill/experience level required to enter it are directly proportionate to the supply and demand of the market. Considering the vastness of the emerging web content market, the high paying job pool is large and it will continue to grow. This is the high pay work a creative writer is looking for. Whether you want to occasionally pick up some interesting high paying work to escape the daily grind, or you want to make a career out of it writing for the top companies, this is the market to do it in.

5. Building a Strong Portfolio

While the writer builds a reputation as a dependable, respectable, and skilled freelance professional in any number of ways, there are a few methods which are almost guaranteed to generate positive results. Building a strong portfolio can provide the freelancer with evidence to potential clients of his or her skills as a professional in the field of writing. Query letters and proposals can often only provide the client with the writer’s word that he or she is adequate for the project. However, writing samples can allow the client to judge for themselves if the writer is of the quality that he or she claims to be. Clients will often ask for writing samples, so it is important that the freelance writer have many different samples of writing styles, genres, and topics to provide the client with. If the client prefers a certain style of writing, the writer can use the work in his or her portfolio to show other clients who may have a preference for that writing style. Another benefit to using writing to ‘show, not tell’ is that the work provided by clients can be added to the writer’s portfolio after the completion of the project. Not only will this build the portfolio, but it may lead to other clients requesting the same style of work. A professional blog can also help to build a portfolio as well as cultivate new clients. Jenn Mattern, a professional freelance writer, publicist, and blogger, suggests that a freelance writer who blogs can use the blog as both a portfolio and a resume. According to Mattern, the blog will attract a readership and if the writing is good, readers will come back for more. She says that she has landed well-paying clients because her blog has displayed her writing ability and expertise. Mattern notes that when a potential client inquires about her writing services, she can direct them to the blog and tell them to explore the archives and discuss what they find there. At a personal level, blogging can provide the writer with a productive place to do free writing while still showcasing the writing. The blog can be a ‘useful tool in the prevention of writer’s block’ and can be used to write on topics of personal interest that may not make a significant profit if they were published elsewhere.