Everything you need to know about getting started as a freelancer, including free templates and downloads.
New to freelancing? You’ve come to the right place!
First, before you do anything else, click here to get five free case studies of how Natasha, once a beginner just like you, broke into The New York Times and TIME magazine from India. Discover how she sold a single story idea multiple times for $10,000 (and won an award for two of those pieces!), and became a contributing editor at ELLE magazine.
These stories give you the push you need to get started as a freelancer and understand that you can succeed in this career, no matter how new or inexperienced.
Then go ahead and read these three articles:
How To Get Freelancing Work When You Have No Clips
11 Rookie Mistakes You Need To Stop Making Now
How I Sold 100 Articles During My First Year Of Freelancing
Next, these tools will make getting started easier.
Scrivener will streamline your workflow and help you plan stories. Read this to see why it’s awesome.
For invoicing and bookkeeping, try Freshbooks for free.
Lastly, build a basic website. Read this article on how to set up a writer website in three easy steps.
Of course, that’s just the beginning. Read the articles below to continue getting started as a freelance writer.
The Freelance Writing Three-Year Plan
For those of you just starting out or needing that plan of action that can help you get a kick of inspiration, here’s my freelance writing three-year plan.
How I Sold 100 Articles During My First Year Of Freelancing
During my first year, I had over 100 bylines, some in national magazines, others in small websites that no one had ever heard of. How did I do it? Here’s the lowdown on how I got started.
How To Set Up A Writer Website In 3 Easy Steps
You can set up your own writer website and portfolio for as little as $100. In this post, I’m going to show you how.
How To Choose The Best Writing Clips For Your Portfolio Website
The whole point of your portfolio is that readers and editors can get a sense of your writing.
4 Things You Must Do After You’ve Finished An Assignment
There are four things you should do after you’ve finished an assignment that will get you paid faster and improve your chances of getting the next one.
6 Mistakes That Cost You Money And Assignments
Are you making these mistakes with your writing and do they cost you money?
How To Believe In Yourself As A Writer
How do you believe in yourself as a writer, knowing with certainty that you really do have talent and skill, when everything in your career seems to come ricocheting back at you at full speed?
5 Things You Must Unlearn To Succeed As A Freelancer
Like with most other industries, there are myths that perpetuate in the writing world. Here’s what you should ignore when getting started.
11 Rookie Mistakes You Need To Stop Making Now
Here are some of the mistakes I see fairly frequently and why they matter. Are you making any of them?
42 Lessons For A Successful Writing Career
Want to build a successful writing career? Here’s how to do it.
What Hiring Freelancers Has Taught Me About Freelancing
It’s a very good idea that we learn from the successes and mistakes of others by hiring freelancers and seeing how much (or how little) they can deliver.
How To Get Freelancing Work When You Have No Clips
So what do you do when you have a lot of heart but no samples to share with editors and potential clients?
Stop Obsessing And Send That Query Now
Been guilty of obsessing over your query letters and spent countless hours procrastinating. Get started by sending them out. Here’s how.
Questions To Ask About Every Article Idea That Will Help You Make The Sale
Use the following checklist to determine whether you have a winner or another stale idea that the editor’s been rejecting for years.
Bye-Bye Bollywood: How To Use A Specialty To Launch A Successful Freelancing Career
Why not use your contacts, your industry knowledge, and your years of experience to break into the publications you really want to write for?