A successful freelance writer is not just someone who has a profitable writing business, but a person who is creatively engaged in work they love. Successful freelancers deliver high-quality copy to their clients AND have time for their family and friends (as well as themselves). They might even be a role model of business innovation and success in their local community or among their peers.
In a new blog series, Essential Qualities of Successful Freelance Writers, I’ve made a list of essential skills and personal qualities you’ll need to get there.
I’m starting with writing skills — because you can’t run a profitable freelance writing business without solid writing skills. Writing skills can be quickly developed with practice, but you need to write. A lot.
Gone are they days when we believed that only an elite few could be great writers or artists. We know now that achievement comes with focus, applied learning, and smart business choices.
NOTE: This blog series won’t teach you how to write, consider it more of a checklist for anyone considering a career as a freelance writer.
1. Use correct business English
If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no other way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcuts.
Stephen King (On, Writing)
As a freelance writer, you need to be able to write in clear, business English using perfect grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
There is no way around it.
Before turning pro, make sure you can construct a piece of writing that:
- Clearly communicates knowledge or an idea.
- Arranges the information in a logical sequence.
- Uses appropriate words and terminology.
- Applies appropriate voice and tone — that engages your audience and keeps them reading.
You’ll also need to know the correct English to use in the geographic region of your clients (or their readers). Either British English or American English.
British English is used throughout the European Union and the Commonwealth countries including England, Australia and New Zealand. Whereas countries of the Americas and South-east Asia (eg, Malaysia, The Philippines), prefer American English.
DID YOU KNOW? American English and British English have different spellings and vocabulary, plus different rules for using collective nouns, verbs, and sentences that involve a question.
2. Know the different types of writing
As a creative person, you naturally want to write clever copy and produce fancy promotions. But as a professional, your obligation to your client is to increase sales at the lowest possible cost.
Robert W. Bly (The Copywriter’s Handbook)
Successful freelancer writers understand the different forms of professional writing and can apply them to a range of client projects. As a minimum, you should know the fundamentals of:
- Copywriting — sales writing that persuades the reader to take action (eg, buy something, join an email list, visit a physical store).
- SEO Content Writing — incorporates blogging, web copywriting, and social media writing. The purpose of this writing is to provide clear information, raise the online profile of the influencer or organisation, increase Google rankings and traffic, acquire followers, and sell products/services online.
- Technical Writing — describes complex processes, technical specifications, and procedures in plain English that is easy to understand. Technical writing may include jargon, acronyms, and terminology related to the industry or work sector.
- Business Writing — includes any written documents for communicating with (or within) a professional organisation. It includes letters, emails, reports, memos, intranet content, HR documents, WHS documentation, and training materials.
- Academic Writing — includes the essays, reports, and research papers produced by the staff and students of universities and higher education institutions. Academic writing follows strict formatting rules and must be supported by reliable research methods and references.
- Grant and Tender Writing — responds to tender and grant applicants issued by government, corporate enterprises, and nonprofits. Grant and tender applications must be accurate, lodged before the due date, and answer every question in the selection criteria. Many grant and tender applications have strict character counts.
- News and Feature Writing — writing that reports the news and important social issues. It may be published in print media (eg, newspapers and magazines) or online news outlets.
Freelance writers who have a deep understanding of the different writing forms can construct more effective copy, and better serve the needs of their clients.
3. Understand the audience
Who is this elusive creature, the reader? The reader is someone with an attention span of about 30 seconds — a person assailed by many forces competing for attention.
William Zinsser (On Writing Well)
Successful freelancers get to know their clients and their readers. They know great writing is more than splashing out a heap of words to a fixed word count — they strive to write amazing copy that creates real results for their clients. Things like:
- Experienced copywriters writing the copy that delivers actual product sales and business leads.
- Skilled technical writers clearly documenting work processes and procedures that increase productivity and decrease mistakes.
- Strategic SEO content writers who raise the online profile of their clients by leveraging keyword phrases, meta-descriptions, snippets, and page titles.
- Astute grant writers securing additional funding for their client organisation or nonprofit by submitting a compelling grant application.
They’re clear on the purpose of the content before they start writing, and they back that up by adjusting the voice, tone, structure, and form to suit the audience demographics. They know that 2020 readers are savvy and expect good writing that looks great on any electronic device.
4. Rigorously edit the copy
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
George Orwell.
Writing professionals know that a piece of writing is never quite done, it’s only ever submitted.
They rigorously check spelling, punctuation and grammar — and aren’t afraid to use a dictionary, style guide, and thesaurus when they’re not sure about a word choice.
Writing professionals delete clutter. They’re savage with sentences. They read. Re-read. Edit. Delete. To ensure the narrative is moving forward and the paragraphs are linking ideas.
Most of all, they move forward too. With a daily writing practice that evolves their skills, creative thought, and dedication to the craft.
Coming soon
Don’t miss part 2 in the series — Successful Freelance Writers Know How To Manage Their Time. I’ll be discussing how critical it is to closely manage your time — so you can meet project deadlines (ie, get paid), but still have time to market your writing business (ie, keep the jobs rolling in) and attend the school soccer match.
Look for it on the blog in the next few days.
Featured image: Canva.