Making a Living As a Full-Time Freelance Writer Made Easy

One of the best parts about being a freelance writer is that YOU have the power to set up your business and your income YOUR way. You can choose what you write. You choose what clients you want to keep. You choose what sites you visit.

It's all under your control.

Yet I receive so many emails from writers who have absolutely no idea where to start. I get emails from writers who get stuck in low-paying content mills and end up burning out. I get lots of emails from writers who want to increase their income and build up business.

Of course, I also get emails from writers who just want to write for fun and not to try and make a big income.

It doesn't matter what your goal is with your freelance writing. The key is to remember that it's all about YOU and what you enjoy doing. When you can work that out, you're in a position to build your freelance business around your preferences, so you end up getting paid for doing what you love.

So let's look at all the options and see if you can find any that suit you...

Writing Just for Fun - And a Little Extra Cash

Believe it or not, there are sites out there that will pay you for writing anything at all. You can tell stories about your day or your memories or your dog or random thoughts. Whatever. Those sites do exist. The pay isn't great, but it's better than hanging out on Facebook. Go and have some fun. Socialize, connect and network with other people. Earn a couple of extra dollars while you're there. You'll find several sites mentioned in this post:
http://ravens-writing.blogspot.com.au/2009/01/freelance-writers-who-dont-want-to-be.html

Hobbyist vs Business-Person

Before you start building up your freelance writing business, take a careful look at whether you want to be a hobby writer who does this just for fun or whether you really want to head off down the professional business person path. Take a look at the difference between the two in this post:
http://ravens-writing.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/what-is-freelance-writing-really.html

Freelance Job vs Freelance Business

Did you know there's a difference between a freelance job and a freelance business? I'm often surprised by the number of people who ask me what freelance site they can join with so they can get a freelance job. There's nothing wrong with that, but just be sure you're aiming at the right thing before you sign up. You'll learn more about both options here:
http://ravens-writing.blogspot.com.au/2009/02/freelance-job-vs-freelance-business.html

Debunking Freelancing Myths and Building Your Confidence

Ugh! The number of silly myths I see circulating online about freelance writing really frustrate me. Let's debunk some of those silly myths and find ways to build up your confidence in your own writing abilities at the same time. You'll find more information here:
http://ravens-writing.blogspot.com.au/2009/02/freelance-writing-myths-dispelled.html

Finding Freelance Work

The biggest challenge most freelance writers face is figuring out how to find freelance work. There are plenty of options available to you, but the key is to work out which options suit your goals best. You'll learn all about some of those options here:
http://ravens-writing.blogspot.com.au/2009/05/how-to-find-freelance-writing-work.html

Diversifying Your Freelance Business

It's a shame how many really good writers I see fall into the same trap. They become reliant on one form of income and they end up stuck when something goes wrong. This is why it's important to diversify your freelance income wherever you can. You'll see some options here:
http://ravens-writing.blogspot.com.au/2009/09/private-freelance-clients-vs-content.html
and here: http://ravens-writing.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/increasing-your-freelance-income-with.html

Recession Proofing Any Freelance Business

Yes, it really is possible to recession-proof your freelance business. In fact, back in 2008-2009 my business almost tripled, so the big Global Financial Crisis didn't affect everyone. But you need to set up your business so you're protected, no matter what. Check out how right here:
http://ravens-writing.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/recession-proofing-your-freelance.html

Benefits of Expanding Your Business Internationally

Many of the writers who read this blog are international writers, just like me. I'm in Australia, but the majority of my clients are in the US, the UK, Europe, New Zealand, India and several other parts of the world (of course, I have a few Aussie clients too). If you really want to build up your freelance business, you should understand the benefits of taking your business global, here:
http://ravens-writing.blogspot.com.au/2010/08/benefits-of-being-international-writer.html

Hopefully the posts listed above will help you on your way to building up your freelance writing income so that you get paid for doing exactly what you love doing every day - WRITING!

:)

(image from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1197801)