If you’ve ever wanted to shape a brand’s social media voice or get published in your favorite magazine, freelance writing can make it happen. As a freelance writer, you can take on all kinds of assignments, depending on your ability to write and communicate well within specific guidelines.

Some use freelancing to earn extra cash while others turn it into a full-time career. You might go from being a writer at a company to working on a project-by-project basis. There are also plenty of freelance writing niches that cater to different types of businesses.

There’s so much to learn about becoming a freelance writer and how to make money as a freelance writer. To get started, set up your work, create a website to highlight your skills, pick a niche, set your rates and start landing clients.

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01. Master your freelance workflow

With the right tools, you’ll spend less time scrambling and more time writing. Freelance life can get messy, but a solid system makes all the difference. From pitching ideas to managing assignments and tracking payments, staying organized helps everything run smoother. Here’s how to streamline your workflow:

Track your pitches: Use tools like Airtable or Notion to log sent pitches, follow-up dates and responses all in one place.
Stay on top of deadlines: Break projects into tasks with apps like Asana or ClickUp so you can hit word counts and deadlines with less stress.
Monitor your earnings: Track rates and invoices using QuickBooks or a simple Google Sheet to make sure you get paid on time.
Centralize everything: Manage emails, assignments and notes in one dashboard with tools like Trello or Notion to avoid tool overload.

02. Create a freelancer website

Creating a freelance website is a great way to highlight your work and skills while letting potential clients see what you can do. Your website can take different forms, but two are especially useful if you’re pursuing freelance writing.

If you’re just starting out and don’t have writing samples published yet, set up your website as a blog to demonstrate your writing style. If you already have work, include your portfolio or links to published pieces to let visitors see the types of writing you’ve done and the topics you know best. For those who write books or creative content, an author website can help build your personal brand and promote your published or upcoming works.

Tip: Try out this sleek and stylish content writer website template, which caters to writers of all types. If you want something more personalized, consider hiring a Wix designer.

Whichever camp you fall into, it’s good to have links to your social media accounts so potential employers can see your voice on social. This is particularly vital for those that want to get into social media writing.

Generally, your website’s domain name will incorporate your name or business name. And of course, have a contact form or email listed on your website easily accessible in case someone would like to reach out for a freelance writing opportunity.

Be inspired: Freelance website examples

See this curated list of the best website builders for writers.

03. Choose your specialty

While being a generalist might work later, focusing on a niche early helps you build a strong portfolio and stand out. Ask yourself: "What do I enjoy writing about?" Passion fuels better work and attracts clients. Your niche might be the type of writing—blog posts, copywriting, technical docs—or specific topics like tech, health, fashion or finance.

It’s not about chasing trends or just what's profitable. Think about where your skills and interests meet market demand. Love in-depth topics? Consider tech or finance. Prefer creative work? Lifestyle or fashion might be for you. The more specific your focus, the easier it is to get noticed.

As you refine your niche it becomes your brand. Clients will seek you out, saving you the hustle of constantly pitching. Take time to experiment and narrow your focus—it’ll pay off in the long run.

04. Land your freelance writing gig

Breaking into freelance writing might feel overwhelming but it’s absolutely doable with the right approach. Start by figuring out the kind of writing you want to focus on and plan your strategy around that niche. Here's how:

Editorial freelancing: pitch like a pro

If you’re targeting editorial writing (magazines, blogs or news platforms), pitching is your go-to skill. Research the publication to understand their tone, audience and the stories they publish. Find the right editor through the staff page or LinkedIn.

Write a pitch that’s concise, tailored to the publication and explains why your story idea matters and why you’re the best person to write it. Follow up with a polite email after a week or two if you don’t hear back—editors are busy and a reminder can make a difference.

Copywriting, technical writing and specialized freelance jobs

For gigs like copywriting, technical writing or content marketing, you’ll usually need to submit an application. Build a portfolio with your best work using platforms like Contently, Journo Portfolio or a simple website.

Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant skills, past projects and results like boosting website traffic or engagement. Use job boards beyond LinkedIn and Indeed, checking out niche platforms like ProBlogger Job Board, Freelance Writing Jobs, ContentGrow or BloggingPro.

Networking: your secret weapon

Networking opens doors to gigs you won’t find on job boards. Join writing groups on Facebook, Slack or subreddits. Get active on LinkedIn by sharing insights, engaging with industry posts and connecting with editors, marketers or other freelancers. When you work with a client, ask for referrals. Word-of-mouth is a game changer.

Tools to stay organized and productive

Freelancing means juggling pitches, clients and deadlines. Use tools like Trello or Asana to track pitches and projects. Grammarly or ProWritingAid help keep your work polished while PayPal or Wise make invoicing and payments simple.

