by Marie Bywater

Created on: June 14, 2009   Last Updated: June 16, 2009

Freelance writers have the potential to earn five and possibly six figure incomes; however, for the majority of freelance writers earning a four figure income is extremely difficult. If you are one of those writers who is struggling to make a living from writing, do not give up, there is light at the end of the tunnel. There are several things you can do to increase your freelance writing income.

1) Patience

If you are a relatively new freelance writer you cannot expect money to come rolling in overnight. Like most careers, hard work and dedication are required in order to increase your freelance writing income. How many new actors do you hear making a million a movie overnight? Not very many, if any. Freelance writing is no different; when you start out you will probably have to undertake some low paid writing jobs or perhaps voluntary jobs in order to bulk up your writing portfolio. At the start, patience is the key. Make sure all your works are of the best quality. As time goes on you should see an increase in the amount of money you earn per article. Taking Helium as an example, initially you start off with no revenue and no writing stars. As you write articles, your writing should improve, and you will start to notice daily revenue and get upfront payments. At the beginning you will only earn 50 cents per article, but as you progress to five writing stars you will earn $2.50 per article as well as earning more daily revenue as your total number of articles increase. It is no different writing for a client. Initially they may pay you a small amount per assignment; but, as your reputation improves and you get more job offers, you can increase your hourly rate.

2) Variety is the spice of life

While it is good to write for a certain market and niche, it is also a good idea to vary things a little bit. You never know what other doors this may open for you. Why not write some fiction and some non fiction. The more you vary and develop your writing skills, the more writing jobs you may be offered. More writing jobs generally means more money. When you get offered several jobs you can select the highest paying ones.

3) Sell yourself

If you are pursuing a career in freelance writing you must market your articles and yourself. The best way to market yourself is via a freelance writing website. On this website you can advertise your articles, ebooks or any other works you have completed. You never know who may come across your website and offer you a job.

4) Review

Freelance writers must review their clients and work and see what areas are paying the most. If something is not working out for you, then you must change it or adapt. Perhaps you are receiving less job offers in a particular niche, or maybe your writing style does not suit that particular niche. There is no point in writing articles if they are not earning you revenue. Additionally as a freelance writer you must change with the times. Currently there is a high demand for personal finance articles on saving money and reducing debt. At times like this it is a good idea to be knowledgeable in this niche, as you can be sure there will be many clients looking for articles in this area.

5) Practice makes perfect

Do not expect to always get it right as a freelance writer, especially when you are writing for a client. The client is paying you; so, if they want you to redo an article make sure you do. As you gain experience in freelance writing and dealing with clients you will learn how to write to different audiences.

Being a freelance writer is a tough job, but it can be very rewarding. Remember a happy client is normally a high paying client.

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