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January 11, 2016

Going From $2 a Post to $300 a Post in Less Than a Year as a Freelance Writer

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Today I have an awesome post from Elna who was quickly able to supercharge her freelance writing business and now earns $300/post!! 

In one year I've went from $2 an article to $300 an article as a freelance writer. Here are the steps I took to make the change!

New to freelance writing or interested in learning how you can take your freelance writing career and make it more successful than it is now?

I’ve been a part-time freelance writer for a little over a year and in that time I went from making less than $2 a post to now averaging $300 a post. I’m also a mom to twin toddlers.

If you’re struggling to land freelance writing clients or if you’re just having a hard time finding high-paying clients, instead of spinning your wheels on what isn’t working, why not try ways to take your biz to the next level?

How This Mom Got Noticed

Before I became a freelance writer I was a teacher. And before that? I was a behavioral therapist for children with autism.

So, you can say, freelance writing wasn’t on my radar at all.

It wasn’t until I had my twins that I suddenly had the urge to stay home at all times to be with them. Call it obsessive or a mother’s calling, I knew I didn’t want to leave my little babies in someone else’s care for any significant length of time.

I decided to find a work at home opportunity. My husband suggested to try something online so I researched mommy bloggers – like Alexa – and learned they were also freelance writers.

I decided to give it a try. Well, I made a ton of mistakes when I started, but I must have been a quick learner because within two months of being a freelance writer I made my first $1k. Four months later I was able to fully replace my income as a teacher by working part-time a freelance writer.

Here are four strategies I took to take my freelance writing to the next level.

1. Constantly Improve Your Writing

In one year I've went from $2 an article to $300 an article as a freelance writer. Here are the steps I took to make the change!

Can I tell you a secret? I make a ton of errors when I write and I know I’m not the best writer.

Heck, I don’t even have an English or journalism degree. My background is in Psychology. But, you can still be a highly successful freelance writer even if you’re an average writer.

You just need the desire to improve your writing over time.

Some ways to do this are:

  • Practice writing every day. You don’t have to write blog posts every day. You could write social media updates, an outline for a future post or even just something totally fun and creative. It really doesn’t matter as long as you write something every day.
  • Learn to write for an online audience. Write short paragraphs, include lists and subheadings, and don’t forget your call-to-action at the end of a post.
  • Improve your skill by learning a new type of writing like copywriting. If you can show clients you know some copywriting techniques you can charge more for your content and it will make you a better writer.

2. Become an Expert

Pick a freelance writing niche.

When I first started freelance writing I really didn’t have a niche. I chose parenting, education and health.

It wasn’t until I latched on to one niche that I saw a change in my business. I had more prospects contacting me for writing and I was able to charge a premium for my content.

And you don’t need to start out as an expert; my niche is digital marketing and I didn’t know anything about it until I started freelance writing.

So, it isn’t necessary to become an expert right off the bat, but know that if you want to take your freelance writing to the next level, you need to start honing in on an industry and learn as much as you can about it.

3. Learn Best Practices and Tools of the Trade

In one year I've went from $2 an article to $300 an article as a freelance writer. Here are the steps I took to make the change!

Want to hear another mistake I made as a new freelance writer? I had no clue what tools to use or how to even submit my work to clients.

When a client wanted me to upload my post to his or her backend, I always said sure, but thought, backend of what?

If a client wanted me to share my draft with him I thought, on Facebook?

Yes, I was a total newbie!

But, like I mentioned, I was a fast learner. I soon learned how to upload my posts into WordPress and set the meta description and permalink. I even designed feature images, making sure to optimize them before uploading to WordPress.

I also learned to use tools to help my business. For example, I use Skitch to annotate my screenshots, Trello to keep track of my work and Grammarly to edit my writing.

These skills are essential if you want to stand out as a freelance writer and command a higher rate.

4. Invest in a Course

How I earn as a freelance writer.

I know that the best thing any new freelance writer can do to help them succeed is to learn from others who have done this before.

And since I made a ton of mistakes when I first started out, I didn’t want others to do the same. So, I created a course, Write Your Way to Your First $1k, to help freelance writers learn how to build a platform, pitch like a pro and learn the skills they need to wow their clients – like how to properly submit your work.

It’s a proven framework to help any blogger or new writer have the best chance of success and take their freelance writing to the next level.

Wrapping it Up

I’m proof that anyone can become a freelance writer; but to see success, you need to do a little bit more than the bare minimum.

By always refining your writing skills and zeroing in on a niche you can assure yourself that quality clients will notice you.

And by investing in your freelance writing by learning best practices, becoming familiar with the tools of the trade, and enrolling in a freelance writing course, you’ll get your business off on the right foot.

Over to you – do you want to take your freelance writing to the next level?

Elna Cain is a freelance writer and coach. She writes for Blogging Wizard, PageWiz, WPKube and more. She loves to help new freelance writers avoid mistakes and show them how they can have a successful freelance writing business.

