14 Tips for How to Break Into Freelance Writing

You don’t need an English degree, a Pulitzer, or 10,000 social media followers to break into freelance writing.

You need clarity, consistency, and a draft that doesn’t live in your Notes app forever.

Freelance writing is one of the most flexible and accessible creative careers out there. Whether you're coming from teaching, tech support, or TikTok marketing, you can learn how to land real paid writing jobs, without years of experience or a giant portfolio.

In fact, that’s why I created ✍️ Make Writing Your Job: a resource hub and job board for writers who want to get hired, get published, and get paid faster.

Whether you're pivoting from another career or starting from scratch, here’s your beginner-friendly blueprint for how to build a freelance writing career that pays you to do what you love. We'll cover everything from landing your first blog writing jobs to scoring grants and residencies that pay you just to write.

These 14 tips are practical, tactical, and beginner-approved, because everyone starts somewhere.

1. Treat freelance writing like a real job…because it is one

Freelance writing isn’t a detour. It’s a career path, and a potentially lucrative one when you treat it like a business instead of a side hustle.

That means showing up with structure, not vibes. Create a simple system to track your income and expenses. Set up a professional invoice template. Build a portfolio you’re proud to send. And, most importantly, start saying no to things that drain your time or underpay you.

You don’t have to have it all figured out on day one. But adopting the mindset that this is your job and not a temporary placeholder makes it easier to advocate for yourself, raise your rates, and attract better clients from the start.

2. You don’t need clients to build a portfolio

One of the biggest myths in freelance writing? That you need client work to prove your skills. You don’t.

You just need polished, relevant samples that show what you can do.

These can be mock blog posts, rewrites of existing content (for practice, not publication), or personal essays that reflect your voice and range. Focus on the types of writing you want to be hired for: blog writing, newsletters, grant proposals, ghostwriting, etc.

If you want a step-by-step system for building a portfolio, subscribe to my job board to get a walkthrough of my entire method in ClassStack: How to Build a Portfolio That Gets You Hired (along with plenty of other tips, leads, and benefits).

3. Pick a niche that’s flexible, not final

You don’t need to commit to a writing niche for life. You just need to start somewhere.

Look for overlap between your past experience and what businesses or publications actually pay for. Maybe you’ve worked in education and can write curriculum blogs. Maybe you’re a healthcare nerd who can simplify complex topics. Maybe grant writing appeals to your persuasive streak.

The goal isn’t to find “the one” right away. It’s to build traction in a niche that pays and gives you room to grow.

4. Start publishing your own writing now

No clips? No problem. Publish your own.

Try Substack. It’s free, easy to use, and built for writers. Whether you're publishing essays, behind-the-scenes case studies, or niche industry insights, it gives you a clean, professional-looking space to develop your voice and build a body of work you can link to in your portfolio.

Already have a strong network? Don’t underestimate LinkedIn. Posting thoughtful articles or short-form updates can help you attract clients directly, especially if you're writing about topics tied to your niche.

It’s less about going viral, more about showing up consistently where decision-makers are already reading.

Writing publicly helps you find your rhythm, experiment with structure, and stay accountable to the craft. Every freelance writer needs a home base. Start building yours now. Don’t wait for permission. Hit publish!

5. Learn what makes a great blog post (then reverse-engineer it)

Blog writing is one of the most common freelance writing jobs, but most blogs are bloated, boring, or badly structured.

Want to stand out? Study the anatomy of a strong post: headline, hook, subheads, call to action, voice. Then try rewriting content from brands you admire to sharpen your own instincts.

This is how you build muscle memory. It also makes client writing way easier, because you’ve already trained yourself to write content that flows and sells.

This post on how to get hired as a content writer breaks it down even further.

6. Pitch yourself before you feel “ready”

Most freelancers wait too long to pitch, chasing a feeling of being “ready” that never really comes.

Your job is to get in motion. Reach out to an editor. DM a founder. Reply to a job listing with a short, thoughtful note and a great sample. The point isn’t perfection, it’s momentum.

And don’t let rejections get you down. It’s a numbers game, and not all jobs are created equal. What you need is the right job at the right time…and then you can hit the accelerator!

7. Apply to real freelance writing jobs, not content mills

All that said, not every job post is going to be a winner. Every beginner has that moment where they stumble onto a $20-for-2,000-words listing and think: is this legit?

