In 2014 when I started my very first blog, I realised that I had a passion for writing and putting things on paper. I am not saying that the things that I wrote back then, or even now for that matter are highbrow or written grammatically perfect, but I just enjoyed the art of putting my thoughts down on paper, or even a laptop.

Around 3 years into my blogging career of primarily reviewing beauty products I was approached by a high-end fashion store to help them write content for their product listings and blog. To say that I was overwhelmed was an understatement and I literally bit their hand off for the opportunity. Now here I am almost 5 years later.  I have branched out in my freelance career and absolutely loving it. So I thought that I would share my thoughts about what I do in my freelance job and how I earn money.

 

 

How I started out.

As I said, I fell very organically into the world of freelance writing. Often companies will have a handful of freelancers who are raring and ready to go whenever new content is needed because it can sometimes work out cheaper than employing somebody in the long term to fulfil that role. Since starting out freelancing and mentioning it on my Instagram and my blog over the years I was approached by many companies. These days, I regularly work for three high-end fashion and beauty retailers but more recently I have took on some different projects for high-street stores like Paperchase and WHSmith’s. The thing with freelancing is that you really do gain what you put into it, so I did not want too many people on my books because I need what I create to be amazing quality so that they keep coming back for more.

 

How I get work.

What normally happens is that I will receive an email from a company, and they will stipulate their requirements. This may be SEO-rich content for the new items that they are going to be adding to their website, mailshot content or a blog post. I will be given a brief on the items or what the message has to be and from there I will create something and send it back across to them. There may be a little back and forth between me and the company until we finalise what we are after. This can vary massively between the companies that I work for because obviously a company like Net-A-Porter are going to want something exponentially different from Paperchase, but it is just about adapting and sticking to the brief. Once we agree and everything is submitted, I will then raise and send them an invoice.

 

How to charge.

When this first started, I had no idea what I should be charging companies. Let alone what a good base rate should be. This was never something that I intended to do. It just fell into my lap. So I had to quickly research how I should set up this new little venture. Especially what I should set my pricing at. When it comes to pricing, I have to consider the cost for my time and then for the work that I am popping together for them. I did once look into the companies that I am working for and charge them relative to the items and services that I was providing, but in the end, it works out much easier for me to have a flat rate with various pricing brackets because it makes it a whole world easier when I have to invoice the companies.

The more experience that I have gained with my freelance career, and as the calibre of clients has increased, I have ensured that I adjust my rates.  Thankfully, I haven’t had any pushback from brands or companies because my rates are too high. That either means they are spot on, or slightly lower than average. However, I am very happy with what I earn for the input required.

 

Why do it?

One question that I do get hell of a lot. Especially from my friends and family is why do I do it? Why do I put myself through the extra pressures and stresses when I leave my normal 9 to 5 job?

 

The answer. 

The simple answer to this question is that I enjoy it. I am lucky that for the most part, the things that I am writing about interest me. The words just flow and now I am lucky enough to have some amazing companies on my books. I think that whilst I can do my freelance work and earn a pretty penny in the process, then I am going to keep going and hustle. There will certainly be a time when I can no longer sustain working full-time and writing each evening. If I have a baby I will most certainly have to knock one of them on the head. I highly doubt I could maintain them both because they are very time-consuming. But while I have this time and can earn this cash, I am going to do it.

 

If there are any other people out there that want to get into freelancing, I would say take the leap. If there are specific clients that you want on your books, reach out to them. The worst that can happen is that they will politely decline or ignore your request. The experience and money that I have earned doing this has enriched my life endlessly and I love that I am able to say that I work bloody hard and get to reap the rewards.