What Other Skills Do I Need To Become A Freelance Writer?

“Do I ever need any specific skills to become a freelance writer other than writing skills?” If you think you are a fairly prolific writer, pursuing a freelance writing career is an exciting prospect. You are your own boss and have the freedom and flexibility to choose your clients and working hours. It is an opportunity to expand your horizons yet do what you are comfortable with. You can challenge yourself and build your reputation over the years. The best part is that you need not be confined to only a few niches, which is likely to happen if you work full time with a company. 

While there are so many upsides to becoming a freelance writer, you’ll be required to have the very basic technical commons sense, otherwise you may struggle at times.

Since you work online, you may come across glitches while using the internet or simply face issues with your devices. There are chances of losing out on productivity due to the lack of researching skills. 

Cybersecurity is another one that you may need to be conscious of. Technology concerns run high because it’s not like you have an IT team to guide you and resolve issues. Here are some of the basic points that you may want to remember to become a freelance writer.

Know The Right Authority Sites

Freelance writers need to do a lot of research to gather facts, data, and information that are needed for writing an article. It is said by several sources that there are currently over 1 million freelance writers worldwide. The job has become dramatically accessible to many as almost any information can be found by Googling.

The flip side of it is, you need to provide valid information, i.e. you can joke, you can say anything in any style you want, but you cannot tell users wrong information while the truth is available based on the fact elsewhere. You may have experienced where you would find two different sets of data  from two different sites that contradict each other.

By using a website authority checker such as ahrefs can help you determine if the information you get is from a reliable source rather than a random site. There are quality  sites in each niche that you can trust for accurate and verified information. Double-check the statistics by going through the reference sites. Quality sites are also secure, so stick to them and steer clear of lesser-known sources. Avoid clicking suspicious links and accepting cookies on such sites.

The Freelance Writer's Personality Toolkit

Becoming a successful freelance writer is about more than just being able to string words together in a pleasing way. Sure, your writing skills are the foundation of your career, but the building blocks that really help you stand tall involve a mix of personality skills that some might not immediately consider. Let's talk about these skills in a way that's easy to digest and, hopefully, a bit fun to read.

#1 Adaptability

First up is adaptability. The freelance world is fast-paced and ever-changing. One day you might be writing about the latest tech gadget, and the next, you could be diving into the history of chocolate.

Being able to switch gears quickly without getting flustered is a huge plus. It means you can keep up with the demands of various clients and projects, making you a writer in high demand.

#2 Time Management

Then there's time management. This isn't just about meeting deadlines (though that's super important). It's also about knowing how to prioritize your tasks and manage your day so that you're productive but not overworked. 

Finding that sweet spot between work and play is crucial for keeping your mind fresh and your writing sharp.

I don't have time to put my shirt on, because internal calendar just alerted me that it is precisely 4:00 pm and 13 seconds, prime time for a coffee break. However, I must first consult my to-do list, which clearly states that "coffee break initiation" is scheduled for 4:07 PM sharp. Perhaps I can indulge in a brief moment of existential contemplation until the designated hour arrives.

#3 Communication Skills

Communication skills are your bread and butter. This goes beyond the written word. Being clear and concise in your emails and messages to clients can prevent misunderstandings and build trust. Plus, knowing how to ask the right questions can save you a ton of time and make sure you're on the same page as your client from the get-go.

#4 Persistence

Persistence is another big one. Rejection is part of the game, and projects might not always go your way. The ability to bounce back, learn from feedback, and keep moving forward without losing your enthusiasm is what separates the hobbyists from the pros. It's all about staying positive and motivated, even when things look a bit bleak.

#5 Curiosity

I'm not nosy, I'm just very interested in the details of other people's lives... for purely anthropological reasons, of course. What? Yes, that's right. I'm "informationally enthusiastic". Well-said, you.

Curiosity might have been tough on the cat, but it's gold for a writer. Having a natural interest in learning new things can make research less of a chore and more of an adventure. It means you're always expanding your knowledge base, which not only makes your writing richer but also opens up new avenues for projects.

