As a freelance writer, you have the freedom to work with any client you like.
However, this freedom can discourage from trying new avenues and instead falling into familiar habits. From emailing the same clients every few months, to cold-calling agencies and sharing your favourite blogs on social media.
Meanwhile, there lies a wealth of opportunities to write for people who are willing to pay good money for your services.
Let me show you a few freelance writing clients you may not have heard about before. If you’ve never considered chasing after these clients – keep reading to find out how they can boost your portfolio.
1. Businesses Who Need Corporate Blog Writers
Corporate blogging is a lucrative position for any writer.
Why?
By running a corporate blog, businesses can improve their brand recognition by establishing themselves as experts in their field. When tied-in with an effective SEO strategy, you can target relevant phrases and keywords to generate new traffic to their website.
Corporate blogs also help businesses develop an email subscriber base. So they can share informative articles, update readers on the latest events, and promote their products or services.
Along with writing corporate blogs, there are plenty of other corporate writing gigs around too, such as:
· White papers and research papers
· Case studies
· Email writing
· Business presentations
· Proposal writing
· Press releases
· Annual reports
As a writer, corporate writing gives you the chance to develop a ton of new skills. Plus, you’ll receive a reliable source of income and a variety of projects to keep you engaged.
2. Authors Looking for Book-Jacket Blurb Writers
Did you know? Authors can pay anywhere from $300 to $600 for someone else to write a blurb for them.
It’s true.
That’s because a good blurb can mean the difference between a pass and a guaranteed sale. By clearly outlining the Who, What, Where, When and Why of a book, readers can clearly understand what the book is about and decide whether it interests them or not.
If you’re already editing a book or formatting for Kindle, add blurb writing as an optional extra.
You’ll save clients from the hassle of finding someone else to do it. You’ll also improve your skills in other short writing tasks like writing Meta descriptions, product descriptions, cover letters, and of course – you’ll become an expert at writing book-jacket blurbs.
3. Authors Looking for Editors
Sometimes, a client will already have the bulk of their writing completed – whether it be a novel or non-fiction book.
These authors are always looking for editors to put the finishing touches to their work. From proofreading to formatting for Kindle, or even simply offering constructive criticism – there are many ways to add value to someone else’s writing.
As one of the last steps towards releasing a book, authors are willing to pay high prices to ensure their project is at the best possible quality.
4. Online Stores That Need Product Descriptions
With major retailers and independent sellers popping-up online, there are plenty of opportunities to write compelling product descriptions.
Writing product descriptions is quite simple. You receive a list of products along with features and attributes for each one – then you transform the info into short and compelling sales-driven descriptions.
If you have experience in a particular industry including apparel, electronics, toys or beauty products – you’ll already have a good command on the key-selling points your audience is looking for.
In terms of rates, you can charge anywhere from $30 to $120 an hour to write your descriptions.
5. Fanfiction Readers
Do you have a strong devotion to a particular movie, video game, book, TV show or comic franchise? Why not present your own creative interpretation on an existing universe… and earn some good money in the process?
Fanfiction writing is a lucrative industry. There are many online Fanfiction platforms, which accept books of over 10,000 words and offer royalties of up to 35% per sale
Not only do you get to write about a topic you’re genuinely interested in – you might garner a devoted following and have something different for your portfolio too.
6. Businesses Who Need Pitches for Crowdfunding Campaigns
Having good content to sell your idea is an important aspect to any successful crowdfunding campaign.
Writing crowdfunding pitches is just like writing long-form sales copy. You get to learn about a new idea for a product or service, realise those benefits and incorporate hard-selling copy, images and video to sell the concept to people.
If the campaign is particularly successful, you’ll have a great client to add to your portfolio. Plus, you get to see immediate results of the effort you put into writing the pitch.
7. You
While focusing on the needs of your clients is important, how often do you spend time working on your own brand or website?
Working on your own projects is a rewarding experience that can help you earn more money and clients. Some of the best ways to monetize your efforts include:
· Blogging – Whether it’s managing your own writing blog or a particular niche, you can monetize your blog by incorporating advertisements and promotions to generate a passive income.
· Promotional Articles – Get paid to promote a particular product or service that relates to your writing services, such as a helpful writing tool or piece of software that makes your job easier.
· Promote Your Books – Whether you’re selling a novel or non-fiction book – you can write articles sharing snippets of your work to generate interest in your writing. If you have a history of successfully selling books, you’ll increase your chances of getting work from other authors too.
· Public Speaking – Hosting seminars, classes and doing speeches is an excellent way to introduce yourself to new people... many of which could be a potential new client who needs your help.
Now that you’ve learned about some of these unfamiliar clients, keep bidding on projects and look for exciting new ways to expand your portfolio! You’ll be surprised at the amount of writing opportunities that are waiting for you.
Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below!
