Hello! Today I have an extremely informative interview to share with you that will show you how to make money as a freelance writer online.
I want to introduce you to my friend Kristin. I first stumbled upon Kristin’s writing at Medium.com and immediately fell in love with her natural and humorous style. Later I found out that she is a professional writer and now consistently makes between 75k to 100k per year as a freelance writer.
In our interview, she shows how this can be a possible career or side hustle for you as well.
If you are looking for a new job or even just a side hustle, learning how to make money as a freelance writer might be something for you to try.
Check out the interview below for more information on how to become a freelance writer.
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Please give us a little background on yourself and how you became a freelance writer…
Writing has been my favorite hobby and past time for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was always writing essays or short stories for fun, and in high school, I was the editor of my newspaper.
But I didn’t think there was any money in writing, and I also loved teaching, so I decided to go to college for education to become a teacher. Midway through that plan, though, my English professors took me aside and said I was a good writer and I seemed to really enjoy writing, so maybe I should switch my major. So I did!
After college, I found a tech writing job in Houston. It wasn’t the kind of writing I wanted to do, so I freelanced on the side. My freelancing side hustle started with writing copy for local businesses, but then I started getting more exciting work, like a comedy writing gig for Fox Digital. I saved up some money in that full-time tech writing job to quit, move to Los Angeles, and pursue a more serious career as a writer. For a while, I was screenwriting, and it was fun! But I discovered I liked telling people I was a screenwriter more than I actually enjoyed screenwriting. What I really loved, it turned out, was writing essays and articles, so I went back to journalism.
Can you explain exactly what a freelance writer is, who they write for, etc.?
A freelance writer is anyone who writes on a freelance, independent contract basis. This could be writing copy for a hardwood flooring company, writing bios for other artists, writing email newsletters for a startup, blog writing for a business, writing articles for the New York Times — any kind of writing.
How much can a beginner freelance writer expect to make? And how much should a person expect to make after one year of starting?
It depends on the gig. I made a few hundred to a couple thousand bucks writing copy when I was just starting out. Other gigs paid $50. You might have to accept those low paying gigs to build a portfolio when you’re just starting, but don’t lowball yourself, either. I’ve had members in my course start out earning $350.
In my first year of freelancing on the side, I was probably making a thousand bucks. I had no idea what I was doing and just kind of jumped into it. These days, I earn between 75 and 100k a year as a freelance writer — something I never thought was possible.
What do you like about freelance writing?
The flexibility. I get to work from wherever I want, whenever I want. My favorite part of the day is sitting down in my backyard to write or edit with my coffee, my dog, and my cat. I love being able to travel whenever I want, too. A friend wanted to go to Iceland last year because she had some extra time off and ticket prices were only a few hundred bucks. As a freelancer, I had the flexibility to say, “Sure! Let’s go!”
Is there anything you would have done differently when you first started out?
There’s so much I would’ve done differently when I first started out. There are so many unwritten rules of freelancing that no one tells you. First, I hate the idea of cold pitching hundreds of editors and publications in the hope that one of them will pay attention to you. This is what everyone tells you to do, but it NEVER worked for me and it was such an inefficient waste of time. Pitching is important, but it’s not a game of numbers, it’s a game of strategy.
I would’ve also started negotiating sooner. As a writer, you just feel like you’re lucky to get any gig, so you don’t dare ask for more. But so many companies and publications can afford to pay you more. After a couple of years of freelancing full-time, I decided to start negotiating my rate. Almost every client said yes to a higher rate! And the one client that said no also said we could revisit during the next budget cycle.
How much does it cost to get started as a freelance writer? What does it cost monthly to maintain?
This is why I think having a full-time “good enough” job while you’re freelancing is underrated. My insurance and taxes were covered, so it cost me next to nothing to get started as a freelance writer. If you’re just starting out and you don’t have a full-time job to pay for health insurance, then, of course, you need to consider that cost. You should also set aside about 25 percent of anything you earn as a freelancer for taxes. Then look into paying estimated quarterly taxes.
My first year of freelancing, I paid for the domain and hosting for my website, but that was about it. You need an online portfolio, but you don’t have to pay for one, either. Blogger, Tumblr, and Medium are free.
What do you love about making money at freelance writing?
I get to do something I love and make money at it!
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of non-writing work, too — I have to track down invoices, follow-up with people I’ve interviewed, answer a deluge of emails every morning, etc. But the flexibility and ability to make money with what was once just a hobby is pretty great. It can be stressful at times, but I’m forever grateful that this is my life.
Lastly, do you have any final tips for someone wanting to get started in freelance writing?
I think it’s easy to buy into the idea that if you’re a really great writer and you want it bad enough, it will happen. But it’s a business, and you have to treat it as such if you want to succeed in it. Writers should learn the business side of writing if they want to make writing their business.
What can a person learn from your course? Can you tell us about some of the people who have taken your course?
My course is everything I’ve learned about the business of freelance writing over the past 8-10 years. It’s what I wish I knew about freelancing before I got started so that I could get to where I am now — writing for places like the New York Times, The Cut, and Glamour magazine and making good money with it — faster. As one of our students put it, “it’s the freelance writing course I wish I had in college.”
Another one of our students, who’s actually in college to study law but is thinking about starting a freelance writing business at the same time said this:
“Despite what other courses will tell you, there’s no magic template you can download to instantly become a paid writer. Come Write With Us is upfront: To be successful, you have to put in the work! But Kristin and Alex are there to help you every step of the way.”
I love this feedback because it’s so true! There is no instant, get-rich-quick formula to becoming a professional writer. This is going to take work on your part, but I can show you what you need to do. Come Write With Us shows you what you should — and shouldn’t — focus on.
Bio: Kristin Wong is a freelance writer who has contributed to The New York Times, New York magazine’s The Cut, NBCNews.com, and Glamour magazine. She launched Lifehacker’s Two Cents blog in 2014 and published her first book, Get Money in March 2018. She’s passionate about helping people learn about money and writing.
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