You want to be a freelance writer, but don’t have writing experience and aren’t sure where to start? The good news is the path on how to become a freelance writer with no experience isn’t as daunting as it sounds.
Today, we’ll walk through a step-by-step guide that can use to take you from a writing novice to a confident freelance writer.
In fact, this guide is essentially a quick-and-dirty breakdown of how I went from charging $25 to $200 for a simple 400-500 word blog.
Here’s an overview of what you’ll be getting from this article:
- The most effective, fastest ways to build up your writing skills.
- How to choose a niche and industry to specialize in.
- How and where to showcase your work.
- Where and how to get your first clients and work.
- Software to help you write better and faster.
Ready to learn how to become a freelance writer with no experience? Let’s dive in!
Choose a Profitable, High-Demand Freelance Writing Niche
When it comes to making good money at writing, the best way you can do this is work backward. First, pick an industry or niche that is already paying writers well.
Some industries and niches pay better than others. Choose one or two well-paying, related industries or niches to specialize in, and start there.
How do you find out what industries are paying freelance writers? Check pay ranges on
If you are curious to see what freelance writers make in a variety of industries, check out “How Much do Freelance Writers Make” for some of the top-paying industries for freelance writers.
Get Good at Writing
You don’t have to be “great” to get paid as a freelance writer. You just have to be “good enough” or better than the average email writer.
Spoiler Alert: It’s not that hard to do.
Start by reading:
- How to Become a Writer
- How to Get Better at Writing
- “Several Short Sentences About Writing” book summary
- Blog – “The Day You Become a Better Writer”
Follow these to a T, and make sure you set aside time for reading and writing every day.
The best writers and artists have been borrowing from their favorite creators since the beginning of time. Find a handful of writers you like (especially in your industry). Study and emulate their work. Before you know it, you’ll be developing your own unique writing style.
Take Online Courses and Workshops on Freelance Writing
You can also take online courses and workshops on freelance writing. This is a great way to learn about the business, get feedback on your work, and connect with other professionals.
Check out this list of great online courses and learning materials for freelance writers:
- Writing Courses on Skillshare
- Writing Courses on Udemy
- YouTube Search: “Writing Courses”, lessons, training, etc.
- ProWritingAid.com: Best online courses for freelance writers
You can also level up your writing skills with my FREE 21 Day Writing Challenge.
How to Become a Freelance Writer with No Experience: Build a Portfolio
When you’re starting out, it can be helpful to write for free to gain experience and build up your portfolio. All you really need to do this is:
- Easy: A basic WordPress website or blog.
- Easier: An industry-leading portfolio software.
- Easiest: Use a popular publishing platform like Medium.
One of the great things about fields like writing, photography, and design is that great work speaks for itself. You don’t need to get your work published on major websites or trade journals to show potential clients you’re a great writer.
You just need to show them you’re great at writing.
Don’t worry about pitching leading publications and blogs yet. Just focus on publishing some quality, unique writing to your website or portfolio.
Join Online Writing Communities & Connect with Other Writers
Another great way to get started as a freelance writer is to join online communities of writers and professionals.
You can find these communities on social media (Facebook and LinkedIn) and online forums.
This is a great way to connect with other professionals, learn about the industry, get feedback on your work, and find potential clients.
Be sure to check out…
- 23 Facebook Groups for Writers
- 12 Best Facebook Groups for Freelance Writers
- 8 Great LinkedIn Groups for Freelancers
- 10 Great Online Communities for Freelance Writers
- 25 Online Content Writing Communities
Joining is just step one. Step two is that you need to engage with the group.
Let other writers know that you are just starting out and that you are open for work and also tips, tricks, and advice on how to become a freelance writer with no experience and kicking off your side hustle or career.
How to Become a Freelance Writer with No Experience: Social Media
You can also start by telling your friends on social media that you’re a new freelance writer, up for hire. This is a great way to get started because it’s totally free, and you can reach a lot of people quickly.
You can even pay to boost your posts on Facebook and LinkedIn for even more exposure.
It’s nerve-racking at first, but don’t be shy about sharing your work with your friends and followers. The more people who see your post and your work, the more likely you will be to get clients.
Here are two things that weigh heavily in your favor:
- Most people either are NOT confident in or good at writing.
- Because of this, most people NEED a go-to writer in their life.
You never know who knows someone who needs a freelance writer until you put the word out there. Even if you just start writing, editing, or proofreading emails for friends or family members ––– just go for it.
Leverage Writing Tools and Software
What’s another fast way on how to become a freelance writer with no experience?
Software.
Today’s writing software is not only outstanding, it’s getting better (and smarter) by the day. These tools can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you.
On average, I’d say the below tools shave 50% of the time it takes me to research and write a piece vs. doing it without them.
Invest in or check out a free trial of…
- Grammar and editing assistants like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor
- AI writing software like ChatGPT, Jasper.AI, Rytr.me, and Peppertype.ai
- Performance SEO tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and a ton of other great options on AppSumo
Check out my blog on “The best Apps and Software for Freelance Writers” for more information.
In Closing
Learning how to become a freelance writer with no experience is easier than it sounds. Forget long hours, biting your nails while sitting at a blank screen.
Use these tools, tips, tricks, tactics, and software to start your freelance writing career today.