How to Make SERIOUS Money as a Freelance Writer. Is it even possible?
So, you dream of being a paid writer.
The next JK Rowling, James Clear, or Tim Ferriss.
Am I right?
No?
You don’t care about being a best selling author?
Ahhh, I get it…
You just want to make some of those sweet internet bucks, right?
Well, there is one skill that you can learn to ensure the river of wifi money starts flowing your way.
Writing.
Why?
Because writing is the most powerful tool a digital creator can have in their toolbox.
Sure, there are countless ways to make money online.
But,
If you want to make money online NOW, learning how to craft words is the best place to start.
Why writing is the best skill you can learn to increase your online income:
Because it’s the most versatile skill and highly sought after.
Think about it - writing is used for:
Twitter Threads, Bios, Tweets, DMs (please don’t be that 14-year-old copywriter in my DMS)
Youtube Scripts, Titles, and Descriptions
Blogs
Medium Articles
Freelancer profile descriptions
Email marketing
E-book creation
Product descriptions
Landing Pages
I mean I could make this list go on for the entire article, but I think you get the picture.
Words are everywhere.
The ability to make money from them is too.
How can you start earning the big bucks as a writer?
The average writer makes around $55,000 per year.
Like I said, average…
But, there is serious money to be made if you can separate yourself from the herd and stand out as a prolific online writer.
It’s no secret that there are online writers making an absolute killing online:
Dan Koe made $800,000 last year as a writer.
Kieran Drew made $140,000 in 4 days as a writer.
Eve Arnold made $9,021 in 4 days as a writer.
Mark Manson makes $2,000,000 each year as a writer (and started off blogging).
To be fair, these people leverage their personal brand to earn these enormous sums of cash.
Plus, they probably spent years as unpaid, or terribly paid writers.
If you’re reading this, I’m betting you don’t have a personal brand to leverage - yet (but that’s another story).
And if you want to learn more about making money from your personal brand - my friend Lessa is the woman to talk to.
So instead of trying to earn the big buck (right now) - let’s ask a different question.
How Can You Make Money as a Freelance Writer?
Let’s get real.
Tweets ain’t cash.
Likes ain’t cash.
Views ain’t cash.
Dms ain’t cash.
Cold Emails ain’t cash.
Money in your bank account? That’s cash.
That’s what you need to be aiming for.
if you want to make money as a writer - well you need to do money-making tasks. And if you are just starting out - those tasks revolve around freelancing. Rather than being an unpaid writer online, you write for people who have money.
What are the money-making tasks you can do as a freelance writer?
Find new clients
Land those clients with a great offer
Keep those clients paying.
So, the first question you should be asking yourself is:
“Who has my money?”
Realistically - you probably don’t have much of a personal brand right now.
So, you can’t sell to your 289 followers.
They do not have your money.
But guess what - there are three platforms that have thousands of clients looking to pay people to write - EVERY SINGLE DAY.
How much do freelance writers make online?
Do freelance writers actually make money?
YES
contrary to popular belief - they do.
In fact:
Evan Heron AKA ‘Freelance MVP’ has made $1.9 Million (yes million with an M) writing pitch decks on Upwork.
Alex Fasulo has made over $1,000,000 from writing content on Fiverr.
Kathy Edens has made over $300,000 as a freelance writer on Upwork
Ben Webby made between $1,000-$2000 per week last year as a freelance writer (rumor has it, he is still working on upping those numbers…)
What to Write about as a Freelancer?
As a beginner freelance writer, its difficult to know what industry to specialize in - or whether you should specialize at all?!
All you know is you want to get paid for writing online.
So, maybe its best just to pimp yourself out to whatever clients come your way?
Maybe…
Sure, do anything for a five star review or your first dollar.
Especially early on.
Take whatever freelance writing gigs come your way.
But as your profile improves, you rack up a few five star reviews and you increase your price - well, now you should look to specialize.
How? In what?
This is not fixed, its just a way to find higher paying clients.
Did you study Pscychology? Become a Psych Writer.
Do you love American Sports? You can write content for that too, in fact there is thousands of websites that need content in this niche.
English not your native language? Translator.
Seriously, there is an endless number of niches you can write content on. Choose a few related to your interests and become an expert in those, first. Then you can expand out to other topics.
Make sure you choose a niche with actual demand, though. It’s a waste of fucking time being a clay figurine writer or a crossfit for animals writer.
What’s the best way to find people to pay you as a Writer?
