4 Tips to Help Start Your Freelance Writing Journey
Have you been blogging for a while? Are you ready to get your content read on a larger platform? You want to drive more traffic to your website, you want to get paid for your writing, and you want to become an authority in your field. Those were all the reasons why freelance writing was the perfect opportunity for me.
In July, I got to see my name printed in the July/August ESSENCE issue, and I was reminded of my journey into freelance writing.
I started the Lemons 2 Lemonade blog during a time when people said: “blogging was dead.” I wasn’t an early adopter of blogging. Building a following and active engagement was going to be a long journey, especially for someone who was creating content outside of beauty, fashion, food and entertainment. At the time those bloggers who built their following ten years ago were becoming influencers and focused on making their content work on social media platforms. Brand dollars were being allocated for visual content and less blogging content. That’s why freelancing became the perfect way for me to start to build my authority and brand.
People ask me all the time how to get their start as a freelance writer. Here are some general tips to get your start to see your work on more prominent platforms.
Know your niche
It’s okay if you are passionate about writing entertainment news and politics, but carving out a niche can make your journey to freelance a little easier. If you aren’t sure of your niche, the lifestyle vertical is a great way to explore topics like travel, love, food, home, and health. Once you pick your niche, you can target the right editors to pitch articles, too. Use an outlet’s masthead or LinkedIn to find out which senior editors for each vertical you should pitch your content.
Build relationships with editors
My journey to freelance writing began with one editor who I met at a party who happened to be a fellow Bison. Finding similarities with editors can also help with getting acquainted, and that’s how I was able to build a relationship with that editor. Not only did we go to the same college, but we lived in Harlem and went to the same church.
Next, find media focused networking events to meet editors or attend an event where your favorite editor may be speaking to have a moment of his/her time. Social media is another excellent way to follow an editor and comment on what you gained from their latest work. Lastly, share your blog and other work with editors through a personal newsletter or quarterly email check-in. I made it a habit early in my career to send updates to people that I made connections with through networking. In these quarterly check-ins, I would schedule a meet-up and let them know what progress I made since we last spoke. This way, I felt good about contacting someone if I needed something because I kept in touch. Through my blog newsletter and sharing my work on social media, many editors reach out to me for assignment opportunities. Lean on your circle of writer friends who may know if some editors are taking new pitches.
Diversify your outlets
Once you get one writing opportunity, the goal is to become a regular contributor to that outlet. Start asking for more. If they like your work, keep pitching ideas, offer to write a column or take on daily briefs. After that, your goal is to get opportunities to diversify your outlets. Why? Sometimes there’s a budget, and sometimes there’s none. Expanding your outlets ensures you have money coming in. For me, writing for Fast Company was an opportunity to push myself and to bring diverse content to a mainstream outlet for more eyes and discussions. Now, my goal is to conquer the major women’s magazines by using the tactics that I shared earlier to break into this world of media.
Understand what writing styles outlets are paying for
As I pitch women’s magazine, I’m learning that they are looking for a different writing style that I’m not as keen on writing. When it comes to culture pieces, they love opinion pieces or first-person narratives and less reporting or writing other people’s stories. Understanding what style of writing outlets pay for helps with how you pitch and tailor your ideas.