Freelance Career / freelance writers / freelancing in india

The Story Of How I Became A Freelance Writer

. 6 min read . Written by Rakhi Vishwakarma
The Story Of How I Became A Freelance Writer

This is an article written and contributed by a member of the Kool Kanya Community! We love it when our users engage with us and strive to always encourage and empower them in their pursuits. If you wish to have your writing featured on the Kool Kanya blog, sign up and send in your article to the Kool Kanya Community! 

Every job requires a lot of patience. You have to deal with expectations, colleagues, and bosses. But what if you were your own boss? Freelancing is a great gig for all those who want to break away from the corporate structure and live their lives by their own timetables!

But, the role of the boss is the most critical one to play. The responsibility for finding clients falls upon your shoulders. But that is not all. We are the boss, the employee, and everything in between all rolled into one! We need a driving force within to make it all work. 

Every freelancer starts off somewhere. It all begins with some sort of experience. I would like to share the knowledge that helped me to become a freelance writer.

The Driving Force: Where Did It Begin

My story as a freelancer begins all the way back in school. I used to write several pages about my feelings. Looking back it is strange to me that such a small girl could have such complicated feelings. However. Noting it down did give me a boost from the start. Now, I am much better at expressing myself through my writing, as compared to verbally.

I found my love for writing very long ago. I could free myself of my thoughts and just transfer them onto the computer. Even though it was not technical writing, I loved typing on the keyboard and watching as my words bloomed on the monitor! 

How I Made My Blog Professional 

The best way to get inspiration to write is by consuming a ton of books, and that is what I did. With the books all around me, it was no surprise that I gravitated towards writing book reviews. Next, I thought that if I was already on Instagram, why not connect my social media with my blog. I published some writing samples such as book reviews for Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, Green River Running Red by Ann Rule, and many more. 

Freelance Writing In India: Everything You Need To Know For A Freelance Writing Career

7 Mistakes That Are Killing Your Productivity As A Freelance Writer

7 Reasons Every Freelance Writer Should Have A Blog

I started getting book review requests from the authors on Instagram. They also asked me to write reviews for their books on my blog. It felt great to have my work recognized. Feeling like your own boss was one of the best parts of the whole experience. I could make my own schedule and no one got to tell me what to do.

The Upgrade: Inspiration To Become A Freelancer

I shared my blog all over social media. However, it felt like the blog was still missing something. Being a researcher at heart, I started looking for other information. I wanted to bring variety to my writing. I wanted to learn more about careers in writing. It is important to be real. Authentic content is always better than clickbait content or lies! 

My journey as a freelancer really began when I started helping college students proofread their research papers, find and correct their mistakes, or add information if required. I also started writing reports for my friends, which was quite different from the writing I had done before. Breaking out of your comfort zone has its advantages, it offers you the opportunity to learn and grow.

The Qualities Of A Freelancer

Not everyone can become a freelance writer. Even though it seems like an easy career path, writing takes a great deal of work. To outline the topic, structure the content, proofread. It is critical that you actually enjoy what you do, because like any other profession if you spend hours doing something you don’t like, it will lose its charm. 

So, in order to become a freelance writer, the first thing you need is an undying love for writing.

Writing As A Hobby

Writing requires mental presence. You can only be a freelance writer if you consider writing a hobby, first and foremost.

Research

A freelancer should inculcate an interest in researching new topics. You do not need to spend a lot of time doing this, especially if you are a part-time freelancer. However, without research, you can never know what is going on around you. You have to read other websites and blogs and stay aware of past and current trends. 

Continue Reading Below.

Flexibility

You might not always be asked to write on a topic that aligns with your area of interest. However, do not run away from a challenge. Think about how you can tackle it–now as well as in the future! It requires a lot of patience. Whenever you find yourself in a situation that makes you feel like quitting, think about why you started freelancing in the first place. No job on earth has a 100% satisfaction rate. 

Try to develop yourself and broaden your area of interest so you’ll be able to take on more work.  

Get Ready For The Difficult Days

Some days are a cake-walk and others not so much. It is inevitable that there will be difficult days on the job as well. Some days you will be flooded with a number of articles that need writing, and other days you will keep on refreshing pages just to check if there is any new work.

The no-work situation often takes the wind out of your sails in the beginning. So, toughen up and get through the difficult times–it will probably get better. Also, don’t forget to save some money when you are starting a full-time freelancer career.

Keep Improving

All professions require their employees to keep on improving themselves and so a freelancer should also keep writing articles and develop a unique writing style. Write articles for yourself and see what mistakes you make.

Keep an eye on the grammar and the way your writing flows. Read some books to get story-writing ideas. Make sure your workplace is located in a place where you can concentrate on what you are doing!

Writing has always meant a great deal to me. I always throw myself into any (and all) writing that might come my way. As a writer, this is who we are. I am enamored by the possibility that by turning on our laptops, sitting in a peaceful corner, and expressing ourselves, we are all making the world a better place. 

Keep writing.

Come, be a part of our women-only career community where you can network, ask questions, share your opinions, and collaborate on projects & opportunities. Join now.