Speed is your ally
By Wendi Garcia
If you are a newbie in freelance writing, one thing you have to know is that speed is your ally. Producing more articles a day means more money in your pockets.
However, speed can also be an enemy because writing too fast can result in low quality articles that would drive clients away.
So how do you write quickly but ensure good quality? I’ll let you in some of my secrets.
First, you need to create a work schedule. Determine the number of articles you can do comfortably in a day and accept projects based on this. Don’t worry if you can only write one article per day, I started with that and now I can write as many as 10 to 15 articles in a day! Your goal at this point is to set a realistic quota for yourself and then work on to increase that over time.
As you go along with your day-to-day freelance work, you will notice that it takes you a shorter time to write articles. You can further shave off some more minutes by doing these tips:
- Research the day before. If your work schedule tells you that you are going to work on 5 health and fitness articles tomorrow, you can start the research today after you are done with your day’s quota.
- Structure your research. It is not a good idea to bombard yourself with tons of research. Filter in only those that can provide valuable information. Get research only from trusted and reputable websites. Choose information structured in bullet forms so it is easier for you to read them. Don’t spend more time than you need in research.
- Create an outline. After you’ve gathered enough information for your research, arrange this into a structured outline. It would be great if you can create a draft for the introduction for each of the articles because intros are often the hardest things to write. If you already have an intro, the rest will follow on easily.
- Wake up early. This technique only works if you were able to get an early good quality sleep the night before. Waking up early enables you to write with a fresh mind.
- Eat breakfast. It is not a smart practice to wake up very early and then jump right into the computer without having breakfast. It is hard to think and write with a grumbling stomach.
- Improve your typing skills. Even if your mind thinks fast, if your hands cannot keep up, you won’t be able to write quick and quality articles. A fun way to enhance your typing skills is to play typing games online.
- Read and write in your spare time. Sharpen your writing skills by putting up a personal blog and writing on this when you are not loaded with projects. It would also help to read up on niches that you usually write about so you can use the bits and pieces of knowledge you learn on your next assignments.
- Increase your quota gradually but don’t force yourself. In the desire to earn money, some writers force themselves to write as many as 8 to 10 articles per day even though they are not comfortable with it. This can result in low quality articles that will make your clients unhappy. Instead of forcing yourself, gradually increase your quota by one article every few weeks so you can adjust more easily.
When I started working as a freelance writer in 2007, I could only do one article per day. After a week, I worked to improve my quota and increased it to 3-5 articles per day. A few months after, I found myself writing 7 articles and still, my clients were happy. Now, I am proud to say that I can write as many as 10 to 15 high quality articles each day that never cease to amaze my clients at Pencil Head Creative Studio.
