This is a guest spot by Tiana LeBeau, a romance author and friend who has been freelancing for many years.
How to become a Freelance Writer
Many people who decide they want a career as a freelance writer never realize that there is a lot more to this career than just writing. In addition to writing, it is important that you learn to market the work you do, that you take care of important business details, and you are aware of current publishing trends.
The competition for freelance writers is intense. While it takes some work to be a successful freelance writer, it is possible if you know the right steps to getting involved in this business. If you’re wondering how to become a freelance writer,
Here are simple steps to get you on your way to a successful career.
Honestly, Assess Your Writing
The first thing you need do, if you want to know how to become a freelance writer, is to evaluate your writing honestly. In a competitive market, you need to make sure that you have excellent writing skills if you plan to break into this market. Busy editors will not look further if your writing includes many errors. When you take an honest look at your writing, find areas that you can improve on. The harder you are on yourself, the better writer you will become. With an assessment of your writing that is honest, you will be able to see your strong points and find weaknesses that you can work on in the future.
Consider Taking a Writing Course
If you are wondering how to become a freelance writer, another important step is to consider taking a good writing course. If you already have a degree in journalism or English, the course may not be needed. If you do not, there are many options for developing your writing skills, both free and inexpensive. Look at WritingClasses.com for some ideas.
Learn to Write Quality Query Letters
The next step to take if you want to know how to become a freelance writer is to learn to write quality query letters. Once you begin working as a freelance writer, you will be writing many query letters. You can search YouTube for a lot of video suggestions on how to create the ideal query letter. It’s free information and training. Enjoy it.
Make Use of Freelance Writing Websites
Last, you need to learn to take advantage of freelance writing websites if you want to know how to become a freelance writer. Many quality sites will help you to develop your writing skills further, and these sites often have many other great resources for those who want to get involved in the freelance writing field. One such site is iWriter, but there are a plethora of others available. iWriter is a good start for new freelancers. Experienced ones may find the first few layers of their process tedious but it provides an effective introduction to the freelance world for a new writer.
Learn more about Tiana LeBeau at TianaLeBeau.com