Writing is the most popular freelancing jobs worldwide. Over 70% of writers’ worldwide work as freelancers for various publications, companies, individuals, blogs, and media industry. Being a freelance writer is not easy because you have to learn to be a freelancer as well as a writer. If you are wondering what it takes to be an expert freelance writer then here are some points to help you:
Learn your language
You can write in any language provided you understand the language well. Whether you are writing in English, French, Hindi or any other language, you have to make sure that you understand all the grammar and punctuation rules and are able to use them correctly.
Try and read more and more publications and writings in your language, which will give you a fair idea of what are the latest developments, latest words included etc. Keep in mind that the slang that you use in your normal language might not be understood by everyone.
What do you want to write about?
Theoretically, you can write about anything under the sun. However since it is not possible for you to ‘know’ everything, we suggest that you stick to some topics, which you know the best about. This will not only help you maintain a flow of writing but also help you in address the topic with confidence.
What kind of writing do you want to do?
After you have thought about the topic that you want to write about, it is then time to think about what kind of writing you want to do. Writing can fall under many categories such as advice, lists, stories, reviews, controversy, comparison, news reporting, diaries, events, life stories, book reviews, questions and answers, informational, inspirational, poetry to name a few. Of course, you don’t have to restrict yourself to one particular category but it would help you focus more if you can shortlist some categories to start with.
Don’t be afraid to be dreadful
Trust yourself always when you are writing about your chosen topic. Everything you write about will not be perfect and you should not expect it to be perfect. It is quite natural for a writer to have different views on a particular subject. Therefore, just trust yourself when writing a blog.
Read and Research
It is quite important for a blogger to research well into the topic that he/she is going to focus on. However, an expert blogger’s research does not stop on the topic itself, it also includes keeping up with what is happening around in the world. You have to make a habit of dedicating some time during the day to spend on reading. You can read other blogs, books, papers etc. and get to know what the world around you is listening to.
Your research should also include a timeline about your future posts. This will help you map out a direction for your blog which will in turn help you maintain a continuity in your blogs. Keep in mind that most of the blogs fail because they are not able to hold the interest of the readers. Focus on being credible and emotional in your writings.
Interact with the readers
An expert blogger always interacts with the readers. This interaction can be in many forms such as responding to readers which comment on the blog, encourage readers to express their views, interact on social media platforms, post comments and queries on other blogs etc. Once you start interacting with readers, you will see that you will have more inputs for your freelance writing and it will only improve with time.
