4 Essential Skills You Need To Be a Successful Freelance Writer

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Becoming a successful freelance writer can be one of the most rewarding yet challenging careers. It’s not a walk in the park. To be the best writer you can be, you’ll need to learn about your craft and hone your writing skills.

But it takes more than just penning articles to be good at what you do. It takes more than just being able to write well. Lots of factors go into becoming a freelance writer; it takes lots of other skills too.

Interested in getting into freelance writing? This blog post will name four essential skills you’ll need to be successful. Here are some of the most critical skills that will help you on your way to success.

Time management

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Managing your time and energy is one of the essential skills when it comes to freelancing. Personally, I prefer to focus on one task at a time to give my undivided attention and the best results. Learning what time of the day you’re most productive and creative is a skill that can help you excel in other areas of your life. Knowing that I like to work on the highest priority tasks first, I can do administrative work, daily workouts, and errands.

Bookkeeping

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Even if you’re hiring an accountant or relying on online software to help you, bookkeeping is a skill that freelancers must learn. By being on top of your accounting and tax filing, you can easily find out if you’re making a killing or using up your savings. As a freelancer, you’ll need to track your expenses and your income as they happen. It doesn’t matter how small or large your business is; it all boils down to your numbers. That means you need to know how much you need to earn to turn a profit.

Editing and proofreading

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Even the best writers can have typos and grammatical errors. You don’t have to be a perfectionist or an English major to be a good writer. However, you do need to know how to edit and proofread your own writing. Many services and tools can help you finetune your words for a small fee. One trick that I always do when I write is to read the draft aloud. It helps me to check for clarity and a conversational tone.

Research

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When you’re writing, you’ll want to be a seasoned expert at research. Without quality research, it would be hard to produce quality content. Research is a core part of the writing process. Whether you write blog posts or creative copy, you want to research from a variety of sources. This can include internet sources, books, and interviews. What you produce should reflect a good understanding of your topic.

Final words

Becoming a successful freelancer is about more than just writing. It takes essential skills, such as managing your hours, knowing your numbers, honing your craft, and reading up on various topics. Working on these skills is critical.

What skills have you sharpened in your freelancing work?

About the author

Carla Martinez-Tensuan is a freelance writer and editor based in Manila, Philippines. She specializes in crafting blog content, creative copy, and press releases. She has spent the past year or so managing her freelancing career, honing her writing, time management, and research skills in the process.