Let’s start this series on how to become a freelance writer by defining what freelance writing is. Here are six things to explain what it means to be a freelance writer.

First, you work for yourself as a freelance writer. That means you’re a bit of a freelancer. You build your own office and pay your own taxes. This gives you a lot of freedom, but it also means being self-motivated and responsible for the way you work. It also means that in addition to keeping up with writing skills, you also need to learn new skills such as accounting and marketing.

Second, as a freelance writer, you can set your own schedule because you have more freedom. Depending on how much you want to be a freelancer, this can be a blessing or a curse. You have to discipline yourself to write every day, make appointments with clients or editors, meet deadlines once you have assignments, and keep track of your submissions and earnings.

Third, you need to find jobs and get leads yourself. As an indie freelance writer, you’re a one-man show at first. You will have to go out and work hard. No one will know that you are a good writer and looking for a job as a writer unless you tell them.

Fourth, you have to meet deadlines and collaborate with various editorial and publishers. Get used to working on time. It is important for your long-term career. Learn how to set aside time for writing. Know how many words you need to write each day to meet your deadlines.

Fifth, you can write in many different styles, such as magazine articles, books, devotional and business texts. You need to be able to write in many different styles, but first you need to pick one and learn all about it. Concentrate on one thing at a time. If you try to do too much at once, you will feel too much.

Sixth, many freelancers are good at one or two things. If they just open up, they will find that maintaining the learning curve is the best way to make money. Always keep your options open. Even if you need to focus on one thing at a time, as a freelance writer you don’t have to limit the ways you can make money.

Freelancing as a writer gives freedom and choice in your personal life. If you’re motivated, don’t mind meeting new people, and can keep track of your time and work, you can become a successful freelance writer.

What to Do With Rejected Articles for Freelance Writers

As freelance writers, how you handle a rejection will determine whether you succeed or fail. Many writers, both online and in print, give up after their first rejection and never try again to see what kind of career they could have if they stuck with it. Rejection should be seen as a push to try harder, push further, and win. There are many ways that people are turned down. For every kind of rejection, there is a way to turn that rejection into an acceptance.

Rejections of Passive Income

Most of the time, editing mistakes are to blame for rejections on sites for passive income. These sites pay money to freelance writers and let them pick their own topics as long as they follow the site’s publishing rules and standards. Even though each site has its own way of handling articles that have been sent in, the general method is pretty much the same. The article is sent in, looked over, and either published or rejected. A rejection doesn’t mean that the article can’t be published; it just means that the article needs work.

If the article was turned down, most passive income sites will explain in detail what changes need to be made before it can be published. Every freelance writer has to decide for themselves if the corrections are worth their time and effort. Since these sites pay in money, most corrections will help the author in the long run because the more articles that are published, the more money will be made. In some cases, the editing process changes the article so much that it has to be rewritten from scratch. In that case, it might be best to get rid of the article and try again.

Client Requested Article Rejections

This kind of site posts requests from clients, and writers who want to contribute articles send them in for a pay per word or per article rate. Clients ask for articles with specific instructions, keywords, and word counts. Freelance writers get the article for each request and send it in. The client has the option to reject, accept, or ask for changes. If the article is turned down, the writer must rewrite the whole thing and send it in again, but only if this topic is still open. If changes are asked for, the process is similar to the editing process for passive income. The client gives a list of all the things that need to be fixed. With both rejections and changes, it is up to the author to decide what to do next.

Most of the time, this kind of site pays at the low end of the scale. The next step should be decided by how much it will cost. If the pay is worth it to the writer, the rewrite or revision should be done to the client’s satisfaction before the work is sent back. Most of the time, the pay might not be enough to cover their time and hard work. If an article pays $7, but it takes three hours to write and rewrite or revise, the pay is only $2.33 per hour. That’s not a lot, considering that many writers can finish up to nine $7 articles in three hours, making $63.

Rejections of Offers to Buy Rights

There are websites where freelance writers can post articles both on specific topics and in response to requests from clients. On these sites, you can buy the full, unique, and usage rights to an article. The price for each type of right is set by the freelance writer, and clients can buy them as needed. But the articles can be rejected or changed, just like on any other site that publishes content. Because the pay is higher, most writers choose to make the changes that are needed to make it more likely that the article will sell.

Rejections from private clients

People who want to buy articles directly from the freelance writer are called “private clients.” Many of these types of clients will have a contract with the topic, keywords, word count, deadlines, price, and number of articles to be bought. Since this contract is in place, it is necessary to do rewrites or revisions. Before you sign a contract, you should always add the time you spend on rewrites and changes to the price of your work.

What should you do if you decide not to revise?

Is the article’s chance of making money gone for good if the freelance writer decides not to make the changes or rewrite it? Nope! Articles can always make money, but it’s up to the person who wrote it to decide what to do with it. Don’t waste that time, energy, and skill. Put it on a site that earns you money without you doing anything.

Even if you are mostly interested in active income sites, you should still sign up for at least one passive income site. Articles that were turned down can be quickly changed to fit the rules of the revenue site and published there. Besides making a steady income from the article, there is another benefit. By putting the articles on these sites, the freelance writer is able to build an online portfolio. Having an online portfolio can lead to other paid writing jobs.

Don’t let rejection get you down. Instead, let these articles make money for you while you build a portfolio of articles to get more readers, get your name out there, and show potential clients how good a writer you are.