One question that is often asked by writers and would be writers is whether or not writing can be a viable business or profession. It is public knowledge that in the past in this part of the world writing was not given much consideration as a profession; it was believed that writers were broke. This assertion made a lot of writers to shy away from writing. But thanks to today’s global knowledge economy where information has become the newest oil.

Information is now king; content creators are now in high demand and are paid well. The demand for content has exploded a business known as freelance writing with some top freelance writers earning as much as $500 dollars per article. That’s $500 American dollars for just an article. Let’s do the math in Nigerian Naira: with exchange rate of say 490 Naira to a dollar, $500 will be N245,000. Hmm!

Interesting? But don’t rush into freelance writing if you don’t know the ropes. There are things to learn in order to succeed as a freelance writer. Here I will be sharing some of the steps I took and how I made my first $180 dollars as a writer. Let’s go…

1. Study the business

Freelance writing just like every other business must be studied to equip yourself with relevant information and knowledge. Read materials about the business and ensure you know how it operates. Don’t rush into it without understanding it; if you rush into it you will eventually rush out. I remember taking time to read articles and other materials on the subject of freelance writing.

I once saw a thread on Nigeria’s biggest online forum, Nairaland.com on freelance writing. I took my time to read the author’s contents, the questions readers posted and the answers she gave; I also asked my own questions and got answers. I was equipped with lots of information about the business of freelance writing.

2. Have a mentor and learn from them

It’s not enough for you to just read materials, your development will be faster if you get a mentor that will guide you through the process. In any profession or business, having a mentor is one of the best decisions anyone could ever make. A mentor guides you and prevents you from making some mistakes which he made while starting just like you. A mentor makes the process faster and simpler for you. I made lots of research about freelance writing in Nigeria and was able to find a mentor who is doing very well as a freelance writer. In fact I think he is the biggest freelance writer in the country. I subscribed to his website, read his mails and bought his e-book.

3. Polish your skills and be versatile

One very important thing is to really develop your skill. This is one of the most important things to do because it is your skills that people will pay for; so if you are good you will get referrals. And every serious entrepreneur knows the power of referrals and mouth-to-mouth advert.

4. Treat your Freelance writing as a business

One mistake many new freelance writers make which eventually affects their freelance writing business is the mistake of not taking it as a business. Freelance writing is a business and just like every other business, must be taken serious. To succeed in freelance writing you must treat it the way Dangote will treat his business or the way Wiz Kid will treat his music business/career. If you don’t take it serious you might never make any money from it. To show my seriousness, i opened a corporate account with GTBank for my freelance writing business; I brought my writing business under a registered company name and then opened a corporate account. It’s an indication of seriousness and professionalism.

5. Have a writer blog/website for your Freelance writing

Before I encountered my freelance writing mentor I didn’t take the idea of having a blog or website serious, but after buying his e-book and devouring the content, I saw the importance of having a writer blog or website. Your writer website or blog will serve as your contact; the platform to advertise your services; it makes it easy for potential clients to trust and value you and serves as a channel to display your works. In fact your writer blog or website is your office.

6. Market your Freelance writing business

As noted in our step 4, freelance writing is a business and must be treated as such. One of the major things businesses do is to market their products and services – marketing is the lifeblood of any business. It was marketing that brought me the first major client that paid me my first $180 dollars to write some content. I marketed my freelance writing using two major methods when I started out as a freelance writer. The first method I adopted was to tell people I knew that I was now a freelance writer, and could help them with their content. The second step I took was placing an advert on OLX. I placed a simple advert on OLX advertising my writing services and added my phone number to the advert. I didn’t spend any serious money since OLX is basically free except if you want to rank high.

After a while I got a client through one of the persons I told I was a freelance writer. He recommended me to a client in Lagos and gave him my number. The prospect called me and asked for my charges after we had discussed what he wanted. I charged him $303 dollars but we later settled for $180 dollars. Days later, he made a deposit of 50% of the agreed sum into my account, and I started the work. Later on, I got a client via OLX. He saw my advert on OLX and called. We agreed on cost and 50% deposit was made into my account. That was the beginning of my freelance writing business.

7. Ask for a commitment before you commence the project.

If you look at point 6 above you will notice that I always asked for an initial deposit from my clients before I start writing. Don’t be afraid of asking for payment before the commencement of a client’s work. Professionals act that way, you are also a professional so you should act as one.

The above were steps i took to make my first $180 dollars as a freelance writer, and i still take these steps to remain in the business.

Source: http://businessideas.com.ng/freelance-writing-first-180-dollars/

Guy,
You have made only $180, and you now qualify to teach people about writing. Is that how it works? Get more experience before you teach please.

stagger:
Guy,
You have made only $180, and you now qualify to teach people about writing. Is that how it works? Get more experience before you teach please.

This is the problem when you are quick to attack. Chairman i said "my first $180 dollars".

Show us what you have before you condem others.

stagger:
Guy,
You have made only $180, and you now qualify to teach people about writing. Is that how it works? Get more experience before you teach please.

guy how much did u urself make when u first started? abeg go sit down jareeeee. Abi u don make reach $1m? mtcweeeeeee

Sigh all you want. I am here to do some trolling so if what I said is annoying anyone, make dem go chuk their head for transformer!

Good Article. Thanks for sharing.

