In 2014 at my peak of being a website developer, I felt I was on top of the world as getting website design jobs (one or two) on a monthly basis was dope. However, just because I wanted more, I decided to diversify. I picked another passion of mine which is writing and decided to build a passive income around this. I read stories of how people make it big as a writer and I desperately wanted to be in that league.
So, I decided to emulate what I have heard and read especially on the internet (don't believe everything you see online). I did what everyone else would do, I created accounts on the gargantuan of freelance writing platforms - Fiverr, oDesk, Freelancer, etc. And the struggle began. In 2015, I struck a bit of gold in the Upwork (formerly oDesk) platform. Again, I was elated. BUT I was stressed. It wasn't easy submitting bids day and night, writing constructive bid proposals, etc.
To cut the long story short, I want to categorically say that so many of us (including you) keep getting it wrong. Writing like every other profession pays handsomely. All you need to do is get the right tutorage, identify the best niche for you and then sort out the best platforms where you can get jobs. And voila, you can become a millionaire in months.
Do you know that accord to Netcraft in its October 2014 Web Server Survey, it was calculated that there are over 190 million active websites on the internet? And as with any categorization, if we allocate just 0.7% of that figure to the writing niche/industry, we are looking at over 1 million+ websites. Your knowing about Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, and maybe 5 others mean you have barely scratched the surface.
There are a ton of ways to make real money as a freelance writer apart from article writing (which seems to be the norm with Nigerian writers). Below are 5 ways to make money as a professional writer and earn you your first million in less than one year:
1. Academic writing/Research.
This is one of the highest paying writing niches. You can get a single task here that can earn you N100k if you know your onions. Though complicated and sometimes requires a truckload of research work, but I can guarantee you that academic writing pays. To begin, you must first learn the various formatting/referencing styles (APA, MLA, Harvard, etc). Another trick is to be able to identify where to get high paying jobs. However, note that I am not talking about Fiverr. Am talking about a platform like WriterBay. Coming back home, do you know that here in Nigeria, clients (M.Sc. and P.hD. students) can pay you as much as N350,000 to help with a single research work? Please don't drop your jaws, you ain't seen anything yet.2. Admission statements.
In the US, admissions are conducted 7 months of the year (Fall and Spring seasons) while in Canada, its twice in a year (January and September) with some admission processing time spanning more than 5 months. My point is that there are literally millions of people from Nigeria and other countries around the world efficaciously pursuing advanced degree programs in schools in the US and Canada on an annual basis and there is always one problem they ALL face - writing a decent and convincing Statement of Purpose. This is where you as a professional writer come in. There is always a boatload of money to be made here, again, if you know the right platforms where jobs like this are rampant.3. Manuscript editing.
This is another blockbuster. I have a friend who edits manuscripts meant for journal publication and he is paid a minimum of 500 USD per manuscript (research papers). Sometimes he earns over 1,000 USD per singular manuscript. The trick here is to align yourself with a renowned online journal (or you can set up one yourself) and the clients will search for you. And in case you do not know, Nigerian clients most times pay really well. So your focus shouldn't just be on "oyinbo" clients.4. CV writing.
You must have heard of this. And if you think it is a myth, think again! I have had clients pay more than N20,000 just to write a 3 page CV. To know more about my journey into CV writing, you can go through this thread http://www.nairaland.com/4049367/starting-bizarre-business-nigeria-story#663690305. Corporate documentation.
Every company out there (mostly those contracting firms) all need some specific documentation to thrive. Documents like company profile, HSE policy, Employee handbook, HR manual, etc. You can also include proposals, business plans, and contract bid documents to the list. This writing niche pays really well. The backside of it is that your potential clients are mostly from Nigeria. BUT it pays well. A company can pay you more than N200,000 to prepare a set of documents for them and once you do a good job, you can be placed on retention (making you their documentation consultant).These 5 types of writing are just a tip of the iceberg. With proper research, you can discover diamond mines in the freelance writing business and make millions of naira along the way. Do not think freelance writing is all about article writing alone. Article writing pays, but it is really saturated. Think outside the box, meet with the real experts and learn how to explore the world of writing.
If you want to succeed in the art of freelance writing, stop thing Fiverr and start exploring other avenues.
Feel free to add yours to the list for the education of others.
©DataBoy247
Advertisement
