Freelance Writing Jobs Overview
Writing is vital to communication. Whether writing is for brands, blogs, newspapers, research papers, books, magazines, pamphlets, or instruction manuals, its purpose is to present important information in a clear way that's easy for the intended audience to understand. Although there are many staff writing positions within publications and on marketing and communications teams, many writers opt to go freelance to have more control over their workload, schedules, and assignments. Businesses across industries hire for freelance writing jobs during busy seasons or for substantial yet temporary projects. Freelance writers don't need any specific education or credentials—just a laptop and a love of language.
Freelance writing jobs can be long term, short term, assignment based, or contract based. Some freelance writers work from home, while others briefly join an internal team's office. As a writer, you'll choose or receive an assignment, conduct factual research, write copy, present drafts to editors, and work with editors to form the finished product.
You can find additional job opportunities by looking for other media jobs. To view even more options, you may also want to give these comparable jobs a try:
Freelance Writer Education and Skills
A college education isn't necessary to become a freelance writer, but many writers have a bachelor's degree in writing, literature, English, communications, or journalism. As long as you have excellent writing skills and are creative, a critical thinker, and have more determination than ink, you have what it takes to be a freelance writer.
As a freelance writer, you'll want to hone your craft by writing every day for your high school or college paper or your own personal blog. Familiarity with different style guides, the principles of search engine optimization, and the basics of HTML and CSS will also help you to be successful. Learn more about how to be a freelancer in this Monster article.
Update Your Freelance Writer Resume
We know you're a great writer, but sometimes even the best battle with writer's block. Don't let the struggle to find the right words stop you from writing that outstanding resume. Instead, use Monster's resume samples and writing tips as inspiration. Although not every freelance writing job will ask for a cover letter, when they do, treat it like a writing sample. A cover letter is a chance to introduce your unique voice and show off your creativity. Triple-check your spelling and grammar—you don't want to apply to a writing job and miss simple mistakes. Check out our sample cover letters and advice for writing cover letters for help along the way.
Don't forget to assemble your best and most recent work into a writing portfolio to submit alongside your other application materials. For more tips, check out his article on how to build a portfolio.
Interviewing for a Freelance Writing Job
Depending on the type of freelance writing jobs you're applying to, you might receive an invitation for an interview. A job interview is the perfect time to elaborate on your background and let your personality shine through. But as a writer, you might feel like you'd do a better job impressing your possible future employer through the written word rather than the spoken word. Not to worry—Monster has put together helpful interview tips and likely interview questions that you can use to prepare strong answers ahead of time. Feel free to write down your responses first before practicing them out loud.
How Much Do Freelance Writing Jobs Pay?
The advantage of being a freelance writer is that you can set your rates, whether they're hourly or by project or word count. The more experience you have and the more extensive your portfolio is, the higher your rate should be. Keep in mind that as a contractor, you'll need to put aside some money out of every paycheck for self-employment taxes. The median salary for a writer in the U.S. is $25.19 per hour. Use our Salary Guide figure out what you might earn in your area.
Searching for New Freelance Writing Jobs? Monster Can Help
You revised your resume, composed an eloquent cover letter, and rehearsed for an interview. You're ready to start applying to freelance writing jobs. But before you do, be sure to build a profile on Monster so you can connect with recruiters who are looking for the perfect freelances for their clients' projects. Monster makes the freelance hustle just a little easier.