How To Start A Career in Online Freelance Writing and Live to Tell the Tale

Do you believe that you have what it takes to be the next Jane Austen, or at least, the next Carrie Bradshaw? Do you think you can string more than two words together and paint a beautiful picture with your engraved Cross pens? Do you imagine that you can captivate people with your prose, and even with your punctuations? Well, then, why not pursue writing as a living? That is, if you're not already.

Before you come out with a plethora of excuses why you can't do it (the usual 'I already have a stable job', or 'I don't have formal writing or journalism training, so no one would hire me'), why not think about why you should and why you can? The good news is the Internet makes it possible for anybody to be a writer, so if you've got the talent, the drive, and the desire, this is your best chance.

Put Down Your Pen

If you think you can pursue freelance writing, well and good. But if you think you can pursue freelance writing with no more than a few pieces of plain paper and a Cross pen, you seriously need to re-think your intentions.

Before you go into a lengthy diatribe praising the numerous and obvious merits of the Cross pen, try to put things into perspective. As excellently crafted, elegant, and reliable a Cross pen might be, there just isn't any room for it in the world of online freelance writing. After all, short of scanning them (which is really way too much trouble), you can't possibly send your articles written on ink as an email attachment, can you?

Indeed, if you're really serious about this venture, put down your Cross pen, and get yourself a computer. Don't fret, though. Your engravable pens won't suffer much of a loss. After all, you can still use them to mark your calender, write your to-do list, create article outlines, and maybe write your articles' drafts, if you're so inclined.

Join The Internet Bandwagon

So now that you have accepted the fact that you can't pursue this venture armed with nothing more than a Cross pen and have gotten yourself a computer, it's now time to get on the Internet. In case you didn't know, the Internet has been linking the world for the past 15 years or so, and this newfangled concept has since taken over the lives of billions of people all over the world. Yours is about to become one of them. After all, you won't be able to get any freelance writing work done if you don't get on it.

The first thing you need is an email address. This is the primary means of communication on the Internet. You can now write letters and correspondences without having to use a Cross pen and paper and mailing it. With email, you can simply type up your missive and click send, and it'll be received on the other end within seconds. Cool, huh? The email is method of communication of choice by many a client, so this will be your lifeline.

You will also need an instant messenger address. Compared to this, the email becomes a bit of a hassle. This instant messaging process allows you to have real-time conversations with anyone in the world, so you are easily accessible to your clients.

Next, you need to familiarize yourself with the Internet itself. Get acquainted with Google, which is about to become your new best friend. You'll need to know the Internet like the back of your own hand to research your content, as well as to satisfy your clients' requirements like search engine optimization and link building.

Finally, you need to be able to accept money transfers online. A client isn't likely to grab a Cross pen and write you a check. This is, after all, the Information and Digital Age, and everything's done online. Take the time to look into the many payment options available, and determine which one is most convenient for you and your client.

With that said, you're ready to break into the world of online freelance writing. Bear in mind that you're not going to be a success story overnight. It'll take a lot of courage, determination, savvy, and the ability to learn quickly to succeed in the industry. Like everyone else, you'll have to start from scratch in order to build up a respectable portfolio and a good client base. But once you get the hang of it, however, you'll never look back.