Is it nonetheless potential to generate profits as a contract author in 2025?
In brief, sure.
AI writing instruments are getting higher, however these freelance writers show which you can nonetheless earn a six determine wage 2025:
Even in case you’re simply getting began, this step-by-step information will provide help to begin making a living as a contract author in 2025.
1. Choose Your Area of interest
Some freelance writing niches pay considerably greater than others, so selecting a excessive paying area of interest can dramatically improve your incomes potential.
Two components to contemplate as you’re choosing your freelance writing area of interest are:
- The service
- The consumer
Among the hottest freelance writing platform/alternatives embrace:
- Social media: Social media ghostwriting for LinkedIn and X is an in-demand service. It is a nice service in case you take pleasure in brief kind content material and are an ideal storyteller.
- Content material advertising: Corporations rent freelance writers to create weblog posts to rank for particular key phrases. If you wish to be a content material marketer, study the fundamentals of search engine marketing, as most firms hiring content material entrepreneurs care extra about rating for key phrases than the content material itself.
- E-newsletter author: E-newsletter writing is a superb area of interest in case you take pleasure in analysis. Choose a topic you’re enthusiastic about as you’ll want to remain on prime of the newest information and developments.You’ll be able to both ghostwrite a publication for a person, or you may write for a publication firm (like Morning Brew). Right here’s an instance of a private publication:
- E mail copywriting: There are various kinds of electronic mail copywriting, from common firm updates to in-depth nurture sequences. Gross sales emails for merchandise or programs are usually probably the most worthwhile because it’s price it for a corporation to pay an additional few thousand {dollars} for an electronic mail copywriter who can improve conversions by even a small proportion.
- Video scriptwriting: YouTube is maturing as a professional advertising channel, and loads of firms are hiring scriptwriters. Moreover, many YouTubers have turned their channels into professional companies and are hiring scriptwriters to expedite the manufacturing course of. Video scriptwriting is clearly an up-and-coming area of interest as one creator lately earned $70,000 launching a YouTube scriptwriting course.
The following step to choosing your area of interest is selecting your dream consumer – each the business and enterprise.
Pinpointing your dream consumer is necessary as a result of your earnings as a contract author is not correlated with effort.
Your incomes potential is correlated with the worth you ship to shoppers.
Remember that:
Worth ≠ Work High quality
Worth = {Dollars} Earned
This idea is necessary to recollect as a result of the sum of money you generate for a consumer typically varies on components exterior of your management, like:
- The profitability of their product
- Their viewers measurement
- Their advertising funnel’s optimization
For instance, an ideal electronic mail copywriter can cost $10,000 for a gross sales letter that generates $100,000 in revenue for the enterprise – even when they solely spent three hours writing it.
Nevertheless, a model new dropshipping enterprise that sells a $5 product most likely gained’t pay greater than $100 for a similar quantity of labor. It’s because a brand new firm has a small viewers, and the value is so low that it probably generates little revenue.
As you’re contemplating your dream consumer, ask:
How a lot cash will my outcomes make for this individual/enterprise?
Listed below are some fundamental pointers for figuring out a mature consumer throughout a number of totally different companies:
- Social media: Entrepreneurs who’ve exited their enterprise or are making eight figures per yr.
- Running a blog/content material advertising: Companies with a robust model (at the least 100k in month-to-month site visitors.) that rely closely on search engine marketing for buyer acquisition.
- E-newsletter: Newsletters that have already got massive sponsors (you may subscribe and see how huge the businesses sponsoring them are), paid newsletters which have a big subscriber base, and newsletters in extremely profitable industries (suppose banking, and many others.).
- E mail writing: Course creators with a considerable, engaged following (a number of thousand individuals) and a excessive worth course ($1,000 plus) or B2B firms that want nurture sequences for prime worth merchandise are all wonderful prospects.
- Video scriptwriting: You’ll be able to goal a significant YouTuber or a big model like HubSpot that’s starting to create movies for particular key phrases.
Lastly, the business ought to be a subject you’re genuinely enthusiastic about, as your ardour will influence each your work high quality and total happiness as a contract author.
For instance, you may cost so much to put in writing a publication about mergers and acquisitions, however in case you have little interest in the topic, you most likely gained’t do nearly as good of a job as somebody who lives and breathes mergers and acquisitions.
