How To Become A Freelance Copywriter 

If you’re freelance writing as your full-time career, you will likely try to diversify your streams of income. While some freelance media workers enjoy the flexibility of tutoring, or have day jobs in another field altogether, some actually do a different type of writing as their main gig. Indeed, many of the skills you have accrued as a freelance journalist are quite beneficial in the world of copywriting and content marketing.

But how do you break into copywriting as a side gig? 

Worry not: we spoke to a few seasoned experts for this guide on how to become a freelance copywriter. 

Your Skills As A Journalist Are Great For Marketing 

As a freelance journalist, you’ve developed a range of skills that don’t just apply to media. Recognizing and repackaging these skills will be crucial for reaching out to agencies, startups, and established companies for gigs. Noah Davis, co-founder of Three Point Four Media, an editorial studio, notes that both fields require rigorous research. 

“You wouldn’t go into an interview with a subject not knowing anything about them, [similarly] you wouldn’t go into a copywriting campaign not knowing anything about the competitors,” he says.

Bill Bradley, co-founder of Three Point Four Media, says that media workers should see their ability to write quick copy as a potential selling point. 

“In the agency world, where things often take a lot longer than it should, meeting deadlines is a skill set,” he says. 

He also adds that “being able to be edited” and not being “super precious about word choice” is crucial. 

At some point in their careers (usually during the first year), freelance journalists have to come to terms with the fact that their copy can be heavily edited and the finished product won’t necessarily resemble your initial draft. In other words, you learn to leave your ego out of it. That is beneficial in content marketing and copywriting when oftentimes, you’re catering to the needs and wants of clients above all else. 

Liz Goode, a freelance content strategist and copywriter, says that journalists understand that to break through the noise, they have to add their own unique spin. This skill, she argues, easily applies to marketing.

“The goal of writing good content is to add a new approach to a subject that relates to the larger conversation,” she says. “That’s especially true with thought leadership content and videos designed to build a brand’s reputation.” 

“Journalists are well positioned to succeed as copywriters in general because they’re always looking for that story,” Goode notes. 

In addition to the above, you may also have gained SEO knowledge from working at an outlet. Like in the media industry, SEO is a critical skill in marketing. 

Cold-Email

To get copywriting gigs, you will often have to network and cold-email startups, agencies, and companies. Though full-time copywriting roles are posted on job boards, part time opportunities and gigs are usually filled via word of mouth. Bradley advises that media workers who are looking to venture into copywriting should research an agency’s resourcing department to see who is in charge of staffing. In addition, he recommends looking up who is at the helm of content strategy. 

Cold-emails are different from pitching an article to an outlet. Instead of proposing an ad campaign or idea, you’re essentially pitching yourself as a potential asset to the company. 

“When you’re freelancing, you’re marketing yourself as the product,” Goode notes. 

“Do a brief elevator pitch of yourself and what you can do,” she adds. 

Davis, who frequently works with contractors at Three Point Four Media, recommends that writers approach studios and agencies with personalized emails. 

“Having a proactive email from someone who has shown that they have done a little bit of research about what we do and has been willing to put in the time is really a great first step in terms of getting hired,” he says. 

So, instead of copy-and-pasting the same message over and over, take the time to really see how you and the company align:

• Do you have experience covering topics that align with their clients?
• What specific skills can apply to future campaigns? 
• What past campaigns that the agency worked on are notable to you? How do you personally connect with the agency’s ethos?  

Treat these emails with the same rigor and care as cover letters.

But you can also take unconventional approaches. Elyse Inamine, a freelance writer and editor, says that she found gigs through direct messaging brands.

“I work in food media so there were a lot of food brands that I was interested in that I would just DM or email a PR person who represented them,” she recalls. 

Set Rates

Negotiating a fair rate is something that as a freelance media worker, you’re really familiar with. Though with media work you generally get paid per article, you should expect things to be different in the world of content marketing and copywriting. Bradley notes that while larger agencies will have an hourly rate for contractors, smaller agencies and studios may be more open to project-based rates. 

Prior to setting your rate, you should ask a few things from your prospective client to ensure that you’re getting paid fairly. For instance, after an ad campaign gets sent to a client, it may go through a few rounds of edits. You should be ready for that. 

“Make sure that you get a scope of work,” Davis says. 

Let’s say a client wants a complete do-over and is insisting that a creative team starts to scratch, you, as a contract copywriter, should be prepared to ask to be compensated for additional labor. 

“It’s totally commonplace and not unreasonable to ask for more money,” Bradley notes. 

You can also address how much you’d charge for edits within the initial rate negotiation process.

When proposing your rate, you should break down your labor to your prospective clients. 

“I usually will share the math with them,” Inamine says, “I’m not cryptic about it at all and I explain, ‘this is exactly the calculation that I did [and] here’s how I landed on this number.’” 

Have A Website

As you get more gigs, you will want to compile your clips into a website portfolio that’s easily accessible. There’s always a chance that a recruiting person at an agency is searching for contractors and may stumble on your website.

Inamine says she’s found a couple of opportunities through her website. 

“You don’t know who’s going to read it,” she says. “Even if the first message you get is from your mom, other people are going to message too.” 

Opportunity Finder is streamlining the process of finding editors, searching for rates, and sifting through pitch guides. This is a product built by former freelancers who have firsthand experience with pitching and contacting editors. Try Opportunity Finder.