Get Paid to Write Articles (How this Freelancer Works from Home)

Love This? Save and Share!

How to Get Paid to Write

Today I’m continuing my interview series and will be speaking with a super cool freelance writer who regularly earns a great income every month. But before I get into the interview which I’m really excited about let me just go into a little bit of detail of what’s involved with freelance writing and how you can get paid to write articles just like Rebecca.

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information read full disclosure.

Getting paid to write is a great work from home opportunity. There are so many places that you can offer your freelance writing services to and you do not necessarily need to be a qualified and trained writer to get into this business.

Choosing a niche and practising your writing skills plus finding your writing style until you’re really good at it is the simplest way forward.

Want to know about Freelance Writing? Have a read of this post.

You might want to specialize in a certain type of writing and get paid to provide a writing service such as one of the following:

• Blog Posts
• Sales Pages
• Newsletters
• White Papers
• Ghostwriting
• Press Releases
• Product Reviews

and there are many more that can be added.

>>>Why not sign up for the ever popular Elna Cain Course Write Your Way to Your First $1k

You’re now going to learn what it took for Rebecca of Boss Single Mama to start up her thriving freelance writing business. I absolutely love the tagline to her business – Better Business. Better Money. Better Life. Isn’t that what we all want?

Interview With a Freelance Writer

1. Tell me a little about yourself and where you’re located.

I’m a full-time freelancer and homeschooling single mom of two living on the North Carolina coast.

2. Was there anything in particular that made you want to start working from home?

I left my full-time sales job when my son was born and I had never not worked. I decided to start looking for ways to make money online because having a toddler and a newborn wasn’t keeping me busy enough. 🙂

3. Why did you choose freelance writing instead of a more traditional remote job like being a Virtual Assistant?

I actually tried my hand at being a VA for several months before I decided to make the switch to freelance writing. Being a VA was fun but it didn’t really allow me to get good at any one thing — every day involved doing different tasks.

Being a freelance writer allowed me to specialize in a niche that I’m passionate about and hone the thing I’m best at — which is writing.

4. Has your past working experience played a part in your work from home job or was this something completely new?

Yes and no. I never worked in a traditional corporate setting but I always had jobs that required good communication skills, so that’s helped. But working online is different in many ways than working in an office.

• Working online from home allows me the flexibility to set my own schedule and dictate how my days flow. That’s the biggest plus.
•  I know some people miss the interaction that goes along with working in an office setting but I prefer handling all my communications via email. It makes it easier to go back and double-check something later instead of trying to remember what someone said.
• It’s a little harder to draw boundaries when you work online from home because there’s no such thing as set office hours unless you establish them. A lot of times, friends and family think that working from home means I’m always available to chat and that’s not the case.

>>>Find out how to quit your 9-5  and tell family and friends you are starting a freelance business. 

5. Describe a typical work from home day for you?

I wake up at 7 to let my dogs out, get showered, have breakfast.

From 8 to 9, I promote my blog, then from 9 to 1 I work on freelance writing projects — writing content, sending emails, sending out queries for sources.

In the afternoons I homeschool my kids (during the summer, we read or go outside), then we have dinner and I spend time with them for a few hours watching movies or playing board games.

From 9 to midnight, I work on my blog most days.

You might also be interested in reading 3 Best Work-Life Balance Tips for Work from Home Moms

6. How long have you been doing this and at what point did you realize that, yes, I can really make money from freelance writing?

I started side hustling as a freelance writer in 2011 but it didn’t become a full-scale business until 2014 when my marriage ended and I needed a way to support myself and my two kids.

I made money my first month as a freelancer and I was able to scale to a six-figure business in less than two years of doing it full-time.

7. If you don’t mind do you want to share with us roughly how much you make per month? Just a ballpark figure for those who think they can’t make a great income working from home.

My highest month ever was $32,000 but usually, I’m somewhere in the $22,000 to $25,000 per month range. All from freelance writing, my blog currently makes me $0. But I’m hoping to change that.

8. Is there any special skill or equipment needed to start doing this job or can it be started with minimal investment?

Well, you need to be able to write obviously but all I started with was a laptop and the internet.

I didn’t have a journalism degree and I didn’t take any fancy freelance writing courses. I learned as I went and made a lot of mistakes along the way. But if you want to get better as a freelance writer and grow your income, then you have to do both.

>>>Do you want to get better as a freelance writer to avoid the whole trial and error cycle? Then check out this excellent freelance writing business resource.

9. Since starting your freelance writing from home career have you ever had to face any challenges that you wish to share and how you overcame them?

Being a single parent and homeschooling while building a business is hard. I don’t get time for myself every day and now that I’ve added blogging into the mix it’s become even harder.

I would say if you’re going to become a freelance writer and you have kids, get super good at managing your time and make time for yourself. Otherwise, you’re going to end up burned out and want to quit.

And also, set clear goals for yourself. When you have realistic goals to work toward, that can be a huge game-changer in how you approach your side hustle or business.

>>>If you’re experiencing difficulty creating home and work boundaries take a read of this post on How to Stay Sane When Working from Home With Kids.

10. Is there anything you wished you knew how to do sooner?

I wish I had started a blog way back then, I think that could have made a difference in helping me establish my authority and reputation earlier. And also, just knowing some of the language that marketing companies throw around would have made it easier as well.

11. Is there any special training or online courses that you took or can recommend starting in this type of virtual business?

I learned mostly by doing and from the different editors I’ve worked with over the years. But if you need to polish your writing skills or gain confidence in your writing, taking an online course on the basics of how to build a freelance writing business can help.

12. What would your advice be for someone who wanted to become a successful freelance writer?

Set clear goals for yourself, fine-tune your niche, know what you’re good at and become the absolute best you can be at doing that thing.

Also, build your network from day one. Make connections with editors and other freelancers because they could help you get a job one day. And learn from every job you take on, every client or editor you work with, every mistake you make.

>>>Find out how to set up your very own Writer Website in a Weekend

13. Now that you’ve become an expert in your field how has your business grown compared to when you just started?

My first month freelance full-time, I made $2200. I now make 10X that and I work about half the hours. I stay fully booked from month to month and I no longer worry about where my next gig is coming from.

I can turn down lower paying work or gigs that I don’t have the capacity for or interest in. And I get to work with some really great brands and editors.

14. Can you share your blog/contact information of how we can get in touch with you in case someone wants to use your writing services or sign up for your Freelance Writing Toolkit?

You can get in touch with Rebecca via her website Boss Single Mama or direct by email at rebecca@bosssinglemama.com

Final Thoughts on Getting Paid to be a Freelance Writer

Now that you’ve got a taste of what it takes to get paid to write — the dedication, learning to be the best freelance writer in your niche, setting of goals, networking, managing your time and creating a work-life balance you too can scale up your freelance writing to a six-figure business.

Want more information on freelance writing then I’m sure you’ll be interested in How to Become a Phenomenal Freelance Writer.

Know anyone who wants to become a freelance writer? Then don’t forget to share this post with them, add a comment or pin an image.