If you want to be a paid writer, don’t start writing books - sure do that in your free time, but that will take you years to earn a buck (if you ever do).
Im not trying to crush your dreams here.
I’m giving you a ticket to become a paid writer, right now.
Yes, I’m talking about becoming a freelancer.
Hey, quiet down in the back.
I can hear already you moaning:
“But isn’t the pay shit?”
“Doesn’t it take years to be a good freelancer?”
“Aren’t the clients horrible?”
Let me silence these doubts. Bear with me.
1. Is the pay shit as a Freelance Writer?
I won’t sugarcoat it
Yes, the pay is shit.
BUT - only at the start
In fact, my first paid writing gig was $8/hour writing blogs. I was writing 1500 articles for $15 (and without chatGPT that took me at least 2 hours).
And Yes, that is a lot less than minimum wage.
Below is one of the first reviews I received on Upwork:
One of my first ever Upwork jobs - $30 for 4 hours (less than $8/hr).
Don’t worry - the moment I got a couple of 5-star reviews - I boosted those prices.
Now?
I charge $120/hour on Upwork.
So, yes the pay is shit to start - but you can quickly change that with a few five-star reviews.
2. How long does it take to make money as a freelancer writer?
How long did you spend at university - learning (or partying and chasing girls) before you got paid a dime?
How many hours have you worked as an unpaid intern?
I’m willing to bet that you’ve spent years studying, interning, and partying in order to upskill - before you even started looking to get paid for your work.
Well, the beauty of being a freelance writer is that you get paid the moment you land your first client and complete the job.
This part is entirely up to you.
How many leads are you willing to chase?
How many proposals are you willing to send on Upwork?
How many gigs are you willing to put up on a Fiverr profile?
Yes, it will take months, if not years to get to a point where you can earn an entirely full-time income as a freelance writer.
But depending on your living costs - all you need is 1 client that pays $1000/week, or two clients that pay you $500/ week. Or four clients that pay you $250/week.
See, it gets easier when you break it down.
And here’s the thing - if you send 100 high-quality Upwork proposals in one month, I am 99% confident that you will make money as a freelance writer.
3. Aren’t the clients horrible?
Tell me, do you like your current boss?
Yes?
We’ll have you liked every boss you’ve ever had?
Chances are - no.
Everyone’s had their fair share of Horrible Bosses.
When I finished University, I moved from little ol’ New Zealand to San Diego, California. And fuck did I have a run of bad bosses.
I worked for a heroin-addicted landscaper who had holes in his nostrils that snot would leak out of. I quit that job and then worked for 69-year-old racist, sexist, moon-landing-denying son’o’a’bitch roofing contractor.
These two men forced me to carve out my own path and find my own clients.
So, let me come back to the question - are the clients you write for horrible?
No, not all of them…
Sure, some clients that you find online will milk hours and hours of your time for a measly sum. They will have you do revision after revision and nitpick at every damn sentence that they may as well write for themselves.
I have two words of advice for dealing with clients like this:
Fire them.
I know, it’s easy to get attached to a client when they pay you cold hard cash. How can you leave them when you have your lips firmly puckered on their cash nipple?
Sure, it feels like slave labor, but they are paying you to write.
Trust me, they are not worth the stress.
Get them to leave you a 5-star review and then kindly part ways.
You will find more clients that appreciate everything you do for them.
The quality of clients you land also depends on the platform you use, and the amount you are charging them.
I have found that the cheapskate clients - especially the ones on Upwork when you get started as a freelance writer, are the worst to deal with. They want more out of their dollar than they can afford.
But, as you up your prices, clients get better.
How to Become a Freelance Writer.
Okay, have I convinced you to become a freelance writer yet?
Yes?
Keep reading.
This is where you go from 0 clients, 0 dollars, and 0 fucken clues…
To multiple clients, flowing streams of online income, and a couple of fucken clues.
Below I will step you through the process for landing clients on Upwork and Fiverr - the two best platforms for freelance writers to get paid.
1. Start a Fiverr Account
In this section, I will step you through how to launch your Fiverr Profile and be well on your way to a top-rated seller in no time.
These are the steps:
Create and optimize your profile
Create your first gig + 6 more
How to create gigs that actually get you sales
Create and optimize your profile
To get started making money on Fiverr as a freelance writer, you need to create a seller account.
Upload a pretty picture of yourself, tell potential clients a little about you, and OVERSELL THE SHIT OUT OF YOURSELF.
