Freelance writing?

1. 61

   Eldritch Elegyposted 8 years ago

   I am a soon-to-be mom, and I am terrified.
   
   I want to stay at home, but with the economy the way it is, I just don't see how it's possible. My husband and I are both soldiers -- he is active duty, and I recently switched from active duty to the reserves (I didn't want to be deployed to Iraq and have to figure out what to do with a four-month-old, which is the point at which they could deploy me... and dropping her on my parents would have been just plain irresponsible).
   
   I'd like to break into freelance writing, but I don't know how. I don't know who to contact, what to send them to make a good impression... any advice would be greatly appreciated, as well as anything you could give me about selling art (graphics, etc) from home, or maybe tips on how to get started with photo restoration (I know how, per se, but again, I'm stuck from a business perspective).

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   1. 56

      lou_evilleposted 8 years ago in reply to this

      If you go huffingtonpost.com go to jobs link there will be a freelance writting link, click it and it will direct you.

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2. 85

   kerrygposted 8 years ago

   There are several good hubs with advice for wanna-be freelance writers around here. A couple that come immediately to mind include:
   
   How To Make Money Writing Online
   Freelance Writing for a Living
   
   For art, have you looked into Cafepress, Zazzle, and Etsy?
   
   Congrats on the baby, by the way!

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3. 93

   Marisa Wrightposted 8 years ago

   You've made a good start by coming to HubPages!  I've learned a huge amount about writing online here, both by trial and error and by talking to other members on the forums (and asking lots of questions here too!). 
   
   The other great thing about HubPages is that it lets you build a portfolio and potentially earn some money at the same time (a portfolio is a showcase of your writing that you can refer potential buyers to - if you want to do freelance writing, you'll need one).  The ability to make your Hubs look attractive with good layout and pictures presents your writing in the best possible light.
   
   Darkside has several Hubs on how to make Hubs - read them all and then work to make your Hubs the best they can be, so you can confidently show them off to potential clients.
   
   It's also worth checking out the Hubs and blogs of PGrundy and Lissie - two women who've been working at making a living online: Pam with her writing and Lissie with a mixture of writing and affiliate marketing. 
   
   Good luck!

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4. 0

   pgrundyposted 8 years ago

   It is definitely possible to make a modest living writing online but it takes awhile to build up a client base and figure out where you fit in. I think I started writing at HubPages in November or December of 2007, about the same time I tried to start earning money freelancing through Elance. The first few months I didn't make much money anywhere, but the fact that I could make ANY really excited me so I kept at it. Right now I am making about what I made working half time at a bank last year, all from writing. I'd like it to be more, but, you know, it's more than last year, and I figure next year will be more than this year if I keep at it.
   
   You get some money from ad revenue here at HP too that gets to be more over time. It took me 10 months to get to my first Google pay out here, but the second one just half that. It would be super to get to one a month, but I'm not counting on it. Most of the money I make comes from clients I write blogs, articles, or web copy for, mostly through Elance but I get clients from referrals too and a few here at HP.
   
   Good luck to you! I would say just keep at it and the money will come, but not as fast as you want. Sufi Dreamer has some good hubs on writing for a living--he's here at HP and he writes academic papers and other things. Lissie, Mark Knowles, and Misha here at HP all make money putting up websites and getting affiliate revenue. Mighty Mom here at HP has her own copy writing business and works at home. And CJ Stone writes for paper magazines and paper publishers (he has several books out).
   
   Again, best of luck!

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5. 79

   Sufidreamerposted 8 years ago

   Hi Eldritch Elegy
   
   Pam is a good person to listen to - she has been there and done it. There are a few others, so there are plenty of people to help get you started.
   
   Freelance writing is all in the head - it is extremely tough and requires a lot of perseverance. The fact that you are in the military will stand you in good stead - you already have self-discipline and the ability to tough it out. Once you have that, it is just a matter of patience.
   
   Start slowly and it will pick up - I have been full-time for a year and make enough to live on. Once you get a few regular clients, you will be flying.
   
   Best of luck with the new career and the little'un!

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6. 54

   harhis23posted 8 years ago

   Freelance writing is really a cool source of income. I am a freelance writer. So don't worry, there are so many successful freelance writers out there..
   
   Determination and patience are needed for this kind of job.

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7. 54

   logowhizposted 8 years ago

   freelance writing is not an easy job. The thing is, you need to understand that you need to give it a lot of time and effort. If you can manage your time well, then you can do a lot of projects and earn more money :-)

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8. 87

   Stacie Lposted 8 years ago

   How do professional writers and those who have been in the field for years,
   
   keep from becoming discouraged?
   
   Do you ever have writer's block and how do you overcome it?

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