#6 Networking Savvy

And let's not forget about networking savvy. Building relationships with other writers, clients, and people in the industry can lead to new opportunities and valuable partnerships. It's not always the most comfortable part of the job, especially if you're on the introverted side, but even small efforts can lead to big rewards.

#7 Resilience

Resilience is your shield. There will be tough times. Projects might fall through, or you might find yourself dealing with difficult clients. Being resilient means you can handle criticism and setbacks without letting them derail your career. It's about learning, growing, and continuing to put your best foot forward.

#8 Creativity

Lastly, we can't forget creativity. Sure, it's partly about coming up with cool ideas, but it's also about problem-solving. When you hit a roadblock, being able to think outside the box can help you find solutions that others might miss. It keeps your work fresh and exciting, both for you and your readers.

Try Several Online Word Processors

As a writer, you will need to research, take notes, write, and edit documents every day. It happens in bulk, making it hard to handle everything manually. If you’ve been using hardware-based apps such as MS Word, Mac Pages or Notes for that purpose, you may want to consider some cloud-based word processing documents that you can log on from anywhere in the world and sync the contents between devices. The popular ones include;

• Google Docs
• Evernote
• Grammarly

These apps let you organize your stuff and save them securely, allowing you to write and edit without worrying about losing your drafts or alternative versions. You can access any file easily at a later stage, all without sifting through your system. You can use just one of them or multiple apps for different purposes, for example, use Evernote for taking notes, Grammarly to check your spelling and grammar, and Google Docs to write up the final draft.

Have Your Emails In Place 

Managing mails is one of the biggest challenges that most freelance writers come across. You have multiple emails from different clients to handle every day, and the mailbox starts brimming over time. As a rule of thumb, you must have a separate work mail account. It will ensure that you don’t have to struggle to segregate personal mails from work emails, making life a lot simpler. 

Here are some tips to manage your daily work emails;

• Use Gmail, if you haven’t already. It’s still just a free email but Gmail seems to be generally more accepted by professionals compared to Hotmail. This article may help you understand. 
• If you are a Gmail user, you know it offers a host of features like starred mails and snoozed emails. But they may not necessarily help you organize better. Turn the features off so that you can simply find the email you’re looking for by keyword search.
• If you ever want to save a mail for further reference, convert it into PDF format and you are good to go. 
• Decluttering your mailbox is crucial. Simply delete the unnecessary ones and clear the trash often.

Quality-Check Of Your Work

Even if you are a great writer, you know sometimes it seems like you're carrying out a complex task, especially when you're writing the topic that you're not most familiar with. So how can you to stay on top of quality for every single piece you create?

After all, people who pay for work expect only the best. You will need to ensure it by doing quality checks for your work. Relying only on your skill and experience isn’t the best thing to do because even the most seasoned professionals can make errors. The best thing to do is to use online tools for quality checks, such as

• Editing docs, mentioned earlier, that enable you to check spelling and grammar.
• Keyword density checker
• Plagiarism checker to validate the authenticity of the write-ups.

Use a Productivity App

Successful freelance professionals aspire to do more with less. It is possible only if you excel with your productivity levels. However, acing your productivity gets challenging when you have to handle multiple clients and tasks daily. Replying to emails and answering phone calls can waste your time. Not to mention, there are distractions when you work from home. Moreover, you may feel tempted to browse random sites and social media while at work.

Using a productivity app can help you stay a step ahead of all these challenges. It lets you track your tasks and time, so you can get a complete view of everything at the end of the day. You can even manage calendars and timelines to ensure that you never forget or miss a deadline. 

ToDoList is a popular productivity app that automates multi-tasks such as;

• Plan and organize your writing schedules
• Accounting tasks (keeps your books, receipts, and invoices)
• Organize appointments, meetings, and travels
• Tracks marketing campaigns (useful when advertising your writing service)

Set reminders through the app for extra help. Taking regular breaks is also a good idea if you want to keep your productivity on track.