Online Writing has always been seen as some sort of wizardry. The ability to string words together in a way that captivates and inspires is a gift that not many possess, and come to think of it, it’s pure art. Even before the internet age, writers were treated with the utmost respect. The kind of respect Albert Einstein commanded with science, Mozart with music, or Leonardo da Vinci with art. Enter the digital age, and writing has even reached greater heights than it did in the past, as folks with pen wizardry (online writer) are now getting their chances with companies from across the world because no business or organization can survive without content.
As simple as writing may seem or sound, it is one of the most difficult things anyone can be tasked with because it requires a hundred percent creativity, albeit for those that value quality. These days, online writers are finally getting the recognition they deserve for their skills and craft, making the skill one of the most sought-after in the digital world today. While some people are established professionals in the online world, others still can’t quite believe online writing can earn them a living. If you fall into the latter category, this article explores how to make a living as an online writer, so we urge you to read till the end to discover how you can monetize your writing skills.
Setting Yourself Up for Success
As an online writer, it's crucial to set yourself up for success before you start your writing journey. This section covers two key aspects of setting yourself up for success: developing your writing skills and setting up your online presence.
Developing your skills
To become a successful online writer, you need to develop your writing skills. This involves identifying your writing niche, building a writing portfolio, and improving your writing skills.
Identifying your niche
Before you start writing, it's essential to identify your writing niche. This involves determining the type of writing that you enjoy and excel in. Examples of writing niches include content writing, copywriting, technical writing, creative writing, and journalism.
To identify your writing niche, consider your interests, skills, and experience. Think about the type of writing that you enjoy and are passionate about. Additionally, consider your target audience and the type of content that they would be interested in reading.
This can help you to further refine your writing niche and develop skills that are tailored to their needs. For example, if you are interested in content writing, and your target audience is people in the tech industry, you may want to focus on developing skills in writing about the latest innovations and technologies in that field.
Building a portfolio
A writing portfolio is essential for showcasing your writing skills to potential clients. It's a collection of your best writing samples that demonstrate your expertise in your writing niche. To build a writing portfolio, follow these steps:
- Choose your best writing samples: Select writing samples that showcase your skills and experience in your writing niche. Ensure that they are error-free and showcase your unique writing style. When selecting writing samples, it's important to make sure that they not only reflect your skills and experience but also showcase your unique writing style. This will help you stand out from other writers and show potential clients what sets you apart. Be sure to check your samples for errors and make any necessary edits to ensure they are polished and professional.
- Create a portfolio website: A professional-looking website is crucial for showcasing your writing samples. Use a website builder like WordPress or Wix to create a website that showcases your writing samples and highlights your skills and experience. Make sure to choose a clean and professional theme and include an about page that details your background and expertise. It's also a good idea to include a blog on your website where you can share your thoughts and musings on your industry or niche.
- Organize your writing samples: Group your writing samples according to your writing niche. Ensure that each sample has a title and a short description that highlights the skills that you used to create the piece. It's important to make sure that your samples show your range as a writer, so include different writing styles and formats. It's also crucial to showcase the variety in terms of the clients or publications you've written for. This demonstrates your ability to adapt to different voices, needs, and audiences.
Improving your skills
To become a successful online writer, you need to constantly improve your writing skills. Here are some tips for improving your writing skills:
- Read widely: Read books, articles, and blogs on a wide range of topics to expand your knowledge and improve your writing skills. This will help you develop new vocabulary, sentence structure, and ideas that you can incorporate into your own writing. Make sure to read not only material that interests you, but also content that challenges you and introduces you to new perspectives.
- Practice writing: Set aside time each day to write. This could be journaling, writing short stories, or creating blog posts. The more you write, the better you'll get. You'll start to notice patterns in your writing, and you'll learn to recognize when something just doesn't sound right. Setting aside dedicated time each day to write is also a great way to hold yourself accountable and make writing a habit.
- Get feedback: Join a writing group or seek feedback from other writers. This can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your writing skills. You'll also gain insight into different styles and techniques that you may not have considered before. Plus, being part of a writing community can be a great motivator to keep writing regularly. It can help hold you accountable and give you a deadline or goal to work towards. By seeking feedback and being open to critique, you can become a better writer and improve your chances of success in the literary world.
Setting up your online presence
In addition to developing your writing skills, it's important to set up your online presence. This involves creating a professional website, optimizing your social media profiles, and building your email list.
Creating a professional website
A professional website is crucial for showcasing your writing portfolio and establishing your online presence. To create a professional website, follow these steps:
- Choose a domain name: Choose a domain name that reflects your writing niche and is easy to remember. A domain name is essentially your online address, so it's important to choose one carefully. Your domain name should be reflective of your writing niche and easy for readers to remember. Avoid using hyphens or numbers in your domain name, as these can make it difficult for people to remember and find your website. Instead, opt for a simple and catchy name that will stick in your readers' minds.
- Include an About page: Use your About page to introduce yourself and highlight your skills and experience. Your About page should be a brief summary of your background, highlighting your qualifications and key accomplishments. It should also speak to your personality and interests, giving visitors a sense of who you are both professionally and personally. Keep in mind that this page will likely be one of the most visited pages on your website, so make sure it's engaging, informative, and reflects your brand and values.
- Include a Contact page: Make it easy for potential clients to contact you by including a contact form or email address on your website. This not only increases the likelihood of receiving inquiries but also presents a professional image of your business. Providing multiple methods of contact, such as phone numbers and social media links, can also be helpful to clients.
Optimizing your social media profiles
Social media is a powerful tool for building your online presence and attracting clients. To optimize your social media profiles, follow these tips:
- Choose the right platforms: Identify the social media platforms that your target audience uses and focus on those platforms. In today's digital age, social media has become an essential part of every marketing strategy. But it's not enough to simply be present on every platform - you need to focus on the ones where your target audience is most active. This starts by identifying the demographics and online behavior of your ideal customers. Are they primarily using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok?
