Diana Kelly Levey

10 Freelance Writing Tips for Beginner Freelancers to Get Their First Writing Job

woman working at table with laptop freelance writing for beginners

July 26, 2022

If you want to become a freelance writer but don’t know how to get started and are eager to start a freelance writing career, apply these freelance writing for beginners tips to break in as a freelance writer and find your first writing jobs.

This is a great time for a beginner to get started with freelance writing.

But Diana, I was wondering, how to become a freelance writer with no experience?! Is it possible? Totally! 

Content is king right now so every person, brand, service, and product needs articles, writing services, content marketing, and copy. You can help them if you have solid writing skills and a hustle mentality. Still a beginner freelancer without samples or experience? You can find great clients that pay well if you follow these tips when you’re looking for freelance writing jobs for beginners.

Freelance writing course students and freelance beginners tell me that they have a ton of ideas—some of them potentially great!—but they don’t know where to pitch them, the right editor to email an idea to, and the process of landing a paid freelance writing assignment–especially when they want to become a freelance writer with no experience.

(Here are some ways to come up with new freelance article ideas if you’re struggling.)

10 Ways to Find Beginner Freelance Writing Jobs

Discover 10 freelance writing tips for beginners from a freelance expert to help find your first freelance writing job–particularly if you’re wondering ‘how do I start working as a freelance writer?’

1. Tell everyone you’re a freelance writer!

Seriously, this is one of the most important first freelance writing tips for beginners–especially if you’re concerned about how to become a freelance writer with no experience. Email friends, family, and former colleagues letting them know that you’re freelance writing and would be happy to offer your writing services to them. Working connections and your network are one of the secrets of being a successful freelance writer and a six-figure freelancer. (This freelancer FAQ will answer all of your questions about the gig.)

2. Dedicate time to freelancing.

You’re not going to become a great piano player simply by sitting in front of a piano and banging on the keys for 10 minutes a day. The same goes for freelance writing. Here’s how to find time in your schedule to start freelance writing. You might want to make up a freelance schedule this week:

  • Spend one hour one day searching for freelance writing jobs online  (I have a resource for my freelance writing course students with 25-plus websites with paying gigs).
  • Use another day to research an outlet you want to pitch.
  • Find the editor’s name you plan to pitch another day
  • Write the pitch on the fourth day.
  • On the fifth day, look over the pitch again, send it out and research more writing jobs online. (These article pitch examples will help you score your first freelance gig.)

Start treating freelancing like a business instead of a hobby—it’s one of my top freelance writing tips! Here are some answers to “why start freelancing?” Practicing writing — on your own blog or website so you can show a client samples– is one of the best ways of how to become a freelance writer with no experience.

3. Decide on the type of freelance writing for beginners you want to do.

A freelance writing career is more than just writing articles for magazines. Look around you. Peek through your postal mail for beginner freelance writing jobs. There are copy and content examples everywhere. You could be a copywriter, copyeditor, editor, content marketing writer, freelance writer for magazines, freelance writer for websites, freelance SEO writer, ghostwriter, blogger, press release writer, corporate writer for businesses, social media writer, travel writer, the list goes on. The options for freelance writing for beginners are nearly endless and if you’re creative, organized and ambitious, you can earn a great living with freelancing. Showcase some examples of the types of freelance writing you want to do as an article on LinkedIn.

(Here’s what experienced freelancers wish they knew about freelancing five and 10 years ago.)

4. Research the markets for good freelance writing jobs.

Once you’ve decided what area you want to concentrate in, research the markets. I get more in-depth in this skill in my “Get Paid to Write” comprehensive freelance writing course, but you should read a few issues of the magazine you want to pitch. Spend some time on the website (and social media accounts) of the online outlet you’re going to pitch, and familiarize yourself with the brand or organization you’re offering your services to. Skipping this step is a freelance writing for beginners mistake many newbie freelancers often make and it’s what can set you apart from the rest when you’re pitching a new client. Do the research and you’ll be much more likely to land an assignment. You’ll also want to spend time researching the idea you want to pitch.