Moreover, you’ll burn out in case you don’t benefit from the topic you’re writing about, which can in the end trigger you to fail.
So selecting a topic you’re keen on writing about actually does influence how a lot cash you’ll in the end earn.
2. Create a Record of Your Dream Purchasers
New freelance writers typically make the error of concentrating on smaller shoppers once they first begin as a result of they worry their dream consumer gained’t need somebody inexperienced.
Nevertheless, your dream shoppers don’t actually care about your expertise – they wish to rent an individual who persistently delivers nice work.
Within the subsequent step, you’ll show that you just’re that A-tier freelancer by creating an incredible free pattern for that consumer.
When you create a stellar pattern piece, most dream shoppers gained’t even ask about your expertise.
Alternatively, advertising price range is extra valuable for a smaller consumer, so they could ask extra about your expertise.
The opposite issue that may influence your shut price (the share of shoppers that rent you) is whether or not or not the consumer is actively hiring for that service.
If the corporate already has a staff in place, they won’t be concerned about hiring one other individual, no matter your high quality of labor. That field is already “checked” on their to-do checklist.
For this reason you’ll want to succeed in out to a number of firms. Don’t be discouraged in case you don’t obtain a reply in your first few tries.
That stated, if the corporate is actively hiring a full-time worker for the service you provide, that’s a transparent signal they want your service.
To search out firms hiring a full-time worker in your companies, you may have a look at a job board like LinkedIn, Wellfound, and even Certainly.
Corporations hiring in-house expertise for that place have already put aside a price range for the service you provide, and plenty of of them are completely satisfied to contemplate freelancers fairly than hiring in-house.
It’s also possible to publish on job boards like Upwork, however these are usually far more aggressive and it may be troublesome to face out.
You’ll be able to nonetheless attain out to firms that aren’t actively hiring for the function, as they could want that service and simply haven’t gotten round to posting a job description.
When you can entry a software like Crunchbase, search for firms that lately employed a brand new advertising chief (e.g., CMO, VP of Advertising, Advertising Director, and many others.) or acquired extra funding. New advertising leaders must develop and can most likely rent for brand new roles. Equally, firms that lately acquired funding will probably deploy that capital into hiring new expertise.
3. Create Free Pattern Items
“Construct a writing portfolio.”
That is recommendation most individuals inform you.
As an alternative, create free pattern items in your dream shoppers.
In case your dream shoppers don’t rent you, you should utilize these pattern items to construct a writing portfolio.
So let’s say you determined to supply content material advertising companies.
You recognized that your dream consumer is Influencity, an influencer advertising software.
Subsequently, write a weblog publish on the subject of influencer advertising.
This observe will make you a greater author, and it’s a compelling pitch.
4. Pitch Your Dream Consumer
These are the 2 most necessary ideas when pitching shoppers:
- Discover the best individual to contact.
- Preserve it brief.
First, the best individual to contact is the one who has the authority to rent for that function.
I exploit LinkedIn. The free model lets you search by “advertising” below the “Folks” tab:
The most effective individual to contact is normally the best ranked advertising government if it’s a advertising staff of 5 or fewer individuals.
If it’s a bigger firm with a advertising staff of 5 or ten individuals, there’s a very good likelihood these executives obtain too many pitches for yours to chop via the noise.
In that case, pitch the content material or social media advertising supervisor (relying on the service you’re pitching).
As soon as you discover the best individual, ship them a connection request. When you see that they’re lively on LinkedIn, touch upon a few of their content material.
Subsequent, discover their electronic mail handle.
You should utilize a software like Hunter.io or Verifalia to do that.
Strive a number of totally different combos like:
- (first)@area.com
- (first).(final)@area.com
- (firstinitial).(final)@area.com
- (final)@area.com
A kind of will most likely work.
Subsequent, write your electronic mail. Preserve it to simply two traces.
Right here’s the template
Hello (identify),
(one line saying why they’re your dream consumer)
I’d love to put in writing (service) for (model). I already wrote one for you (see connected).
Tim
Bear in mind to connect your pattern!
Right here’s an instance of how you possibly can modify this template for an actual pitch:
Hello Alex,
It was love at first chew once I tried the peanut butter chocolate taste 🙂
I’d love to put in writing emails for SkinnyDipped. I already wrote one for you (see connected).