Seriously, your profile needs to convince people to trust you as an expert freelance writer, even if you aren’t just yet.
Your profile description is the perfect way to build that trust.
I recommend flicking through the ‘Top Sellers’ tabs in your niche. Read through their descriptions, and see how they are promoting themselves.
Copy anything that is relevant to your skill or service and then make your description unique to you.
It’s working for them - and as the saying goes: “Don’t fix what ain’t broke.”
Next, you need to fill out your personal information.
This is where you let your profile shine. Show buyers that you are an expert in your field.
In this section you will discuss your:
Skills - i.e. really fucking good writer.
Education - Masters at Cambridge, PHD in writing at Harvard.
Certifications - Nobel Laureate, Pulitzer prize
Personal Website - Don’t have one yet? Just link to any old website you link and claim it is your writing.
You don’t need a CV or proof of past experience on Fiverr… So, oversell yourself.
I have never had a client ask for a referral from another client, and they very rarely check your work experience. This is what reviews are for.
Create your first Gig on Fiverr (& 6 more)
Three of my highest performing gigs on Fiverr.
Think of your gigs like digital assets - Lead generators that work their way up the algorithm on Fiverr.
The only problem with this is that there are tens of thousands of them in the writing niche.
So when a client searches for ‘Writing’, the chances are slim to none that you will show up.
How do we get around this?
Well, if a prospect searches for things like ‘Twitter Writer’ or ‘Youtube script writer’ or ‘SEO article writer’, the niche gets smaller.
Which means you have more of a chance of showing up in the sea of competition.
So, choose a few specific services and become the leading writer in that niche.
When you start out as a new seller on Fiverr, you can post a maximum of seven gigs.
I suggest using all of these.
You need to test different skills and see how they perform in the Algorithm.
For the first month as a freelancer writer - get your 7 gigs up as fast as possible, then set and forget them.
Then, go over to Upwork, create your profile, and send as many proposals as humanly possible. (we will get to that next).
Fiverr is a passive platform.
You upload the gigs, and hopefully clients will click on your profile and hire you.
Whereas Upwork is active - you go out and find the clients who need a freelance writer.
After a month of having your gigs up, you will likely have some impressions and clicks. The algorithm has started to take notice of you. This is a good time to test, optimize, and even pause one or two underperforming gigs and test new ones.
If you are stumped for gig ideas as a freelance writer, here are a number of different Gigs you could create:
These are all of the subcategories of writing that you can do on Fiverr.
How to Create Gigs that Actually Get You Sales
Now, how do you actually make a gig?
How much should you charge?
What should you offer?
Let’s say that you - our little freelance writer - wants to write Social Media content.
That sounds broad, right? How do we narrow this down? How much should you charge? What are you actually providing?
Well, let me give you an example.
Step 1 - Gig Title Formula
Your gig title should be structured like this:
“I will do X that provides Y benefit”
What are you really good at?
Here are some examples:
I will write Youtube Scripts (X) that Hook your viewers (Y)
I will write SEO articles (X) that rank #1 on Google (Y)
I will write Emails (X) that increase your conversion rate by 10% (Y)
See how I simply laid out the task that the client pays us for, and what they get in return?
This is key to increasing the number of clicks on your gigs, and converting more clicks into sales.
So, now that we know the basic structure. Why don’t we title our gig:
“I will write Compelling Social Media Content that grows your brand”
This is to the point - a clear task, and a major benefit for the client. You could also change ‘brand’ to ‘followers’ in this example.
Next, you will choose the:
Category
Metadata
Language
Topic
Tone
Search Tags
Once that is complete, you now need to do the pricing tiers and description.
Step 2: Pricing Tiers
Now, you need to add multiple pricing levels and descriptions for your gig.
For most writing categories on Fiverr, you can create three levels of your package.
You don’t have to offer all three, but buyers like to buy luxury items. By offering a premium package, you get the chance to earn more per order - and that’s what we are all about here.
More money, less time.
This is what you see above.
So, how do we structure the tiers, pricing, and short description to ensure you become a paid freelance writer?
Well, I have laid out an example below.
Feel free to copy this for one of your gigs and see how it goes.
BASIC
Price: $250
Package Name: “Silver Social Media Content Package”
Description: "I will manage 1 Social Media Platform for 30 days, with one post per day, & increase your followers”
STANDARD
Price: $450
Package Name: “Gold Social Media Content Package”
Description: “I will manage 2 Social Media Platforms for 30 days, with 1 post per day, & increase your followers”
PREMIUM
Price: $1,250
Package Name: “Platinum Social Media Content Package”
Description: “I will manage 5 Social Media Platforms for 30 days, with 2 posts per day, huge increase in followers”
You will see that each package has a separate name - Silver, Gold, Platinum.
