One of the most sought-after and lucrative careers right now is that of a freelance writer. It’s not just that you have great creative license on what you write, but it’s the flexibility of being able to work wherever you are. Heading to a coffee shop, working from home, even going abroad working in travel writing, these options are available to freelance writers. People feel like this is the job that they could do to get out their creativity and have an outlet for their thoughts, but also any money. It sounds like a pretty good gig, right?
One of the biggest benefits of the digital landscape today is that every single business out there needs content. There are a lot of businesses, which means that writers are needed to be able to meet the demand. And when it comes to supply and demand, writing work is always available. Once you have nabbed a job as a freelance writer, you then have to think about how you will be earning from it – you need tools!
From laptop rentals to a business iPhone separate for your clients, you need the right tools to be able to succeed in your role. You can’t just start writing: it’s actually something that most writers don’t realize. You have to be able to be productive, and the content that you create has to be of the highest possible quality. Hello, we are a list of all of the tools that you could potentially use as a freelance writer, to help you to get your gig going.
- An internet connection. There is no point in trying to be a freelance writer without the Internet. It’s also more convenient to make sure that you have a Wi-Fi connection at home, so you’re not having to traipse out to the library or local cafes for free public Wi-Fi every chance you get. If you don’t have an Internet connection, you are going to fail. That sounds really blunt, but it really is the difference between being successful and not being successful at all. A smartphone just won’t do this type of work!
- Access to a computer. There is no such thing as a freelancer without a laptop, computer, or tablet. It needs to be accessible to you 24/7, especially if you do have plans that are based around the world. If you want to test out your laptops before you buy, that’s what laptop rentals are made for!
- A writing course. You may have a knack for writing, and you might think it’s weird to then go ahead and get a writing course when you already write. The thing is, a writing course could be one of the most valuable tools that you ever have. If you want to start your freelance writing career, but you know nothing about actually writing, the best thing you could do is to go on a course and learn. You have to remember that your freelance writing is your craft, it’s your way of putting your work and your creativity out there into the world. You want to get this right, don’t you?
- Invest in project management tools. If you are fortunate enough to build up your client list and have a pool of regular clients who ask you to work for them, then you’re going to need a freelance project management tool to manage all of your deadlines. There is nothing worse than missing a deadline – even once. Missing those deadlines not only puts your client on the back foot, it ruins your reputation. You have to remember that in marketing and business, people talk! You want them to say good things about you, and that means having the right management tools to help you to manage your time and your projects.
- You need an accountant. Okay so this is a person and not so much a tool, but without a good accountant, your taxes are going to be screwed up. You might be working freelance and people might be paying you directly, but you still have to pay the bank and you still have to pay taxes. Having an accountant on your team is going to help you to do that, and they’re going to be able to help you to manage your money so that you are not spending all of it before you put aside any money for your tax and your insurance costs.
- Collaboration subscriptions. Websites like Trello are free, but there are certain sites that you might use for your clients to help to collaborate on different pieces. Instead of just emailing backward and forward, if you’re dealing with a whole team of people who want to have some input on the pieces you’re writing, it can help to ensure that you have a way to be able to collaborate all the work at the same time. Have a look at the different platforms you could use for collaboration, and invest in the right places.
- Storage software. The worst thing that you can do is delete any work that you have sent to a client. Having the right storage software for your content will help you to manage all of the things that you have been writing installed on the way client by client folder by folder. Storage solutions are going to help you to keep on top of your content writing, and if you don’t set this up today, and the power goes out – you could lose everything and have to start again which will put you behind.
- Grammar and plagiarism checker. As an individual, you may not worry about your grammar when you’re sending a text to your parents. However, when you are creating content for clients, grammar and punctuation should be at the forefront of your mind. Not only that, but you want to be able to show your client that all of your work is authentic. When you invest in a good grammar and plagiarism checker, you can make sure that you are able to send your client with confidence what you know is 100% yours.
- Websites to find work. You need a way to be able to pick up your freelance work, and that means having a good rummage through the Internet to find which website you can hunt down your clients. There are so many different areas that you can look at where clients are going to be advertising what they need and picking from a pool of writers. You want to be within that pool so that you can be the best for the clients in front of you. Oh, and don’t neglect LinkedIn. It may be a kind of Facebook for businesses, but somewhere you can also list your services and it really cannot be ignored.
- Dictation software. You may be a writer, but sometimes you need to be hands-free! Having some good dictation software can often help you to do your writing work in another way. Instead of sitting at the laptop – especially if you are prone to RSI – using dictation software can help you to speak the words that are coming out of your head that would normally be coming out of your fingers. When you use dictation software, you’re also able to complete your work much faster, because the likelihood is your speaking time is much quicker than your typing time.
It really is an excellent way to work, so if you want to be a freelancer who has success, make sure you have these tools.
