I have had many people asking me why they don’t seem to be getting it right in the freelance writing sector. I have referred many to different websites to try out freelance writing but things just don’t seem to work out for them on any of the sites.
One thing I have realized is that most of these people want to start writing but they are not sure of their skills. There is a famous Chinese proverb that says “If you have 10 hours to cut down a tree, spend the first 8 hours sharpening the axe.” The same is true for freelance writing. Make sure you spend a week or two sharpening your axe before starting.
You can do this by Googling things like “How to write an article”, “How to write a winning product review” among others. Read them in good detail so that you up your skills. Having the right skills will help you start your freelance writing business with a bang. The basics that you need to always be keen about are:
1. Grammar – Make sure your grammar is right and your article reads well. No matter how much you may think of yourself as a pro, always proofread your work. Make every effort to ensure that your work has great grammar.
2. Plagiarism – This is the number one “sin” in freelance writing. Never copy-paste paragraphs from different websites and send to a client. What you will need to do is get two or three sources, read them well and create your own content. In case you may want to rewrite any paragraph, remember not to duplicate any 5 words in a row. Almost all clients use Copyscape Premium. This site will detect plagiarized content and there are high chances that the client will reject your work and even terminate your cooperation.
3. Deadlines – Always meet deadlines. In case you know that you will not make a deadline, tell the client upfront so that you can agree on a reasonable deadline. Constantly missing deadlines will also greatly lead to loss of clients.
These three things are key to successful freelance writing. If you do them well, there are significant chances that you will succeed in freelance writing for a long time.
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