FREELANCE AUTHOR

A freelance author is someone who'd like to be the next Leo Tolstoy but can't bang out 10,000 words a day, so they write blogs instead. Especially when people pay them for those blogs.

What does a freelance author do?

A freelance author writes stuff. No surprises there.

In this context, we're mostly talking about writing blogs, white papers, eBooks, and other types of web content. Some freelancers get to have a byline credit for their work, while others sell all rights to their articles in exchange for the green stuff. (That's cash, if you're wondering.)

Where can I find freelance authors?

Want something written, without the agony of facing a blank page yourself? There are a number of places where you can potentially find the freelance author of your dreams:

• Your personal network. Does little Jimmy down the street have a knack for putting words together? Does he know there's a "p" in "pneumonia?" Does he have mad SEO keyword analysis skills, coupled with a flair for compelling copy? Maybe you could hire him — if you can convince him to leave his lemonade stand. (When life gives Jimmy lemons, he writes them off as a business expense.)
• General platforms for freelancers. We're talking sites like Upwork or Fiverr. You know, all those places where freelancers hang out all day, waiting for their ship to come in. You could find some good authors there. Maybe. Or you could spend a lot of time sifting through terrible ones, only to discover that the one you thought you loved is a flake. Tough break.
• Platforms specifically designed for content creation. Like the platform you're on now! Oh, you didn't know? Yeah, this place is crawling with freelance authors who have passed our test and proved their writing chops. It's almost like we've done all the hard work for you. (Because we did.)

How do you become a freelance author?

Long for the open road life of a freelance author? Think about the strengths and weaknesses you have as a writer, and which platforms you may want to try:

• What are my areas of expertise (i.e., subjects I know really well and can easily write about)?
• How much time do I want to spend writing?
• Do I have any potential customers in my network?
• Do I want to spend time pitching to clients and sending invoices? Or do I only want to write?

If you want to get started writing without having to build your name as a writer, you can apply to write on a platform like Verblio. We don't care about your pedigree or your list of bylines — we evaluate your writing solely on its merit. If you meet our standards, you'll be able to start collecting jobs and clients immediately. (And our writers are a pretty happy bunch.)