From your first gig to growing your business

Once you land your first assignment, focus on delivering great work and building strong relationships. Always hit deadlines—being reliable is everything. Ask happy clients for testimonials to attract more work.

Upsell your services by offering extras like social media content, email campaigns or SEO optimization to existing clients.

05. Setting your rate as a freelance writer

Setting your rate as a freelance writer is about understanding your value and the market. Start by looking at your experience. If you’re just starting out, you might charge on the lower end to build your portfolio. But don’t undersell yourself—good work deserves fair pay even if you’re new. As you grow your experience, get client testimonials and build a strong reputation, you can raise your rates.

Different writing gigs pay differently. Content writing often earns more than editorial work and niches like technical writing or SEO can bring in higher rates. The type of client matters too—larger companies or well-funded startups usually have bigger budgets.

Remember, you’re not just charging for the words. Your rate covers brainstorming, research, edits and the value you add to the project. Always stand up for fair pay and don’t be afraid to say no to rates that don’t match your worth. Confidence in your value is what helps you succeed as a freelancer.

06. Stay communicative

In freelancing, good communication is just as important as technical skills. Being responsive isn’t just about replying to emails quickly—it’s about building trust, showing professionalism and proving you care about the collaboration. When a client emails with questions, think of it as more than just a task. Take the time to give clear, thoughtful answers. Anticipate possible follow-ups and address them upfront. It saves time and shows you’re detail-oriented and engaged.

Being communicative means staying proactive. Don’t wait until the deadline to flag problems or send updates. If you’re running behind, let your client know early, explain the situation and suggest solutions like adjusting the timeline or delivering the project in parts.

Handling feedback is an area where good communication really matters. If an editor asks for revisions, clear up any uncertainties. Talk to them about their expectations to make sure your edits match what they’re looking for.

Communication is a two-way street. Ask clients for feedback, clarify details when needed and keep the conversation flowing. This back-and-forth builds stronger relationships and often brings in repeat work or referrals.

Types of freelance writing

There are many different categories under the umbrella of freelance writing. Of course, there are certain qualities that many of these categories share. The most important one is that all types of freelance writing require a solid grasp of baseline skills and mechanics such as spelling, grammar and punctuation.

But considering the wide spectrum of freelance writing assignments available to writers, there’s surely something for everyone. Keep in mind that along with the various formats freelance writing can take, there are any number of topics that can be covered. For example, let’s say you’re a writer interested in health. You might write a reported piece about funding for mental health resources for a newspaper or magazine as one assignment and then write copy for a startup that created an app monitoring healthy sleeping habits as another.

Regardless of what subjects you are most capable of writing about, there are many different types of freelance writing.

Editorial writing

This is arguably the most long-established form of freelance writing. Writing for a magazine, newspaper, or news website falls under editorial writing. With this type of writing, you’ll be held to journalistic standards and ethics. In most cases, you’ll have a story assignment and execute it. Some articles will require you to report, meaning pulling together research from various credible sources and interviewing people to use their quotes in the story.

Publications will often hire a freelance writer because they know that writer is well-versed in a specific subject or has access to certain reporting. There are also opinion pieces or “hot takes,” which are less about being objective and presenting the facts and more about pulling together various evidence points, analyzing and making an argument.

Copywriting

Copywriting is another large subcategory of freelance writing. It’s pretty much everywhere without you even realizing it. As the American Writers and Artists Institute describes the craft, “copywriting is the process of writing persuasive marketing and promotional materials that motivate people to take some form of action.” These actions include donating to a cause, signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, clicking on a profile and much more.

Unlike editorial writing, you usually won’t be pitching copywriting ideas. In most cases, you’ll have to apply for copywriting jobs. If you have experience with copywriting, it’s a great idea to have that listed on your professional CV website or have a portfolio of your copywriting work available to view. That way if a business is looking for a copywriter, they can use your website as a resource to see if you might be a potential freelance writer they want to work with.

Content writing

Content writing is a bit between editorial and copywriting. Instead of telling a story through the lens of journalism, content writing is for marketing purposes. Content writers are still storytellers, but the usual goal is to develop brand awareness and engage readers rather than to persuade someone to specifically buy something.

Overall, content writing will be longer form content such as blogs and articles. The people over UX Planet have some pretty digestive infographics breaking down the difference between copywriters and content writers.

Social media writing

Blending together aspects of editorial, copy and content, social media writing is specifically creating copy that will be shared on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and more. If it’s for a publication, it often will reflect the journalistic standards and ethics that the publisher holds itself to. But social media writing for a company will likely be more focused on simply helping build brand recognition on social media that will eventually also hopefully convert to more sales.

Social media writing often taps into trending topics to stay relevant in social buzz. That might mean partaking in the latest meme or news cycle. However, a lot of social media writing is evergreen.

