Don't miss the latest posts, tools, freelance writing jobs, and more from the All Freelance Writing team. Subscribe today!

Today I’d like to talk about something else I saw in the comments to this post over at Freelance Writing Jobs the other day. In my last post, we talked about a commenter saying it’s alright that a client didn’t pay much because they were nice to work with. This second comment is about getting gigs when you’re a brand spankin’ new freelance writer.

Deb’s original post is a list of 17 places that hire new writers. Yet one commenter felt they were unqualified to write for these places still, simply because they were new. I mean, come on. We’re talking about places like Associated Content here. If a brand new writer can’t sell there, where could they possibly sell?

The commenter got the impression that the places Deb listed were looking for “professionals.” Here’s what I have to say to that – they can ask for professionals all they please, but unless they’re willing to pay for them, they generally won’t get them.

So writers, please, give yourselves more credit. It’s bad enough to see writers not charging what their time and skills are worth, but don’t look down on those skills just because you don’t have a lot of published clips to your name.

You don’t need a huge portfolio to get started. You don’t need years of experience. You need to be a decent writer, and you need to be able to market yourself. That’s really it when it comes to a lot of these lower-paying sites and publishers that will give you a start (and you can do even better than these types of sites if you know how to leverage your skills and background).

If nothing else, give yourself publishing credit! Launch your own blog and show that you can build an audience. You don’t need someone else to open a door for you. Don’t be afraid to take initiative, and don’t let being new hold you back. We all started somewhere.

Related posts:

1. Credit is More Important for Freelance Writers
2. Freelance Writer Challenge: Give Yourself a Break
3. Give the Gift of Expertise for the Holidays
4. Marketing Tip: Article Marketing for Writers
5. Give Your Readers $10 Off the Web Writer’s Guide E-book

About the Author: Jennifer Mattern

Browse all posts from this author.

Jenn Mattern is a professional blogger and freelance business writer. She owns All Freelance Writing as well as several other sites and blogs covering PR, small business, and related topic areas. She is also currently writing a nonfiction book for freelance writers called The Query-Free Freelancer, and is the author of the Web Writer's Guide e-book series.