Starting a Freelance Writing Career as a College Student

College Students as Freelance Writers

One of the great advantages in the changes of technology is that there exist great opportunities that didn't exist as recently as ten years ago. I graduated from college at the age of 21 back in 2002, and most of the writing websites that allow me to make a living freelance writing online now, the same online writing websites I will continue to recommend to my readers here, didn't even exist back in 2002, or were just looking to begin. How's that for strange? I've been a full time freelance writer in some form or another since 2005 - a mere three years after graduating college I held a job that didn't exist while I was going to college.

So there's no use in me being upset for not making a full time living or having my own full time business while in college because those opportunities didn't exist. But now they do. If you're a freshman in college, or a high school student about to go to college, and you like to write then there is absolutely no excuse for not having a very productive steady income by the time you're out of college - if not a full time passive income even before then.

Being a full time freelance writer does not mean you have to be an English major or use giant words from an extended vocabulary - in fact these things often get in the way. Studies show most adults read comfortably at what is considered a 6th grade level. So for a lot of web writing, this is exactly the level you want to write at. This makes it very easy for most young college students to learn how to freelance write online for a living.

There are many different routes to take. Guru.com and Elance.com are two fantastic sites to start a serious online writing career. It's hard to get started, but as you build a reputation the work tends to snowball, and both sites can provide a full time living with no outside assistance. Rentacoder and oDesk are two other sites I've heard some writers talk up, although I can't personally attest to either since I have not used either.

Even better for college students who want to make money writing is that they have something working for them that most other people don't (and the same applies to grad students as long as they are on scholarship or with a TA or RA job that pays full tuition), and that is time. Two years, three years, four years, even 8 years (assuming 5 year undergrad and 3 year MFA or something to that extent) where free time can be used towards building a long term viable passive writing income from a shoestring budget.

This is where Internet Marketing and keyword research come in. Learning about these topics while sharpening your skills as a writer gives you the time you need and the education you need in order to really make the most money writing online. Combining this with your writing can make websites like HubPages, eHow, Constant-Content, and many others pay off handsomly over the long run.

With time to learn about keywords, how search engines work, and to take this knowledge and have years to write content, there's no reason anyone in this position can't completely control their destinies by the end. College students are in an excellent position to create full time writing careers while still enjoying the college experience - I'm actually rather envious of anyone in that position and young age who has the knowledge and work ethic to be in this position, and I strongly would plead with them not to squander these advantages.

Beyond college students - anyone who is unemployed, going freelance because they were cut off from a steady gig, or just want a change of pace, I always recommend working on the long term income as well as the short term because it does pay off with every hour of work put in, and the sooner you get started, the sooner you control your own hours, your own income, and your own destiny.

Hope everyone is doing well, and have a Happy 4th of July!

Guru.com Review | Guru for Writers Review | Freelance Writing for Guru

Guru.com Review for Freelance Writers

This is one freelance writing review that has been some time in coming. Guru.com is one of my favorite places online for freelance writers to find work. It is an auction based writing website, and is right up there with Elance.com as one of the two top providers of work for freelance writers. I've often heard Rentacoder named as another place for freelance writers to find work, but I can't vouch for them as I've never personally worked there. Ditto for oDesk.

That said, even among all those auction based freelance writing websites, there's no question at this point that Guru and Elance are the cream of the crop as far as that goes. I've worked for both and there are definite positives and negatives with both of these sites. I tend to favor Guru over Elance because I think the interface is much easier for freelance writers to find great writing gigs that fit their skill set. The ability to "watch" 50 projects that you're interested in is a great plus, and you can also set your profile with your specific writing strengths so when you're alerted to new projects, all the new projects are based on your writing skills - not on writing skills you don't have.

So for example, when you're writing for Guru if your strengths are press releases, white papers, and technical writing, you'll receive daily project notifications in these categories. You won't be bothered with grant writing, fiction ghost writing, or anything like that. Not having to wade through the freelance writing jobs you're either not qualified for (or not interested in), allows you to spend more time hunting down the freelance writing assignments that you're perfect for.

Another thing I like about writing for Guru is that there is enough work provided for several writers to make a full time living only working for this website and not having to do anything else. That said, I always advocate multiple income streams for the online freelance writer, but knowing that you could make that much income on Guru.com just goes to show how valuable a resource that this website could be.

The profile section also allows you to upload a LOT of information, and I strongly recommend that you take advantage of this. The reason is that it is hard to get started because there is a star rating system on Guru. Once you get a lot of positive feedback you're in great shape, but getting that first positive feedback can be really hard - especially when you're competing with so many other writers who have already earned five star feedback. The profile page is where you can set yourself apart by putting up a resume with any offline freelance writing experience you have, post a lot of different writing samples, and just make yourself look as good as possible to help capture that first writing job on Guru.

Once you have a couple of five star rankings, getting awarded with freelance writing work on Guru is much easier. It really snowballs. For example, my first five months of writing on Guru earned me: $200, $50, $445, $699, $1,298. June actually made me two grand, so the sharp upward trend continued. There's no reason anyone reading this post can't get there faster.

