If you plan to earn a living becoming a freelance content writer, you need to develop a bunch of skills to be hailed like a pro at your job. Also, when we talk about skills, we omit ‘writing’ since it is assumed that an aspiring writer already has that.
So, here are the five essential skills that you need to have if you want to become a full-time freelance writer.
Although the quality is very important, try not to take a lot of time returning to the clients. Therefore, if you plan to work online, you need to turn out strong writing quickly. This is required, especially if you are working on news articles or magazines that need a regular update.
Besides, even if you have a deadline after two weeks, strive to work and knock off the smaller projects as early as possible. Moreover, if the client is satisfied, he might hire you for subsequent tasks quicker than usual.
Longform articles usually consist of around 1200-2000 words. Indeed the word count is important but what is more important is the quality you deliver. While writing the long articles, you will have to maintain consistency and do thorough research about the topic.
Furthermore, try developing your storytelling skills and make sure that the content is not repeated. It would be even great if you sketch an outline and structure of the article you will write.
Apart from the casual writing style, you need to develop other ways of writing as well. For instance the lifestyle, and formal copywriting. If you are going for a conversational writing style, read other articles on the website, and try to gauge its tone.
On the other hand, formal copywriting style demands a set of rules to be followed. You must maintain a formal tone throughout the content while writing. Besides, you might also be required to use a set of keywords and include several links to other articles.
You need to develop your editing skills if you want to become a successful freelance writer. Besides, you must have a good vocabulary along with command over grammar.
Further, you are also expected to proofread and clean up everything published, whether novels or e-books. Additionally, check that the facts are placed correctly and are taken from an authentic source to ensure you are not misleading the client or the readers.
Being a freelancer doesn’t mean that you are free to take as many off and sacrifice your work.
Besides, not only must you keep a note of the leaves and the work you do but also the information of the clients, project details, and hire dates. Apart from that always make sure that you never miss a deadline. Therefore, organizational skills are a must for a freelancer.
Taking up a job as a full-time freelance writer is no child’s play. You must develop all the required skills and learn how to pitch in for the cool websites you have been longing to work for.
