Ultimate Freelance Writing Bootcamp

Freelance Writing 101: How to Go From 5 to 200 Dollars/Hr Through Copywriting and Article Writing

Last updated 2022-01-10 | 4.3

- Learn how to become a freelancer writer that clients will pay top dollar to hire.
- Learn how to find the best clients and (more importantly) how to help them find you.
- Learn how to win top-notch clients and contracts with high-quality portfolios
- websites
- proposals
- cover letters
- and more.

What you'll learn

Learn how to become a freelancer writer that clients will pay top dollar to hire.

Learn how to find the best clients and (more importantly) how to help them find you.

Learn how to win top-notch clients and contracts with high-quality portfolios

websites

proposals

cover letters

and more.

Learn how to turn one-off projects into career-long partnerships.

Learn how to price like a pro so you can maximize your earning potential while also satisfying your customers.

Learn how to expand your brand so your profiles and existing content continually market your freelancing services.

Learn how to scale your freelance business to its upmost potential—time is finite

but your business's potential isn't.

* Requirements

* A deep passion and excitement for writing!
* Basic reading and writing ability.
* Access to the internet.

Description

This complete freelance writing course will teach you everything you need to know to start and scale a successful freelance business.

Almost half of all Americans have a side hustle and for good reason. It's a fantastic way to advance your career, pursue a passion, and make a healthy amount of cash (nothing wrong with that).

However, not all gig jobs are created equal. You could spend hours every day away from your home stuck in the car as a driver, or you could type, type, type from the comfort of your home and make an impressive living.

The choice is yours.

There's no right answer, but if you're looking to transform black words on a digital screen into a viable income stream, then you've come to the right place.

All You Need Is a Computer and a Passion for Words

Getting started with freelance writing is simple, but there are a few challenging roadblocks that prevent most writers from taking their writing career from novice to specialist to prodigy.

Trust me—I've been there.

I ground out the early years of my freelance career in an inefficient, unsustainable, and (in retrospect) downright embarrassing manner—and I want to help you avoid the same mistakes I did.

Now, I'm cranking out a part-time freelancing income that's on track to surpass my full-time salary, and I'm doing it without sacrificing quality for any parties. Plus, I have a 2-year old and a 6-month old. I don't say this to brag—not at all. I mention this so that'll you have the confidence to know you can do this!

If I can, anyone can.

What You'll Learn From This Course:

Discover the simple secrets to becoming a writer worth hiring
Learn how to score your first gig, and (more importantly) how to help clients find you
Find out how to turn one-off projects into career-long partnerships
See how to price your services to maximize your income while beating out the competition
Explore ways to expand your brand to earn new clients while you sleep

No Matter Where You Live or How Old You Are, You Can Start Freelance Writing

Wise and experienced or new and young, freelance writing is for anyone in any stage of their life. The instruction and advice in this course is universal and has the potential to be life-changing.

For Experienced Freelancers or Complete Newbies

The content you'll find in this course has been designed to help everyone from complete novices to experienced freelancers boost their business. Whether you're just getting started or have been freelancing for years, you'll find business-changing content that'll improve the way you write, find clients, and (ultimately) make money.

Who's the Instructor?

Hi, I'm Jesse Sumrak. I've been turning words into income for close to a decade now.

I’m a writing zealot by day and a post-apocalyptic ultramarathon runner by night (and early-early morning). Writing is my jam and content is my peanut butter. And I make a mean PB&J.

I’ve gone from handling public relations for a startup clothing brand to managing the entire social media program of a global SaaS company through a unicorn IPO and its subsequent acquisition.

Blog posts, guides, tweets, brochures, landing pages, marketing emails, sales pitches, presentations…

Write. Write. Write. It’s what I do. Simple as that.

I can't wait to see you in the course!

I'm 100% confident this course will help launch and grow your freelance business! And, if in the end, it only helps you gain 1-2 new clients, then it's already more than worth the investment...and I'm confident it'll help you earn way more clients than that!

Your future freelancing career is waiting for you. Enroll now and launch your full-time business or part-time gig today!

- Jesse Sumrak

Who this course is for:

Anyone looking to turn their keyboard into their most valuable income generator
New freelancers who want to start a freelance writing career
Current freelancers looking to expand their business
Anyone who wants to write

Course content

9 sections • 39 lectures

Introduction 4 lectures

Welcome to the Course Preview 02:15

Welcome to the course! Learn a little bit about me and what you can expect to take away from these lessons.

My Favorite Tools [Downloadable PDF] Preview 00:20

The best part about starting a freelance business is that it doesn't have to cost you anything: zero, zilch, nada, free-ninety-nine.

Sure, you'll want a website, and that'll cost a few dollars for hosting fees—but that's really it. I personally love to use a variety of apps to improve my efficiency and crank work out faster, but all the tools I use are absolutely free.

Here are my favorite free tools that help accelerate work, organize tasks, and keep content clean and polished.

The Not-So-Secret Trick to Freelancing Like a Pro Preview 01:56

Discover the number-one (and only) way to become a freelancing professional. Every freelancer has to go through this rite of passage, but if you can pass this test, you'll be well on your way to earning top dollar as a writer.

Set Your Goals

You've signed up for this freelancing writing bootcamp, but how will you know if you're successful? What do you want to get out of this course? Take a step back and set a few high-level goals.

Become a Writer Worth Paying For 11 lectures

Quality Determines Value Preview 01:51

Value is only what someone is willing to pay—nothing more. Increase your writing quality, increase your value, and increase your prices. It's a beautiful recurring cycle.

Start Where You Are Preview 00:56

5 Easy Ways to Become a Better Writer Preview 01:32

This freelance writing course is by no means a comprehensive how-to-write guide. However, I do have a few quick-and-easy tips to make you a better writer, and you're probably already doing a couple of them.