We are trying to make the potential clients perceive that the premium gig is clearly worth more. All from applying with a simple word association hack.
Rather than settling for silver - hopefully, they pull out their credit card and go Gold or Platinum.
Then you have around 100 characters to describe what each gig package includes, try to be as clear about the value that the client will receive as you can.
In this section you also include things like:
Revisions
Words included
Delivery Time
Related information - I.e SEO Keywords included if you are writing an SEO article
Step 3: Description and FAQs
How to Write a Killer Gig Description
Okay, this is the step where you really sell yourself to potential buyers. You have one chance to convince them to read through your description and click buy.
I would argue that it is the most crucial aspect of creating a gig. If your description sucks or is unclear, why would someone buy from you?
You have 1,200 characters to detail your offerings to potential clients and convince them why your services are their best option.
Don't be shy.
Be clear, be concise, and be confident in your Gig Description.
To find inspiration for what to write, browse through some of the ‘Top Sellers’ in the category you have chosen, and see what they wrote in their descriptions.
Fiverr Gig Description Example:
I created a gig titled: “I will be the best website SEO copywriter you find on fiverr”
Bold claim right?
Well, my description had to back it up. So this is what I wrote:
And guess what? It works. This is now one of my highest performing gigs.
Should you Include FAQs?
Do you find that clients keep asking you the same questions over and over again?
This is what the FAQs section is for.
Save yourself some time and answer these questions for every potential client to see.
This also gives you one more shot at convincing them to buy, so don’t waste it.
Use the FAQs to ease the nerves and overcome their objections so that they press BUY!
Step 4: Make those Thumbnails POP
So, imagine you are a client, scrolling through Fiverr, trying to decide which freelancer you choose.
How do you decide?
Thumbnails.
Humans process images must faster than they read, so to stand out among a crowd of freelance writers, you need to create quality thumbnails.
Which one catches your eye first? Copy that.
If you have been on Fiverr for a while and you are getting plenty of impressions but no clicks - the likely culprit is your thumbnail. Potential clients are seeing it but not motivated to click it.
Think of it like Tinder - you need to instantly grab the attention of your potential match and a photo that shows some skin is likely to do that. Otherwise, they swipe left.
No, I’m not suggesting you show your 6-pack or cleavage in your thumbnail. Just make it clear, eye-catching, and relevant to your service.
Hot tip - don’t add more that 5 words. Keep it short and sweet.
You also have the option to upload a video or a PDF file to your gig, which can go a long way to help you stand out in the crowd.
Okay, Voila!
Now you know how to create a Fiverr gig that sells.
Do this 7 times, then come back here and read the next part of the article. I’m about to teach you how to make money as a freelance writer on Upwork.
2. Start an Upwork Account
Now that you have your Fiverr account set up and your gigs are making their way up the algorithm, its time to take more action.
You didn’t think we were going to stop there, did you?
No, if you want to become a writer who makes a full-time online income, you need to diversify your income streams.
The best way to do that?
Start an Upwork account.
In this section, I will take you through the following steps:
How to create and optimize your Upwork profile
How to send a 100 Upwork proposals in one month
How to find the best writing jobs on Upwork - filters.
How to create and optimize your Upwork profile
Your first step to getting started on Upwork is to go to the Upwork Sign Up Page. It is completely free to set up your account.
You will be taken to this page where you select ‘I’m a Freelancer’, agree with the terms and conditions, and click ‘Create my Account’.
Much like when you set up your Fiverr account, you want to assess the other freelancers in your field. This will give you an idea of what it takes to build a quality profile and what kind of services you can provide.
Here is a secret hack to look at your competitors on Upwork:
Sign up to Upwork as a client as well.
Choose the niche you want to write in.
Then post a job looking for freelancers in the same niche as you.
Let’s say you want to be a travel blogger - you could post a job like this:
This will give you plenty of proposals to filter through and freelance profiles to study.
You can copy the proposals that stand out to you, and ensure that you do not make the same mistakes that the worst freelancers did.
You can also assess their profiles and see what works best.
3 examples of the proposals I received from this test.
Once you’ve assessed the top freelancers in your niche, your next steps are as follows:
1. Claim you are an Expert
You will be taken to this page, and I highly suggest you choose ‘expert’ - even if you are brand new to freelancing.