5. Get published clips to showcase freelance writing work.

This is a question you’ll often see posted in beginner freelance writing forums online: “How do I get writing assignments when I don’t have published articles or clips to show a client?” “How do I break into freelance writing?” or “How do I get started with freelance writing online?” Here are a few tips (of the many) tips I share with Freelance Writing students who enroll in my e-course on “How to Get Published When You Don’t Have Experience.” (These pointers on how to write an article pitch will help you score published clips.)

  • Find small, local magazines that are distributed for free in grocery stores and libraries and offer your writing services, story ideas, or editing services.
  • Contact your alumni magazine. See if a local community college needs help with its newspaper, alumni correspondence, or website copy.
  • Submit an op-ed to a paper or website

6.  Find freelance clients where other freelancers aren’t looking.

One of my favorite freelance writing tips for freelancers of all experience levels is to find content marketing clients right under your nose. Look at the products you use daily and businesses you frequent in your neighborhood. They might need a blog or have content needs you can address! I also suggest beginner freelance writers looking for entry-level freelance writing jobs look to companies that sponsored conferences in their niche, companies that recently went through mergers and acquisitions or rounds of funding, or beginners use these freelance writer LinkedIn tips to find work.

7.  Make sure you’re writing good freelance content.

It’s not just about turning in the freelance assignment and meeting a deadline. Make sure you’re creating good content for freelance clients every time by meeting your deadline, turning in the correct word count, following the outline your editor provided and checking for spelling and grammar mistakes. If you feel unsure of the direction your article is taking during the writing process, check in with the editor. I always appreciated it when a freelance writer did this for me when I was an assigning editor on staff at Weight Watchers, Prevention magazine or Muscle and Fitness magazine. Perhaps a source you interviewed revealed a new angle, or you found research that says the basis of your article is unfounded. Being successful at freelance writing for beginners and advanced writers is about making sure you’re on the right path with the article you’re going to turn in so the editor knows what to expect. Get answers to the question many ask, “how much do freelance writers get paid?

8. Be a great listener.

This is one of those freelance writing for beginners tips that could be interpreted two ways. One way is to make sure you’re asking clients for feedback on how to improve your articles and make their lives easier. The other is to listen to what people are talking about when you need to come up with article ideas. What problems do friends and family bring to you to help them solve? Recall the conversations you’ve had with your friends about their issues and problems— maybe it’s babysitting, being a caretaker, health issues…this list can go on forever. Jot down snippets of those conversations in a notepad on your phone and visit them at a later time to see if they have any weight or could become article pitches. This freelance writing tip is just one of my fun ways to come up with freelance ideas.

9. Set up Google alerts on keywords and topics you want to write about.

Find a specific topic that interests you and follow experts and brands in that field on social media and in news stories when you. I frequently write about sleep, so I like to see which brands are coming out with new products, learn about the latest research and see which outlets are publishing content in this niche in my Google alerts. I also sign up to receive alerts on freelance writing tips, side hustle and freelance topics!  Part of freelance writing for beginners is knowing what other writers are producing as well. This is a great way to stay on top of trends and learn a freelance niche as well as additional freelance writing tips.

10. Set your workspace up for a productive day.

Make sure you have a designated area you’ll start freelance writing for beginners in, use good lighting, and have a door you can close so you won’t be disturbed by family members and roommates. When I first started freelance writing, I was stationed at a kitchen table in my tiny studio apartment, now I have a designated home office space with a desk, a large monitor, two laptops (one as a backup), a standing desk and a comfortable chair. Get work from home tips on how to be more productive as a beginner freelancer here. I also share advice on how to start freelance writing with no experience on my Instagram account, @dianakellyleveyfreelance.

Don’t forget to check out other successful freelance writer friends’ number-one tip for beginners to get started freelance writing here.

My ebook 100+ Tips for Beginner Freelance Writers addresses these freelance writing tips in more depth. Get it today–especially if you’re looking for more advice on how to become a freelance writer with no experience!

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Work With Me

Diana can help with:

  • Writing content
  • Content marketing writing
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  • Magazine writing and editing
  • Website writing
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  • Book projects

Email Diana about opportunities: Diana(at)DianaKelly.com.