Free Lance Writer also termed as Free Lancer in its shorter form is face changing into a professional career from a part-time hobby in the recent past. It is the result of increasing scope for the writers, thanks to the online writing jobs which have given worldwide access to the writer from any part of the globe besides ever existing traditional mode in the form print media like magazine, newspapers etc.
Thanks to the sudden increase in the websites, hundreds of thousands of writing opportunities exist for the budding writers. The buzzword is to find those that pay. But before that one can start by writing for smaller publications even if they are non-paying enterprises. By doing so you can establish your credentials and build a portfolio required for presenting before established publications to make your claim stronger for getting the work. Though seems very simple this work is easier said than done. In reality, to be a freelance writer requires a lot of effort. Not implying the best planning and preparation simply results in wasted time as well as efforts thereby producing a poor quality unimpressive piece of work. This can lead to an unsatisfactory customer who would never take your services again. It is well said by some renowned freelance writer that "an hour in planning will save many hours of wasted effort".
Thus if you want to be a freelancer and plan to write magazine and newspaper articles, don't quit your day job until you are making enough money to sustain your lifestyle with your writing work. This can be managed by a little time management i.e. writing in the early morning or in the evening or whenever you have a spare moment. Although freelance writer need not have any specific qualification but to compete with the other you need to refine your technique and learn more about expressing yourself properly on paper. To achieve this much you should undergo some formal training available in some diploma courses like a freelance writer online diploma may be exactly what you need to expand your creativity.
Free Lance Writer Eligibility
There are no specific eligibility conditions (in the form of age, qualification etc) required for becoming a freelancer. It is only the work done by you that matter.
However, it will be better to have a minimum qualification i.e a Diploma or Degree course in Communication and any other language form a recognised college/university.
Free Lance Writer Required Skill
- One of the most important things that you need to know about when you write for the web is SEO or search engine optimization.
- On your road to become a freelance writer, the one thing that potential clients look at is your writing experience. They will ask to see published samples instead of your degrees and diplomas. They may also ask for the websites that you have written for. Definitely, your experience will get you your clients in the freelance writing world. This is what you need in abundance to become a freelance writer.
How to become a Free Lancer?
You have to follow the given steps to become a Freelancer.
Step 1
If you are young then submit a poem or story to a children's magazine such as Owl etc.
If you are a teenager, join your school's magazine development committee and submit articles to the school magazine, almanack, newspaper etc. Your effort can prove a good practice for your future freelance career.
If you are a college or university student, craft strong, well-written essays for class. You can also offer your services at the writing lab, and write articles for the student newspaper, literary magazine, and alumni magazine.
Become active in the writing community by Joining one or more of so many existing online and of line freelance writers' association. This will definitely give you the know-how of writing in an easy-to-digest manner. There are numerous writing jobs you can go through to increase your abilities as an author. Besides, you can submit letters to the editor of your local newspaper, write articles for your church bulletin, create a blog, and even write articles for.
Step 2
Once passed through all or some of these amateur work at initial level as a side work along with your basic educational qualification-that have at least helped you build your base portfolio to present- you can think of a professional career in freelancing.
Now you can think of something you'd like to write about and send a query letter to the prospective editor of a major publication asking him if they are interested in publishing an article on the specific topic. Be patient and don’t lose your heart if you got some negative reply or no reply at all and never conform exactly to the mould of others. Be yourself, and soon your work if it is good enough to be published will attract publishers itself and will turn into a flower of brilliance.
Some of the Courses for Free Lance Writers
Diploma course in free Lancing
A diploma in freelance writing can open up new opportunities for those who like to write. The diploma besides helping in refining writing technique will give you a portfolio and the writing credentials that are much needed to break into the highly competitive field of freelance writing.
Outlines of the contents to be studied in the Diploma course
- Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction and Nonfiction
- Becoming a Professional Writer
- Reference Sources for Writers
- The Business of Writing
- Reading for Writers
Skills Attained
In a freelance writing diploma program, students will learn more about:
- The business of writing
- Getting into the writing habit
- Reference sources useful to writers
- Types of fiction and nonfiction
- Manuscript submission and working with editors and agents.
Some of Diploma/Degree Courses to improve writing skills-
- Bachelor of Arts in English
- BS in Communication - Culture and Communication
- BS in Communication - Communication and Technology
Free Lance Writer Job Description
A professional writer has to do a lot of research and plot their work before starting, whether it is writing an article, creating an eBook or just simply writing a blog, a freelance writer must gather their thoughts before putting his pen to paper.
Free Lance Writer Career Prospects
Job opportunities for salaried writers are expected to increase with continuing increasing demand in traditional mass media like magazines, newspapers etc and modern web word. The budding writer can make their place in any of these media with their efficient work.
Free Lance Writer Salary
Although, there are no set standards for the pay scales and salaries of Free Lancer's ones established and recognized in the publication world they can earn anything from their demand. However, according to the Pay scale's Real-Time Salary Survey Freelance writers can expect to earn a median yearly salary of Rs.1,20,000 to Rs.1,80,000 and above.
