How to break into freelance writing and work remotely

If you want to break into freelance writing and work from home, here are some practical tips on how to get started and how to build a portfolio from a successful freelance writer.

Freelancing is a creative career that gives writers the opportunity to create meaningful content that they truly enjoy and build their lives around a flexible, deadline-driven work schedule. For individuals with strong communication skills and a talent for writing, a freelance writing career can be an incredibly rewarding way to enjoy the freedom of working from home.

But like many new freelance writers, I learned when I first tried to break into the content writing industry, it takes more than solid writing skills to establish myself in the freelance business. Because I’m a firm believer in leaving doors open behind me, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about building the writing portfolio you need to turn your love of writing into a full-time job as a successful freelance writer.

Catch 22 writing samples

Like many writers, writing has always come naturally to me. Despite being the kind of person who could never articulate my ideas well in a professional face-to-face setting (and bombed a lot of job interviews in the process), I somehow never had trouble getting my ideas across in print. .

But all the A papers I made in college meant nothing when it came time to apply for writing gigs creating web content. No matter how many job listings I applied for or how many cold emails I sent, no one would hire me without published writing samples to demonstrate my expertise in crafting related content. Even though I had some old print content from my early writing, most companies I applied to wanted at least three links to published online content.

As I soon learned, this is because companies want to see more than just the writers can write They want to see that they have a solid understanding of online content writing concepts like search engine optimization (SEO) and the difference between high-quality content and the low-effort type of content mills produce.

And so I found myself in the catch 22 that many newbie freelance writers find themselves in. I couldn’t get a job without samples. And without a job, I wouldn’t have been able to create the published content I needed to get a job.

Break into freelance writing

Few people like to work for free. But there came a point in my life when I realized that I simply wasn’t going to move forward in the profession I’d always wanted to do—working as a full-time writer—without doing whatever it took to get samples. I needed to get a freelance writing job.

I started researching freelance writing topics online and quickly learned something surprising from freelance writing and content marketing blogs: a college degree in language arts seemed to be just one path to a writing career.

Time and time again, I’ve met self-taught writers who learned to create the type of website writing they want by watching YouTube videos or taking an online writing course (or several).

It was encouraging to see how these people were able to move into lucrative careers as freelancers. That’s when I realized that if I could build my expertise enough to get my foot in the door, the writing opportunities I dreamed of would follow.

Creating professional writing samples

A major shift in my thinking occurred when I realized that my writing samples did not need to have a large online presence. They needed to be published somewhere online and demonstrate my ability to write the kind of content that my future potential clients were looking for.

Because I was learning as I went along, my path to a professional writing portfolio was a bit rough. However, I’ve been able to mentor other writers using what I’ve learned, and their path to publication is usually much easier. With no academic training in writing, my husband became a regular writer for SlashGear within months.

Here’s my top tip for creating an exceptional portfolio:

1. Use online resources

I cannot overemphasize the value of learning the basic concepts related to online publishing. Exactly what a client is looking for can vary depending on the area of ​​writing. However, presenting writing samples demonstrating your understanding of concepts like anchor text or the role of search engine writing isn’t just a good idea. Most professional writing gigs are also required.

2. Polish your social media profiles

Even if you’re not naturally doomscrolling, freelance writers can benefit from a presence on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (X). You should strive to present the image you want potential clients to see. It’s also not a bad idea to check your social media profiles for any unprofessional or controversial content that might make a client think twice about hiring you.

3. Start a blog

Blog posts can provide the perfect space to practice the concepts you learn about SEO and online writing. I published my own blog “just for fun” for a while when I started looking more seriously into content writing. I used content from my own blog to land a job as a regular blogger for TulsaKids Magazine where I could work on building a more professional writing portfolio.

I know several writers who have had similar luck guest publishing for other bloggers or self-publishing on Medium, which allows writers to create their own professional-looking content. The key to creating quality samples through blog writing is to find websites that produce the kind of content you want to create, and then try to mimic the general style, length, and tone of that website in your blog.

4. Write business blog posts

Part of how I kept the lights on while working to get on sites like Looper and Soaps.com was learning to write business blogs. Not only is there a constant need to write a business blog, but it’s also a great way to build your writing muscles and quickly build up a decent collection of professional writing samples that you can use to land future jobs.

Seasoned business bloggers can charge good money for quality blog content, but there will always be a need for quick and cheap posts – a fact that novice writers can use to build a portfolio. It’s also a great way to quickly become a chair expert in everything from chiropractic treatment to construction work.

After I demoed myself, I joined every Facebook group I could find and pitched my services for writing short blogs of around 400 words for $10 until I landed my first client. The payoff was painful, but it gave me what I needed to get to where I am today and taught me to accept feedback from the newsroom without taking it personally. And importantly, I only had to do it long enough to create writing samples.

5. Pitch to growing companies

I would never recommend writing for a company that simply isn’t willing to pay writers what they deserve. But if you look around long enough in your favorite writing subgenre, you can find some pretty fantastic new websites that would appreciate your help. Even though the work was unpaid, I will always be grateful to a little website called FilmFracture that gave me an outlet to write about the film, as those posts would eventually lead to my being hired at Looper as a horror and sci-fi TV writer and motion pictures.

Getting a job is the next step

Once you learn the tricks of the trade and create a professional writing profile with at least three good writing samples, landing clients is easy. To get the word out, share all of your writing samples on social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook and showcase your freelance writing services to clients.

If you have any suggestions for ways to build your writers portfolio, drop me a line and let me know in the comments. Hope to see your name in the byline!