Is it easier to become a freelance writer today?

Is it hard to make a living as a freelance writer?

The answer to this question has varied greatly over the years.

Back in the pre-Internet days, building a career as a freelance writer could be quite challenging.

Back then, if you wanted to freelance for a magazine or business journal, you needed to go to the public library, locate the latest edition of The Writer’s Market, spend hours finding publications that accepted unsolicited submissions, and then spend more hours crafting amazing pitches and query letters for each publication’s editor.

Then, you needed to wait weeks or months to hear back from said editor with a go-ahead to write your article or (more likely) a politely-worded “we are not interested in your submission at this time” form letter. 

If you were lucky, you might accumulate a few published clips and build a working relationship with an editor. You might even start writing on a semi-regular basis for freelancing rates that occasionally paid some of your bills.

If you were even luckier, you might find regular copywriting work at an ad agency or get a job as a journalist for a local publication. Even then, you probably needed a few additional side hustles to support yourself.

Clearly, things have changed since then.

Today, you can start a freelance writer career faster than ever before. You can connect with clients and find writing opportunities in minutes. Research tools are more sophisticated. And once you find reputable clients, you can get paid faster and charge higher rates—to the point where you really can support yourself by just writing.

That’s not to say freelance writing doesn’t still have challenges. Any successful freelancing career requires you to do your share of legwork, not only as a writer but also as a self-promoter who knows how to market yourself. You’ll also need to learn new skills and leverage online resources to win new clients and run your business from anywhere.   

However, today’s freelance writing market also has plenty of resources to support you in building your career. From online job boards to video courses to social media marketing channels, becoming a modern freelance writer is truly easier today than it was in the past.

In this guide, you’ll discover how a freelance writing career looks today. You’ll learn how to find job training resources and places to promote yourself as a writer. We’ll also provide resources for finding legitimate writing work and offer tips on how to build an effective client-freelancer relationship. With these lessons, that writing career you always dreamed of will become your reality.