How to Find Great Freelance Writing Jobs

Posted on September 19, 2023 by Robyn Roste

When you’re a new freelancer, finding freelance writing jobs may seem like an overwhelming task. And I understand how finding a gig—any gig—can feel a bit like luck.

How to Find Great Freelance Writing Jobs

Where do you even start looking? And when you find someone looking for a writer, how do you know the job is any good?

The good news and the bad news about online freelance writing jobs

OK, here it is. The good news is, when you Google “freelance writing jobs” you’ll find a lot of postings.

The bad news is, when you you’ll also find a lot of low-paying postings and straight up bad gigs.

Learning to tell the difference is an important part about finding success as a freelance writer.

Finding gigs that pay what you need is another important part.

How to discern a good freelance writing job from a bad one

The first thing to keep in mind is “good” and “bad” gigs are subjective. You need to know ahead of time what kind of job you’re looking for and what type of client will suit your needs.

If you’re new to the freelance world you may not know this yet and will learn through trial and error. That’s OK! But take a few minutes to think about the types of freelance writing jobs you’d like to have.

Writing blog posts and articles?
Media releases?
Business profiles?
Journalism?

Think it through and write it down

After you know what type of writing you want to do take a few minutes to figure out who your ideal client is.

Are you looking for someone who is hands off?
Someone to collaborate with?
Do you want to be able to meet in person?
Do you want one-off clients or ones you have an ongoing relationship with?

There are no wrong answers here, just what’s right for you. Knowing what types of clients you’d like will help you avoid overwhelm as you comb through the vast array of freelance writing jobs out there.

It will also keep you from applying for gigs that aren’t a good fit for you.

Extra Credit: Platform Building: Smart and Strategic Tips for Writers

Bonus tip: keep a close eye on how the job postings are written. If you see phrases like “looking for hungry writers,” or a value attributed to the quantity of articles they’re looking for rather than quality of writing, these should trigger warning bells in your head.

These gigs are often low paying (pennies per word, if that) and demanding. Even if you don’t have much experience yet, you can do better.

How to figure out what you need to earn as a freelance writer

Even though many writers aren’t numbers people, it’s important to learn how to budget so you know how much income you need in order to reach your goals.

Do a bit of number crunching and determine what you need per month to get by.

Also figure out how much time you have to dedicate to your freelancing. From here you’ll have a good idea of how many clients you can take on and how much you need from each one.

If you’re wondering how to set your prices, I think you’ll like the course I co-created, How to Price Your Work. Setting your prices takes a bit of effort and guts but it will help you stay away from jobs that don’t pay enough. So you can make a living from your craft!

When you look at online postings you may feel like you have to lower your prices or standards in order to get work.

Don’t give up!

There are great freelance writing jobs out there but sometimes you have to know where to look.

Where I look for great freelance writing jobs

I encourage writers to think outside of the box when looking for work. Even when you need to get clients fast you shouldn’t lower your standards.

The main ways I find work are from referrals, networking with other writers and Twitter (really!).

There’s always someone looking for a writer but people have to know you’re a writer in order for them to think of you and reach out.

Job boards are a great starting point for freelancers who don’t have established networks. The good gigs are scooped up quick so if this is your go-to then you will need to check often and apply a lot.

It’s a numbers game so don’t become discouraged if you don’t hear back from many or most of the places you pitch.

Here are a few suggestions for job boards I’ve found good.

Jeff Gaulin (Journalism)
Ed2010 (Magazines)
Hubstaff Talent (Tech)
Indeed (General)

Parting words: I’ve learned it’s important to keep looking for freelance work even if you have a full client load. Developing strategies to keep the marketing machine going during busy times ensures you won’t have so many dry spells. And the better your clients are, the less you’ll need in order to reach your financial goals.

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When you're a new freelancer, finding freelance writing jobs may seem like an overwhelming task. And I understand how finding a gig—any gig—can feel a bit like luck. Where do you even start looking? And when you find someone looking for a writer, how do you know the job is any good?

One more thing. You may be interested in my free resource library. This is where I keep my files, downloads, ebooks, worksheets and whatever else I manage to create. I love sharing what I learn and want to keep adding to this library so it becomes a wealth of helpful goodness.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

When you are a new freelancer, finding freelance writing jobs may seem like an overwhelming task. And I get how finding a gig can feel a bit like luck.

How to Write a Case Study

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Robyn Roste

If you know how to tell a story you can write a case study.

