Freelance Writing Courses That Will Transform You Into A Six-Figure Writer

Today I want to share all the best freelance writing courses on the market, so you can pursue your passion of writing and earn a decent wage from your writing skills.

If you are like how I was 2 years ago, you love writing but you don’t know how to get started, how to get the best paid jobs, what to charge and most importantly, how to start charging more?

I spent lots of time looking for information, some of it was useful, but most were confusing and I wasted A LOT of time. (I may have thrown things against the wall in frustration too 🙁 )

I discovered that the RIGHT courses can really assist inexperienced writers to bypass a lot of time-wasting, energy-draining mistakes and significantly help you to elevate your earning quickly.

For example- one of the courses I took below, helped me gain 3 new freelance writing clients in 3 weeks! Just using a simple tip in the course.

DISCLAIMER

Some of the links on here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.

Quick Summary of the Best Freelance Writing Courses:

My two favourites :

How to Be A Travel Writer – $49 per month
Write to $1k by Elna Cain – $195 with payment plans

Other really good ones I have taken;

Freelance Blogging in A Weekend by Elna Cain – $95
Complete Copywriting Workshop Course: Write to Sell Like a Pro -$129.99
Grammar Lion’s Grammar Refresher Course – $139
The Complete Freelance Writing Online Course: Beginner to Pro by Kirsty Stuart – $139.99
30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success by Gina Horkey – $297 with payment plans

What is a Freelance Writer?

A freelance writer is termed as someone who writes on a self-employed basis. As a freelance writer, you are free to take anyone’s writing job offer, and you are considered an independent business owner.

Many successful freelance writers are a combination of a shrewd wordsmith and tactical businessperson. Knowing the nuts and bolts of writing is just the start. You must be able to monetize yourself effectively and manage your finances.

Some top-level insights about the freelance writer that might surprise you:

Freelance writing is a viable job and not a myth
You don’t need experience or credentials to start as a writer (I had none)
You are free to choose any type of writing that you like #hooray!

Why do People Hire Freelance Writers?

Writing and doing all the research associated with writing, takes time and effort. That’s why.

By hiring freelance writers, entrepreneurs like website owners can outsource content creation and focus on building their businesses.

Why Should You Do a Freelance Writing Course?

If you are figuring out how to become a freelance writer with no experience, my advice is – take a specialized course for writing.

Figuring it out on your own can be confusing

As a beginner, you might try to figure it out on your own. (That’s what I did , spoiler, it was a waste of time !)

It saves you time,stress and money in the long run

If you want to save yourself lots of stress, time and energy , cut back on a few dinners and take outs and use the money to invest in yourself and learn from the experts. The money you make will be replaced tenfold.

The trainers are seasoned writers with ample experience

Whatever the niche is, freelance writing courses are organized by seasoned writers with vast experience in their fields. They can give you constructive criticism that will help to correct common mistakes and develop your own style.

You can network and find contacts

You will be able to network with other fellow writers with similar niches, who might might end up sending you work they can’t take on (This has happened many times to me)

The best thing is the courses will give you the EXACT ROADMAP on how to become an online writer for beginners – from zero to hero.

Related articles on Freelance Writing:

Best Freelance Writing Courses on the Market

1.How to Be a Travel Writer

Focus: Travel Writing

Course Review: This is a fantastic freelance writing course that will help you monetise all that travelling you have been doing. I took this course and learned there is an art and skill to travel writing I had no idea about!

A seven-figure-income travel blogger, Nomadic Matt is extremely active in this freelance writing course, sharing the A-Z of travel writing. He runs the course with the legendary David Farley, who appeared as a host for National Geographic and is a writing professor at Columbia and New York University.

The syllabus covers:

Nailing the art of storytelling – learn how to create the perfect story, how stories arc, and what captivates readers.
SEO and affiliate marketing for blogs
Personalised feedback on your writing work (it’s true, he gives actual feedback !)
How to do self-edit like a pro
Step-by-step guide to make money as a writer

Reaping its full benefits, all participants can enroll in the secret Facebook community where other members can help with any questions you might have regarding your blog, how to grow it, monetize it, press trips, and more. Watch out for job postings here! I even saw some being posted recently despite the pandemic.

If travel writing is your niche, then you won’t find better than this course. Plus, participants can submit an article monthly and receive feedback from Matt himself!

