Just before graduation, a close friend pitched me the idea of freelance writing as a side hustle.
It sounded really good, and today—the rest is history!
Are you here because someone has also suggested that idea to you? You’re in the right spot!
Freelance writing is creative and flexible and can undoubtedly pay your bill—your golden ticket.
No fancy degree, no million followers, and no spending of dollars to get started.
All you need: The ability to write clearly and tell a good story.
You’ve got that in place? That’s a head start!
Let’s now explore the other requirements to make you successful as you opt for freelance writing as a side hustle.
What You Need to Start Freelance Writing as a Side Hustle
Here are a few tips you need to get started with freelance writing side hustle for beginners:
1. Find Your Niche (or Don’t Do That at First)
When starting your freelancing journey, you will likely hear from everyone: “Find your niche immediately.”
While that sounds like a good idea, you don’t have to rush the process.
No doubt, you will get higher-paying gigs by specializing in a niche.
Do you still want to get a niche? No problem.
But if you don’t want to rush the process, starting as a generalist is acceptable and beneficial.
Today, people who are only chocolate fans suddenly become completely blown away after tasting a caramel pretzel swirl.
This same principle is applicable in writing.
Since you are starting, you might think that articles on fitness will be your forte and end up loving tech gadgets, finance, or travel guides instead.
So, at the start, allow yourself to experiment. You can start experimenting with these:
- Product reviews for cosmetic brands
- Health and wellness guides
- Blog posts about tech trends
- Parenting advice articles
- Business and finance how-tos
- Copywriting (Copywriting aide hustle real quick)
Each project will teach you something about the client, industry, and what brings you pleasure and joy.
As you gain more experience, patterns will naturally emerge.
For example, you might notice that you write faster about tech topics or that your blog gets more engagement.
Whatever reaction comes after your writing is your clue.
With time, you’ll naturally start to niche down, which means picking industries where you are most confident, command higher rates, and have connections.
But at the start of your freelance journey? Do these:
- Stay curious
- Stay flexible
- And have fun exploring
2. Build a Simple Portfolio
You have started experimenting with different niches.
Then, what is next? Start to build portfolios.
Do you think you need a fancy, polished website to get started? No, you don’t—Not even close.
Then, what do you need? You need some solid, great writing samples that reveal your abilities.
So start with a few decent PDFs saved in a Google Drive folder.
You can keep your portfolio on free portfolio sites like Clippings.me, Contently, or even Medium.
These websites can work perfectly for starters.
Like a shop window, your portfolio doesn’t have to be huge.
With just three to five samples, you can have enough to present to customers and anyone who needs your writing skills.
I know you have a question: “But what if I don’t have any client work yet?”
That wouldn’t be a problem!
Write a few sample articles. It will appear that you were already hired, and it will prepare you for what’s next.
For example:
- Write a long-form blog post and a short post on “5 Tips for New Dog Owners.”
- Create a pretend product description for a smartwatch.
- Draft a short guide on “How to Save for Your First House.”
No one needs to know those projects in your portfolio were self-assigned.
Your clients must know you can write clearly, match their tone, and organize ideas perfectly.
You can swap out your samples with client work as you keep landing real gigs.
You should not have a problem saving offline on your Google Docs and other websites, but save copies of your published work.
This will be a backup plan if the website goes offline or the articles are updated.
3. Start Pitching and Applying
Two great steps ahead. What is next?
Start pitching and applying.
Therefore, it’s time to hustle more once you get a few samples ready.
This step is a key strategy for writing side hustles for beginners.
We love being honest, and we’ll be just time again:
Finding freelance work is a numbers game—the more applications and pitches you send, the faster you’ll be able to land paid gigs.
Start by checking out reliable freelance job boards like:
- Freelance Writing Jobs (Daily leads)
- Upwork (Be selective and check clients carefully)
- ProBlogger Job Board (Excellent for blog writing gigs)
- Contena (It is based on paid membership, but you will get high-quality listings)
- Fiverr (Start with strong profiles and set your prices smartly)
Keep your pitches sweet and short when applying—irrespective of the platform you are using.
Show your potential clients that you understand what they need.
Link them to a couple samples, and make it easy for them to say “yes” or “yes.”
Also, while waiting for a job listing is fine and recommended, don’t just wait for it.
Start cold-pitching businesses directly.
Check businesses that do not have a strong blog, consistent newsletter, or updated content.
Be convincing enough because many of these individuals are brands that don’t even know how beneficial a freelance writer can be to their business.
But your pitch can convince them.
How should you draft your email? Let’s guide you through a rough explanation:
A simple email like,
“Hi [Name],
I noticed your company blog hasn’t been updated in a while. I am a seasoned freelance writer, and I’d love to help you create fresh content to drive more traffic to your site…”
A short message targeted at businesses like this will win you more clients and open doors to new opportunities.
4. Set Reasonable Rates
If you have to meet writers on our team, they will tell you that setting their rate at the start of their writing career felt awkward.
There would be many questions to ask. For example, you could ask yourself, “Am I charging too much?” or “Am I charging too little?”