However, if you’ve never done it before you might be wondering how to write a case study. So here we go.

By the way, a case study is a success story told about a client you’ve helped. Simple, right?

Free ebook: How to write a case study: gain trust with prospects by showcasing your client's success

Do you want the ebook that goes with this training? I’ve created a PDF download and it’s available in my resource library.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

Once you’re logged in, navigate to the writing section and look for “How to Write a Case Study for Marketing Ebook.”

How to write a case study

Maybe before I get into how to write a case study I’ll talk about what makes something a case study.

In essence, it’s a study analysis where you overview a business problem, outline options for solving the problem and what happened in the end.

The fact that you’re telling your client’s story from beginning to end, and including twists and turns along the way, makes this different than an advertisement or a sales page because you’re keeping the twists and turns in the story.

The fact that it’s not just “I decided to do this thing and then it worked and now I’m successful yayyyyy,” makes it a case to study. Case study. Right!?

Something to keep in mind is although this isn’t a traditional sales page, a case study is a tool in your sales and marketing arsenal.

It’s something you want prospective clients to read and become convinced to hire you. So make sure it’s targeted to people who are on the fence about working with you and tell client success stories that will help them see how you’ll help them reach their goals.

Free ebook: Gain trust with prospects by showcasing your client's success.

Download the ebook that goes with this training!

This is a free resource but it’s in my resource library, which requires a password. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

Once you’re logged in, navigate to the writing section and look for “How to Write a Case Study for Marketing Ebook.”

What to include in a case study

Here are a few sections to include:

Case study introduction

In one or two sentences present your reader with the problem or issue and a quick summary of the outcome.

Background

Think of this section like setting the scene. You don’t want to spend too much time here but your reader should learn what has brought your client to this point in his or her business.

Alternatives

I know this might seem like overkill but you want to list ideas you or your clients entertained/tried in order to build your narrative arc.

Overview what alternative solutions you considered and explain why they wouldn’t/couldn’t work or were not possible.

Proposed solution

This is your moment! Highlight your one and only amazing solution to your client’s problem or issue.

Make sure it’s relevant, specific and realistic, explain why you chose it and support your solution with evidence.

Your evidence can contain research, anecdotes or both.

Case study recommendations

Here you’ll overview the steps you took to accomplish your proposed solution. This should be specific, strategic and relevant (are you sensing a theme?).

When writing a case study make sure you tell it from beginning to end, following this outline as much as possible.

Use as much data as you need to frame your point but keep your reading in mind—too much data = dry and boring. Don’t be dry and boring.

A case study doesn’t have to feel like a case study—your reader doesn’t even have to realize they’re reading one.

If you share a client’s success story from start to finish in a compelling way and help potential clients decide to do business with you, then your case study has done its job.

Want this case study training as a PDF? Download the ebook in my resource library.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

The question of how to write a case study is a great one. But maybe you're wondering what a case study is and why you should care about it. I get that.

4 Top Tips to Take Your Content Writing and Marketing to New Heights

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Robyn Roste

Content writing and marketing is a long game, no doubt. But if you can stick with it you won’t regret investing your time and energy into this stream.

A photo of a freelancer sitting behind a computer working on her content writing and marketing (probably). There's a full bookshelf in the background with all the spines turned backwards.

As a freelancer, your business will only benefit from a strong content marketing strategy. Sure, you can make a decent income from outreach and pitching, but content creation launches you into something called INBOUND marketing, which allows you to scale.

In fact, something like 73% of B2B and 70% of B2C firms actively incorporate content writing and content marketing as a key part of their digital strategy.

Tips for Improving Your Content Writing and Marketing

Our course, I don’t advocate for random acts of content. You need a system. Here are four tips to help set you up for success.

Make content creation a habit

The Internet will tell you it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master something, and this applies to content marketing as well. You’re likely already an excellent writer but for whatever reason, doing marketing for your own business is significantly harder than content creation for other people!

So prepare to practice. Make it a habit. You’ll improve.

Maintaining a content creation practice requires discipline. So, creating a writing schedule will be helpful in this! In addition to encouraging you to stay on schedule, it will also help you continue to improve in both writing and marketing.

Try collaborating

If you’re in the digital marketing or blogging world, then you’ve heard about bundles and summits before. These are collaborations between creators on a particular niche, industry, theme, etc.

Basically, everyone contributes a resource or training and agrees to promote the product or event to their audience. This can be an excellent way to create new content (nothing like an external deadline to motivate you!), network, and expand your reach.

