Would you like to be a contract author?
Perhaps you’re hoping to make a bit of cash on the aspect of your day job, otherwise you wish to discover some work that matches round being at dwelling together with your youngsters a lot of the day. Maybe you’re hoping to launch an entire new profession.
You may properly be feeling daunted earlier than you’ve even begun, although. There’s simply a lot data on the market: the place do you even begin?
These six steps are all you really want as a way to get going:
Step #1: Discover Out How Self-Employment and Tax Works in Your Nation
Earlier than you begin freelancing, it’s necessary to determine how self-employment (and significantly tax) works in your individual nation.
You don’t essentially have to do something about it immediately, however you do have to know what to anticipate.
Right here within the UK for example, sole merchants (the best arrange for a freelancer) don’t should register with HMRC (the tax authorities) from the primary second they begin freelancing. They do must be able to submit a self-employed tax return on time, although – e.g. by the tip of January 2020 for the tax 12 months 6th April 2018 – 5th Mar 2019.
In case your nation isn’t on this listing, simply seek for “register as self-employed” and your nation identify, and you must discover loads of recommendation.
Step #2: Create a Gmail Account (for E-mail and Google Docs)
Do you could have an e mail handle that appears one thing one among these?
chocolatelover@hotmail.com
GameofThronesfan@yahoo.com
I’m positive it goes with out saying that these aren’t very skilled wanting! Even when your e mail handle makes use of your identify (or your pen identify), free suppliers like hotmail and yahoo have a little bit of an “unprofessional” popularity.
Gmail is a lot better regarded, maybe as a result of it began out being very fashionable with techy varieties, and is now so ubiquitous. So I’d advocate organising knowledgeable wanting e mail handle with Gmail, for now – one thing like yourname@gmail.com or yournamewriter@gmail.com.
One necessary cause for having a Gmail handle is that it additionally provides you a Google account, which you need to use for Google Docs – I discover that many consumers wish to collaborate on this approach.
When you choose to have a actually skilled wanting e mail handle, you then’ll have to register a website identify of your individual (e.g. mine is www.aliventures.com) after which arrange an e mail handle at that area (mine is ali@aliventures.com).
Step #3: Determine Out What Matters You Wish to Write About
Earlier than you go any additional with freelancing, it’s a good suggestion to determine what you wish to write about.
You may suppose that it’d be finest to jot down about something and all the things, within the hopes you’ll get loads of work – however the reality is that purchasers choose writers who’ve prior expertise in a selected space.
You’ll additionally in all probability get pleasure from freelancing extra for those who’re writing about matters you’re really excited about.
Whenever you’re determining which matters to give attention to, you may wish to think about:
- Your private life and experiences – e.g. for those who’re a dad or mum to school-age youngsters, you can write about being pregnant, infants, toddlers, and many others.
- Your skilled life – e.g. for those who work in IT, you may wish to specialize in technical writing or in writing for blogs that cowl techy matters.
- Your hobbies – e.g. for those who like to craft, you then may wish to search for blogs about craft or firms that promote craft provides to jot down for.
You’ll be able to swap or add matters as you go ahead in your profession, however you’ll discover it useful to have some thought of the areas you wish to give attention to with regards to the following two steps.
Step #4: (Non-obligatory) Create a Web site
You don’t have to have an internet site as a way to freelance – so if that is only a step too far proper now, then be at liberty to skip it.
In some unspecified time in the future pretty early in your freelancing profession, although, you’re going to wish to have an internet presence. You’ll need someplace to direct potential prospects, whether or not these are your present contacts, pals of pals, or individuals who learn your visitor posts (see Step #5).
When you don’t wish to spend any cash at this stage, I like to recommend organising a free web site with WordPress.com (simply comply with their course of step-by-step). Your web site can have “wordpress” within the handle, so it’ll look one thing like yourname.wordpress.com.
Whereas this isn’t the most skilled possibility on the market, loads of freelancers do exactly high quality with a free WordPress web site – and I feel it’s completely high quality once you’re simply beginning out.