Again, an honest truth: Going lower is fine when you’re just starting.
But don’t undervalue yourself—and never stay at beginner rates forever.
When starting, it’s okay to charge around $30–$50 per article.
This is reasonable, mainly if you write for shorter blog posts or take simple assignments.
As you gain more experience in the industry, your writing will get faster, the quality of your work will improve, and your value to clients will undoubtedly increase—and the same as your rates.
Over time, you can now aim for rates like:
- $0.10 to $0.25 per word for general writing
- $0.30 to $0.50+ per word for fields like finance, tech, or healthcare
- $100+ per article for mid-level blogging gigs
- $300+ per article for professional, in-depth features. This is for businesses that have been in the industry for some time.
Note: Instead of hourly billing, quote per word or project when possible.
Clients appreciate and expect knowing the full cost upfront and the bonus part: You can often earn more by working efficiently.
The bottom line: Start just where you need to, but believe in your ability to scale up. Your experience and skills will eventually be worth premium rates.
5. Stay Organized
You need talent to succeed as a freelance writer—but that isn’t all you need. You need to stay organized.
I’d say that is one of the secrets to being successful.
It is important to have a system in place when managing several projects, pitching new clients, and tracking deadlines.
This system will save you a lot of stress.
The system does not have to be completed.
Simple, free tools can turn out to be a game-changer.
So let us examine some of these tools that can be of help to you:
#1.Trello
The app will help create boards for your current pitches, projects, and deadlines.
With Trello, you can move tasks around as you add to your draft, submit your project, work on reviews, and get paid.
#2. Google Calendar
This app will help you set client meeting reminders, project due dates, and pitch follow-ups.
When you visualize your week or month, you won’t fall into the trap of overbooking yourself.
#3. Notion
This app serves as an all-in-one workspace.
The notion will allow you to create a writing database, track assignments, organize your portfolio, and pen down content ideas.
The goal is simple:
Use any of these. Know what’s due, what you have next? And never leave a client wondering where their project is—they won’t like it.
We’ve seen that clients appreciate working with organized and reliable writers—it makes their lives easier.
And when you make their lives easier, they’ll send more work (and referrals) your way.
You can even color-code your projects based on client or priority.
Doing this will make it easier to identify urgent deadlines at a glance.
How Much Can You Make?
The beauty of freelance writing is that your income is scalable and flexible.
The more you write for clients—and the better you get at it—the more you earn.
Here’s a rough idea of what’s possible:
#1. Starters
When you’re just starting, especially if you’re building your portfolio, expect to make between $300 and $1,000 monthly working part-time.
This could mean a few weekly articles and writing a few blog posts.
#2. Intermediate Writers
You would have gotten a few steady clients, experience, and a stronger portfolio.
Thus, making $1,500–$3,000 monthly is very doable.
You might still be part-time or starting to edge toward full-time hours if you desire.
#3. Seasoned Freelancers
With a few years of experience, good marketing, and strong niches, you can earn $5,000+ monthly—while only working 20–30 hours per week.
#4. Specialized Writers
These are tech, SaaS, legal, and healthcare writers. They can sometimes charge $500–$1,000 per article.
Important to Remember:
You don’t need to work yourself into the ground to earn decent money.
The smarter you are about the niches you write for, the clients you choose, and the systems you use, the more you can earn without burning out.
Quick Tips for Success as a Freelance Writer
Here are some no-nonsense tips that always work:
#1. Reliability
Always meet your customer’s deadlines. If something unexpected happens, communicate with them.
In freelance writing, being reliable is half the battle.
Clients don’t just want excellent writing—they desire writers they can depend on and rely on.
#2. Keep Earning
Writing is like a muscle—the more you work it, the stronger it gets.
Therefore, follow writing blogs like “The Exquisite Writer,” “Copyhackers,” “The Write Life,” and “Make a Living Writing.”
You can take short online courses on UX writing, SEO writing, or storytelling.
The more you invest in your skills, the faster you’ll get toward your goal.
#3. Face Rejection Like a Pro
Rejection is normal—even for seasoned writers.
Every successful freelancer you know, see, or have heard of has been told “no” (or worse—been ghosted) more times than they can count.
Every pitch you send and every application you submit brings you closer to your “yes.” It’s more like sharpening you for what’s next.
#4. Network With Other Writers
You can feel lonely as a freelancer if you don’t make connections.
Thus, join freelance writing groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Slack.
Share advice, offer help, and celebrate wins.
Writers often pass along extra work to people they trust—and a strong network can lead to open doors you didn’t even know existed.
Focus on building your skills, staying consistent, and treating your freelance hustle like a real business.
If you do that, there’s no limit to where writing can take you.
Final Thoughts
I know you came here to learn about freelance writing as a side hustle.
Here is the truth—freelance writing isn’t just a side hustle. For you, it can become a lifestyle.
As you write for people, you build skills that can translate into marketing, editing, coaching, publishing, and much more.
Writing could be the key to earning extra money for vacations, paying off debt, or saving for a rainy day.
So, if you’ve been thinking about starting, open a document, start typing, and take that first step!