- Use a professional profile photo: Use a high-quality headshot that shows your professionalism and personality. A good headshot can make all the difference when it comes to establishing a positive first impression. Your headshot is often the first thing people see on your website or social media profiles, so you want to make sure it conveys your professionalism and personality.
- Write a compelling bio: Use your bio to introduce yourself and highlight your writing niche and expertise. As a writer, it's important to effectively communicate who you are and what you do. Your bio should be written in a concise manner that highlights your skills and experience. Start by introducing yourself and immediately diving into your writing niche and area of expertise. Be sure to mention any notable achievements or published works that show off your writing skills.
Finding Writing Opportunities
By leveraging freelancing platforms, job boards, and marketplaces, you can find a steady stream of writing opportunities and grow your online writing business. Let’s explore how you can find writing opportunities so you can get paid for your creative writing skills;
Freelancing platforms
Freelancing platforms are websites where freelancers can find and bid on writing projects posted by clients. These platforms provide an easy way to find work and build relationships with clients. Here are some popular freelancing platforms for writers:
Upwork
Upwork is a leading freelancing platform that connects writers with clients seeking writing services. Upwork offers a range of writing projects, including blog posts, website content, e-books, and technical writing. To succeed on Upwork, create a strong profile that highlights your writing skills and experience. Bid on projects that match your expertise, and deliver high-quality work to build relationships with clients.
Website: https://www.upwork.com
Freelancer
Another popular freelancing platform for writers is Freelancer. Clients post projects, and writers bid on them based on their qualifications and experience. Freelancer provides writing opportunities in a variety of fields, such as SEO writing, content writing, and copywriting. Create a strong profile on Freelancer that highlights your writing skills and expertise. Bid on projects that are a good fit for your skills, and communicate effectively with clients to develop long-term relationships.
Website: https://www.freelancer.com
Fiverr
Fiverr is a unique freelancing platform that allows writers to offer their writing services at a fixed price. Clients can browse through writers' profiles and choose the one that best fits their needs. Fiverr offers writing opportunities in various niches, including article writing, product descriptions, and press releases. To succeed on Fiverr, create a strong profile that highlights your writing skills and experience. Offer high-quality services at a competitive price, and communicate effectively with clients to build relationships.
Website: https://www.fiverr.com
Examples of marketplaces for freelance writers are:
- Freelance Writing
- Contena
- Pro-Blogger Job Board
Managing Your Writing Business
Effective time and financial management are essential for the success of your online writing business. By setting realistic goals, prioritizing tasks, using time-tracking tools, and taking breaks, you can optimize your workflow and maintain productivity. Let's quickly explore how you can manage your writing business.
Time management
Time management is essential as an online writer to ensure that you stay on track and meet your deadlines. Here are some tips to help you manage your time more effectively:
Set Realistic Goals
It's important to set achievable goals for your writing business. By breaking down larger projects into smaller, more manageable tasks, you'll be able to work more efficiently and productively. This approach can be applied to all aspects of your writing business, from content creation to marketing and business development. Setting specific and measurable goals, such as writing a certain number of blog posts each week, can help keep you accountable and motivated. By regularly checking in on your progress and adjusting your goals as needed, you can build momentum and achieve long-term success.
Prioritize tasks
It can be tempting to work on the tasks that are easiest or most enjoyable, but it's important to prioritize your work based on its importance and deadline. This will help you stay focused and motivated. Prioritizing tasks can help you avoid last-minute panics and decrease stress levels. One effective way to prioritize your work is to create a to-do list and order each task based on its importance and deadline. By doing so, you can ensure that important and urgent tasks are done first, leading to higher productivity and better time management.
Use time-tracking tools
There are plenty of time-tracking tools available online, such as TopTracker or RescueTime, which can help you monitor the time you spend on each task. By tracking your time, you can identify areas where you're spending too much time and make adjustments to optimize your workflow. This not only helps increase productivity, but it can also reduce stress by better managing your time. Time-tracking tools can also help you accurately quote clients for project work and ensure that projects are finished within the allocated time frame.
Take breaks
Taking regular breaks throughout the day can help you maintain your focus and energy levels. Try to take short breaks every hour or so to stretch your legs, grab a drink, or just take a few deep breaths. Not only will this help prevent burnout and improve productivity, but it can also improve your overall health and well-being. Studies have shown that sitting for long periods of time can lead to health issues like back pain, obesity, and even cardiovascular disease. So, make it a habit to get up and move around regularly throughout the day.
Collecting Payments
In the freelance world, payment problems have been a long-standing issue for many online writing businesses. While the rise of digital communication has made it easier for writers to find work from international clients, it has also brought new challenges to the payment process. It can be especially difficult for writers in countries like Kenya, where transferring money across borders can be costly and time-consuming.
IntaSend provides a solution to these payment problems. IntaSend is a digital payment platform that enables freelancers to receive payments quickly and easily. With IntaSend, writers can receive payments directly to their IntaSend account in any currency, which will be immediately converted to local currency. This means that writers can receive their payments faster and with lower fees.
IntaSend's payment links and invoicing features are particularly useful for online writing businesses. Payment links allow writers to send payment requests directly to their clients, eliminating the need for back-and-forth communication about payment details. Invoicing features enable writers to create professional-looking invoices that are easy to read and understand. These features help to streamline the payment process, making it faster and more efficient.
As a freelancer, you need an IntaSend account to start receiving payments. Create an account today and enjoy the best payment services on the market. Learn more here.
Cover Photo by Microsoft 365 on Unsplash