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Filed Under: Business Ideas, Freelance Writing, Online Business Ideas

About Alexa

Alexa Mason is the blogger behind Single Moms Income, a personal finance freelance writer, and an online entrepreneur. Come hang out with her on Facebook and Pinterest.

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Comments

  1. Michelle says

    January 11, 2016 at 1:36 am

    Great job! What an awesome success story!

    • Elna Cain says

      January 11, 2016 at 9:37 am

      Thanks Michelle,

      Love your blog by the ways and so happy to guest post for Alexa!

  2. Nico atienza says

    January 11, 2016 at 3:00 am

    Excellent post. I’m dabbling down this path myself and this was supremely helpful. Thanks!

    • Elna Cain says

      January 11, 2016 at 9:37 am

      Thanks Nico!

      I know my story isn’t unique; anyone can become a freelance writer! Let me know if you need any help!

  3. Elna Cain says

    January 11, 2016 at 9:34 am

    Alexa,

    Thanks so much for sharing my story with your readers! I love freelance writing and trying to juggle that with twins can be tough! Us mama writers have to stick together eh?

  4. Shirria @GDTH says

    January 11, 2016 at 11:53 am

    Very helpful tips that I need incorporate on my journey towards a freelancing career.

    • Elna Cain says

      January 11, 2016 at 11:58 am

      Hi Shirria!

      So glad you found these tips useful! Yes, I’m sure these tips are great for any freelance work you do! Especially if you’re a mamma and doing this part-time or as a side hustle while you work or go to school!

  5. Jackie says

    January 11, 2016 at 8:41 pm

    Hi Elna,

    Funny, I was also a psych major in college, am also a teacher and now looking into freelance writing to pay off student loans. Seems scary but doable and exciting. Thanks for the great tips.

    • Elna Cain says

      January 11, 2016 at 10:13 pm

      Hi Jackie!

      That’s awesome how we are almost the same hey! ha!! Freelance writing is a great work at home job! I absolutely love it. The fact that I can stay home and play with my twins and feed them lunch and put them down for their nap is the reason why I decided to do this!

      Glad you enjoyed my post and hit me up if you need help!

  6. Jill says

    January 11, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    I’m currently a nanny but my dream is to be a full time freelance writer! Your story is encouraging and inspiring!

    • Elna Cain says

      January 11, 2016 at 10:15 pm

      Hi Jill!

      That’s great! You know your dream; all you need is a plan and to take action! You can definitely move from being a nanny to a freelance writer.

      You don’t’ have to go full time if you don’t want to. Test the waters first and do it as a side hustle. See what comes of it and then take the plunge! I’m here if you need help!

  7. giulia says

    January 12, 2016 at 4:47 am

    I love this post, it is helpful for who is trying to save more having several side hustle, thanks for sharing

    • Elna Cain says

      January 12, 2016 at 7:24 am

      Hi Giulia,

      Thanks so much! Yes, I’m doing this as a side hustle and it’s totally possible. The thing is, knowing how to attract those high-paying clients and knowing where to look for them. You can’t have a sustainable business churning out $5 posts. And, for many new writers, they’re not sure where to look or what to do to land those high-paying clients.

      That’s what my course is about! Thanks for the comment!

  8. Brandy Boutelle says

    April 15, 2016 at 8:51 am

    Thank you for this post! I am trying to get into freelandce writing and working from home, so reading stories like this helps inspire me that I can do it too. I can’t take the course sadly though, so I will learn the way you did!

  9. Veronica says

    June 29, 2016 at 12:41 am

    Thanks for sharing this post! I’ve been blogging for several years and have played with the idea of freelance writing on the side. Thanks for the inspiration!

  10. Anna Butler says

    September 18, 2016 at 6:57 pm

    I’m a psychologist who’s getting into freelance too

  11. Tawanna says

    October 18, 2016 at 5:18 pm

    Great post! Elna Cain course is great! She is very detailed and very willing to help you navigate through the process of starting your freelance writing business. Her course has given me the confidence to start.

    • Alexa says

      October 19, 2016 at 8:54 am

      That’s great to hear!

  12. Bekah says

    February 26, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    Thank you so much for posting! I’m just now dabbling into freelance writing, and I am surprised to find out how much I really enjoy it 🙂 Now just to find clients who don’t flake on me 🙂 I’m getting there 🙂

    • Alexa says

      March 7, 2017 at 11:03 am

      Flaky clients are no good. Keep looking there are definitely some great clients out there. (As a side note every single Blogger I’ve worked with has been amazing. Maybe try finding some writing jobs for blogs?)

  13. Romaine Clarke says

    March 12, 2017 at 3:28 pm

    So how exactly did you go about finding these jobs, or did they come to you?

  14. Kristin @ the wayward home says

    October 17, 2017 at 4:25 pm

    This is so cool! I am a radio journalist by trade and now delving into freelance writing. I especially want to write for newspapers and magazines, but also looking into how to write for companies. Thanks for your advice!

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