How To Find Freelance Technical Writing Jobs: Tutorial

To start a career in the field of technical writing, newbies need more than a talent for writing. Making it as a freelance writer requires dedication, business knowledge and customer service skills. More importantly, it requires the ability to find and obtain jobs. Since more projects only last for a set amount of time, writers will always need to look for new sources of income.

Are All of the Jobs Gone?

One of the many rumors circulating the web is that it is too late to get jobs as a technical writer. In reality, this is the opposite of the truth. There are thousands and thousands of jobs posted online every day. Although many of these jobs are low paid, there are still decent paying jobs out there. Writers may have to look a little harder, but they can certainly find enough technical writing jobs to make ends meet.

Choosing to Write in Print or Online

In the past, most writers wrote physical product manuals, magazine articles and books. Since most people get their information off of the Internet, websites need an increased number of writers to create content. Due to this, there are some very lucrative projects available that are just intended to produce web content. Although print jobs also pay well, their online counterparts are fairly close behind.

Create a Portfolio

Technical writing may not produce the next Wuthering Heights, but it still requires a certain aptitude level. Before a client will hire a new writer, they will want to see what the writer can accomplish. The easiest way to do this is through a portfolio. The writer should include several examples of their best work. If they do not have examples from past projects, the writer can always create them. An internship or a low-paying project can also help the writer to get some examples for their portfolio.

The Key Is Diversity

Freelance writing is a lot like playing the stock market; the key is diversity. Many writers will work with one large client or website. Although this may provide a great income for a while, it can be a disastrous situation if the client ends using a different writer or going bankrupt. To keep a steady income flow going, writers should make sure that they have several different income sources. Rather than trust one client to continue to pay a large amount, the writer should make up a portion of their work with smaller projects.