Get paid to write (for beginners)

Did you know? There is a big, big need for content writers. And as it turns out, you can get paid to write even with little to no experience. But the question every beginner writer is probably asking right about now is: how?

How do you get your foot in the door and get a company to trust you and pay you to write? How do you break into the industry when you have little to no experience?

There are a number of ways you can get started and get paid to write as a beginner.

But before I go more into depth, here’s what I want you to realize: writing is a marketable skill. Every viable business (especially an online business) needs writers to help them sustain their online presence. Companies need website writers and writers for social media captions, email marketing, and their blog to help them attract new traffic and rank on search engines. Writers are a vital part of every marketing and sales team. That’s the value you can offer as a freelancer! You are important and needed. For this reason, you can earn a full-time income as a freelance writer within the first year.

So if you want to know how you can get paid to write as a beginner, here’s what you need to know.

Get paid to write

Where to start and where to focus

Pick a content type.

First thing’s first. Want to get paid to write? Decide what type of content writing you will do. There are a number of different verticals to choose from when writing for brands or individuals. Examples of content types for companies include website writing, blog writing, email marketing, reporting, and social media marketing, to name a few. Other types of writing for individuals include resume writing, academic writing, scriptwriting, etc. Decide which writing style you would like to learn more about and become a forever student of the craft. I earn a living as a website copywriter and content marketer here.

Pick an industry.

You’ll find the most success in your freelance writing journey when you narrow your focus to a specific industry. You can stick to writing about health, real estate, finance, beauty, or some other trade. Doing so will help you quickly do two things: Build a portfolio with samples of work that you can share with prospective clients and find more and more clients who are willing to trust you to write for them. Sticking to a specific industry will also help you write faster over time. You’ll be able to write more with less and less research and become an expert on the subject as you grow.

Put together a writing resume.

You can save a lot of time when it comes to your job search if you have a resume ready to go. Not all opportunities require it, but some do — especially for longer-term projects at larger companies. Create a resume that highlights your skills and the type of writing work you’re seeking. Some skills you are able to mention even as a beginner are: proofreading, research, copy editing, and creative writing. If you want to add a little something extra, you may also take a free typing test online to include how many words you type per hour.

Pen a writing sample.

Companies seeking freelance writers care mostly about “clips” or links to view samples of work. So be sure to include a writing sample. Even if you are a beginner, you still need to be able to provide proof to prospective employers or clients of your talent so they can get a feel for your writing style. That’s really all they care about – if you can do what you say you can do. Clients want to be able to quickly read something you’ve written in order to tell if you have what they’re desiring. If you’re spunky, formal, faith-based, techy, conversational, etc., you’ll want to demonstrate that in a writing sample.

Put yourself out there.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to putting yourself out there and landing writing gigs. You can search online for writing job opportunities, register with a freelance website, or you may ask your network on social media. One industry resource I highly recommend is the Writer’s Market! It’s a book that comes out every year with a list of publishers and other important contacts you can reach out to if you want to find gigs or get published. It also has helpful information about the industry including industry standard rates and news. It’s basically like a professional writer’s Bible.

I can go more in-depth about how to land your first paying client or what you can do to start marketing yourself. If that’s something you’d like to know, check out the Daily Revenue Generating Activities Checklist! I started writing professionally in 2011 while I was still in college pursuing my B.A. in English and Creative Writing. And I’ve never not had a job in this field. So if you want to learn all about how to break into this industry, I’m happy to share with you more of what I’ve learned over the years.