Freelance Writer

Tags: Freelance Writing

All the tips, techniques and templates you need to build a sustainable career as a freelance writer. Not for beginners!

Last updated 2022-01-10 | 4.8

- Know how much to charge for every writing job.
- Get your first freelancing job.
- Attract the best-paying clients.

What you'll learn

Know how much to charge for every writing job.

Get your first freelancing job.

Attract the best-paying clients.

Know exactly how much you should - and could - earn as a copywriter.

Distinguish between low-paying grunt work and highly skilled jobs clients will pay good money for.

Use ready-made templates for presenting a professional image to your clients.

* Requirements

* This is an elite course for people who are already writing regularly.
* Students will need to be good writers - this is NOT a course about how to write.
* Students will need to be fluent in English.

Description

Would you like to quit your day job as a writer to become a freelance?

Or are you already a freelance writer but you're struggling to find clients?

Maybe you've had some success as a writer but you'd like to find more and better-paying freelance writing jobs?

I've been writing professionally for more than two decades and, in that time, I've learned all there is to know about building a successful freelance writing career. This course lifts the lid on exactly what it takes to be a successful freelance copywriter. It's packed with proven tips for building a business from your writing talent.

I created the course out of a desire to give something back to a profession that's given me so much. I've lost count of the number of times fellow writers have told me I've got a real knack for negotiating great rates with clients. This knack stems from my firm inner belief that writing is highly skilled work that deserves to be rewarded well.

That's why I'm always here for my students. When you sign up for this course, you won't just get a stack of great info and templates. You'll also have a writer's champion right by your side.

Not sure what to quote on that job a client's asked you to pitch for? Struggling to find new writing gigs? Stuck in a rut with clients who don't seem to value what you do? Whatever's on your mind, message me through the course and we'll thrash out your options together.

If you want to earn more from your writing talent, enrol today and I'll show you how to:

Calculate your writing day rate with a simple formula
Discover what other writers are charging for their work
Price any writing job accurately
Find the highest-paying writing jobs (and avoid the lowest ones)
Identify the writing niche that suits you best
Break free of badly paying 'content mill' writing
Land more - and better - writing jobs
Pitch your work to editors
Market yourself as a writer
Present a slick, professional image to current and potential clients
Protect yourself from nightmare writing jobs

Along with a wealth of tips and advice, you'll get the following free templates to download and adapt for your own use:

Enquiry email for when you're looking for work
Copywriting briefing form - the must-have tool for producing a brilliant first draft for any job
Copy deck - for presenting your work to clients in a stand-out professional format
Contract with terms and conditions specific to writers
Invoice - to increase your chances of swift payment
Client feedback form - for gathering those glowing client testimonials

I'm confident you'll return to this course again and again throughout your freelance writing career. But in the unlikely event that you're not satisfied, you can take advantage of Udemy's 30-day, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.

Who this course is for:

Exceptional writers who want to earn a good living by writing high-quality copy.
Anyone already working as an employed copywriter who would like to make the leap into freelancing.
Existing freelance writers who want to earn more money and find better-paying clients.
Students who've completed a beginners' course on copywriting on Udemy and want to move to the next stage.
This course is NOT for you if you're an unskilled amateur who thinks writing is an easy way to make a quick buck.
This is NOT for you if you don't already know how to write great copy.

Course content

7 sections • 47 lectures

Welcome to the course! 3 lectures

Is this course for you? Preview 02:35

Learn why I made this course on the business of copywriting - and discover if it's the right course for you.

What you'll learn Preview 01:31

A brief overview of the content of this course on the business of copywriting.

Activity: introduce yourself! Preview 00:13

Tell me and your fellow writers all about yourself!

Succeeding financially as a writer 5 lectures

Can you afford to quit the day job to become a freelance writer? Preview 08:41

Understand the hidden expenses of freelance copywriting - and get a formula for working out the minimum you should be charging as a copywriter. Hint: it's probably more than you think.

Practice activity: Set your earnings target as a freelance writer Preview 00:30

Establish your ball-park copywriting day rate.

