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Freelance writers not only involve themselves in writing but also marketing, business, and research. Freelancers are self-employed and usually work from the home, which means they must be motivated to keep writing. According to Anne Wayman, a published freelance writer, the three keys to becoming a successful freelancer are write, rewrite, and market (“The Hard FAQs”).

Freelance writers spend a bulk of their time on marketing themselves and their writing. Due to the extra expense, most freelancers do not hire an agent. They must conduct their own research into finding publications or companies that will utilize their work. This includes reading the company’s publications, knowing the target audience, and contacting the company. Some full-time freelancers claim to send 40-50 query letters a week to different organizations hoping to solicit interest in their work (Camenson 49). Reference guides such as Writer’s Market 2004 list specific information about book and magazine editors who buy what you write.

Freelance writing is a job in which it may be difficult to make a living by writing alone. The solution is to get as much work as possible published. Some outlets, such as magazines, will provide payment based on the number of words in the article or provide payment based on a flat fee. In some cases, the amount of payment may be negotiable. Some publishers even pay for photographs submitted along with material. Most payment is given on publication of the articles, which could be six months to a year after submission (Camenson 54-55). Because freelance writing is a difficult job to make a living at, writers are also adept at tailoring one idea into several articles. The answer is to continue writing a large amount of material while keeping the target audience in mind.

Some freelance writers find success by writing on a variety of topics, while others specialize in a few. Either way, revising and rewriting are important skills to use. A freelance writer must be able to understand the tone and audience of each different publication and revise a piece of writing to fit each group.

The ability to conduct research is an essential skill to have as a freelance writer. Many writers will conduct primary and secondary research to write their articles, but fiction writers need to research as well. Freelance writers need to research each company or publisher before they submit an article or query letter. Query letters have specific characteristics that make them successful. It is also useful to use previous research to create new articles (Camenson 50).

Successful freelancers use aggression as well as motivation and are able meet deadlines to finish their submissions on time (Foote-Smith 28). Rejection is a part of freelance writing. The key is to take rejection well and to continue writing.