A day in the life of a freelance writer
What exactly does a freelance writer do all day? Join me at my desk to find out!
Freelance writing is one of those careers that sounds great on paper – sitting at a desk with a view, a notepad and pen to one side and Google Docs loaded up and ready to go.
And yes, it’s a lot like that at times! But it’s a rare day when I am solely writing content, and only for one client. Here’s a look at an average day in my life as a freelance writer.
Before the writing begins
Every morning, I get out of the house with my dog. The fresh air and time in nature helps to wake me up and provide inspiration – crucial for creativity. Then, of course, I grab a coffee.
At my writing desk
My first task of the day is to hop onto LinkedIn. Those freelance writing gigs don’t find themselves! There are a few things to do that help me find and attract clients:
Share a post – I usually have a few bits of content written and ready to choose from. (Check out my LinkedIn for some examples.)
Comment on other people’s content. I try to be helpful and add to the conversation, which boosts the other user’s engagement while showcasing my expertise.
Check for freelance writing gigs on the job board, or in my feed (through things I’ve been tagged in, posts my connections have shared or a search for various tags like FreelanceWriter or WriterWanted.
Jot down some ideas for posts based on things I’ve seen or thoughts I’ve had while scrolling my feed.
Freelance admin
There’s always a bit of admin to do, mostly emails. I’ll get back to any clients who have emailed me, and start to build my to-do list for the day. I’ll also reach out to any potential clients who I think need a little nudge, but I do this sparingly. I don’t want to annoy anyone, so I make sure there’s a good reason why I’m getting in touch – such as something that made me think of them, or positive comments on some content they have shared recently.
The actual writing
As a freelancer, I can end up writing about all kinds of things in a day! I’ll start with whatever requires the most creativity. Unless, of course, I’ve got a big deadline – then that takes priority. Some examples of the more creative things I’ve worked on include:
Drafting ideas for stories and activities to teach kids about infectious diseases for a teacher’s guidance pack for a charity.
Coming up with headlines and subheadings for an article I’ve written about digital transformation at charities.
Re-purposing the juicy bits of a white paper for use in social media posts.
I always take a break at lunchtime – it helps me to reset a bit, re-injects some creativity and cuts down on the mistakes you’re likely to make when you’ve been staring at the screen for too long. Sometimes, this is an opportunity to read about a topic you’ll be writing about over the coming days.
Back at my desk, I might take on some of the less creative work on my to-do list. For example:
Writing accessible and search-friendly Alt Text for images.
Turning some of my scribbled notes into potential LinkedIn posts.
Proofreading something I wrote on a previous day.
Annotating a client doc with suggested formatting improvements.
Refining ideas for social posts into the finished product.
I always like to leave at least one night between ‘finishing’ draft copy and proofreading it. If you do it all at once, you remember what you intended to write and read that even if it’s not what’s actually on the page. It also helps me to spot clunky sentences or details that don’t need to be included.
Alongside this writing, I’m also tracking my time. Sometimes, this is so that I can bill clients accurately, although I often prefer to agree on a set fee for the project (that way, the writer and client both know what to expect). But even if the fee has been agreed in advance, I like to keep track of how much time I’m spending on each task, and how many hours of client work I do each week.
More freelance writing admin
There’s always a bit more admin at the end of the day. This is when I’ll send updates on my progress, share new drafts, ask questions or send invoices to my clients. Quite often, I’ll find myself back at my desk at some point in the evening to scribble down some more ideas for my own business that have come to mind – blogs, people to reach out to, social posts, etc.
This is also an opportunity for me to chuck my ‘hours worked’ into a spreadsheet, check my own social media and website performance and make sure I’m on track to make enough money this month, this quarter and beyond. By planning my client work out in advance, I can make sure I am busy enough without being too busy. When the balance is off, I can focus on outreach and promoting my business, or devote additional time to completing client work instead of lining up future projects. It’s a difficult balance to strike at times, although the current state of the job market for writers means that having too much work is unusual!
Time away from writing
When you’re writing content during the day and consuming it all evening, it’s a sure path to burnout. I try to make sure I do one of my non-digital hobbies in the evening, such as painting or photography. Sometimes I end up writing my nature newsletter, but I take my laptop away from my desk to do that (and it feels like fun rather than work!).
Work with me
If you’re looking for a freelance writer, why not slot your business into my working day? My speciality is purpose-led businesses, whether you’re a start-up, social enterprise, charity or just a regular business that’s making the world a better place. I can help you articulate what you do and why it’s important, and encourage your audience to take action – whether that’s buying something, requesting a quote or demo, or joining a newsletter or event. Get in touch for a free quote.
