11 Strategic Ways to Get New Clients as a Freelance Writer (2023)

FAQs

How do freelance writers get clients? ›

Know Where to Search

Finding freelance jobs can go three ways: you contact a potential client directly to offer your services, a client reaches out to you to request your services, or you use a job board to find open listings. Using a job board to find freelance work is where things can get dicey.

Promoting your freelance services on social media gives clients another way to find you. Some social media platforms, like LinkedIn, are designed for professional networking. On Instagram or Facebook, you can choose to use your personal profile or create a separate one for your freelance services.

As a freelancer, you already have solid experience in your field. But in the process of building out a clientele, you also have to work on your people skills and learn to be a great salesperson. Scouting clients isn't easy; it can be intimidating to sell yourself, or promote your skills.

Why am I not getting clients as a freelancer? ›

Your Industry Is Doing Poorly

Sometimes, the reason you're not getting clients is not about them or about you, but about the industry you work in as a whole. In certain economic trends, some industries tend to do poorly while others tend to boom.

Freelancers should come with high ratings and reviews.

Additionally, clients can view a freelancer's feedback history and contracts to gain insight into their work quality and how well they work with others.

Beginners tend to charge much less, like $. 08 per word or $20 per hour. Those with many years of experience, on the other hand, can charge upwards of $1.00 per word and $100 per hour.

Here's a breakdown to help you gauge your per-hour rate based on your experience level: Entry Level — $15 to $30 per hour. Intermediate — $35 to $60 per hour. Experienced — $65 to $100 per hour.

More often than not, the reason you're struggling to find new clients is due to internal factors rather than external. The more honest you can be with yourself about your business, product, or service, the better. If you're stuck in a rut, switch to a new marketing campaign to try and actively pursue clients.

Become Top Rated

You earn a Top Rated badge by building an impressive reputation on Upwork. This includes a proven history of success with multiple clients, consistently delighting your clients with your work, and contributing to a safe and vibrant marketplace by knowing and following the Upwork Terms of Service.

Finding clients

Acquiring clients is the most frequently cited challenge faced by freelancers. It is especially an issue for new freelancers who haven't built up a body of work or worked with enough clients to establish a word-of-mouth reputation.

How many clients should a freelancer have? ›

Some freelancers do all their work for one or two clients even while full time freelancing. Others juggle dozens of clients at a time. This is because every client has a different workload size and every freelancer has goals for the clients they want to take on.

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Create a system that will work for you. As a freelancer, you have to keep track of a lot of documents. Take the time to organize them, so finding them will be easy. Important documents include receipts, invoices, contracts, model release forms, emails, client accounts, tax forms, business legal documents, etc.

The following is a brief description of five qualities of good writing: focus, development, unity, coherence, and correctness.

The Six Traits of writing are Voice, Ideas, Presentation, Conventions, Organization, Word Choice, and Sentence Fluency. It creates a common vocabulary and guidelines for teachers to use with students so that they become familiar with the terms used in writing. It develops consistency from grade level to grade level.

How do I sell myself to clients? ›

When a freelancer fails, people often think it's due to a lack of skills, but that's not always the case. Usually, they fail because of a lack of business acumen or the discipline required to become a successful freelancer.

Client acquisition: You must constantly find new clients to maintain a steady flow of work, which can be time-consuming and very challenging. Lack of benefits: Freelancers do not typically receive benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, or retirement plans, which can be a drawback for some.

Failing to Stand Out

Freelancing is very different to working for a company; you have to be able to sell yourself, and create your own brand. If you don't stand out from the crowd, your voice (and business) can easily get drowned out. Start by making a 'life list' of achievements you can highlight in a pitch.

According to Upwork, 1 in 3 US workers engaged in freelance work during 2020. Some of the most successful freelancers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per year through platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal.

For one interview source when writing for an editorial brand, I aim to earn at least $0.75 a word when I'm thinking about how much to charge for 500-word article, and it depends on the topic. That averages to at least $375 for an article.

Even with little or no experience, you can make $1,000 or more per month as a freelance writer in a short period of time. But that's just the beginning! Some of the go getters I know earn as much as $100K- $200K a year from freelance copywriting jobs (more about that below)!

What should I charge per word? ›

5–7.5 cents per word is below average, and more beginner rates. 8–11 cents per word is a general average. 12–15 cents per word is slightly above average for writers with more experience. 15+ cents per word is an experienced writer (plenty of samples, client testimonials/references, not all on content mills)

3. Most freelance writers work 21-30 hours a week.

Can you make a living as a freelance writer? The short answer is, yes, you can. I've been paying my way by writing for many years now. There's no reason why you shouldn't make a living selling words, too.

The low end for a 1000-word research article is around $75, while an experienced writer may charge closer to $250 or more. Blog article. Less technical articles are often quicker to write, so you may want to charge less. A 1000-word blog article averages around $50 at the lower end and $175 at the higher end.

A freelance writing career takes hard work, good time management skills, and the ability to hustle to find new gigs. To help build a rewarding career in this field, study the twelve freelance writing tips every author should know.

A Freelance Writer in your area makes on average $29 per hour, or $0.36 (1%) less than the national average hourly salary of $29.32. ranks number 1 out of 50 states nationwide for Freelance Writer salaries.

High-quality freelance writers and brand journalists are currently in high demand and stand to be for years to come. Although the content marketing and freelance writing markets were already growing before COVID-19, the pandemic accelerated their growth, opening a sea of opportunities for freelancers.

Freelance writing can be a fantastic way to earn money and can even lead to full-time income if you can consistently produce quality work.

What type of freelance writing pays the most? ›

Healthcare and medical writing

The healthcare and medical sector is one of the highest-paying niches in freelance writing. Content in this niche requires similar skill sets to technical writing—as well as extensive knowledge of the healthcare industry.

Another major difference to consider is the amount of experience you have. Beginners tend to charge much less, like $. 08 per word or $20 per hour. Those with many years of experience, on the other hand, can charge upwards of $1.00 per word and $100 per hour.

Here's a breakdown to help you gauge your per-hour rate based on your experience level: Entry Level — $15 to $30 per hour. Intermediate — $35 to $60 per hour. Experienced — $65 to $100 per hour.

When determining your niche, be specific enough to filter out potential clients who don't properly align with the products or services you are offering. Hone your area of focus on a specific deliverable, industry, client size, or objective goal.

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British author Joanne Rowling, also known as J.K. Rowling, is the richest author in the world with a net worth of $1 billion. Rowling is the author of the hit children's fantasy series "Harry Potter." The seven-volume series sold over 600 million copies and has been translated into 84 languages.

In the eyes of the IRS, freelance writers are independent contractors. And as an independent contractor, you have to pay self-employment taxes if you earn more than $400 in a calendar year. The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%. It represents 12.4% in Social Security tax and 2.9% in Medicare tax.