Many students (if not all of them) look for ways to earn money on the Internet. Actually, one of the fastest ways to get funds on the Web is to become a freelance writer (or a copywriter, if you want). This means you will write different texts and get paid for that.
This article is a guide suitable even to absolute beginners: students who didn’t even know about what “freelance” means will find it useful enough to start writing career. After reading this text, you probably won’t ask someone to “write my essay” but earn money for writing papers yourself.
How Can a Student Earn Money as a Freelance Writer?
This article is devoted to finding an interesting niche in freelance writing or another field, and to start getting orders.
If you look for ways to become a freelance writer and get paid on the Internet but don’t know what to start with, I recommend you to visit special forums and websites that can help you find clients and earn funds.
This guide will offer you several ways regarding how to become a freelance writer without a degree. Let’s proceed and look at details.
How to Become a Freelance Writer with no Experience?
First of all, let’s define the word “freelancer”. A freelancer can be anyone: person working part-time or full-time and getting money for their job. In fact, freelance services are not limited to writing or copywriting. For instance, they can include logo development or program code creation.
There are two kinds of freelance writing usually mentioned when it comes to jobs: writing and rewriting.
To go in for writing means creating texts according to orders. Writing supposes authors to come up with articles based on their knowledge and some additional sources.
To go in for rewriting means using other words to write existing articles. In this case, the goal is simple: to create a unique text for online search systems.
These are two main directions in a job of a freelance writer, but you can earn money by translating texts from/to various languages.
Another kind of freelance writing is described by the word “posting”: a freelance writer creates small comments in blogs, mini-articles on websites, forum messages, etc. The skill of quick and blind typing will be useful in any job with texts as it can help you save time and earn money more effectively.
How to Become a Successful Freelance Writer?
Do you want to know more about freelance writing jobs? Well, the main principle is open to you already: you write texts and get money for your jobs. Still, there are some details you would be happy to know.
You can work with clients directly (without mediators and dealers) or use freelancing websites.
When working directly, the client and the worker communicate with each other with no dealers involved. This means that money is withdrawn without them, too. Here appears the main problem: nobody can guarantee a client to pay you after getting the text. Clients don’t know if they get a worthy article for their money, too.
Working as a freelance writer through special websites has another feature: you have to give some money as a dealer’s commission. But this solves the main trouble of the previous cooperation: the website takes money from the client and then pays it to the freelance writer after the text is completed.
It is your call to choose which way suits you more.
To get paid for your work as a freelance writer, you will need an e-money account. To have that account, you should choose a suitable payment system (PayPal, WebMoney, etc.), register there and generate an account. You can read about payment systems on the Internet if you need.
Plus, modern technologies allow for money withdrawals directly between bank credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc.). Consider this option if you already have your account with a bank card connected.
How to Use Freelance Writing Jobs?
Here are five steps to work successfully as a freelance writer (or any other freelancer).
1. Determine Your Freelance Field
Decide what job you would like to do. What are you good at?
Can you write academic texts such as essays, dissertations, scientific articles?
Are your blog articles cool?
Do you know Photoshop?
Can you create movies, logos or templates?
Knowing your skills will help you find suitable job faster.
Still, try not to attack several websites and forums at once without understanding what you can do really well. If it would be permitted to give only one tip about how to become a freelancer, I’d recommend you exactly this thing: find out what you’re good at.
2. Interaction is the Key for Every Freelance Writer
No matter whether you agree or not, interaction is the key to success in almost every business. Contact other bloggers, join different internet communities, ask writing services to give you a job, make some contacts with web-designers, etc.
It is worth mentioning that the better way of cooperation is to make a deal about a set of tasks than about a single-paid mission with an hourly payment rate. This is how you can concentrate on the quality of your texts without the need to spend time searching for clients.
3. Learn to Make Concessions
At first, when you don’t have enough relevant experience, you’ll naturally earn less than later on in your career. That is a common practice. If you’re arrogant and charge too much, you risk losing potential stable clients or even not finding a person ready to pay you at all.
So, if you are a newbie freelance writer, try to be patient. Begin with a small rate and raise it as your experience grows. You’ll find clients ready to pay more in future.
Rates can be divided into two categories:
Hourly payment: you get paid depending on the number of hours spent working.
Project payment: you get paid for each project. In this case, it is normal to ask for about a 50% advanced payment.
I would recommend you to focus on project payments, not hourly rates
4. Know How to Advertise Your Services
Advertising is a good way to find stable clients and to create a source of your stable income.
Start a blog and advertise your services there. If you want to become a successful freelance writer for students, try to concentrate on the creation of content that is able to attract attention. For instance, write about how to train photographic memory and improve one’s grades.
Don’t forget about social media, be active there.
5. Set Your Freelance Hours
It is very important to set a stable working time during the day. When do you usually have free time as a student? When are you going to work without being distracted by side activities? Are you most effective in the morning, in the afternoon, or at night?
As people start giving you projects, do your best to finish them on time. If you won’t be able to keep working deadlines, you risk losing potential clients or a part of your payment because the client will not be satisfied with your job quality. If you feel you can’t make it on time or in terms of quality, warn your client in advance and offer a discount or other cooperation conditions.
Afterword
So, this is how you can become a successful freelance writer while studying in college. Know your strengths, find clients, organize yourself and start earning money. In fact, freelance writing can make you financially independent, even during your studentship years. Use this possibility to get priceless experience.
Good luck!