Tim
Don’t be discouraged in the event that they don’t reply to your first electronic mail. Observe up with them at the least twice.
It’d take a number of tries, however you’ll ultimately land your first consumer and construct your portfolio within the course of.
5. Construct Your Private Model
Chilly outreach is right to get your first few shoppers and get began.
However it’s plenty of work.
Touchdown a consumer is normally about timing. If the consumer is about to rent for that place, they’ll most likely rent you. If not, they’ll most likely move.
What in case you may get in your dream consumer’s radar earlier than they’re prepared to rent? Then, they attain out to you when they’re prepared to rent.
How do you get on their radar earlier than they’re prepared to rent?
Construct a private model.
If shoppers see you posting useful content material (or at the least logical content material that exhibits you realize what you’re doing) on LinkedIn and X, you’ll most likely be the primary one who involves thoughts once they want to rent.
We have now a separate useful resource on constructing a private model, however listed below are content material concepts that can assist you begin posting on LinkedIn and X:
- Templates you utilize in your writing
- Case research (as you begin writing extra)
- Errors and failures to keep away from (ideally from your personal expertise)
- Suggestions for a subtopic of your companies (e.g., writing topic traces in case you provide electronic mail copywriting)
The best technique to develop your following is providing knowledge that solutions a burning business query or a free software.
Right here’s an instance of a free software:
Right here’s an instance of information that solutions a burning business query:
Free instruments and related knowledge are sometimes probably the most efficient strategies to rapidly construct an viewers, however they’re extra concerned to create. So don’t procrastinate getting began in case you don’t have a free software or authentic knowledge in the beginning.
Begin publishing content material a number of days per week.
Moreover, interact together with your dream shoppers’ content material. Depart insightful feedback and share their posts.
This isn’t solely wonderful for constructing real connections, nevertheless it additionally helps you keep updated with business developments. You’ll additionally study their ache factors, what’s working within the business, and enhance your personal abilities.
A professional tip is to pick simply 5 of your dream shoppers who’re lively on LinkedIn (posting at the least 3x per week) after which put them in a Google Sheet.
Then, for the following week, revisit that Google Sheet every week, click on into their profile, and meaningfully interact with every new publish they publish.
These individuals need LinkedIn engagement, so participating with their content material is the easiest way so as to add worth.
6. Elevate Your Costs
As you construct your private model, you’ll ultimately have extra shoppers than you may tackle.
Ultimately you’ll have two choices to proceed rising: Both construct a staff and switch it right into a advertising company or elevate your costs.
If you wish to rent different writers and construct a advertising company, you are able to do that, however remember the fact that working a advertising company requires very totally different abilities than freelance writing.
For a lot of freelance writers, rising costs is a greater technique to generate extra earnings.
When you’re undecided find out how to improve your costs, ship this electronic mail to your least favourite consumer:
Hello (identify),
It’s been a pleasure working with you and I’m actually enthusiastic about (final marketing campaign that went nicely).
I’m at present at capability and should improve my costs to proceed giving every consumer the time they deserve.
Starting (date), my costs can be $X,000 per thirty days. If that works for you, I stay up for persevering with our partnership.
Thanks,
Identify
As quickly as you hit capability, elevate your costs.
Even when the consumer cancels, you’ll nonetheless produce other shoppers, and you should utilize that point to reinvest in your private model to draw extra prime quality shoppers who will pay much more.
Get Extra Assist Constructing Your Freelance Writing Profession
The step-by-step course of outlined above will provide help to kickstart your freelance writing profession, however getting began will be lonely.
You most likely gained’t land the very first potential consumer you pitch, however you’ll construct a gentle consumer base in case you’re persistent and persistently ship high quality work.
To make the journey simpler, we created Copyblogger Academy. It’s a course and group that offers freelancers and aspect hustlers all the advertising supplies they want. There are 9 programs on matters starting from private branding and copywriting to search engine marketing and electronic mail advertising.
It’s also possible to ask the group for suggestions in your work and even ask inquiries to seven determine entrepreneurs, Charles Miller and Tim Stoddart.
Take a look at Copyblogger Academy as we speak to see if it’s a very good match for you.
