College is generally expensive. You have to eat, spend heavily on books, tuition and various outings with friends and colleagues. Assume there are people taking care of your educational needs such as books, tuition fees, among others. Would you expect them to get you some clothes or pay the bills for your outings? It’s not ideal. Taking up scheduled jobs isn’t also a wise decision considering how tight your program is unless it’s something as flexible as writing or freelance editing jobs. So, if you are ready to start a freelance writing job as a college student, follow these practical tips to get it right from the very beginning.
- Choose your niche wisely
You want to be called a freelance writer, agreed. Every writer calls his or herself the same thing. But if you’re going to stand out, you have to be specific about your niche. Be the go-to writer for health, education, technology, e-book, relationship articles or any particular area.
You will gain client’s trust and increase your chances of landing freelance writing jobs by picking a niche, as against posing as a jack of all trades. An easy way to choose a suitable niche if you are not yet sure of the area you would fit in correctly is to conduct research and read materials related to the said niche
The below tips will also help you to figure out where your passion lies.
- Do you prefer academic, e-book or article writing? Think carefully before making your choice.
- Make a comprehensive list of all the niches. If you are settling for article writing, then write down the entire niche that falls under article writing such as medical, technology, education, among others.
- Read articles on the areas you have chosen, extensively. It will help you determine if you can sustain the pattern of writing on that niche.
- Consider your availability
The advantage freelance writing jobs have over a scheduled job is flexibility. You can choose when and where to work as a freelancer. But then, you still need to determine your availability before accepting a freelance writing opportunity or dive into the field. Know when you will be available and the number of hours you can devote to writing each week.
Tips to help you figure out your availability
- How long will it take for you to conduct thorough research and draft a college paper? Assuming you are working under the same condition with your roommate around, how long will it take to write five hundred words long college paper? Knowing the number of hours will help you determine the number of hours to spend on freelance writing jobs.
- How do you plan to tackle distractions? Other college students and friends of yours will invade your room sometimes, and this may cause you to miss a deadline. The question is, can you continue writing under such circumstance? Or how do you plan to curb distractions? Being able to manage or prevent disturbances will help you focus more on writing task, ensure consistency and client satisfaction.
- Do you have the capacity or plan to work during weekends? You need to think this through carefully before making a decision.
- Finally, capture the duration, and specific time you would have the chance to work on freelance writing tasks when planning your reading timetable.
- Join a freelance writing platform
Now that you have chosen your niche and also determined your availability, next would be to pick a freelance writing platform. You will find myriads of platforms out there with each having their rules and regulations.
The impressive thing about joining freelance platforms is the availability and access to jobs. These sites are popular and also spend huge on marketing to attract clients from different parts of the world. You will find freelance writing tasks from clients from different parts of the world. But have in mind that rates would also be different from one client to the other.
Also, before joining any freelance platform, be sure you are ready to face competition. Make sure your bids are well-written and highly captivating before sending them to clients, and carefully read project details before bidding.
Freelance writing platforms you can join as a college student
- Guru
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- iWriter
- Freelance writing
- Embrace starter writing tasks
It is good to dream big and target only larger projects. But as a newbie, your focus should not be to make big bucks. You need to concentration on getting more positive reviews and writing samples available. Another thing is landing jobs with little pay would be easier for you as a newbie. Such tasks will not give you substantial financial gains but will help you build a solid reputation in your niche.
Take up tasks that you can handle so you won’t destroy your reputation with a bad review. Read the instructions for every project thoroughly and conduct little research if you can to know if the given topic would be convenient for you.
You also have to realize that all writing tasks and clients are not the same. Most clients prefer writers who are always available and would want their jobs delivered in a short time. If you encounter such clients and know you can’t meet their needs, it’s better to back out immediately.
- Make your rates attractive
One of the easiest ways to attract more clients and have more freelance writing jobs is to make your prices low. As you continue to gain experience and add more five-star reviews, you may start demanding a better rate or make the one on your freelance account higher.
The good thing about reviews is that they help to give prospective clients the confidence to hire you. Clients would have the mind that you can replicate the same success you had in previous projects when they assign theirs to you. So, work on creating an impressive portfolio on your freelance writing profile. In no time, you will start earning more.
- Get long-term writing tasks
Working as a freelance writer and being a college student are two highly demanding activities. But things will be much easier if you can predict your freelance job schedule. Hence you need to favour potential long-term clients that assign tasks regularly.
Long-term writing contracts are ideal for college students, considering their lifestyle and tight schedule. You will get used to the client’s requirements, which means little or no time-consuming revisions would be needed. It will also help you to determine your earnings for each week.
- Create a professional website
If you have enough time or want to become a full-time freelance writer after school, then you need to create a professional website for your personal use. Write articles specifically on the niche you chose, and ensure the articles are well-optimized. According to paperwritingpros.com, SEO-friendly articles may bring more high paying clients to your blog.
Conclusion
These tips will not only help you to get started as a freelance writer. You will also get clues that will enable you to have a good start as a freelancer and achieve success. Freelance writing is very flexible and lucrative. So, as a college student, you will have the opportunity to earn more and continue with your studies.