Freelance writing is one of the most flexible and rewarding careers you can pursue, especially if you enjoy stringing words together.
You’re looking to supplement your income, transition out of a traditional 9-to-5, or enjoy the freedom to work from anywhere. Freelance writing offers you this and more.
If you’re wondering how to become a freelance writer in 2025, you’ve come to the right place.
I started my own freelance writing journey from scratch and have learned a lot along the way.
This guide will show you how to create a writer’s portfolio from scratch and all the important steps you need to launch and thrive in your freelance writing career.
What Does a Freelance Writer Do?
Freelance writers create content that informs, entertains, or persuades audiences. Depending on your interests, you might specialize in creative writing, academic writing, or business writing.
And within those categories, the possibilities are endless.
Here’s a closer look at some freelance writing opportunities you can pursue to become a freelance writer:
- Copywriting – Create persuasive content for websites, landing pages, and ads.
- Social Media Marketing – Write engaging captions for LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok
- SEO Blog Writing – Create long-form posts optimized to drive traffic to websites.
- Case studies – Tell success stories to build trust and credibility for businesses.
- Email marketing – Write email campaigns that drive sales or nurture customer relationships.
- White papers – Create in-depth reports to educate and persuade decision-makers.
- Ad copy – Write Google ads and Facebook ads for a marketing campaign
- Video scripts – Write scripts for YouTube channels, explainer videos, or ads.
Research is also a major part of freelance writing. It’s important to use credible sources like industry blogs and company websites to gather accurate and valuable information for your content.
You’ll also need to do your keyword research to know which words to use to attract your intended audience.
And lastly, freelance writers communicate with clients through email, video conferencing, or phone.
Can You Start Freelance Writing With No Experience?
Absolutely! Many successful freelance writers began with zero experience. It’s all about starting with what you have and building as you go.
You can start freelance writing with no experience by practicing your craft daily. Set aside 15-30 minutes daily to write about topics you’re passionate about. It could be entrepreneurship, cooking, or tech gadgets.
Choose topics that excite you.
Create writing samples with mock projects. You can write a sample newsletter for a fictional business or rewrite a section of a website with better copy or SEO optimization.
Search for blogs in your chosen niche and study their structure, tone, and topics. Use this insight to create your own versions of popular posts.
Add your unique voice and perspective.
Publish your samples on LinkedIn, Medium, or a free portfolio site like Journo or Carrd. It gives potential clients an easy way to view your work.
At this point, you can start sending proposals and cold pitches with the link to your portfolio included.
How to Become a Freelance Writer in 12 Steps
Freelance writing is a great way to turn your interests, skills, or professional experience into a rewarding career.
You might be transitioning from a career in finance, marketing, or medical science, or starting fresh with a passion for writing. Whatever the case, you can become a freelance writer and succeed.
Let’s get into our step-by-step guide to help you launch your freelance writing career.
Step 1: Do Your Research
Before you become a freelance writer, take some time to understand what freelance writing is all about. It’ll help you set realistic goals and discover what you need to succeed.
Research freelance writing jobs by browsing platforms like Upwork and LinkedIn to see what kinds of projects are available.
Writing is just one piece of the puzzle. You’ll also need to learn SEO, audience engagement, and how to format different content types.
Read job descriptions to understand client requirements in terms of scope and turnaround times.
You can also look up content writers on Google and check out their blogs or LinkedIn profiles to see how they brand themselves and what they do.
As someone who’s become a freelance writer from scratch, I advise you to limit the time you spend on research.
Spending too much time gathering information without acting can delay your progress. Decide on a cut-off date to start putting what you’ve learned into action.
Step 2: Decide on a Writing Niche
Specializing in a niche can help you stand out and charge higher rates. To identify your niche, analyze your interests, hobbies, and past experiences.
A simple process to brainstorm possible niches is to:
- Make a list of topics you’re passionate about or the industries you’ve worked in.
- Use Google or ChatGPT to find niche ideas
Here’s a ChatGPT prompt you can use:
“I’m exploring potential freelance writing niches and would like to identify one that aligns with my interests and skills. Here’s some information about me: [List your interests, hobbies, areas of expertise, previous work experience, or industries you’re passionate about. Be as detailed as possible here]. Please suggest profitable niches based on this information and examples of content I could create within those niches.”
Once ChatGPT gives you the niche ideas, research the profitability of your chosen niche on YouTube or by analyzing freelance writing job boards.
Some profitable niches to consider are technology, health and wellness, personal finance, SaaS (Software as a Service), and lifestyle.
Niching down doesn’t mean saying no to opportunities outside your expertise. It just makes it easier to market yourself and attract your ideal clients.
Step 3: Learn Essential Business Skills
It’s important to understand that freelance writing isn’t just about writing. It’s also about running a business. Mastering key business skills will set you up for long-term success.
