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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/34597
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/34597
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

To make money as a freelance writer you have to have expertise in something other than writing. Anybody who tells you otherwise is blowing smoke.

That can be expertise in addressing a particular audience for a particular purpose, such as an advertising copywriter or a PR disaster recovery specialist.

It can be expertise in a particular subject area, such as a science writer or a medical writer.

It can be a combination of the above, such as a technical writer who knows how to write instructions for software or machinery.

It can be expertise in researching particular topics, such as a journalist who knows how to find and maintain sources.

It can be expertise in any field that the public is interested in, such as politics or acting or science, which gives you a public reputation (celebrity) which you can then parlay into commenting both on your field and things outside of your field. (Actors commenting on politics, for instance.)

Any of these combinations of writing skill and expertise will get you freelance work that pays more than a pittance. Writing skill alone will not. If you have such expertise, always lead with your expertise when marketing yourself. Companies can always find writers (on those online services, if nowhere else). What they struggle with is finding writers with the appropriate expertise.

If you don't have any expertise, go get some.

Original score: 2