(viral article)

Freelance in journalism became fashionable during quarantine and teleworking. More and more employees are dissatisfied with office work and prefer making tasks at home on a soft sofa with a cat by their side. Hence, freelancing has many benefits, but every greenhorn is thinking about how to get more and more greenbacks.

I have prepared some tips how to stay paid well free-standing and land gold clients.

Starting with office experience. It seems awkward, but it’s unerring. Working in the staff will give more opportunities to get the intricacies of the editorial process and content writing. At office you can make mistakes and your mistakes will be paid for, while the flaw for a freelancer is losing weight of his or her wallet. Colleagues can help or support you as a beginner in the office, so it will be a good case.

Portfolio. Your portfolio is just as crucial as a well-groomed face. It can be as basic as a blog to showcase your writing technique, or viral case studies in the form of YouTube/TikToke videos, Telegram posts, and pictorial material to showcase projects you’ve done in university, as volunteer. A fresh idea in the Ukrainian market is to create a portfolio in the form of a website.

Adherence to deadlines. If you want to be a good freelancer, you should get on with deadlines. However, this does not mean sending text at the last second. You need to skillfully plan your time and effort to deliver quality content on time.

Appropriate fee. Pay attention to the prices of the media for which you are going to work. Be aware that Ukrainian media do not feel well during the lockdown, so prices may fall. Experienced freelancers know their possibilities and quality, so the fee will be appropriate. An important point: do not underestimate your price due to lack of experience, will be better to agree it with the editors. Be brave and get your foot in the door.

Content. Texts about business, celebrities and IT are valued in Ukraine today. As for me, freelance should start with weak tasks such as deciphering interviews, lifestyle, cultural topics, editing or copywriting. Also, you can opt “hard” topics, such as journalistic investigations in economics or politics. Inter alia, native advertising is becoming a trend in advanced media, so a novice can try his or her hand in this field.

The image of the author. As a content writer you must have the image of a quality specialist. Adherence to the standards of modern journalism, creativity, communication skills and productivity are the criteria that employers look for in journalists. Don’t forget about your self-development and improvement pitching!

As you can see, freelancing is not just about home comfort and cat, but constant work on yourself and improvement. Action!