Some skills you’ll need are:
- Pricing your services: Research standard rates in your niche and learn how to negotiate confidently. Freelancing platforms like Upwork can give you a general idea of starting rates.
- Marketing yourself: Build a professional online presence on LinkedIn, Medium, or your own portfolio website. Share your work and network with others in your niche.
- Client management: Learn how to draft contracts, handle invoicing and revisions professionally, and communicate effectively with clients. You can use Payoneer for invoicing.
- Time management: Create a schedule that balances writing, client outreach, and administrative tasks. Tools like Google Calendar or Notion can help you stay organized.
Set aside one day each week for business development. It could be learning a new skill, marketing yourself, or following up on leads.
Treat your freelance writing career as a business from day one as you become a freelance writer. It’ll set you apart as a reliable professional.
Step 4: Get the Necessary Writing Tools
Invest in tools that help you stay productive and improve the quality of your work.
Things like a dependable laptop, a smartphone for on-the-go tasks, and a reliable internet connection.
It’s really important that you have the right hardware to avoid getting a bad rapport with clients when you’re unable to meet deadlines due to a broken laptop or poor internet connection.
Editing tools like:
- Grammarly for grammar, spelling, and tone checks.
- Hemingway Editor for clear and concise writing.
- Word Counter for tracking your word count to meet client expectations
Google Docs will help you with writing, sharing, and collaborating with clients. And Google Sheets will help you track your projects, deadlines, and invoices.
AI tools like ChatGPT will help you brainstorm content ideas or polish up your first drafts.
Having the right writing tools will save you time and help you consistently deliver polished work when you become a freelance writer.
Step 5: Understand Different Writing Platforms
Every platform has its own style and formatting requirements. Understanding these will help you create content that aligns with your client’s goals.
For web content, learn to structure homepages, About pages, and service pages effectively.
For blogs, it’s important to study some SEO basics including keyword research, meta descriptions, and the proper use of headers.
For social media, adapt your writing for short, punchy posts tailored for platforms like LinkedIn, X, or Facebook.
Pro Tip: Avoid spreading yourself too thin when starting. Pick one platform to focus on first.
If you love long-form content, start writing articles on Medium or LinkedIn.
If you’re into short-form content, become your own client and practice writing daily posts for your LinkedIn profile.
Mastering different formats makes you a versatile writer who can cater to diverse client needs. But in the beginning, it’s important that you focus on one thing.
It’ll help you build confidence and skills without overwhelming yourself.
Step 6: Create Writing Samples in Your Niche
Your portfolio is your most valuable asset as a freelance writer. Nobody wants to take a risk and hire someone who has no proof of what they claim they can do.
So creating your writing samples is one of the key things you should do to become a freelance writer.
This is how you create a writer’s portfolio from scratch:
- Write mock pieces: Pretend you’re writing for a real client in the industry you’d like to work in. Tailor your samples to the type of clients you want to attract.
- Showcase your best work: Focus on quality over quantity to impress potential clients. Aim for 3-5 high-quality pieces rather than 8 mediocre ones.
- Publish your work on Medium or LinkedIn to start. Then add the links on your portfolio website (see step 7 below).
- When you’re ready, create your own website to house your portfolio.
Always update your portfolio with fresh samples as you gain more experience. Your portfolio should reflect your best and most recent work.
Step 7: Create Your Portfolio Website
Having a writer’s website makes you appear more professional and credible to potential clients. It also makes it easier for them to learn about you and your work.
Here’s how to create your writing portfolio:
- Choose a platform: Use free or affordable options like Journo, Carrd, Squarespace, or WordPress.
- Showcase your work: Include dedicated sections for your bio, writing samples categorized by type (blog posts, email campaigns, or social media posts), and contact information with a clear call to action for potential clients.
- Optimize for SEO: Use keywords like “B2B freelance writer,” “content strategist,” or “SEO blog writer” to make your site discoverable in search results.
As you gain experience, start collecting testimonials and display them on your portfolio website.
A well-organized portfolio shows off your skills and leaves a lasting impression on clients.
It gets you hired.
Step 8: Practice Your Writing Skills
There’s always room for improvement even after you become a freelance writer and gain experience.
And in the early stages, it’s helpful to explore different types of writing to find what you like best.
Focus on:
- Experimenting with blogs, email campaigns, ads, or case studies to identify your strengths.
- Mastering storytelling by crafting narratives that captivate and engage readers.
- Welcoming feedback by joining writing groups or connecting with mentors for constructive criticism.
Continuous learning and improvement will help you stay competitive and relevant in this industry.
Step 9: Create a Freelancer Profile on a Freelance Marketplace
Freelance platforms like Upwork are great places to find your first client. To stand out, write a compelling bio that highlights your expertise, experience, and passion for writing.
