freelance writing – Growing Forward

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When you love to write, it’s something that you’ll never not want to do. The passion can often start when you’re a small child. You may find yourself writing stories, copying out stories, and even just imaging different storylines. As you get older, you’ll probably love to write in school, to enter story competitions, and you may even study literature and creative writing too. But when you don’t continue to push your writing, and when you wait years to get started, you may feel as if it’s too late. But it’s not. You just have to start thinking about this a lot more, you’ll want to also treat it a bit like a business venture, and really aim to commit. Here are some of the things you can do to make that happen, and start to be taken more seriously too.

Building A Brand

To start with, if you want to get serious about all of this, then it’s essential for you to think about branding yourself. With a personal brand behind you, you’ll start to make traction online. Create social media profiles, start interacting with your readers, and showcase yourself as an expert in your niche.

Building A Website

Next, you may also need a website. Now, not every writer will have one – or need one, but if you are pitching to write online, then it’s essential for you to have a space to showcase your work. Here, you’ll want to bring your branding alive with great web design that looks professional. Then editors will take you seriously – because you’re taking yourself more seriously!

Networking

It’s also going to be in your interest to start networking. With other writers, editors, publishers, and by going to events. By interacting with those in the industry as much as possible, you’ll make connections, learn a lot, and maybe open new doors too.

Getting Repped

Then next move that you might want to make here, is to get an agent. If you are hoping to publish a book, then you will need to have an agent in order to arrange that book deal. Yet, getting a literary agent can be equally as complicated. Here, you will want to do your research and choose an agent that you feel will represent you well and be interested in what you write, and then look to wow them with your submission.

Doing A Good Job

And above all else, you have to remember that the proof is in the pudding! You can invest as much as you want into your website or your image, but if you are not a great writer, then it won’t matter. So practice your craft. Keep reading and learning and growing as a writer. And listen to any feedback that you get. It’s so important that you can actually write, that you have great ideas, and that you can tell a story that the reader will fall in love with. And then you will be taken seriously!

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Whether you’re currently looking for work or you simply want to start earning some money on the side, creating a home business could be the perfect opportunity for you to bring in a sizable income. Working from home is becoming increasingly popular amongst modern-day professionals. Perhaps you know that you want to take the self-employed route, but you might not know what you’re going to sell just yet. Here are some suggestions for entrepreneurs looking to create a profitable home business model.

Upcycling.

A very profitable home business model for amateur entrepreneurs is upcycling. Turning old and neglected items into something better is not only a great way to save unwanted items but also a great way to make money. People are always looking to buy quirky and vintage items. You could restore old furnishings in your house by simply cleaning them and repainting the woodwork. As we’ve mentioned before on this site, you could even buy and restore vintage furnishings so that you can sell them on for a greater value. Thrift shops and auctions are great places to find classic home pieces that could be easily rejuvenated for a profit.

Crafting.

Of course, if you’d rather create brand new products than upcycle old ones then you could start your own crafting business. Plenty of entrepreneurs have found success through online sites such as Etsy by creating their own handmade jewelry or artistic home décor (expect to find things such as vases made out of light bulbs). Of course, you could be more ambitious than a crafter who knits quirky embroidered pieces. You could craft your own furnishings if you’ve ever been handy with woodwork or performing DIY tasks around the house. Even putting up your own shelving is a start. People are always looking for unique pieces of furniture for their home; rarity makes the item more valuable, so that means more profit for you. Just make sure you browse through some welding helmets before you get started. It’s important that you run your crafting business professionally and safely.

Writing.

The final idea for a home business is perhaps one of the most popular in the digital age: freelance writing. If you have a gift when it comes to the English language (or whatever your native language might be) then there are plenty of ways for you to make money from this talent. Ghostwriting can be a very profitable avenue, for starters. You should check out sites such as Fiverr and Freelancer because there are always people willing to pay talented writers to help them with marketing copy or even writing a job application. You just need to learn how to market yourself well. Make sure you create an official business website for your freelance services too. If you can build a name for yourself and get people to buy directly from you then you can forego freelancing sites that will take a commission from each of your orders. It’s better to create a direct channel for purchases if you want a profitable home business.