Whether you are new to freelance writing or you have already been in the field for a few years, you might be wondering about all the different kinds of freelance writing gigs there are and which one is best for you and your skills.
The good news is that most freelance writers don’t have just to choose one kind of freelance writing gig. There are many different options and many writers do a combination of different gigs to grow their portfolio.
This guide will cover some of the main types of freelance writing gigs so you can determine which ones might be best for you and the skills you already have.
Article Writing
Article writing is one of the main kinds of freelance writing and is a great job for beginners. As you get more advanced and increase your skills, you can do other types of article writing, including SEO-based ones.
Clients often need several different articles written on all kinds of different topics so you can find topics that you are experienced in to impress the clients.
Most freelance article writing is done for online websites but some clients might also look for freelancers to get articles for magazines or newspapers.
Technical Writing
This is a more specialized type of freelance writing so you might not be able to do this kind until you have a few years of experience. Technical writers will take something very complex and write it in a way that is very easy for readers to understand.
For example, a technical writer will take something like a user manual or a software product and rewrite it in a way that any reader can understand.
Technical writers can often charge more money because their writing includes research and usually a longer amount of time to write.
Ghostwriting
Ghostwriting usually pays quite a bit more than other kinds of freelance writing, but you are basically writing something that someone else is taking all the credit for. For example, many celebrities and politicians will hire a ghostwriter to write blogs for them or even help them write their autobiographies.
Ghostwriting often comes with a lot of edits because the person will want the book or articles to sound like them but they are not writing it themselves. You will often work with the person or their editor or agent to ensure the final product is exactly how they want it to be.
If you are working on a big ghostwriting project, you might want to consider working with an attorney to check the contract for you. They can determine if you are getting the right pay and if you need to sign a nondisclosure agreement.
Newsletter Writing
Many companies and bloggers want to send out emails with newsletters every few weeks but they might not have the time to write it themselves. So, they hire freelancers to write their newsletters for them every few weeks.
Some freelancers also start their own businesses where they just write newsletters for many different clients. This can be really lucrative for freelancers as they get a lot of experience under their belt.
You can also simplify it and make it easier for yourself by making newsletter templates so that you continue to just reuse them and make them different for each client rather than starting from scratch every time you have to send a newsletter out to someone.
Blog Writing
This is one of the most common types of freelance writing for new and advanced freelancers. Blog writing is one of the best ways to get your foot in the door as a content writer as well.
There are tons of different options for blog writing. When you’re first starting out, you might need to write any kind of blogs that pay well. As you get more experienced though, you can choose to write blogs that interest you whether they be about politics, travel, or something else.
If you become a specialized blog writer, you can charge more. Blog owners and companies will also look to you to write all their specialized blogs and be willing to pay you more since you are experienced and able to write in better detail.
e-Commerce Writing
More and more people have e-commerce shops these days because it’s a nice way to turn a hobby into a business and an even better way to make some side money. However, not everyone has the time they need to write descriptions and product details about all the things they are selling.
Many people will hire a freelancer from time to time to write their product descriptions for them. They might also ask you to incorporate their affiliate links so that they can earn more money when people visit their website.
You might also need to write in a way that entices people to click on the affiliate links so that they can bring in more revenue.
Copywriting
If a business needs someone to write copywriting materials for them, they will often hire a freelancer to do the writing for them to ensure the copy is enticing and all the details needed.
Freelancers that do copywriting will need to be able to write compelling material. They will also need to be able to call to action and headlines that draw the reader into the material.
Copywriting requires a few years of experience so you will need to be able to show the client examples of your work before they will hire you.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are tons of different kinds of writing that freelancers can do depending on their past experiences and their skills. Some freelancers just concentrate on one area, but many freelancers do numerous types of writing because it allows them to vary their portfolio and to get different experiences.
As you gain more experience, you can also start your own freelance writing business where clients come to you.