Use keywords like “SEO writing”, “copywriting”, or “email marketing” to help the Upwork algorithm know what jobs to recommend to you in the “Best Matches” section.
Upload 3-5 high-quality examples of your work that demonstrate your writing capabilities.
While freelance job boards can be highly competitive, an optimized profile will increase your chances of landing jobs.
Step 10: Build Your Personal Brand
Your personal brand allows you to show more of your personality and expertise by consistently sharing content on your chosen platform. It helps you attract your ideal clients.
Share valuable content related to your niche and your experiences, along with client success stories down the road.
Network with other writers, potential clients, and industry leaders by commenting on their posts and joining discussions.
The best part about building your personal brand is that you get to learn all the nuances of publishing posts along with graphics/visuals on a given platform.
You learn about audience engagement, getting out of your comfort zone, time management, the discipline required to maintain consistency, and how to track analytics and use them to refine your content strategy accordingly.
As I mentioned earlier, start with one platform (where you feel your ideal client hangs out a lot), then expand to others as you settle into your craft and find your rhythm.
Your initial goal should be to monetize your skill as quickly as possible, so you don’t want to spend too much time learning new platforms when you could be creating strong portfolio pieces.
A strong personal brand positions you as an expert and helps you attract your ideal clients.
Step 11: Learn to Manage Your Time Effectively
You’ll not get much done if you can’t manage your time effectively. It’s easy to get caught up in researching and put off executing because it’s easier to keep watching YouTube videos and reading blogs like this one.
But if you want to get anywhere and actually launch your freelance writing career, you need to get some self-discipline and set daily, weekly, and monthly goals.
I truly believe you can become a freelance writer in 90 days.
Three months of deep focus work and you can easily learn your craft from scratch, create three sample pieces and a portfolio website, start building your personal brand, and send out proposals to potential clients to land your first paying client.
You might also consider seeking out internship opportunities through LinkedIn jobs or people you know, to get some experience and confidence.
All of this will require you to set aside time each day to move that goal.
Step 12: Network With Other Writers, Editors, and Publishers
Building relationships is a powerful way to grow your freelance writing career. Networking with peers and industry professionals can lead to opportunities you hadn’t even considered.
When I connected with fellow copywriters and digital marketers, they introduced me to an opportunity I had only vaguely considered- coaching.
At first, I wasn’t sure I was ready to guide others, but these connections saw my potential. Two freelancers I met on LinkedIn invited me to be a lead trainer in their coaching program, and I said yes.
That experience expanded my skills, boosted my confidence, and helped me increase my impact.
You can start building meaningful connections by joining writing communities on Reddit, Quora, Medium, and Facebook groups to connect with fellow writers.
Engage in discussions, share advice, and learn from others’ experiences.
Collaborate with other writers by offering to guest post on someone’s blog or co-write with other professionals. Collaboration builds trust and mutual respect.
Seek mentorship by reaching out to seasoned writers for guidance. Mentors can help you navigate challenges confidently and give you insights that accelerate your growth.
Networking goes beyond finding clients. You create a support system that helps you stay inspired and discover opportunities that align with your skills and passions.
Pro Tip: Use LinkedIn strategically. Follow editors, content managers, and publishers in your niche. Interact with their posts, comment thoughtfully, and send personalized connection requests that show genuine interest.
Bonus: Be Persistent if You Want to Become a Freelance Writer
Freelance writing is a rewarding journey, but it requires perseverance to succeed.
Set SMART goals to track your progress. You could aim to write three samples in 30 days or send 10 pitches weekly to help you stay focused.
Remember to celebrate small wins.
Learn from rejection as you look for clients and adjust your approach as needed.
Stay motivated by remembering why you started the journey and focus on your vision for success.
You need a strong why to help you through the rough patches of running a freelance writing business.
Perseverance is what separates successful freelance writers from those who give up too soon.
FAQ:
Can I Make $1000 a Month Freelance Writing?
YES. With a strong portfolio and effective prospecting, earning $1000 a month as a freelance writer is achievable.
It might not happen in your very first month, but some writers do hit this milestone early on.
As you gain more experience, perfect your skills, and deliver quality work, you’ll attract higher-paying clients.
The beauty of freelance writing is that you can raise your rates after working with a reputable client or demonstrating the tangible value you bring to clients (increased traffic, engagement, or sales).
How Much Can Freelance Writers Earn Per Blog Post?
Freelance writers can earn anywhere from $20 to $1,500+ per blog post, depending on their niche, experience, and the type of client they’re working with.
If you’re new to the field, you might start at the lower end of the spectrum, but don’t let that discourage you. With skill development and effective marketing, you can snag $1000+ projects within a few months.
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