Profile of a Freelance Writer

The biggest hurdle faced by freelance writers when they embark on their career is self-doubt. You have mad writing skills, but do you fit the profile of a typical freelance writer?

Maybe you are a seasoned journalist with decades of experience, or maybe you've never written professionally at all.

Maybe writing two hundred and fifty thousand words is a piece of cake, or maybe you spend hours coming up with just three perfect words.

Maybe you're an academic or a college drop out, or maybe a stay-at-home-mom or a type A personality career type.

Perhaps you're looking for a little extra spending money, or maybe you're going for an eighty-hour workweek six figure income.

You might be a fiction writer looking for projects to keep you going while you pump out your next draft, or maybe you're a technical writer who possesses the magic ability to put even the most complex of items into layman's terms.

Maybe you're a songwriter, or a lawyer or a medical professional, or maybe you graduated from the school of life.

Maybe you specialize in a very narrow field of study or maybe you can write on just about anything.

You might be a marketing guru, or are fluent in seven languages. You may have had a long career and aren't quite ready to retire, or you may just be starting out.

You may be a technical wizard or have a way with children. You may be blessed with a gift for fundraising, or could sell ice cubes in Antarctica.

Are you getting the trend here?

There is no stereotype - no typical profile that works. They all work. They have all turned freelance writing into successful careers. And it all comes down to one thing. Did you pick up on it?

Mad writing skills.

That is the one common denominator, and the main ingredient in a successful freelance writing career.

But that's not all it takes. You need determination, a stellar work ethic, excellent communication skills, a thirst to improve, and the ability to work with little or no supervision. A thirst for adventure and a good sense of humor doesn't hurt either.

Have mad writing skills? Then stop wondering if you fit the profile and get out there and do it!

Take that first step. It's worth it.






***Note: To all those people out there with only average writing skill, but who are grammar gurus, never undersell yourself. A good editor is worth their weight in gold, and a good freelance editor will find themselves in high demand.





Image by nickwheeleroz