Freelance Writing for Newcomers

From LoveToKnow Freelance-Writing

If you're looking for a guide to freelance writing for newcomers, you've come to the right place. LoveToKnow Freelance Writing is here to offer you the tips you need to be successful in this exciting occupation.

A few simple tips can put you on your way to a new career.

Avoid Negativity

Aspiring entrepreneurs are often criticized by those around them. Your friends may tell you that you're crazy for wanting to quit your full-time job for a freelancing career. Your parents may worry what you're going to do without the security of job that provides a retirement plan and health insurance. Your colleagues at your current job may ask if you honestly think you have the skills necessary to be a successful freelance writer.

Any successful freelancer will tell you that you need to learn to tune out these negative comments. While the people around you may make some valid points, being focused on all the potential pitfalls of freelance writing for newcomers will leave you too scared and overwhelmed to accomplish much of anything. Try visiting the following helpful Web sites to connect with other writers who can provide support and encouragement as you're getting your new career off the ground:

Create a Schedule

While the freedom to set your own schedule is often one of the main attractions of freelancing, this can be a significant drawback as well. Having a lack of structure to your day can be a serious problem if it keeps you from reaching your goals.

Your schedule doesn't have to be as rigid as what you'd find in a typical office job, but it does need to allow you enough time to accomplish everything that has to be done. For example, a mother with a toddler at home might have the following daily schedule:

8:00 a.m. – Drop son off at preschool
8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Work on current writing projects
12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Lunch break
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Check writing sites for new job listings, work on query letters, misc. marketing tasks
1:30 p.m. – Pick up son from preschool
2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Take son to park, work on laptop as needed
5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Make dinner, eat, clean up kitchen
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Family time
7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Put son to bed
8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. – Finish up any remaining projects from the day, make a to-do list for tomorrow
9:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. – Read or watch television

Make a sample schedule to follow for one week, then adjust it as necessary. The goal is to find a way to plan your day so it best fits your unique needs.

Read! Read! Read!

Your high school English teacher was right – the best writers are voracious readers. As a freelance writer, you'll want to read everything you can get your hands on. This includes:

Markets in which you would like to be published
Reference materials related to your area of specialization, such as home improvement, sports, or fitness
Work by writers with a style you admire
Books about how to improve your writing skills
Guides to the business of freelance writing

Don't forget to take notes as you read. Keep a notebook with you for jotting down article ideas, facts to investigate, or colorful phrases to use in your own fiction writing.