Writers - What questions do you have?

I've been freelance writing for about three years now, and I make a 'full time' income with it, though I only do it as a side job (though I do work every day).

After being asked how to make money online with writing by friends, family and random people online, I decided I would make a new website dedicated to helping answer that very question.

I've added some content to get started with, and I'm adding one or two new posts per day right now. I would like to focus my efforts on answering the types of questions that most people have, so I figured I'd come here and ask what it is people have trouble with? What questions do you have about making money online as a writer?

Post them here and I'll try to create a detailed answer or step-by-step guide to answer the question for you.

Thank you!

Michael

 

I've been freelance writing full-time for the past 9 years. I can suggest some areas to cover that writers, especially new writers, have difficulty with or frequently ask questions about.


Time management

How much should I charge?

Writing winning bids / proposals

How to create a professional website (what should be included, importance of your own domain and paid hosting, themes and color schemes, do's and dont's...)

Using social media to market your services and other marketing methods

Professional profile - How to create a profile to showcase your work and what to include in it

Online image - How you appear to others on forums and groups and the importance of an online professional image. The Do's and Don'ts...

How to minimize your risk of not getting paid for your work (terms of payment, contract, and pro's and cons...)

How to create a professional invoice? Do I need to use Freshbooks (or similar invoicing software)? Do I need to create invoices?

What to do when a client uses your text copy while refusing to pay for it?

Should I submit articles to blog directories like Articles Base? Pro's and Cons

Should I create my own blog(s)?

Different ways to earn money from blogging

 

+1 for "What to do when a client uses your text copy while refusing to pay for it?"
and here's another I wanted to start a new thread on:
suggest more forums like DP where a writer can find clients. Where do you guys hang out, except DP?
I like your website. If I may make a suggestion - when writing about a platform for writers, please, make a special note on who is eligible for this or that system. For example, there are several services that seem to pay reasonable rates, but only US residents can apply. That would be useful to know.
Besides, there are a couple of translation platforms, like translated and gengo, that employ freelance translators. A brief review of those would probably find its audience.
The big question - a concise, but informative list of resources where you can find clients. Freelance websites, forums, craigslist, social media, what else?
Tips for beginners - how do you get through to an actual client, instead of sinking in between the cheap outsourcing "companies"? Really, how?

 

Thank you both! Excellent topics! I'll start writing on them and posting them as soon as possible!

Michael

 

A very good topic. I would be very curious to know how much time you spend weeding thru $2 article requests. To make a full time income, have you grown in reputation enough that you get fererral and so on work to avoid these cheapies?

 

And how much does one invest in his promotion and quality enhancement? One has to grow.
Do you buy grammarly premium membership (I never got a reply on that one)?
An estimated min budget and time frame required to create your online presence as a freelance writer. Yes, you can start with nothing, but eventually you face the necessity of making yourself visible to better paying clientele..

 

I've covered quite a few of these topics now. Still taking suggestions for future posts as I work through the rest of the ones listed above.

Thanks again!

Michael

 

Hi Michael,

Great thread and great idea! There are lots of people that would like to earn some extra cash by writing for others and your site could be a valuable source for them.

A couple of topics you might want to try covering:

1) oftentimes in Internet Marketing forums such as DP, new users will ask how they can start making money. And usually someone replies with writing articles as one of those ways. But, frequently, these new users are in a bind and need money pretty quickly - like in a day or two. If they were to begin writing for some of the more-known sites such as Constant Content and others, they will not actually see the money for several days if not weeks. So, I am thinking maybe you could cover some ways that writers can earn some fast cash. It seems to me that the faster you need the cash, the less you will make, but that may not be always right.

2) how to find hot topics to write about that are in demand right now (whenever 'now' might be).

Keep up the great work and I'll be keeping an eye on your site!

 

Just published a post on how to find hot topics that are in demand right now for you! I'll try to get to the other one as soon as I can.

Michael

 

I don't know if you have these already, but this is what I didn't understand when I first started (5 years ago).

How do you rate your work?

How to find clients if you're just starting out?

Should you have a website offering writing services?
- Do you upload samples to the website or links to published work?
- Does it need to include a blog?
- What about a resume?
- Should you list your rates on the site?

Should you take courses for writing/freelancing?

 

Writers that are planning to make a full time income will not only need to consider the clients they accept, but understand they will need to run it like any other business. Meaning business promotion, a resume/ portfolio, taxes and healthcare and other benefits included in outside employment. These are important especially in the U.S. where the IRS has the ability to find out if a person is making money.

 

I completely agree. I actually wrote a post about this exact thing a couple weeks ago. Treating your writing like a business is critical for having any type of long term success.

Michael

 

I've attempted to stray away from topics already mentioned in other posts, but some of the ideas have similarities.

Hopefully they help. Cheers!

1. How to maintain the best persuasive writing strategy while simultaneously keeping articles objective and ethical.

2. Building a proper portfolio.

3. Where to look for jobs and how to develop long term business partnerships.

4. Differences between technical writing and copywriting, including methods of integration.