Networking and upselling are two of the ways that Kate Bialowas managed to boost her online income from $200 per month to over $2,000 per month since she first started freelancing after graduating from college.
From rocking YouTube video scripts to showing off her eye for design through creating Polyvore sets, Kate shares how these little extra skills benefited her freelance writing biz. Take it away, Kate!
This past September was the first time in pretty much my whole life that I didn’t pack up my book bag and head off to school.
While my family pushed me to look for a “real job” after completing my master’s degree, I dreamed of taking freelancing full-time – thanks in BIG part to reading all about Gina’s incredible journey!
To please my family, I searched for full-time office positions, but also put a lot of my time and energy into freelance writing. In four short months I went from making $200 to $2,000 per month (a 1,000% increase!) writing from home.
And I know that you can too!
And these four actions are how I did it.
1. I Said YES to New Opportunities
I first started venturing into freelance writing over the summer, while I was working almost full-time hours at a tea shop.
I started with one client, and the rate per word was less than ideal, but it was a start. I was writing one loooong post per week at $50. So, there you have my $200 per month.
My second client actually came via my first client. They asked all the website writers if we were interested in writing YouTube video scripts.
Video scripts? I had never written video scripts before, nor had I ever even thought about it, but I decided I should give it a go.
Apparently only a few other writers said yes to the opportunity, because there are only four of us currently writing scripts. But guess what – the pay is better, AND you get bonuses if your videos reach a certain number of views!
All of the writers who didn’t jump on this opportunity probably have no idea! I wouldn’t if I hadn’t said yes!
You can always stop if you don’t like writing something (or for someone), but if you never try you’ll never know! Always say yes to new opportunities and go from there – unless you know for sure it won’t be worth your time, then you do you!
2. I Networked like It Was My Job (because it kind of was…)
You never know where you might find a new client!
My biggest client to date came from an interview for a contract position at their head office. It wasn’t a full-on writing position (there was some writing, but it was mostly searching for writers to add to their contributor network). But I talked a lot about my writing experience in the interview.
While the interview went extremely well, I didn’t end up getting the position. However, they did offer me a contributing writer position! So it ended up working out even better! Now I write for them from the comfort of my home (or my favorite coffee shop)!
Always, always, always talk about your writing skills. You never know where an opportunity may arise. It could be somewhere you’d least expect it.
And also remember – what seems like a negative at the time could turn into an even bigger positive!
3. I Rocked My Skills
Once you’ve landed a client (or a bunch of clients!) don’t be scared to show them what you’ve got!
I started off writing two posts per week on a topic for one of my clients. But once I showed my interest and experience writing on two other topics, two posts turned into four posts per week (and double the income!).
I also proved my skills with the Polyvore website and ended up getting double the rate for one of my posts per week for including Polyvore sets!
If you have talents your client might find valuable, let them know it! Are you a graphic designer? Are you a Polyvore wiz? If your client loves your writing, they just might love your other skills too!
You could end up doubling (or even tripling!) your income from a certain client. Put yourself out there. They might not need any extra help, but they could be looking for something you can provide!
Side note: Check out Gina’s post on how to upsell your services!
[Tweet “The strategies I used to boost my freelance writer income from $200 to $2000 in 4 months. “]
4. I Pitched like Crazy
If you’ve been around this magical corner of the internet a few times, you know that Gina really encourages pitching – and so do I! The more you pitch, the more moolah you can make.
With some of my clients I have a set number of articles I write per week or month. For others, how much I write is based on how much I pitch. For the latter, I pitch like crazy! Yes, some of my pitches get rejected, but I keep pitching ideas until they take one (or two or three!).
Rejection can definitely suck, but don’t let it discourage you. The more you pitch, the more opportunities you’ll have to write and bring home the bacon!
The same goes for pitching new clients. Think of it this way – you might get rejected, but you definitely won’t get hired if you don’t pitch them.
Put yourself out there. You’ll likely be surprised at your own success.
And don’t give up!
It can be easy to get discouraged when things don’t seem to be going your way, but keep pitching, keep networking, upsell your services and say YES to new opportunities (even if they’re out of your comfort zone).
You CAN boost your freelance income and make a living working from home!
I still have a long ways to go, but I’m well on my way to a flourishing freelance career. And you can be too!
What’s your freelance goal for the next four months? And what can you do today to kickstart that goal?
Kate is a freelance writer with a background in fashion, beauty and wellness. When she’s not trying out new recipes, taking a hot yoga class, or curled up with a good book, you can find her blogging about lifestyle tips and entrepreneurship at Layered Indulgence.