It’s not. There are well-paying freelance writing jobs out there, but you have to be intentional about where you look and what you apply for. Focus on listings that value expertise, pay transparently, and align with your goals.

And trust your gut: if it feels exploitative, it probably is.

8. Grant writing isn’t just for nonprofits

If you're detail-oriented, persuasive, and great at connecting dots, grant writing could be your lane.

While nonprofits do make up a large portion of the market, plenty of startups, schools, and creative collectives hire freelance grant writers to help secure funding. It’s high-trust, high-impact work…and once you prove yourself, clients often keep you on for the long haul.

You can even turn those skills inward and apply for your own grants.

9. Say yes to residencies, contests, and grants that fund your work

Here’s something most beginner freelancers don’t realize: you can get paid just to write without a client in sight.

Writing contests, artist residencies, and project-based grants can give you money, time, and validation. Who wouldn’t want to spend a summer in Berlin at a residency while working on their memoir?

These opportunities are not just pipe dreams and they’re especially great for building your portfolio, funding your next idea, or simply buying time to write. You’ll find new ones weekly in ✍️ Make Writing Your Job if you’re keeping an eye out.

10. Build systems before you’re “busy”

When you’re starting out, it’s tempting to focus only on the creative side. But systems are what turn writing into a sustainable career, not just a lucky streak.

Build these simple systems early: a pitch tracker, invoice templates, a Notion dashboard for deadlines. You’ll thank yourself later when projects start stacking and you’re not scrambling to remember who owes you what.

In my upcoming book, I go deep into the systems that I used to transform from a burned-out screenwriter into a seven-figure ghostwriter and author. The right systems don’t just keep your writing life organized. They expand what’s possible.

11. Your past experience is part of your pitch

You might think your background doesn’t “fit” the writing world, but it’s actually your secret advantage.

Former teacher? You understand curriculum and structure. Worked in customer service? You know clarity and tone. Spent years in tech? You speak the language founders need for product pages and blog posts.

Every industry needs writers who can translate, clarify, and tell stories. Start with what you know, and build from there, using your personal background to help sell your unique voice to clients.

12. Learn how to price your work

Pricing is one of the hardest parts of starting out, but it is one of the most important.

Do your research. Build a simple rate sheet. And don’t default to charging per word unless you’re writing for a publication. For most freelance writing jobs, project-based or hourly pricing makes more sense while giving you more control.

The goal is to create a sustainable business, not scrape by. The writers who stay are the ones who charge what they need to keep going.

13. Build community early

Freelance writing doesn’t have to be lonely, but it will be if you try to do it all in a vacuum.

Find other writers who are navigating the same challenges. Ask questions. Share wins. Trade leads. You’ll move faster with support and you’ll make better decisions when you’re not stuck in your own head.

My own writing community has helped me navigate every major leap in my career, commiserating over each obstacle and celebrating each success along the way.

14. You don’t need to “go viral” — you just need one yes

It’s easy to think you need a platform, a perfect pitch, or a massive portfolio before you can call yourself a writer.

But freelance writing careers don’t start with a splash. They start with one yes: one editor who takes a chance, one client who sees potential, one job that gets you in the game.

That’s all it takes. And once you get that first yes? Everything else gets easier.

✍️ Make Writing Your Job: Your Shortcut to Paid Freelance Writing

You’ve got the tips, now here’s the toolkit.

Freelance writing gets a whole lot easier when you have the right leads, tools, and community behind you. ✍️ Make Writing Your Job is where writers at every stage find high-paying freelance work, improve their craft, and stay in motion.

Here’s what you get as a subscriber:

• 🗂️ 5x/week job board — only freelance, only remote

• 🎯 Featured clients hiring directly from the community

• 🧠 Tips & tools for pitching, pricing, and scaling your writing career

• 🔍 No spam — just real listings with real budgets

• 📚 ClassStack archive — including How to Build a Portfolio That Gets You Hired

• 💬 Subscriber Chat — daily freelance leads, job drops, and connection

💸 $15/month or $135/year — less than a coffee a week for more clients, more confidence, and way better career outcomes

This is where beginner writers get their start and where working writers keep leveling up. A freelance writing career isn’t just something you try. It’s something you build.

Start now. Stay consistent. And watch what happens when you give your writing career the structure it deserves.