Why?
Fake it till ya make it baby.
2. Choose Full time Freelance Income
The next page you will come to is this:
We want to show Upwork that you are serious about this freelancing gig.
So you should select: ‘To earn my main income’.
Thats the goal - isn’t it?
May as well manifest it from day 1.
3. Choose how you want to work
The next step in setting up your Upwork account as a freelance writer is to choose how you want to work.
These are your options:
You should select: ‘Id like to find opportunities myself’.
This will allow you to send proposals to potential clients as soon as your account has been created.
After this you will be shown this screen:
I select ‘fill out manually’. This is because I want to ensure the information gets added correctly and I hate LinkedIn.
If you choose to fill out your information manually, you have 10 more steps until your Freelance Writing profile is complete on Upwork.
4. Complete The Upwork Profile Creation Checklist
Follow the next 10 steps and your profile will be ready. Yeah baby! Your first digital follars as a freelance writer are close… I can smell them.
1. Add a Catchy Title
Write a one line catch phrase that stands out and describes your expertise to potential clients. e.g:
I scale audiences with content writing
I skyrocket organic traffic with SEO articles
Etc
2. Include Past Work experience
Tell potential clients who you have worked for. As always, fake it till ya make it. For example:
Ghostwriter for Wall Street Journals
Ideas Man @ Forbes
Top 1% of Only Fans.
3. Education
You studied at Yale, didn’t you?
No?
You may as well claim it… If anyone asks just say you did an exchange semester there.
4. Certifications
Some of the best certifications you can get as a freelance writer are:
Google Ads Certification
Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ)
Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification
SEO Certification from SEMrush
So, in this section be sure to include that you have completed these.
5. Language
If you are a non-native english speaker, I highly recommend that you choose Native English. If you are multi-lingual, perfect! You will find a lot more opportunities than someone who only speaks english.
6. Add Skills
Select the maximum number of 15 skills.
Choose skills that are related to writing so that potential clients have the best chance of finding you.
7. Bio
Now’s the time to show off! Your bio is going to be something that every client looks at, so tell them what you are really good at - AND most importantly, how it will benefit them.
Lets say you want to write SEO articles, you can steal this bio:
“Are you ready to boost your organic traffic? I am a content writer with proven experience in turning your small audience into a large one. I craft compelling SEO articles to take you to the first page of Google and convert readers into customers.”
8. Main services
In this step, you are going to select ‘writing’. This will give you the option to choose from four sub-services:
Content Writing
Editing & Proofreading Services
Professional & Business Writing
Sales & Marketing Copywriting
9. Hourly rate
Its hard to know what to charge as a beginner freelance writer. But, remember you are an expert. Your price is just one way you can convince clients that you are. Don’t be afraid to start high! You can always lower your price in your job proposal, this gives clients the impression that they are getting a great deal. Upwork also takes 10% of every dollar you earn, so I suggest nothing less than $30/hr.
10. Profile pic and location
Say Cheese! Add a pic of yourself smiling and looking pretty. Your profile picture should clearly display your face because people do judge a book by its cover.
How to send a 100 Upwork proposals in one month
Just because you started an Upwork profile doesnt mean that you will become a paid freelance writer.
Now you need to go out and land jobs.
Alex Hormozi says in his book $100M Offers:
“If you try one hundred offers, I promise you will succeed. Most people never try anything. Others fail once, then give up.”
And this is extremely relevant to Upwork. You need to keep hammering out proposals in order to find enough clients to make a full time income as a freelance writer.
Sending a proposal to a client is the only way they are going to find you.
My favorite way to craft an Upwork proposal as a writer?
Read their job description thoroughly.
Start your proposal with an attention grabbing hook (not hello client, or dear client)
Directly target their pain points
Then introduce YOURSELF as the solution.
You want to be the morphine to their problems.
The traffic to their dead website.
The followers to their slumping twitter account.
Writing a proposal is not about you - it is about what value you can provide to the client.
Once again, it is super helpful to actually create a job and see what tactics your competitors use when writing a proposal.
Copy and paste any that grab your attention and keep them stored in a Document or a Notion board.
Seriously, it will turn you into a pro lead generator in no time.
So, once your Upwork profile is up and running - scour the platform and send 100 proposals as fast as you can.
Don’t come back here until you’ve sent 100 proposals.
Seriously, send your first one now….
Do this and I promise you will be a full time freelance writer in no time.