Alternatively, for those who’re pretty assured about techy issues and in case you have a bit of cash to take a position, I’d advocate buying webhosting, registering your individual area identify (e.g. yourname.com) and organising self-hosted WordPress on that web site. Most net hosts have a easy “one click on” set up course of for WordPress, because it’s so standard.
Step #5: Get Some Printed Expertise
Earlier than you can begin touchdown freelancing purchasers, you want some expertise: printed items which you could present them as examples of your work.
However how do you get that have once you don’t have any purchasers?
One easy approach is to jot down visitor posts for giant(ish) blogs: a giant benefit of those is that your posts will likely be on-line, so it’s very straightforward to ship purchasers a hyperlink to them. You can even create a “Portfolio” web page in your web site with screenshots of and hyperlinks to your work.
Ideally, you’ll wish to goal blogs that slot in with the areas you wish to write about, so that you simply’ve received related freelancing clips.
Most visitor posts are written without cost, and though some freelancers really feel you must by no means work without cost, I feel it is smart to take action once you’re simply beginning out. (Don’t spend ages at this stage, although; three to 5 printed items ought to be loads.)
You’ll nearly at all times get the chance to jot down a “bio” to associate with your visitor publish (usually on the backside of it). You need to use this to advertise your freelancing companies, writing one thing like:
Ali Luke is a contract author, specialising in weblog content material for small companies. Yow will discover out extra about her and her companies at www.aliventures.com.
If you wish to freelance for magazines or print publications, slightly than blogs or web sites, you then’ll wish to search for methods to get some expertise with print.
A superb place to look is native free newspapers and magazines – they in all probability gained’t have the ability to pay, however they’ll probably be very keen to publish your work.
Step #6: Begin Discovering Purchasers
If there’s one factor you’re taking away from this publish, make it this:
Don’t use content material mills.
When you’re undecided what a content material mill is, it’s a web site the place you enroll and get despatched writing jobs. They typically promise a number of work, or inform you how a lot writers could make – however the actuality is that they pay peanuts.
They typically name themselves “article writing companies”. Textbroker is a well known one; Copify and iWriter are different examples.
Content material mills can’t afford to pay a lot, as a result of their fundamental promoting level to their purchasers is that they’re an affordable method to get a number of content material.
So the place else can you discover work?
- Let household and pals know that you simply’re freelancing, and inform them what sort of labor you’re in search of. You by no means know when somebody will know somebody…!
- Have a look at the ProBlogger jobs boards and Freelance Writing Gigs’ each day round-up of writing work. (There are many different related job boards on-line, however I’ve discovered that between these two, they cowl all the nice alternatives.)
- Pitch on to web sites (or magazines, or no matter sort of publication you wish to write for).
- Goal native purchasers, maybe with an advert in a neighborhood paper, store window, or library, or by attending native small enterprise networking occasions.
- Browse the web site of firms that provide companies associated to your area of interest and in case they don’t have a often up to date weblog contact them providing your writing companies and explaining the advantages that contemporary content material would carry to their web site.
- Suppose past writing articles. You’ll be able to provide companies reminiscent of crafting e mail advertising campaigns, writing e-books and reviews, web site enhancing and proofreading and so.
Discovering your first paying consumer can really feel like an enormous hurdle — however when you’ve discovered one consumer, extra will comply with.
In case you need extra assist, I’ve a 6-week program that covers all of the facets of getting began as a contract author, from enhancing your writing productiveness to touchdown high-paying gigs, from selling your self on-line to working your freelance enterprise effectively. The course has been supplied for 8 years and over 1300 college students enrolled throughout that point. I provide an entire a refund assure, and surprisingly nobody ever requested for it! With a view to have fun its eighth anniversary we’re providing the course for simply $29, so test it out under earlier than the promotion ends.
Above all, for those who resolve to strive freelance writing, be sure you persevere. Getting outcomes takes time, as with just about all endeavors in life, and the largest mistake I see aspiring freelance writers making is giving up too quickly. Dangle in there for six to 12 months earlier than you consider your outcomes.