Earning money from freelance writing – 1

Free Online Writing Course

It took me a while to plan a set of freelance writing tutorials for those interested in following in my footsteps (just giving myself some ‘bhav’ here!). That was because I didn’t want to offer something superficial.

There’s a lot of such light-weight stuff floating around in cyberspace anyway. I wanted to present an online writing course with substance, a course that would take you step by step through the entire process from getting a good look before taking the leap to testing the waters and then finally taking the plunge and becoming a successful freelance writer.

Here are the fundamentals of my free online writing course.

• First of all, the tutorials are FREE! (Yippee!)
• You’ll get all the guidance you need and also exercises for polishing your writing skills.
• You’ll learn how to write and also how to play the game for that’s what you need to become a successful freelance writer.

And here’s how I’ve segmented my online freelance writing course:

1. So you want to be a freelance writer?
2. Types of freelance writing
3. What it really means to be a freelance writer
4. Getting started
5. Developing your craft
6. How to find writing opportunities
7. Building a portfolio
8. Writing a query letter
9. Going freelance
10. Spreading your wings

Well, now that I’m ready with the first lesson let’s get the show on the road.

So you want to be a freelance writer?

If you’re one of those who thinks that freelance writing is an easy way of relaxing at home and raking in the moolah, this quote from the humorist Robert Benchley should open your eyes to the reality double quick: “The freelance writer is someone who is paid per piece or per word or perhaps.”

OK. Having cleared that basic misconception, let’s start at the very beginning. (A very good place to start, according to Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, remember?) Let’s start with: Who is a freelance writer?

Well, freelance writers are hardworking folks who are not paid a regular salary for writing for any one newspaper or publication or for just one employer. Instead they have to put in constant efforts to get their work published in different publications like magazines, local newspapers, national newspapers, brochures, trade journals, newsletters, anthologies or e-publications. They may earn as little as Rs 100 ($2) for 500 words (mostly for online writing) or as much as Rs 2 (4 cents) onwards per word for national level publications or technical writing (in India).

The really high paying opportunities however are in the international market. For example, the American magazine The Sun pays $300 to $1,500 for fiction. But publications like these are difficult for even top American writers to break into.

Freelancers are in a way the boss and wage earner rolled into one. And since they have to work without a safety net, they have to make sure they know how to run a business, for that is what freelancing is about – running your own writing business, mostly from home.

People of all ages from college students to retirees attempt freelance writing. A housewife or retired person may look at it as a work-from-home opportunity. Someone with a full-time job who loves writing may do it to pick up some extra cash on the side, or someone else in a low-paying job may find it a good way of exploiting his writing talent to supplement his regular salary.

Which brings me to another common misconception that writing is easy. Some people think: Oh, I know English, so it’s not difficult for me to write. They couldn’t be more wrong. For that’s like saying: I know how to wield a paint brush and so I can paint pictures. But if your picture of a horse looks like a hippo, who’s going to buy it? Or any of your other pictures for that matter?

Becoming a successful freelance writer

So the first thing you have to understand is that writing is a craft you have to learn. The more efforts you put into honing this craft, the easier it will be for you to sell your writing.

Secondly, you’ve got to learn the craft and business of freelance writing from someone who’s been there, done that. Like yours truly, for example. Or better still from someone who has a background as a writer and an editor. Again, like yours truly. (No I’m not revelling in tooting my own horn; just doling out sensible suggestions.)

You wouldn’t want to learn to swim from some bozo who has only read up thoroughly about swimming, would you? If you’re looking for the practical stuff go with someone who is familiar with the practical stuff. Who’s been in the trenches and will give you a true picture of what a freelancer’s life is all about to save you from disappointment later on. Who will help you do some honest self-appraisal and see whether you’re cut out to become a freelance writer or not. For, though writing is a wonderful way of earning money, it’s not for everybody.

So, if you’re really serious about pursuing freelance writing, learn the fundamentals through a free online writing course like this or a paid one.

Finally, there are a few qualities you simply must have before taking any further steps on the path to freelance writing.

No, you don’t need any fancy degrees, but you have to: 1) love writing (if you love what you’re doing, you’ll do a better job of it); 2) love reading (to learn what good writing is all about, what type of writing sells, to learn new words, become familiar with different writing styles); and 3) have patience till you get a foot in the door and then determination to keep going specially when work seems to dry up.

In short, if you’re equipped with the right skills, freelance writing is one of the simplest ways to earn money. So if you’ve decided you want to learn how to make money as a freelance writer, stick around for the remaining lessons.

Just one thing. My many professional commitments, including the editing of a soon-to-be launched travel newspaper, may not make it possible for me to post the tutorials at regular intervals. There could be a gap of 10 to 15 days between lessons.

So, if you want to be alerted by an email in your in-box each time I post a fresh lesson in this online freelance writing course, just drop me a line at veenawrites16@gmail.com, and I’ll also email you my free e-booklet with a compilation of helpful online resources every writer needs, freebies I found by scouring the internet and which I have personally found to be very useful.

Bye for now… and don’t forget to pass the word around to your friends who might be interested.