How much could you earn as a copywriter? Preview 03:59

Ever wondered much other writers are getting paid? Here's how to find out.

Resources: Writing rates in different markets Preview 00:09

How much do copywriters earn?

Test yourself on your earning power as a copywriter!

How to charge your clients 6 lectures

Why you should never, ever price your writing by the hour Preview 05:44

The top ten reasons not to bill by the hour.

Why pricing by the word is even worse than pricing by the hour Preview 03:46

The three little words that prove once and for all that pricing by the word is a short-cut to ripping yourself off.

Writing estimates: how to put a figure on your fee Preview 05:34

They've asked you to provide an estimate. Quote too high and you'll scare them off. Quote too low and you'll resent them for turning you into a drudge. What to do? Find out here.

All about writing retainers Preview 02:54

You've been writing for a client for a while - maybe it's time to take your relationship to the next level?

Activity: share your thoughts on pricing strategies Preview 00:16

How have you priced your writing in the past? Will you change your approach?

How to charge your copywriting clients

Test your knowledge of pricing strategies for copywriters.

Finding your niche as a writer 5 lectures

Why you need a copywriting niche - and how to find yours Preview 04:00

Great copywriters can write about anything, but a copywriter's clients still feel happier if you're an expert in their field. Here's how to become one.

What type of writing pays best? Preview 05:59

Choose the right type of writing and you could be earning 600 times your current rate. Yes, you read that right - 600.

What industries pay writers the best? Preview 03:34

The lowdown on why some clients pay their copywriters nothing, while others pay over $1,200 a day. Oh, and my tip on a growing niche for copywriters.

Practice activity: List your potential niches as a copywriter Preview 00:25

Did you rise to the challenge I set in the last video? If not, do it now!

Finding your copywriting niche

Test your knowledge of the niche!

How and where to find writing jobs 13 lectures

Content mills and job boards: the pitfalls Preview 05:28

Discover why most professional copywriters steer clear of content mills.

Resources: Links to some of the better job boards Preview 01:28

Thinking of looking for writing jobs online? Some sites to check out (and some to avoid).

The best ways to find writing jobs Preview 07:56

Where to find your next writing job.

Practice activity: Emailing a prospect: do's and don'ts Preview 01:00

Thinking of emailing a client to offer your services? Which approach would work best?

Practice activity: answers to the last exercise Preview 01:14

Here's why Bob bombed and Lucy nailed it.

Practice activity: email a prospect Preview 01:22

Use this template to introduce yourself to a potential client.

How to write a winning pitch to an editor Preview 02:31

Got an idea for an article you'd like to write? Here's how to sell it to the editor.

Activity: Pitch an article to an editor! Preview 00:28

Try your hand at writing a pitch.

NEW October 2019: Creative ways to find copywriting clients Preview 09:21

In these extracts from my Podcast, Coffee, Tea or Something Stronger?, a conversion copywriter shares 6 unusual strategies for winning your dream copywriting client.

NEW Activity: Try one of Robbie's strategies Preview 02:52

Find copywriting clients using one of Robbie's strategies.

Marketing your writing skills Preview 02:44

The number-one secret for marketing your writing business effectively.

Practice activity: plan your marketing Preview 00:40

Let's get marketing!

How and where to find writing jobs

Test your knowledge of ways to bring in the writing work.

Freelance templates: Presenting a professional image as a writer 11 lectures

The perfect copywriting brief Preview 04:33

The secret to success as a writer is getting the best brief you can. Here's how.

Freelance template: copywriting brief template Preview 00:03

Use the template in the resources to create a briefing form for your next client job.

Presenting your writing professionally Preview 02:37

How to show your writing off to best effect - so your client falls in love with that sparkling first draft.

Freelance template: copydeck template Preview 00:03

Use this template to create a copy deck that will wow your clients.

Why and how you should get the legal stuff covered Preview 03:08

Sometimes the dull stuff is the most important. Yes, I'm talking about your terms and conditions as a writer. But get them sorted now and you'll never need to worry about them again.