Technical writing

At its core, technical writing is a type of writing used to explain complicated, specialized and technical information to the reader. The most common types of technical writing you have likely interacted with are instructional materials from a new gadget or software manuals. TechWhirl goes into the nitty gritty of what technical writing is.

Business writing

Business writing is all about creating clear, professional communication for the workplace. It helps share ideas, convey information and achieve goals both inside and outside an organization. From persuasive sales pitches and detailed policy proposals to straightforward internal memos, strong business writing keeps things running smoothly and fosters collaboration.

As the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Writing Center explains, it covers everything from policy recommendations and press releases to application letters, emails and memos.

Sometimes, businesses bring in freelance writers for specialized documents like white papers—official reports that outline a company’s mission while offering valuable insights to potential customers to build trust and credibility.

Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting powers many bestsellers, viral tweets and standout blog posts. It’s when the words you read are credited to someone other than the actual writer. From celebrities and politicians to industry leaders, ghostwriters shape autobiographies, speeches and even social media content while perfectly capturing the client’s voice. In a world where personal branding matters, ghostwriters stay behind the scenes, helping craft stories that resonate.

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Benefits of freelance writing

Freelance writing can be a bit intimidating at first, but once you become comfortable you’ll find that there are a number of benefits that come with the job.

Set your own schedule

The only time restrictions you’ll have as a freelance writer are deadlines. Otherwise, you’ll be able to work whenever you want. This is great for people who don’t enjoy the typical 9 to 5 work day. Meanwhile, other people who like a structured work day can still embrace that mentality. But because you’re setting your own schedule, you can sleep in whenever you want, run errands during the middle of the day and many more things that come with the flexibility of being a freelance writer.

Work wherever you want

Because you aren’t tied to an office building or even a specific place, you can practically work wherever you want as long as you have the equipment needed to complete assignments. Becoming a digital nomad will allow you to see the world while still making money online.

Manage your own workload

Depending on what your financial situation is, you can work as little or as much as you’d like. If life is fairly hectic and you have other things going on, you can choose to only take on a few assignments. Meanwhile, if you are looking to keep yourself extremely busy, you can hustle to get as many assignments as possible.

Decide what you want write

As a freelance writer, you can be selective with what you want to write about (see our guide on how to start a service business). You may only want to take on stories about a certain subject matter. Or, if you want to learn more about other genres and topics, you can try expanding your horizons and pitch things that are out of your typical wheelhouse.

How I became a freelance writer

The path to become a freelance writer is different for everybody. Every writer takes a different path to becoming a freelancer, but you may find the story of Gabe B., an editorial writer with 10 years of freelancing experience, helpful:

“I originally studied journalism in college, where I learned the foundations of writing for newspapers, magazines, news websites, broadcast news and more. There was also light instruction on freelance writing, but most familiarity with the practice came from actually doing it. During college, I freelance wrote a couple of articles for smaller publications, which was a great experience in terms of refining story ideas and working with editors.

After graduating, I accepted a fellowship at a news startup. Once that ended, I had to figure out my next steps. While I was hoping to land a full-time job, that did not immediately happen. Instead, I started freelance writing for another news startup. They could only offer me 20 hours a week, but I took it. During those 20 hours a week, I wrote a couple of news blogs and one bigger feature story. Eventually, I was offered a full-time position with the publication because they were now familiar with my work and there was a job opening.

Since that first job, I’ve had a number of other full-time positions at various publishers. While almost all my time and work went toward these jobs, I did freelance writing for other places every so often. The policy on freelance writing with a full-time job differs from place to place, but usually the rule is that you can take on a freelance assignment as long as it is work that wouldn’t typically fit under what you cover at your full-time commitment. For example, if you write about beauty, you will likely be able to take on a freelance assignment about food.

A few years ago, I split ways from my last full-time editorial job. Since then, I have found freelance writing jobs through a variety of methods. My primary one is pitching editors at different publications story ideas. This is probably one of the most traditional aspects of freelance writing in the journalism world. Pitching requires a lot of work, flexibility and especially a thick skin because many of your story pitches are likely to be passed on. But once you find a home for a story idea you crafted, it’s a very fulfilling experience.

Every so often, I am also fortunate enough to be contacted by potential employers for freelance assignments. I have either worked with these editors in the past or are familiar with my previous work and ability to execute. Being asked to take on freelance writing may happen if you have a website touting your abilities and showcasing your past work. This gives a possible employer or editor an idea of how likely you are a fit for a certain assignment and the means to contact you to gauge interest and availability.

Since departing from my full-time job, I have taken on many different freelance writing opportunities. My first experiences were with editorial writing, but I have now taken on copywriting, social media writing and more. They have also been about a wide range of subjects and niches.”

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How to become a freelance writer