What is Freelance Writing?

This is gonna be a pretty quick one. Lots of people ask me ‘Hey Paul, you sexy man – I see you call yourself a freelance writer, like some sort of pretentious wanker. But what is freelance writing? And how does it work?’

Well, in this post, I’m gonna share all the details you need to know.

Okay – What is Freelance Writing?

Honestly, this is much more simple than people expect. A freelance writer is a person who writes in exchange for money. That’s it.

The only difference between freelance writing and traditional writing is that some writers work for one company, newspaper, magazine, or website. But people like me instead work on a short-term contractual basis for several different people and companies.

I write for lots of different clients rather than just one.

I’m self-employed, and I organize my own time, my own schedule, and my own workload.

How Do You Find Work?

Usually through online platforms such as Freelancer and Upwork (well, that’s how I started – these days, I use Upwork occasionally, and I never use Freelancer anymore).

There are also lots of writing-specific jobs boards online where you can find various jobs. Usually, these are better-paid than places like Freelancer and Upwork, but you need experience to get the work.

I’ve covered this in much more detail in my guide to how you can become a freelance writer (with no experience!).

What Are The Advantages of Freelance Writing?

Mainly, freedom.

You can work as much or as little as you want. You can work when you want. You can work on whatever projects you want. You can ask for as much money as you want. You can work from whatever country you want. You can work from cafes, or co-working spaces, or your friend’s house. You can take time off whenever you want.

I like writing, don’t get me wrong. But I mainly do this job because of the freedom it allows me. I live remotely, I travel a lot, and I live in cheaper countries (which means I can work less, live more, and retire earlier).

If you hate the idea of doing the same job forever, or living in the same place forever, or doing pointless work for some billionaire corporation, think about becoming a freelance writer instead. It’s actually a really achievable goal, if you’re willing to put some work in. Here’s how you can do it.