The idea of the Online Writing Club is that I want passionate writers in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60, 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond, retired, part-time, you name it, to understand that you can earn good money from writing.
And that’s why twice a month I present examples of inspiring authors who prove it.
I think that Elna Cain is a great example.
She's a mom of twins and a six-figure freelance writer. So she's definitely a great example of how you can be a successful writer while also being a loving and caring mom.
Elna wanted to stay home with her twins so she needed to earn money remotely
She began in 2014 when her maternity leave was ending, and she wanted to stay home with her newborn twins. So, she started looking for a way to earn money remotely.
Back then, she didn't know what made money and had no idea where to start. Elna had to learn from her mistakes, but now, after a decade, she knows the gigs that pay well, what to do, and how to find, for instance, higher-paying clients.
Elna has proof of work with brands like Walmart, OptinMonster, and Blogging Wizard.
She's a great example of a part-time freelance writing mom.
In our LIVE session, we talked about:
Niche Blogging
Earning Milestones
Elna’s Portfolio Strategy
Platforms for Freelancers
Tips for Freelance Writers
Guest Posting for Visibility
Earning Potential as a Freelancer
Building a Freelance Writing Career
Importance of Websites for Freelancers
Thought Leadership and Attracting Clients
Is freelance writing worthwhile?
Many think that writers aren’t in demand, but companies like Google are searching for writers.
Writing-related jobs have increased by 50% since the beginning of last year.
Companies are still looking for human writers because AI can’t replace creativity.
Another article I found shows that freelance writers can earn $250 an hour!
But let’s hear what Elna has to say:
🤑What should I charge?
Freelance rates are all over the place and can be super touchy for some, Elna shares.
My goal is to help all writers, especially the new ones figure out their rate.
When I first started, I quoted $.04/word! Can you believe that?
Luckily, my first real freelance writing gig paid me $.10/word! Phew
A good freelance rate is one that is fair to you.
If you truly want to write for $50 an hour, then I am not going to tell you that you need to charge more.
However, if you do want to charge in a way that is consistent with other successful freelancers, then I suggest your starting rate is between $50–100 an article.
This is very beginning rate. I don’t want you lingering in the beginning rate for long. Build up a few clients at this rate and then move on to greener pastures.
A good intermediate rate is $125–200 per article.
For experts, $250+ per article is better. For articles that require a lot of research, interviews, and are longer, you need to charge $500 and up.
As I mentioned I started on the low end but I made $400 that first month as a new freelance writer. The next month? Over $1k!
With a few “easy” writing gigs under your belt, you’ll have the confidence to charge more and gain better clients for you!
Should I charge per hour, per word, or per project?
I personally like to charge per set or words ($X per 500 words) or per project because I do not like to track my hours for clients.
If I take an hour to write something, I shouldn’t be punished, and if I take five hours to write something, the client shouldn’t be punished. Also, when you tell people you charge $100 an hour, they get a little offended.
When it comes to per word, sometimes it feels too nit-picky. Sometimes clients will ask me to write a 500-word post, but the topic they give me really needs 1,000 words. If I tell them that the topic requires more words, I don’t want them to be sweating over paying more or forcing me to cram a lengthy subject in a brief post. Charging per project fits well for what I do.
Whatever you choose, make sure it fits with your finance goals. If you want to earn $1,000 a week, then figure out how many hours you want to work, and then break it down from there.
For example, if you want to earn $1,000 a week and only work 15 hours, then you would need to charge about $67 an hour. Or if you can do five 1,000-word article in 15 hours, you should charge at least $200 an article or at least .20/word.
Am I “worth it” to charge a decent amount of money?
When I was still new in the freelance game, I was happy to make $20 for a 600-word article. The problem was that I was burning out quickly from trying to write so many articles per month.
I couldn’t make any more money because I had no more hours or energy to give.
When I started charging more, a funny thing happened. I started working less and burning out less. It is your prerogative to charge low rates, but just know that you are hurting yourself in the long run.
🎙️This Week’s Live: Meet Ashley Broadwater and go “From Zero to Media Pitch Hero”
Many writers want to get featured in the publication of their dreams.
How to write a pitch that gets noticed?
But how to reach out to the media outlet?
And what to do if they accept your cold pitch?
She has been writing since she was a little girl. In her 20s, Ashley graduated from one of the top journalism schools in the US (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in journalism and media), got featured in Rewire, Yahoo, Well and Good, Buzzfeed, and is a writer for the Huffington Post with 117M visits per month.
See you in tomorrow’s LIVE session with the amazing Ashley.
2pm EST, Oct 16.
(Replay will be available, as with Elna’s session)
Any questions for Elna or Ashley? Share them in the comments!
Are you a writing mom? Introduce yourself. We’d love to get to know you.
❤️🔥Your feedback is just a spark but it’s enough to keep me going!❤️🔥
Happy freelance writing,
PS Liked it? Please share, like, and let me know what you think 💗 Your feedback is important and can spark many ideas. Thanks sooooo much!
🎃PPS Our spoooooky Halloween Party will be in the last week of October with surprise guests!
