Nicki Howell

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Do you want to earn $100k per year? $200k per year? $300k per year – or more? It’s all possible, according to a recent article where the author interviewed freelancers to spill their secrets about how they built their businesses and how long it took to arrive at those figures.

The article featured Michael Keenan, a freelancer based in Mexico, earning $400k after his sixth year. He admitted that you don’t earn big just from writing average content. He explained that you need to continually improve your writing skills and subject expertise – so you can charge more.

The article also featured Bani Kaur, a writer based in India, who hit the $100k mark after freelancing full-time for 14 months.

As you work to increase earnings, you might wonder: How much should a freelance writer charge anyway?

Here’s a quick guide to get you started, plus some industry averages and my personal experience.

[Read more…] about Cracking the Code: How Much Should a Freelance Writer Charge?

Where do you find freelance writing gigs?

It’s a great question, isn’t it?

In a way, knowing where to find clients, and then how to turn them into ongoing revenue, is a writer’s “secret sauce.”

My favorite way to land clients is cold outreach (I share my strategy and template that landed $24,500 in new work here).

But I’ve also learned that there is no “right way” to land clients. There’s only the strategy that you’ll actually do consistently.

Or, as James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says:

“You do not rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.”

Part of creating that system, of course, is knowing where the freelance writing gigs are located.

Not sure where to start? No worries! I’m going to show you over 20 places to find fresh new freelance writing gigs online and get your pipeline packed with work.

[Read more…] about 20+ Brilliant Places to Find Freelance Writing Gigs

It’s embarrassing … I’ll admit it. It took forever to figure out how to earn more as a freelancer and get off the freelance income rollercoaster.

One month my income was impressively high, and the next, I was digging into my reserve account. I was writing for some of the largest brands in the world, and still, I just couldn’t figure out how to create predictability in my business.

That is until I interviewed a finance expert for a story I was writing.

Do you know what he told me? One of the most important things in the sale of a business is recurring revenue.

And I had none.

Of course, I wasn’t planning to sell my little freelance business, but I had a flash of inspiration. Maybe that’s why I was always stuck on an income cliffhanger.

It turns out that was precisely why.

Do you know what I did to change it? Sell monthly content packages.

Offering content packages as a service quickly increased my income by 30% and saved my sanity.

So, how do freelancers make more money? Here’s how I do it (and if you want an example of a previous package I pitched, you can download it here).

[Read more…] about How to Earn More as a Freelancer by Selling Monthly Content Packages

I looked at my schedule and all I could feel was panic. I was fully booked last month. And this month WAS booked too — but one short email changed everything.

“Hey, Nicki. XYZ project is on hold. I’ll let you know if the client decides to relaunch.”

And just like that, 60% of my monthly income vanished.

Lesson one: Never let a single client book more than 30% of your time.

Lesson two: Always have an SOS plan.

The SOS plan that saved me was tied to agencies.

Agencies are amazing because they can send huge amounts of work your way on short notice. And in many cases, all you need to do is ask.

[Read more…] about How to Land More Freelance Writing Gigs From Agencies in 2023

I recently met Sarah, a freelance writer struggling to get her business off the ground.

“I’m just kind of stuck,” she admitted. “I’ve landed some clients, but I can’t figure out how to get the high-paying ones. And I really want to do this full time.”

She was on the verge of quitting.

I could hear it in her voice.

But here’s what I also learned about Sarah.

1. Sarah is an amazing writer. No joke. She is better than I am. And that brings me to my next point.

2. Sarah is working an entry-level job that has nothing to do with writing. She isn’t using her talent … and she feels terrible about it.

3. And finally, lack of talent is not Sarah’s problem. The reason she is failing has nothing to do with her writing skills. And once she learns what I’m about to teach her, she will be coming for my lunch. But, hey, that’s okay; there’s enough work for us all, right?

So, what is the problem?

Here are some of the biggest reasons why writers fail.

[Read more…] about Why Writers Fail … And What To Do Instead