Quality and relevant content are essential in creating a powerful online presence. In fact, over 80% of consumers feel more positive toward a brand after reading content about it. That’s why businesses are always on the lookout for new copywriters, bloggers, and technical writers.
With organizations wanting to integrate independent writers into their marketing operations and internal product teams, there are vast opportunities for new freelance writers. You may even be eager to pursue this mode of making a living.
However, being a freelance writer isn’t always easy. You’ll face challenges like finding work opportunities, managing your time, and building your brand. Fortunately, there are tools available that can help you. This guide aims to introduce you to a few resources that you can use to support your full-time or part-time freelance writing business.
The 6 best resources for every freelance writer
Pursuing a career as a freelance writer can feel overwhelming. You may always feel like you’re hustling. There might also be many things to keep track of and no one else but you to keep yourself motivated during the inevitable rough patches. Fortunately, several tools can simplify the problems you’ll face.
By taking advantage of some of these tools, you’ll give yourself a leg up over your competition and increase your chances of landing the top clients. The following sections offer six types of writing resources that you should have at your disposal when you take the leap toward freelancing.
Another resource that’s especially advantageous to content writers is Upwork. Browse freelance writing opportunities offered by businesses looking for your exact qualifications.
1. Organization tools
As a freelance writer, your success depends on your ability to keep yourself working. You are your own manager. Therefore, it’s up to you to keep all of your projects organized and stay productive.
A good way to make sure that you’re meeting your goals is to use tools to help you out. Tools like Trello can help you keep track of your schedule, projects, and productivity. You can even add your client as a collaborator on a project so that they can stay up to date with everything going on with it. You may even work with other team members on work management platforms like Asana if the client adds you to any virtual workspaces.
Freelance writing can also involve a lot of research. Writing apps like Evernote can help you take quality notes and keep them organized for easy future access. You never know when past research can come in handy.
2. Writing advice sites and online communities
Being successful as a freelance writer isn’t always about your writing. It’s important to know your fellow writers and how the business works. There are plenty of blogs, websites, and communities that can help you find the right clients, pitch articles, or secure content marketing work.
Websites like ProBlogger, The Write Life, and Elna Cain can provide insight into creating, publishing, and selling quality content. Online freelance writing communities like Freelance Writers Den can offer support, or you can look for groups on social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. You can even try posting on message boards on sites like Reddit.
As you get more established, try contributing to some of these freelance blogs. Sharing your expertise could help build your credibility and get you noticed by potential clients.
Some job sites that list freelance work opportunities include:
- Craigslist
- FlexJobs
- Mediabistro
Searching for freelance writing gigs on job boards can be tedious, though. Upwork makes your job search easy. We’ll show you high-paying freelance opportunities for highly skilled workers.
3. Editing tools
Nothing causes a business to view you as an amateur quicker than grammar mistakes. If you’re going to make a living writing, your grammar must be exceptional, if not perfect. However, time is money, and carefully proofreading and scrutinizing every article for spelling and punctuation can take ages.
Software like Grammarly and ProWritingAid can do it for you. Tools like these will identify errors in your work and suggest solutions, saving you a lot of time. Some, like Grammarly, will even offer ways to make your writing easier to read.
4. CMS platforms and social media marketing tools
As a freelancer, your portfolio is even more important than your resume. Clients want to see writing samples that prove you can handle their work. The best place to display your portfolio is on an attractive website. But as an independent writer, you may not have the budget to hire a website developer or the coding skills to create your own.
A content management system (CMS) platform—like Squarespace, WordPress, or Wix—allows you to make a professional website without programming skills. CMS platforms offer several designs and templates that make it easy to make your portfolio appealing to potential clients.
After you’ve created your website, you’ll have to market it to bring in visitors. You can purchase paid ads on sites like Facebook, Google, and Instagram, or you can use sites like Social Jukebox or Hootsuite to manage your social media posts to target your audience.
5. Online training courses
When it comes to freelance writing, the more skills you have, the better. Strong writing isn’t the only thing clients look for. Skills like SEO and Photoshop can improve your chances of landing work. There are also various types of writing, like blogging, copywriting, and technical writing. A good freelancer should always be learning.
There are plenty of inexpensive or even free ways to learn new skills online. YouTube has a great collection of videos that can teach you just about anything. You can also take courses and tutorials on websites like Coursera, Udemy, or Skillshare on a wide array of subjects.
6. Accounting tools
You’re a writer, not an accountant, and the process of accounting probably doesn’t interest you. Unfortunately, bookkeeping is a vital part of making sure you get paid. You’ll need to create documents like bids, invoices, and receipts for your clients. You’ll also need to keep track of which clients have paid and how much you should be putting aside for taxes.
Software options like FreshBooks and QuickBooks can help you keep up with all of your accounting. Template websites also let you easily create and manage your accounting documents. However, an easier option is to use Upwork, which records all payments and creates invoices, guaranteeing you get paid for your work.
Find content writing opportunities on Upwork
Working as a freelancer can be liberating, but it can also be a lot of work. If you want to be a successful freelance writer, you need to stay on top of every aspect of your small business. Luckily, there are great resources that can make managing your workload easier.
