Tips for a Freelance Writing Career

Freelance writing work gives one the independence to work at one's own time and pace. However, you need to be clear about the specific number of hours that you can set aside for this work. That way, you will have clear time to spend with the family, for household chores, even possibly a part-time office job.

Writing work necessarily requires a good command of the English language, both spelling and grammar. Equally important is the ability to write in your own words and style. Since copyright laws are very stringent and you could get into a legal mess, copying sentences from sites is a strict no-no.

To seek out freelance writing jobs, you should scope job sites as they give you a wide range of such work. Then there are sites that are writing-centric job sites, such as contentwriter.in. There is a site called writink.com that has different payment structures for different levels. Yet another option is blog sites that pay for your articles. One of the most in-demand topics for writing is travel-based, as well as articles on finance and business. Some ask for articles on just about anything – jewellery, fashion, health, etc. Then there are sites which pay for reviews – for electronic gadgets, books, films, etc.

Many writing jobs do not necessarily require experience, but all usually require you to do a test before being assigned work. The test generally requires you to write a 250-300 word article on a topic given to you. Once you pass the test, then and then only will you be sent details of payment per article, the mode of payment, etc. Most payments are made on the 15th or 20th of the month, with the amount being credited to your bank account. Rarely will you be paid by a cheque sent by courier / postal mail. It is preferable to accept jobs that will send payments within the country you are based; the other option is paypal. The paypal system of payment is often used by those based in US/UK to send you payments in India. However, it is not known whether paypal is totally 100% safe and reliable.

One trap that you should not fall into is paying for writing jobs. There are sites which ask YOU to pay a so-called registration fee before actually offering you work; or they will say that you should pay Rs. 500/- and then they will inform you of online writing jobs. Do not fall for this trap.

When a particular writing job appeals to you, look up the website of the company and have a look at what they do. Go to the link 'contact us' and see where they are based – India, USA, UK, etc. Once you agree to the payment terms, make sure that you have a physical contact address and phone numbers. Save these on your computer and your personal diary. A good idea is to try out the work assigned for one month only. Wait till the payment for that month's work comes to you (some payments are given in alternate months). Then, and then only, take on more writing work. That way, you know for sure that you will get payments regularly. The minute payments stop coming, contact the employer. If there is no response and no payment even after 15 days, you know that they are not regular payers. So even if you do get the payment, say a month later than it is due, it is better to quit.

All the Best!