How to get freelance writing jobs with no experience

Freelance writing is a popular work at home opportunity, which means there is quite a bit of competition out there. Still, if you have the skills, patience, and drive, all you need are some tips and guidance to help you look in the right places. 

This guide will show aspiring writers how to get freelance writing jobs even with no experience. We’ll cover:

• The benefits of freelance writing
• Different ways you can practice your craft and get jobs
• How Countingup can help you manage your finances once you start getting clients

There are several reasons why being a freelance writer can be great. We’ve listed the main benefits below:

Companies in every sector need professionals who can communicate their message, promote their products or services, and educate on various topics in an engaging way. People with excellent writing skills are sought after in every industry, and you’ll be an especially attractive choice if you’ve also worked in the respective sector. 

Working as a freelancer means you’re free to choose your own workload, hours, schedule, work setting, and clients (to an extent). Freelancing comes with a great deal of control and flexibility that you won’t get in a full-time job. You can select work opportunities that fit your schedule and that you find interesting and meaningful. Whatever your circumstances, you have the freedom to find the work that will best suit your needs.

Being a freelance writer requires you to evolve and grow as you go. No matter what type of content you’re tasked with creating, you get a chance to learn new things about various topics, industries, and clients. As a freelancer, you’ll constantly feed your brain with new information that allows you to perfect your skills and that keeps the job engaging and fresh.

Here are a few tips to help you kickstart your freelancing career:

Starting a blog has several benefits when you’re learning how to become a freelance writer. You can use your blog to practice different topics and formats to find your voice as a writer. Play around with different styles while writing about various topics. Becoming an excellent writer takes practice, and a blog is a perfect way for you to do so.

Your blog can also act as your portfolio, meaning you can use it to demonstrate your skills to potential clients. Most companies won’t hire a freelance creative without seeing some form of proof that you really can do what you advertise. 

Another great way to find clients is to join a freelancer marketplace that helps freelancers find clients and vice versa, such as:

• Fiverr is a freelancing platform where freelance web developers can set their rates to match their skill level. You’ll see prices for projects range from £5-£10,000 depending on skill level and portfolio.
• UpWork is one of the largest freelance marketplaces and offers a large amount of exposure for freelance web developers. The drawback is that there’s a lot of competition, which makes it more difficult for newbie writers to get jobs.
• PeoplePerHour offers several ways for you to show your skills, from building an impressive profile to joining competitions to get notices. With skill levels varying from beginner to expert, there’s something for everyone. 

Another great way to build your reputation as a writer is to write guest posts for other blogs and sites. Simply search “write for us” (the quotation marks ensure the search engine uses the phrase as a whole) followed by your field and see what comes up.

This search will give you a list of websites accepting guest posts. You can look through them to find the one that suits you best. It’s important to mention that most websites have a submission process and that you’ll need to pitch your idea first. So, hold off on writing your entire piece at first.

The best way to present yourself as a serious professional is to create and maintain a professional website to showcase your work. Select a few of your favourite pieces and add them to a layout that’s easy to navigate. If you can afford it, you can pay to have your name as the domain.

You can use systems like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace to create your website for free or at a reasonable price. If you can afford it, you can pay to have your name as the domain, as the free versions will add their name to the address. For example, if you set up your website using WordPress, your address would be your username, followed by @wordpress.com. 

Whether you choose a free or premium plan, make sure you add an About section where you share some information about yourself and a Contact page to make it easy for visitors to get in touch.

A great way to encourage clients to hire you as you’re starting out is to offer to write for them for free. Companies are more likely to hire you if they don’t risk losing any money if it doesn’t work out. 

Start by gathering a list of companies that would add value to your career, then reach to them and offer to work as an unpaid writer. You can then add these projects to your portfolio and use them to land paying clients. 

Now that you know where to look, all you need is the courage to take the leap and start finding clients. Good luck!

When you’re freelancing, it’s important to keep your personal and business finances separate from day one – to save yourself from time-consuming admin headaches further down the line. 

When you sign up for a Countingup business current account, you’ll receive free accounting software with a range of time-saving tools. 

Simply log into the app to create and send invoices, get financial insights, and confidently manage your new business finances Find out more here.