How Much Do Freelance Writers Make?

How much do freelance writers make? You’re probably asking yourself how much do freelance writers make because you’re thinking of becoming a freelance writer or you are already a freelance writer and you think you should be making more money than you already are.

I think there is no particular amount that all freelance writers make.

This is not the type of answer I would want if I myself was wondering how much do freelance writers make, so let’s see if I can give you a somewhat better answer, even though I fear I probably won’t satisfy your curiosity. All I might do is make you frightened to even try to make money as a freelance writer. I don’t really want to do that; people who have a dream to make a success of their writing should try and follow that dream. If they’re passionate about their writing, and determined to do well, they stand more of a chance of making money as a freelance writer than the next “writer” who is just after making some money and not really worried about the actual writing – and may not even enjoy writing.

Besides being passionate about writing, speed is important too. How fast can you type? What are the topics you are going to write about? Can you write quite a bit about things you already know, or do you have to spend a lot of time researching a topic? Researching a topic for a client can indeed be interesting, but how much time does it take away from the actual writing? Remember to take researching time into consideration when quoting a client.

Are you good at writing? You may be passionate about writing but how is your grammar; your spelling; your style of writing?

Can you give a client what he or she wants even if you think the client would prefer your own natural style of writing?

Do you have examples of your writing online somewhere that the potential client can view? Do you have your own professional website advertising your writing services? Do you have testimonials from your clients or are you writing only as a ghost writer not receiving any credit for your writing?

Perhaps I sound a bit harsh, but freelance work can be very harsh indeed. It’s not “I enjoy writing so much, so surely I can make money from it.”

You may have to start really small. Are you prepared to get paid next to nothing for your writing efforts while your portfolio grows?

If you continued reading this far after everything I said to put you off, it’s likely you really are a passionate writer who is determined to be successful. Good for you! Go for it! Follow that dream!

If you don’t have a clue where to start, try oDesk, an online freelance job site. You may have to write all day for very little pay, but as your oDesk profile grows, so does your reputation as a good writer, and during the process of dealing with clients all over the world, you grow too. You learn about websites, search engine optimization, website content writing, and more. For free, while you earn a little bit from your writing efforts. Sooner of later a light comes on in your head, and you learn how to make your writing work for you in more than just one or two ways.

Other places to consider trying are HubPages (in my opinion more for the great writer community aspect than for earning a lot of money) and Constant Content (for selling articles.)

oDesk, HubPages and Constant Content are free to join.

Remember that writers should try read as much as they write. Spend a lot of time going through any site you join, before diving in and applying for freelance writing jobs, or adding articles to the site.

So, how much do freelance writers make?

It’s up to you.

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2011