I’ve been freelance writing since 2022, a journey that has come with a lot of lessons, and even more mistakes. Today, I have some amazing clients, diverse work, and interesting projects, but it took a lot of time and hard work to get here.

If you’re starting as a new or aspiring freelance writer, the road ahead might look long – but I promise you, it can be conquered. Freelancing is the best decision I could have made for myself. I have control over when I work, what I work on, and even where I work from. It’s a lifestyle I would choose again and again.

To help you with your path into writing, here are my 24 tips for becoming a freelance writer, keep reading to learn:

• Best Creativity Tips
• Best Tips for Building a Freelance Writing Setup
• Best Productivity Tips for Writers
• Best Freelance Communication Tips
• Best Tips for Finding Clients
• Best Writing Lifestyle Tips
• Best Tips to Beat Writer’s Block
• My Ultimate Freelance Writing Advice for Beginners…

Best Creativity Tips

1. Read!

There’s nothing to spark writing inspiration than reading the work of others. What you’re reading doesn’t even have to be related to what you’re trying to write…in fact, try reading something completely different. You might be surprised by where it leads you.

2. Get Outside

When first starting out, it can be all too tempting to sit at your desk all day every day, trying to force yourself to write. Here’s the truth: sometimes the words just don’t flow. In these moments, you’re much better off getting outside and completely disconnecting from your computer.

3. Talk it Out

Do you ever feel like an idea is on the tip of your tongue…but you just can’t quite figure it out? Try talking your thoughts out to someone to explore ideas in real-time. This forces you to work out the kinks in an idea and might even spark some new twists and turns.

4. Try Writing Prompts

Sentence starters and writing prompts can speed-track you into creativity. I always recommend my writing clients to experiment with starting their writing practice with a random prompt to help ease into their creative flow.

Best Tips for Building a Freelance Writing Setup

5. Invest in a Tablet

My iPad is probably my most used piece of tech after my laptop. It doubles as a second screen, is portable, and lets me make notes quickly and easily with my Apple pencil. I use it literally every day whether I’m at home or working from a cafe.

6. Consider Buying a Walking Pad

This could easily be under productivity. For some reason, walking when working is the best way for me to click into focus and work non-stop for hours…all while getting my 10,000 steps a day. I even found my Kingsmith C2 walking pad for under £100 on Facebook marketplace!

7. Don’t Overlook Digital Tools

There are so many websites, tools, and apps designed to make the life of a freelance writer that little bit easier. Some of my go-tos are Calendly for scheduling client meetings, Notion for managing drafts, and Grammarly for proofreading.

Best Productivity Tips for Writers

8. Find Positive Distraction

If I’m feeling particularly distracted, I try to lean into it, not push the desire for distraction away. To satisfy that craving, I use low-fi playlists, my walking pad, or move to a new environment. This distracts a small part of my mind so the rest can focus on working.

9. Embrace Outlines

As creatives, we want to fly free and write from the heart…the problem is that when that inspiration isn’t hitting, we can feel completely and totally lost. This is where outlines come in. They’re an amazing tool for giving you direction, without removing creative freedom.

10. Choose a Project Management System

Project management isn’t just for corporations. When I’m working on multiple projects across many clients, I rely on project management systems like Asana or Monday to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Even a good old colour-coded to-do list is better than nothing!

11. Try Co-Writing Sessions

Working with someone else, ideally another writer but anyone will do, can really help when it comes to productivity. Not only does it give you a sense of accountability, but sitting next to someone who’s working can actually trick your brain into doing the same.

Best Freelance Communication Tips

12. Created a Dedicated Email

Do yourself a favour and keep your work and personal lives separate! Having a dedicated writing email looks more professional and makes it much easier to manage client communications…you can also quit the inbox when you’re meant to be offline!

13. Schedule Client Messaging Into Your Day

Keeping up with client communications can feel overwhelming. When I feel behind on my messages or emails, it hangs over me all day and makes me more and more anxious to respond. To alleviate this, I set aside 20 minutes at the start of every day to quickly respond to all messages and stay on top of my work inbox.