Becoming a Better Writer: Step-by-Step Breakdown Preview 05:38

Want to write better? Read more. However, it's not as simple as picking up your favorite novel, sipping on a hot chocolate, and becoming a better writer—nor is it putting the book under your pillow and absorbing it through osmosis. No, you'll need to be just a little more intentional than that.

Mastering the Anatomy of a Blog Post Preview 08:30

Top-notch blog posts have a lot in common. There are certain structures, spoken rules, and unspoken rules for putting your ideas down on a digital screen.

Mastering the Anatomy of a Blog Post — Part 2 Preview 08:42

Learn how to spice up your writing by adding flavor and variety to your pieces with a few simple elements.

Developing Your Style: Hone Your Tone Preview 05:11

Create your own digital writing style. Your audience should be able to say, “I know who’s writing this,” without even seeing you as the author.

SEO 101: Writing for Humans and Google Bots Preview 06:45

Most content you publish online will need to be readable by humans and bots. Humans need to love your content, but they’ll never find it if you don’t satisfy the Google bots first.

Grammar: A Non-Negotiable Part of Freelance Writing Preview 02:11

You can’t just throw commas around willy-nilly and expect your clients to trust your writing. Learn the simple process for becoming grammar savvy.

The Skyscraper Technique (Writer's Edition) Preview 01:54

Learn how to create bigger, better content in less time by taking advantage of the awesome content that's already out there.

Assignment: Become a Better Writer Preview 00:32

Becoming a better writer won't happen by accident—you'll need to be intentional. Here's what to do.

Score Your First Gig 6 lectures

How to Find Clients Preview 08:01

Turns out there's a whole lot more writing demand than there is supply. Learn where to find the best clients and start your freelancing business.

10+ Freelance Writing Platforms Preview 02:22

Freelance writing platforms can help you find and connect with clients. Here are a few of the best.

Assignment: Start Applying Preview 00:26

Don't skip to the next lecture too quickly. Take a minute (or an hour) to apply for a gig or make a new connection.

Help Clients Find You Preview 07:11

At first, you'll be doing all the finding, but that won't be the case for long. Start taking steps now to help clients find you.

How to Win Top-Notch Clients Preview 02:55

Once you've found the clients (or they've found you), it's time to win them over. Here's everything you need to know to seal the deal and earn their business.

Assignment: Update Your Client-Winning Material Preview 00:32

Give clients a reason to choose you for the first time and every time. Set aside some time to update your most important freelancing assets.

Create Recurring Work 3 lectures

Turn One-Off Projects into Partnerships Preview 03:40

You don't get paid for the time you spend nurturing client relationships or hunting down new contracts. Learn how to spend more time writing (making money) and less time gig hunting by nailing this strategy.

Deliver Stellar Content the First Time and Every Time Preview 01:55

Deliver your best work, and let your content market your further.

Just Show Up Preview 01:09

It sounds simple because it is. Yes, freelancers can offer a lot of value—but it starts with just showing up.

Price Like a Pro 3 lectures

How to Set Your Rates Preview 04:35

Please, don't just shout out a number. Here's how to find your value and earn what you're worth.

How to Increase Your Rates Over Time Preview 03:18

Your prices aren't set in stone. Learn how to increase your prices overtime without losing clients.

The #1 Truth to Pricing Like a Pro Preview 04:08

When it comes to pricing, don't focus on the dollar value of the project. Instead, focus on this.

Expand Your Brand 5 lectures

Riches Are in the Niches Preview 01:52

While it might sound enticing to be a jack of all trades, that’s not the direction the marketing world is heading. They don’t want people who do everything well—they want people who do one thing amazing.

In the Beginning, Cast Your Net Wide Preview 00:51

When you're just getting started, you might not know what you'd like to freelance about—or maybe you do. Regardless, it's best to cast your net wide.

Assignment: Identify Niches You'd Like to Write for Preview 00:56

Get your mind turning with the possibilities by thinking about potential niches you'd like to write for.

Build a Social Media Presence Preview 04:20

While I don't use social media a whole lot for "personal" use, it's the source of 75% of my freelancing contracts. You don't need to be a social media marketing genius, but you do need to know the basics.

Build a Basic Website Preview 10:39

Let me show you my website, and then I'll walk you through a few simple tips to create your own.

Scale Your Freelance Business 3 lectures

Create Your Ideal Freelancing Business Preview 02:26

At some point, you’ll reach the end of your available output. If you’re doing this as a side hustle, like me, then there are so many hours in the morning, lunch, and evening. You’ll need to decide how you’re going to scale.

Hire Help Preview 02:32

Have too much work or need to outsource for a specific skill set? There's no shame in hiring some help.

Full Time vs. Side Hustle Preview 04:45

Not sure if you want this to become a full-time job or remain a side hustle?

Conclusion 1 lectures

Start Small. Start Now. Preview 01:52

Don't wait or push this off. The best time to start was yesterday, and since that's come and gone, don't let today pass you by.

Extra Content 3 lectures

SEO: How to Find Keywords You Can Rank for Preview 13:03

There are a lot of amazing in-depth SEO tools, but most of them cost a pretty penny. These get the job done for free.

Canva: How to Create Professional Images Preview 09:47

Sometimes you're the one responsible for finding and creating top-notch images to support the articles you've written. Here's how to do a great job without spending a dime.

Headline Studio: How to Write Top-Notch Headlines Preview 06:21

We all judge books by their covers, and we may even judge them more based on their titles—the same goes for your blog posts. Learn how to write titles that earn eyeballs, attention, and clicks.