Freelance writers?

[Myturnthanks]

Am looking for major career change. How easy is it to set up as freelance online writer? Has anyone done this? I would be so grateful to hear about your experiences and of any recommended sights/training courses.

*sites . Good start to writing career!

Even big, established websites pay absolute peanuts - not very helpful, but worth knowing.

Bloody hard work.

I'm a freelance copywriter. It can be great when the going's good but it's never going to be a secure job. I can spend half my time chasing up invoices and looking for work. Once you've done content for someone then that's done and you need to look for your next client.

There are agencies. I'm with one that sends in work from time to time but the pay is peanuts. £7.50 for 500 words. But the copy takes around half an hour so not too bad.

I know there are journalists and writers on Mumsnet who get around £20 ph but you have to start at the bottom to build up your portfolio and even then, often you are undercut by someone else.

I've had to take on a cleaning job to supplement my income. All of my clients say my writing is great, they love my style and most come back for more, but that doesn't help to bring the work in I'm afraid. There are many of us out there all competing and so far, despite people saying there is a shortage of good copywriters, the ones who charge the less seem to get all the work.

Sorry not to be more optimistic but I'm here 3 years later and still struggling to get a foothold.

In my experience it is very hard unless you have a niche to focus on (ie mine is law as that's whee my background is).

IMO though, if something is worth having is worth putting in the hard work so if it's really what you want then go for it. Raise your profile on places like Ezine, it can be a good confidence boost to see you article online even if you're not getting paid for it! Good luck

• where

I'm a designer and may be in the market for some good copy writers for a couple of big jobs I have coming up...

Feel free to PM me with a URL or samples of work...

FWIW I'm used to paying around £300 to £600 a day for good copywriters... I have one guy I've worked with for years, who is much in demand. He charges me £500, but direct to clients would charge £800 to £thousand (sorry half my iPhone keyboard doesn't work so I can't type any letters on the far left... Grrr) directly to clients, and that's about what I charge him on at.

So there is potential there to make decent money. It depends on the kind of work you want to do, and your experience for sure, but some writers just have 'it' and are always in demand...

You may be one of them and don't know it yet!!

Congrats on taking the plunge though. Going freelance is the best thing I ever did, and I did it thanks in no small part as a result of the encouragement I got on MN...

HTH

db
xx

Also, there are a couple of really good writers collectives, who may be able to offer advice/training...

'Twentysix' is one (you'll have to google it, as am in iPhone and can't manage links!) the other is 'the writer'. I know a fair few writers at both, have been introduced to writers for jobs from bith and have done some training with the latter (sometimes there's no budget for an outsourced writer so I have to manage myself!!). Both have lovely and very wise people...

Maybe a good place to start...
db
xx

Hi, I'm a freelance technical writer. Technical writing is pretty specialised and not for everyone: it can be boring, frustrating, and difficult. It does, however, tend to pay quite well. I think you'd really need to train as an employee with a company first, however, before going it alone.
I'm not sure that this has helped at all, but it sounds like you've gotten some great advice already. Best of luck.