14. Keep Clients Up to Date

What’s better than responding to an update request? Sending one before they ask! Keep clients in the loop on every step of your progress, even if it’s just to let them know work will take a few more days to be completed.

Best Tips for Finding Clients

15. Build an Online Presence

Clients aren’t going to appear out of nowhere. The larger your online presence, the more potential clients you’re going to reach. Start by creating a blog and make regular posts on social media like LinkedIn or Instagram.

16. Write for Free

I recently wrote on the good and bad sides to hustle culture, but here’s the truth: to make it as a freelancer you have to work for free. Whether it’s posting to your own blog, or writing guest posts for more established websites, writing for free can provide you with a portfolio, contacts, and testimonials.

17. Target Your Searches

To find writing jobs, you probably need to get off the normal job boards. Those postings are inundated with literally thousands of applicants…within one week. Instead, we can use Google to our advantage. Use speech marks to search “writing jobs”, “freelance writing role”, or “content writer” followed by the keywords in your niche. Next, use the tools to return only pages posted in the last week to ensure you’re one of the first to apply!

18. Use LinkedIn

The LinkedIn jobs board is helpful, yes, however, the true potential of this site lies within its uses. Not only can you share your own writing and accomplishments, but you can also connect with other writers and small businesses to search out opportunities to get paid.

Best Writing Lifestyle Tips

19. Create a Routine

Look, I don’t love routines either – I thrive with freedom and creative space. That being said, there is a space for routines for all of us. Most important is my morning routine. If I have a productive morning, I can quickly find my creative flow and almost guarantee a successful day of writing.

20. Set Realistic Expectations

Writing 5000 words a day every day isn’t normal – no matter what the social media writers want you to think. My word count varies SO MUCH that having a daily goal isn’t even remotely useful anymore. Now, I base my expectations on my task list and deadlines, working to get done what I need to without comparing myself to others.

21. Take Breaks

Remember what I said about working all the time? It’s just not possible! Breaks are your mind’s opportunity to rest and reset so that you can have a more productive writing session when you sit back down at your desk. Trust me, the time it takes to overcome burnout is not worth skipping out on breaks now.

Best Tips to Beat Writer’s Block

22. Write Like No One’s Reading

If you feel like the pressure of producing a perfect finished product is standing in the way of starting…then give yourself permission to write something bad. It’s better to get something awful written down than waste hours staring at a blank page. Try writing a version of the project that you plan on deleting as soon as it’s finished. Who knows, it might turn out better than you think.

23. Play Around with AI

Want to know a secret? AI can actually be a writer’s best friend. It goes without saying that you need to write the words you’re being paid to write, however, AI can be a great tool for ideas generation and creating outlines. It gives you a bouncing-off point and a place to start.

24. Move Your Body (and get out of your head)

Blank page paralysis is a mental state, not a physical phenomenon. So often, I’ve been able to shake it off by walking away from the computer and into the gym. Moving your body also doesn’t have to mean exercise – dancing around the room, going for a walk, or even cooking are physical activities that don’t require a whole lot of thought.

My Ultimate Freelance Writing Advice for Beginners…

Breaking into the world of freelance writing is hard – it’s a competitive landscape filled with other people who want to do what you are doing. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.

The best thing you can do when starting out is to diversify your income streams and send out feelers in every possible direction. Here’s what I did:

• Make accounts on freelance platforms like Fiverr or Upwork
• Create a website, start your blog, and post regularly
• Post on LinkedIn to tell your network that you’re looking for clients
• Reach out to companies in your niche and offer to write for free
• Build a portfolio of work ready to send out
• Apply to as many job postings as you can find

Being a freelance writer is the best job I’ve ever had. The freedom and creativity it allows me have improved the quality of my life beyond belief, and I can’t wait for you to experience the same.

Looking for more support? Check out my writing coaching services or get in touch.