In April of this year, I decided against my better judgment to write an 800-word blog post on “Cars for Cash” in Iowa for exactly $12. Today, I’m wrapping up my first full week as a full-time freelance writer. I’m earning a comfortable wage working 20-25 hours per week, and I have no boss, office, or schedule.
Am I living the dream? Honestly, yes and no.
It’s a “yes” when I’m curled up on the couch typing away with a cup of coffee and my dog sleeping at my feet. It’s a “maybe” when I’m organizing my monthly budget. And, it’s a “no” when I’m stressing out about my to-do list instead of watching a movie on Saturday night.
That being said, I wouldn’t give it up for anything.
This post will be one in a series, where I will answer your questions and detail my process. I’ll also give you tips and tricks for how you can create your own future, be your own boss, and live a life you don’t need a vacation from!
To start this series, here’s a list of 5 things I do not regret doing and how they helped me get from side-hustle to full-time freelancer in eight months.
5 Things I Did Right to Becoming a Full-Time Freelance Writer
I went slow and steady
When I first started freelance writing, I had no expectations. I was honestly just trying to make ends meet and replenish my depleted savings account following an out-of-state internship.
Writing began as a side hustle during my downtime, and by happenstance, I ended up with enough clients to where I could quit my second job. I didn’t have an end goal in mind, but I liked the freedom and the chance to get paid for my creativity, so I kept at it. Again, I had no expectations for the first six months.
I invested my side hustle income into developing new skills
With my day job paying (most) of my bills, I was making money I didn’t need. So, I used my extra income to take writing and web design classes. I also read a ton on writing, cultivating client relationships, and marketing myself.
One of my best resources has been Colleen Welsch from the Freelance Writer’s Guide to the Galaxy. I can’t recommend her enough. From her Youtube channel to her paid writing course, I gained a ton of helpful information to make my transition easier.
By the way, since I created a business bank account, I could expense these courses and reading materials, but that’s another post for another day.
I took on projects where I could get paid to learn
My fiancé Frank once asked me a question I think about all the time:
What would you pay to learn what you’re getting paid to do right now?
One of the perks of cultivating a side hustle was taking on projects with potential instead of scrambling for whatever scraps I could find. This meant I could take on clients that didn’t pay me a “comfortable” wage, but I was able to learn a ton about SEO and how to write well.
Oh, and also, the stronger my work got, the higher I raised my rates, and most of my lower-paying clients were happy to oblige when I did increase my rates!
I picked a niche
This actually happened more by accident than on purpose. As I mentioned earlier, my first paid writing job was for an automobile company. I also briefly worked for a content mill, writing about everything from alcohol withdrawal to reviewing children’s gas masks (yeah, you read that right…).
Luckily, I got a client in the recipe blog world, and I realized I could narrow my focus to topics that I found interesting and knew a lot about. Staying in the sphere of food and wine is honestly the only way I could keep up steam and stick with writing.
I narrowed my focus
After a month or two of writing in the food niche, I was offered a job on Upwork for writing and food photography. I was giddy to be able to put my fancy camera to use, though honestly, my first photos were awful.
Still, I kept at it and took on more and more food photography clients. Eventually, I felt burnt out and realized I was losing money by taking on these projects. I didn’t have the skillset to charge what the task was worth of my time.
I stopped offering food photography, even though it meant turning down work. Today, I know that was the best decision for me so that I could focus solely on writing. Also, it allowed for food photography to become fun again. As you can see from my site, I’m getting better every day!
Final Thoughts
Now onto you guys. Please leave me questions below or DM me on Instagram @liv_eatslocal so I know how I can best help you reach your freelance writing goals, whether you’re looking to become a full-time freelance writer or cultivate a killer side-hustle.