There's a lot more work for freelance writers to be had on Guru now then there was when I was starting out. In addtion, then they didn't have such a nice profile set up. Add in that all writers now have the ability to block out one feedback from an employer (in case they're one of those types who is unreasonable or just mean spirited) which means one negative feedback that you didn't deserve won't sink you - the way a mediocre feedback from a professional ball buster on Elance sunk me. It's hard to get work with a 4.1 rating when everyone else who worked for reasonable employers had a 4.9 or 5.0. On Guru you have the ability to keep one bad report from sinking you.

As for what membership to sign up for, never take the free basic. There's no point. If you're serious about a freelance writing career, then you need to invest in it. The other caveat to Guru is that it does take time to build a really solid and steady freelance writing income stream. So I don't recommend a one month, or even a one quarter membership. You get a nice discount if you invest in a one month membership to the Guru website, and I strongly recommend that because it's enough money to make you serious about the commitment to become a full time (or solid part time) freelance writer, but low enough that over a year you can easily make that money back. This also gives you the time you need to really get your writing career off the ground and going.

A freelance writing career is never easy, but I like Guru.com as a mainstay of my online writing income and I think a lot of people reading this blog could benefit from making the commitment to write at that site for a year. And if you're a stay at home parent who needs to help make a second income, a laid off worker with unemployment running out, or a college student who just wants to build a business of their own - Guru is a great place for all of these people to start and launch their freelance writing careers.

The least you can ever make on a freelance writing job here is $25, which is less than Elance's $50 minimum, but I also find that it's generally easier for pure starters and novice freelance writers to get started writing at Guru than it is at Elance.

That's a brief review for now. There's so much more to cover I could write an entire e-book on it, but there should be enough information here to get people started, which is always the most important part. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask in the comments.

Keep writing, and remember that a freelance writing career doesn't start until you have the courage to start writing and put yourelf out there. I hope you found this Guru.com review useful.

Freelance Writing & Gambling: Thoughts on Writing from Las Vegas

Beginning Freelance Writers & Gamblers Have Too Much in Common

Freelance writers never completely take a break. I just took my first true vacation in three years, and am in fact typing away at 1:35 a.m. after getting back from Las Vegas, which was one of the best vacations I've ever had. Aside from a long list of articles and reviews that I'm going to write for Constant-Content, Associated Content, and other possible venues (some print), it was impossible to not notice some of the similarities between the thousands gambling on slots and the expectations of many beginning freelance writers that causes them to give up way too early on the dream of becoming a full time freelance writer.

In Las Vegas they sell the dream of becoming rich with one push of the button, pull of the switch, or roll of the dice. Many freelancers mistakenly have the same idea about writing, and the same can be said about creative writers, as well. If I just sell that one book I can quit my day job…or if I take that one big trip National Geographic won't be able to say no…I just need that one big break.

Sound familiar? If you think I'm criticizing you, relax. Writing is hard. Freelance writing is hard. We all think that at one time or another, it's simply part of the growth process. The thing is, it's never about the jackpot.

The way you get rich in Las Vegas is the same way you make a great living as a freelance writer. Want to know the "secret?" Here it is: hard work and avoiding wasting money on get quick schemes. That's it.

In Las Vegas you don't make a ton of money gambling…but you can make a lot of money working a high tip job. Some of the better waitresses and bartenders can take home a couple hundred dollars cash a shift. If they don't put that on the roulette wheel or video poker machine on the way out, then over time that money can add up real quickly.

The same applies to writers. If you work on building a solid base, building a reputation, and hammering away even on those frustrating and gloomy days, then eventually between active income and passive income (and we'll discuss a lot more on this second one in later posts) you will start making a good living by not giving up and not wasting money on rip-off e-books (there are some good ones, but why waste that money when you're getting good info here for free?).

That's the key. Freelance writers who write and are persistent are the ones who learn all the nuances needed to succeed as a freelance writer. The same applies to creative writers who want to get published. In graduate school I heard over and over again: "It's not the best writers who publish, it's the most persistent ones." That doesn't mean you can get away without some level of base talent, but as a writer you need to constantly work and refine your style and get your name out there, get feedback.

Another bit of advice for those who are trying to sell their creative writing for money: go ahead, but it's A LOT harder than becoming a freelance writer. Some websites estimate that as few as 200 individuals can make a full time living writing just fiction. That doesn't mean this isn't a goal worth pursuing, but if you don't mind doing article, copy, or technical writing, it's much easier to make a living as a freelance writer and work on the creative stuff as a side project.

But don't expect a big break. If you put everything you have into a big break, you're going to be disappointed. Get your name out there, find work and do a great job, get paid, and repeat. The average paperback up front payment for a first time author is something in the range of $2,000-$8,000. That's not a big break, and 95% of books never sell enough copies to earn royalties.

So if you are a beginning freelance writer who wants to learn how to make a living as a writer, take a tip from the smart people in Las Vegas: work, save, and repeat. Build a reputation, and in the same way paying off debt in real life tends to avalanche for the better when you have good habits, you'll find as your reputation grows as a freelance writer grows, the jobs, money, and payment per hour avalanches for the better.

You might not have wanted to hear about hard work and persistence, but beginning freelance writers need to know this, and time is on your side. Just keep plugging away, and overtime your situation will just get better and better. More advice will come weekly on this blog.

Best of luck, and happy writing!