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Back to Basics: Freelancing
For many of us, writing is a hobby. We write stories because we have stories to tell and we love getting our message out there. While it’s a labor of love for many, there’s always the hope that writing can become a profitable profession. Can you make money by writing? The honest truth is that it’s definitely possible, but it’s complex and not the same for everyone. For this Back to Basics course, we’re discussing freelance writing.
What is freelance writing?
First off: freelancing means that instead of working a traditional job at a company or organization, you are your own boss. Well, sort of. You offer your services and someone hires you for a specific job. With regards to freelance writing, types of jobs often involve writing in regards to marketing related fields. There’s something known as copywriting, and that’s essentially a job where you come up with ads, slogans, taglines, email newsletters, etc.
There’s also technical writing, which is where you write stuff like instruction manuals, or guides. Rather than relying on witty wordplay or personality, your job is to be informative and concise about a very specific thing.
Then there’s content writing. That’s a field where your job is essentially to explain a topic, and oftentimes you can do it in a more personal voice. You want to inform people about a specific subject.
Of these three types, I consider myself a freelance content writer, and I want to take the rest of the time to really explore this topic through my specific perspective.
My personal experiences with freelancing
To peel back the curtain a little bit, I am thankful enough to be able to make some money from writing. I still have a full-time 9-5 job, but I also do freelancing on the side. I write video scripts for WatchMojo, most of which is stuff relating to movies and tv and the superhero space. Disclaimer: I am detailing my specific experiences for writing for WatchMojo. Other freelance writing jobs can and most likely do look different from this specific one. Even though every company/organization is different, I still think my experience can help give you some valuable insight.
So how it works for me is that I get assigned projects, though I’ve also built up enough goodwill where I can pitch my own ideas for stuff too. Either way, when I get assigned a project, it’s my job to look into that topic and write about it. Research is always vital as a freelance writer. You’re not expected to be an industry-level expert but you need to take some time to make sure you’re aware of what you’re talking about. My assignments have a deadline of about a week, but sometimes it varies depending on the scope. For example, most of the time I do top 10s, but I’ve also done longer form videos, like video essays, and those sometimes take me longer.
Regardless, I often take a day or two just to outline. For simplicity's sake, if my topic is about “10 Scariest Spider-Man Villains”, I’m spending the day looking through as many villains I can find that fit that criteria and putting them in my outline and putting together a ranking. I then send that outline to an editor, and they go through my outline to essentially make sure it seems good and then they’ll approve it. After that I do all the actual writing.
When I’ve completed writing the script I submit it and then the editor confirms that they’ve received my work.
Now let’s talk about money. With freelance writing, you’re doing a job. And while it can definitely feel like a labor of love at times too, payment is a priority too. As a freelancer, I don’t get paid by the hour, I get paid per project with a specific rate. I always have to send WatchMojo an invoice, and an invoice is basically an official form of paperwork that I am sending the company that lists the work that I did. There’s a special software I’m instructed to use that easily allows me to just select the projects I wrote and invoice them, so the process is relatively easy for me. That being said, it might look different depending on what your freelancing situation is.
You’ll probably also have to sign some sort of freelancing contract agreement when you start. Again, you’re still your own boss in the sense of being able to choose your own hours and how you go about working, but a contract does the job of establishing what’s expected for a project or projects, payment rates, and other logistical things.
I want to also touch on something not fun but important when it comes to making money: taxes.
Another disclaimer here: I am not a professional tax person or accountant. That being said, if you have some sort of non-freelance job like a 9-5, you’re aware of W2s. These are tax forms that you have to file during tax season. Freelancers however don’t have those. Freelancers are not technically employees, they’re independent contractors. That means there’s a different form. I believe the exact type could actually vary, but for my experience I deal with a 1099 form. The point I want to stress is that you find out what form you need and make sure that you stay on top of things as you freelance. Making money from writing is awesome, but no one wants the IRS knocking on their door. That’s how they got Al Capone!
All in all, it’s a really cool experience to be able to say that I make money through writing. Even if I’m not making six-figures, a portion of my income comes from writing, and from writing about things that I love. For me, that’s kind of insane. Because of that I’ll always be pretty grateful, especially since this is certainly not an easy path.
In summary:
If you want to try freelance writing I would recommend figuring out what you want to specialize in. You could do copywriting, technical writing, or content writing. Always know your worth, and your capability, but also make sure that you do research so you can write to the best of your ability. Make sure you can complete deadlines, it’s ok to ask for more time but try to make the deadlines regularly. Freelance writing is a job at the end of the day, and you want to prove that you’re reliable, that way more work can come your way. Always make sure to submit your invoices and don’t neglect taxes. It can seem scary at first but over time it just becomes another part of the routine. Lastly, have fun! We’re here because we love writing, and if you’re able to monetize that in some way then that’s great, but you also have to remember that this is an art. Find the joy in your work where you can, and it’ll help prevent burnout. It’s not an easy road, and it might not be for everyone, but it can also be a very rewarding experience that helps you strengthen your skills, develop a portfolio, and earn some cash.
The Challenge:
Get started! Start planning your own freelance business. Figure out what kind of work you can do, how much you'll charge (this may take some competitor research), and special areas of expertise. Set achievable goals and let's talk about them on Discord.
Thanks for joining us for this Back to Basics course! If you tried this month’s challenge, you can share it on our discord. Find other courses on the Back to Basics page. Thank you and I will see you all next time!
About the author:
Izhan Arif is an English graduate from the University of Illinois, Chicago. His interests tend to revolve around all things superhero, whether it be comics, shows, or movies! He also loves to write (go figure) and when he's not working on Back to Basics, he's also writing videos for WatchMojo!
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