How To Succeed as a Freelance Writer

Freelancing is a great way to work on your own time, without the shadow of a boss looming behind your back. Thanks to the booming Internet industry, freelance writing is one of the most lucrative fields for freelancers today.

If you are planning to enter the field of freelance writing online, here are some tips that can help you succeed.

• Create accounts in freelance sites. To be successful in freelancing, you have to market yourself to the widest audience possible. By joining freelance sites such as Guru.com, Elance.com, Rentacoder.com, and Allfreelancework.com, you make yourself available to potential employers. Make sure that your profiles showcase your skills and strengths.

• Join social networking sites. One way to increase your chances of getting hired for a job as a freelance writer is to increase your network of people who can help you professionally. Among the general social networking sites for this purpose are Facebook and Linked In. There are, however, social networking sites specifically designed for freelance writers. These are Fiction Press, Inked In, MyGoodEbook, My Creative Intent, Readerville, Storylink, Urbis, Writertopia, and Writing.com.

  Make sure that your profiles in these social networking sites show your talent as a writer. Your profiles should also state that you are available for work.

• Build up and diversify your portfolio. While waiting for a new job or project, you should work toward preparing your portfolio. Your portfolio should include past articles that you have written for others, provided that you have agreed that you can use those articles in your portfolio.

• Continue diversifying your portfolio. Writing on the subject of your expertise limits your options. You can avoid this by writing on a variety of topics and including your best works in your portfolio. A diversified portfolio increases the number of jobs you can apply for, or the number of projects that you can bid for.

  One way to build a portfolio is to start a blog. There are a lot of free blog hosting services out there that you can use. Write on a variety of topics so you can sharpen your writing skills.

• Keep abreast of new technologies. Freelance writers need to constantly educate themselves on new Internet technologies, because they might be asked to use such technologies in their writing assignments. For example, there is a huge demand for writers who can do search engine optimization (SEO). This is a relatively new technology that employers ask their writers to understand.

Be diligent in finding job opportunities. Unless you are already an established freelance writer, then you have to be really diligent and resourceful in finding job opportunities. Devote several hours each day to finding freelance writing opportunities at different freelance sites and online job portals. The more job applications you send, the more chances you have of getting a job.

Just like in any profession, succeeding as a freelance writer takes a lot of hard work, determination, diligence, and resourcefulness. Do not be discouraged if your freelance writing career doesn't take off immediately. Be patient.