How I Went From Wannabe Writer to Full Time Writer, Working From Home

For many of us, working from home is a dream. At least it was for me. Thankfully working remotely is becoming more and more mainstream so for those of us that prefer getting comfy on the lounge with our laptop vs. sitting in a dingy cubicle, shackled to a desk, working for the man (who wouldn’t right?) that dream is becoming more of a reality. This is how I went from wannabe writer to full time writer, working from home and how you can do the same.

How I started out as a Freelance Writer

Five years ago I started writing my first blog, I’ve learnt a lot in that time, especially about how to write a good blog post. Basically, if you can do that, then you can work from home doing it. There are many opportunities for article writers, whether you want to be a freelancer, work for one company or you want to make money writing your own blog. I’ve done all three and my personal preference is working for one really great company. I work as a content writer, editor in chief and digital marketer of a digital marketing agency in Sydney, Australia, from home.

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One of the things I’m most proud of is that in just a couple of years, I went from answering small time job listings on Gumtree, to working WITH Gumtree. Using my own personal blog as my ‘sales pitch’ when answering writing ads, I started picking up enough freelance gigs to get by, which believe me, was a huge relief at the time!

Once my freelance writing career took off I was able to start answering ads for more experienced bloggers and writers as I had a wealth of writing accomplishments behind me. This all sounds easy enough in theory but it took a LOT of effort and hard work. As a freelancer, in order to make ends meet you have to be extremely diligent and constantly look for your next job. Basically, if I wasn’t writing for money, I was looking for more work, so while I was only making that of a part-time writer, I was working full time behind the scenes. Always, always searching for my next gig.

How I Became a Full-Time Writer

After answering yet another ad for a content writer, I started working for the agency I work for now, but as a part time blogger and content producer. I also picked up work as a resume writer, work that I was able to do whenever time permitted outside the agency. This was a lucky break and meant that I was able to continue working for the company I loved, while making enough money on the side to continue working from home. After just a short while doing this, I proved my worth and began picking up more and more work from within the agency and eventually stopped working as a freelancer, putting all my efforts into my dream job. Here you can see how I work remotely for them full-time.

This was by no means an easy entry into a successful writing career, nor a particularly hard one as far as dream-making goes but earning a good salary working from home as a writer is something that takes time and a lot of determination. But so long as you have good writing skills and the enthusiasm to match you can do it too.

How You Can Become a Full-Time Writer, Working From Home

From my own experience becoming a full time writer from home, I have outlined the steps needed to boost your writing career.

1. Start a blog (did you see our FREE Blog Starter Kit in the sidebar >>?) if you haven’t already done so and work on boosting engagement levels as well as working on your writing style and developing your own writing voice
2. Pitch content ideas to other bloggers and sites (like Blogelina), asking to be a Guest Blogger, either as a once off or as a more regular site Contributor
3. Answer job listings searching for writers, bloggers, content producers, etc. (sometimes you need to take smaller jobs before you can start earning with the best of them)
4. Continue to look for you next writing job
   4.1. Sign up to receive daily emails with job listings for writers and bloggers
   4.2. Get an account on freelancer sites and place bids for jobs you’d like
   4.3. Start looking at more professional-level job listings to get a better understanding of the skills and experience you’ll need when applying
5. Answer more professional-level job ads asking for writers, freelance journalists, bloggers, content producers, digital marketers, etc.
6. Ask around for jobs, contacting digital marketing agencies, websites that offer paid internships or contributing writers etc. (some of the best jobs I’ve had are from companies when I have done the asking, not when they have)
7. And as always, keep looking for your next gig

Gone are my days of continually looking for my next writing assignment and while that’s a huge relief, there are some writers that thrive on freelancing. Personally though, my goal was to always find work I could settle into, have a more stable pay cheque and not have to spend my free time looking for the next thing. Of course, highly successful freelancers don’t have to do that. Once you’ve built a name for yourself, the work will find you.

While it feels like it’s been a long time in the making, it’s really only been a couple of years since I went from looking for my first writing job to becoming a full-time writer, working from home. If you’ve got the drive and know how to write a successful blog post, then you’ll be able to learn the rest of the trade along the way while you carve out your writing career.

Good luck and happy writing!

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Author Bio: Kirsty Tanner is a professional blogger and content specialist from Tasmania, Australia. When she’s not working, she’s blogging on her personal blog www.kirstygirl.com and playing with her kelpie puppy, Spot. She also manages www.vegantasmania.com for local vegans.