2. Writing Samples: This is the one area that really stresses wannabe freelance writers – no samples. Well, don’t let it. If your writing cubbard is dry, sit down and write three articles (400-600 words each, no longer). This is enough to start.

If you want to be a health writer, then write health articles to use as samples. If you want to be a technology writer, then write on technology issues; a finance writer, then write on finance (the current economy should give you more than enough to pull from here).

While some clients will ask you for samples of previously published works, most will not. All they want to see is your writing ability. Whether a sample has been published/used before is irrelevant. You still wrote it, right? It’s still evidence of your writing ability.

This is all the vast majority of clients want.

Cost: $0; Estimated Time to Complete: 3-5 hours (depending on how in-depth your samples are and/or how many niches you plan to target.).

Writing Samples Note: If you plan to target more than one niche, write up a few samples for each niche you plan to market to. 

3. Marketing List: Now that you’ve got your web presence and your samples, it’s time to put together a hit list – ie, a list of prospects you plan to market to.

Go to the internet, do some searches and come up with a list of 20-30 prospects you can pitch your writing services to. Again, if you’re a health writer, target websites, ezines, and publications that need this type of content.

Think logically about marketing – it’s not rocket science. Who needs the type of writing that you provide? The other part of that equation is who comes into contact with these types of clients.

For example, web design firms get a lot of clients – across many different niches. So, no matter what type of writing you do, targeting web design firms would be a good idea because they have all types of clients.

Take a two-pronged attack with your marketing. Market to those who need your specific type of writing, and those who come into contact with those who need your writing skill.  Make 20-30 contacts a day, and pretty soon, you will land a client – guaranteed.  

To really jumpstart your freelance writing marketing campaign, check out How to Find Unpublished Freelance Writing Jobs. You'll lessen the competition and find leads quicker, leading you to freelance writing success that much sooner. 

Cost: $0; Estimated Time to Complete: 2-6 hours. You should be able to find 5-10 contacts per hour.

If you spend a 6-12 hours doing all of this, you will have done everything you need to do to start a freelance writing career. Keep your marketing consistent, and you will grow a fabulous, work-from-home career that you can do from anywhere.