Most people become involved with these collaborations through outreach directly to the creator or through applying to be involved. It may take a few tries to get into your first collaboration but once you become a known name it does become easier.

Keep it simple

I love digital marketing and everything that comes with it: email, funnels, automation, order bumps, down sells, flash sales…everything.

However.

There’s no need to make marketing more complicated than it has to be.

If you’re just getting started then here is all you need:

Something to say
Something to sell
Somewhere to say it

This could mean creating 50+ short-form videos to post as Reels, Shorts, and TikToks. It could. But if that doesn’t feel simple then find something that does.

Maybe it’s a text post on Threads.

Or it’s a Facebook Live in your Group.

Or it’s a blog post that you repurpose for your email list.

Find what works for you, make it easy, keep it simple. That’s how you sustain your content marketing.

Analyze and improve

Getting started is more important than getting it right, and the truth is you’re not going to nail it out of the gate. Again, content marketing is a long game.

Data and analytics are a huge help in figuring out how to improve your content creation efforts. While you don’t want to turn into someone who’s just chasing the algorithm and trying to go viral, you can learn from your stats.

And I know everyone is resisting the big Google Analytics upgrade but hear me now, it’s happening. (Actually, it already happened.) If you don’t want to deal with it, that’s fine. But in that case, consider hiring a knowledgeable GA4 consultant. Let them know what data is meaningful to you and they can build reports for you so you can stay on top of what’s working, what’s not, and where there are opportunities to explore.

Content writing and marketing is a long game, no doubt. But if you can stick with it you won't regret investing your time and energy into this stream.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

How to Create a Writing Schedule | 3 Steps

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Robyn Roste

When you’re ready to write a book and you know the genre and how many words it will be, your next step is to create a writing schedule.

Want these tips as a PDF download? Grab them from my resource library. Put your email in the form below and I’ll send you the password!

Once you’re in the library navigate to the writing section and look for “Create a Writing Schedule Worksheet.”

A lot of people skip this step and launch into writing their book.

And I get it, you’re enthusiastic. You want to dive right in. Whee!

But if you are serious about finishing your book (not just starting) then take a minute to create a writing schedule. You won’t regret it.

I’m skipping past a couple important pieces of the book writing process, researching and outlining. Make sure you also build in time for this but know it’s not part of the book writing part—it’s extra.

How to create a writing schedule

When you create a writing schedule you’re building a strategy to ensure writing becomes integrated into your lifestyle so you reach your larger goals.

This strategy prepares you for days you don’t feel like writing or for illness or for whatever else life throws at you.

Step one: decide when you want to complete your first draft. Your first draft won’t be your final product, but getting this first draft done is one of the biggest steps in the book-writing process.

Pick a specific date and write it down.

Step two: Figure out how many words per day you can write. You’ll hear about people who can write thousands of words per day and expect you can do the same. Don’t assume.

The average amount of words you can write per day or in one sitting is different for everyone so learn what works best for you and build your schedule around it.

Once you know this number, write it down.

Step three: Build a realistic writing schedule. To write a book you need blocks of focused time. How much do you have available? What do you need to put in place to protect it?

When you make time to write in your day-to-day schedule there’s a much better chance of it happening. So make time. Block it out in your calendar. Put it in your schedule. Say you’re unavailable during writing time.

And make sure it’s sustainable so you stick with it.

Want these tips as a PDF download? Grab them from my resource library. Put your email in the form below and I’ll send you the password!

Once you’re in the library navigate to the writing section and look for “Create a Writing Schedule Worksheet.”

Once you have your end date, your average daily word count and your writing schedule decided it’s time to work backwards.

Start with the end in mind and break up your book into monthly, then weekly, then daily goals. Build in time for the unexpected—remember, we’re working with reality here and life happens even when we’re writing a book.

By taking time to create a writing schedule you change your internal dialogue from “Someday I’ll write a book,” to “By THIS DATE I’ll write a book.” That’s a huge difference.

And by breaking down this massive project into small, daily steps, it won’t be so overwhelming. Each day you’ll sit at your writing station with purpose and you’ll write. And by your deadline, if you’ve planned it well, you’ll finish your book.

Create strategies so you stick to your schedule. There will be days you don’t feel like writing. Find ways to write anyway.

This training was presented at Write Canada 2019 (June 13-15, 2019). Learn more about this training and other workshops I present on my speaking page.