Hello everyone, Though I originally came to look into some programming work, I began looking around the copywrite forums and seem to be a bit more attracted to it than writing code. This is probably due to time constraints with other programming jobs, and life in general. I find the whole idea interesting, and I've already gotten a few small writing tasks off the forum; nothing too big--forum posts and small blog articles. I had fun writing them, but I'm thinking about dedicated some more time to it, and I'm just not sure where to start. The money in programming is a lot better, but I really enjoy writing and would like to pursue it further by delving into technical writing. The question is, can I even begin to charge more than a penny a word and still have business? There are so many copywriters out there that don't do a very high-quality job, but they work dirt cheap. What are some people's experiences? What would be a good starting rate to charge for technical writing until I build a solid portfolio? And where would I go about finding these jobs? I'm from the U.S., I'm nearly done with my bachelors degree from my state college. Needless to say, I'm fluent in English. Thanks in advance
the best way to start is by learning more about writing. I don't really think that you have what it takes to be a good writer. No offense. Take a look at Gary Halbert's archive of letters. You will learn helluva lot from this guy.
You realize that at $0.05 per word, a common 500 word article is $25? I believe you meant $0.005. Either way, I would suggest that the OP start off at $0.010, which is $1 per 100 words. I got started with forum posting, and realized it was a dead end solution to making good money. Then I charged people somewhere around $1 per 100 words and have made a ton of money since- and raised my rates over time. You may want to do a few free articles like I did to get some buyer interest, reputation, and iTrader. Good luck.
My advice would be to mill around DP. You don't have to write well to get gigs (as is evident by all the business here). Once you learn to write well, venture out into the real world. You'll laugh at a nickel a word. Here's the easy way to get started: 1. Post on DP that you're willing to write FREE articles. Limit this to 1-2 per person and limit the word count. Also, limit the topics if it makes you feel more comfortable. 2. Put up a simple no frills site. Show off your samples. Now, start advertising $3 articles (limit to 300 words). Once you get the hang of it, raise your rates or do whatever feels best. BACKUP PLAN: If you're not getting business, pick a topic (like DUI law) and write 10 300-word articles. Sell them as a pack for $30. If that doesn't sell, spend $8 for a domain, grab a nice and free CSS template, put up the site and list it in the sites for sale forum here. Start the bidding at $35.
Performing minor tasks may have whet your whistle. But if you really want to know if you're doing the right thing, then you have to start writing as if you're doing it on a professional level. Figure out what types of things you want to write - salesletters, blog posts, forum posts, custom articles, whatever. Then choose a few topics, give yourself a tight deadline, and write. Notice where you run into problems and where you excel. Now give yourself some obscure topic and see how you do with that one. (Hey... you're also building a portfolio by doing this!) Writing is an exciting profession. I've been at it for 14 years, and it's how I make my living. I honestly can't imagine doing anything else. But it can be mentally taxing to throw yourself into it without having done a fire drill or two to make sure you're prepared. Just some friendly advice.
Halbert's stuff are those few things, no one should ever miss in life. Each one of them will teach you something or the other.., You can always improve, by writing more often and a by writing about a variety of stuffs. If writing is not your forte then, write sample articles and given it away free in the freebies section, in return of an honest critique. Learn from 'em and grow. All of a sudden, you'll learn someday that you can write to earn nice $$ . All Success, ~G
Hello, Probably it will be easier for you to write the articles on different topics if you imagine that you tell this information to your friends. Sometimes we don't know what to write, concerning different subjects, what things will be interesting for other people. But you are among these people, so write the things which will be interesting for you, if you start to learn more about some subject.
I agree with Sir Round that the best way to start is by learning about writing. I myself is still on this stage and I started with copying pieces of work and rewriting them in my own way. It's kinda hard at first especially for a person who is not really used with writing a lot of articles but once you get a hang of it, you'll get addicted.
You could write for 100 years and still suck. Think of it this way. Let's say you wanted to learn to play the guitar. You go out and buy JUST a guitar. For the next 5 years you spend 1 hour a day coming up with places to put your fingers and strumming the guitar. Maybe you try to replicate music you hear when you're "practicing." After five years, you are no better off than someone who went out, bought a guitar, bought a guitar methods book (or took lessons) and who has been playing for two weeks. The difference is they've saved almost five years and they'll actually get better.
You will have to understand that writing is a skilled job just like programming and you have to master the skills in various forms of writing. You need a different skill set for writing stories as compared to writiting a short essay or reviews for a website or copywriting for an advertisement. Explore the various facets of writing and then determine your strengths and liking. The next step is take the plunge and start writing. Most importantly enjoy your work!