Member Questions

It depends on what type of writing you're looking to do. Corporate/ business writing pays a lot more than other types of freelance writing. And writing for print publications pays more than web writing does.

I'm working on replacing half of my salary with freelance writing, so that I only have to work outside of the home part time (for the insurance).

I started out by reading a LOT. There are some great freelance sites out there. Try Anne Wayman's site: aboutfreelancewriting.com. She has a lot of articles, and the forum users are quite helpful. You'll learn a lot just by reading the archives. Another good place to learn what to do is about.com's freelance writing section (Anne used to be the guide, which is where I first started reading her stuff).

Check some books out of your library. "Writer Mama" by Christina Katz is a good book for moms to learn how to write and balance it with family life. "The Well-Fed Writer" by Peter Bowerman is practically the Bible of corporate freelancers. You'll find a lot there that you can apply to any writing you do.

And if you want to see what gigs are available, there are a ton of sites that list job openings. Craigs List is a huge one. But if you don't want to go through all of the cities looking for stuff, try Deb Ng's site: freelancewritinggigs.com. She goes to the trouble so you don't have to. (OBTW, Anne also lists jobs on her site.)

I hope that this gets you started. And don't forget to write a LOT. Practice will go a long way in helping you land gigs. But DON'T write for free, unless it's for yourself. Say, your own blog. Even beginning writers can find a small gig. But don't write 100 articles for $2 each. You're worth more than that. We ALL are.

I also love to write and I am a freelance writer on the side. I started as a web content writer, and now write for an online woman's magazine. From my experience- in the beginning, the writing gigs I would get were very sporadic and not very lucrative at all, that is why I continued to work outside the home (and still do). Another reason I still work outside the home- it is extremly flexible and if needed (if I am home with sick kids, etc) I can telecommute, I have paid vacation, sick time and I am 100% vested in my 401K.
My writing gig now is very part-time, about 2-10 hours/ week and I get paid well, but still not enough to give up my "regular" job.
Feel free to email me if you wish, I can tell you more. Right now, I have to write- I have a deadline this afternoon! Good luck!