Nice one... learnt alot

I'm always happy when I come across a thread like this, I am also a newbie in freelancing and I have gone to create a profile on fiverr and upwork but I still need someone that can help, motivate, inspire and put me through in freelancing. Please I will like to connect with you bro. Thanks

DonaldYusuf:
One question that is often asked by writers and would be writers is whether or not writing can be a viable business or profession. It is public knowledge that in the past in this part of the world writing was not given much consideration as a profession; it was believed that writers were broke. This assertion made a lot of writers to shy away from writing. But thanks to today’s global knowledge economy where information has become the newest oil.

Information is now king; content creators are now in high demand and are paid well. The demand for content has exploded a business known as freelance writing with some top freelance writers earning as much as $500 dollars per article. That’s $500 American dollars for just an article. Let’s do the math in Nigerian Naira: with exchange rate of say 490 Naira to a dollar, $500 will be N245,000. Hmm!

Interesting? But don’t rush into freelance writing if you don’t know the ropes. There are things to learn in order to succeed as a freelance writer. Here I will be sharing some of the steps I took and how I made my first $180 dollars as a writer. Let’s go…

1. Study the business

Freelance writing just like every other business must be studied to equip yourself with relevant information and knowledge. Read materials about the business and ensure you know how it operates. Don’t rush into it without understanding it; if you rush into it you will eventually rush out. I remember taking time to read articles and other materials on the subject of freelance writing.

I once saw a thread on Nigeria’s biggest online forum, Nairaland.com on freelance writing. I took my time to read the author’s contents, the questions readers posted and the answers she gave; I also asked my own questions and got answers. I was equipped with lots of information about the business of freelance writing.

2. Have a mentor and learn from them

It’s not enough for you to just read materials, your development will be faster if you get a mentor that will guide you through the process. In any profession or business, having a mentor is one of the best decisions anyone could ever make. A mentor guides you and prevents you from making some mistakes which he made while starting just like you. A mentor makes the process faster and simpler for you. I made lots of research about freelance writing in Nigeria and was able to find a mentor who is doing very well as a freelance writer. In fact I think he is the biggest freelance writer in the country. I subscribed to his website, read his mails and bought his e-book.

3. Polish your skills and be versatile

One very important thing is to really develop your skill. This is one of the most important things to do because it is your skills that people will pay for; so if you are good you will get referrals. And every serious entrepreneur knows the power of referrals and mouth-to-mouth advert.

4. Treat your Freelance writing as a business

One mistake many new freelance writers make which eventually affects their freelance writing business is the mistake of not taking it as a business. Freelance writing is a business and just like every other business, must be taken serious. To succeed in freelance writing you must treat it the way Dangote will treat his business or the way Wiz Kid will treat his music business/career. If you don’t take it serious you might never make any money from it. To show my seriousness, i opened a corporate account with GTBank for my freelance writing business; I brought my writing business under a registered company name and then opened a corporate account. It’s an indication of seriousness and professionalism.

5. Have a writer blog/website for your Freelance writing

Before I encountered my freelance writing mentor I didn’t take the idea of having a blog or website serious, but after buying his e-book and devouring the content, I saw the importance of having a writer blog or website. Your writer website or blog will serve as your contact; the platform to advertise your services; it makes it easy for potential clients to trust and value you and serves as a channel to display your works. In fact your writer blog or website is your office.

6. Market your Freelance writing business

As noted in our step 4, freelance writing is a business and must be treated as such. One of the major things businesses do is to market their products and services – marketing is the lifeblood of any business. It was marketing that brought me the first major client that paid me my first $180 dollars to write some content. I marketed my freelance writing using two major methods when I started out as a freelance writer. The first method I adopted was to tell people I knew that I was now a freelance writer, and could help them with their content. The second step I took was placing an advert on OLX. I placed a simple advert on OLX advertising my writing services and added my phone number to the advert. I didn’t spend any serious money since OLX is basically free except if you want to rank high.

After a while I got a client through one of the persons I told I was a freelance writer. He recommended me to a client in Lagos and gave him my number. The prospect called me and asked for my charges after we had discussed what he wanted. I charged him $303 dollars but we later settled for $180 dollars. Days later, he made a deposit of 50% of the agreed sum into my account, and I started the work. Later on, I got a client via OLX. He saw my advert on OLX and called. We agreed on cost and 50% deposit was made into my account. That was the beginning of my freelance writing business.

7. Ask for a commitment before you commence the project.

If you look at point 6 above you will notice that I always asked for an initial deposit from my clients before I start writing. Don’t be afraid of asking for payment before the commencement of a client’s work. Professionals act that way, you are also a professional so you should act as one.

The above were steps i took to make my first $180 dollars as a freelance writer, and i still take these steps to remain in the business.

Source: http://businessideas.com.ng/freelance-writing-first-180-dollars/

Can you please be my mentor? @OP

I want to learn.

Xzbit91:
Can you please be my mentor? @OP

I want to learn.

Sorry, i just saw your comment. I've not been here for a while now. Well, i don't know if i can be your mentor but i can help guide you with the little i know. send me a mail at donaldyusuf27@gmail.com

engrbayo11:
I'm always happy when I come across a thread like this, I am also a newbie in freelancing and I have gone to create a profile on fiverr and upwork but I still need someone that can help, motivate, inspire and put me through in freelancing. Please I will like to connect with you bro. Thanks

Sorry I'm just seeing your comment now. I've not been on this thread for a while now. You can connect with me via email at donaldyusuf27@gmail.com