Writing is a skill that needs to be groomed, so this mentorship program is a chance for you to nurture the talent.

Instructor: Described as the world’s most successful travel blogger, Matthew Kepnes (a.k.a. Nomadic Matt) has been running the website Nomadic Matt since 2008.

His website has become one of the top travel blogs in the world, (with over 1.3 million visitors per month), a 300,000+ person email list, and seven figures in revenue.

His advice has been featured in newspapers worldwide including The New York Times, Lonely Planet, and books like Blogging for Dummies.

Schedule:

Self-paced course. As there’s no weekly time limit, take your time to understand each lesson before going further.

Cost:

Currently the course is priced at $49 per month or $399 per year. The price is worth it because you are paying for two experts for one course.

Bonus:

There’s a 14-days free trial policy so if you feel the syllabus is not your cup of tea you can discontinue the course immediately within 2 weeks of your subscription date.

If you cancel your subscription after the grace period, worry not, as you’ll have full access to the course until the end of the month you cancel.

2. Write to $1k by Elna Cain

Focus: Freelance writing for beginners

Course review:

Write to $1k is a super effective freelance writing course that will teach you the exact method Elna Cain used to make her first $1,000 and more as a freelance writer.

There are seven modules encompassing more than 50 lessons with specific exercises within each lesson to help you stay on the right track in your freelance career.

Here’s what included in the course:

The foundation in setting the right mindset as a solopreneur and freelance writer.
Find a profitable niche and costs to start freelance writing (with high success rate pitch samples!)
How to build an online branding presence on your writer website and social media profiles.
How to showcase an impressive freelance writing portfolio
How to sell your skills without sounding desperate and spammy
Ways to skin the ‘marketing’ cat so you get healthy pipelines of writing jobs.

Instructor:

Elna Cain is a freelance writer who successfully replaced her full-time income within six months. Her writing has appeared on OptinMonster, Blogging Wizard, Huffington Post, Psych Central, and ghostwrites for some big-name influencers. She aspires to guide new freelance writers to prosper in this field.

Schedule:

This is a self-paced learning course, so you can learn while gobbling your sandwich for lunch, or during the weekend.

Cost: $195 for one time payment, or $75/ month for 3 month. You will get lifetime access to this course!

Personal opinion :

This is hands down the BEST freelance writing course I have taken. I really struggled until I followed the exact steps laid on in this course and I won three new clients in 3 weeks. So happy!

Elna even has a 30 day exact roadmap you need to follow to earn your first $1,000

3.Freelance Blogging In a Weekend by Elna Cain

Focus: Freelance Blogging

Course Review:

This course targets the freelance blogging niche. A highly lucrative niche which requires consistent content on a weekly basis. Elna’s shares her own experiences and proven strategies.

You will learn the step-by-step method Elna used to charge more for blog posts and build a stellar reputation.

You will learn:

All you need to know about freelance blogging – the terms, profitable niches
Differences between business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-client (B2C) and how to tackle them
Learn about long-form content (which you can charge more for)

Secret ways to rank your client and your blog by writing killer content loved by Google.
How to write SEO optimised content
How to use your writing skills to run your own money making blog

And many more! I LOVE Elna’s courses as they are relevant and valuable as she includes bonuses like how she hooks B2C blogging gigs and how she gets featured on big sites like Forbes, ABC, or NBC (yes she did!)

Instructor:

Knowing how freelance blogging could skyrocket writer’s earnings, Elna Cain created another course for bloggers who want to write highly engaging and highly converting blog posts.

As a blogger who runs Twin Mommy blog, Elna demonstrated how easily she ranks her posts in Google. Through this course, she teaches other freelance bloggers the exact steps she made to secure high-paying blog posts.

Schedule:

This is a self-paced course and enrollers will receive lifetime access. This includes every new or revamped module or training material.

Cost:

One-time payment of $95. Elna is so optimistic about her course that she offers a full 30-day, 100% money-back guarantee

3. Complete Copywriting Workshop Course: Write to Sell Like a Pro

Focus: Business Copywriter (suits for beginner)

Course Review: This course is also a best-selling course on Udemy. It is designed for freelance writers to upskill quickly or business owners who plan to attract more leads and create high-impact sales. The course will help you to create engaging, heart-touching headlines that will help your business thrive.

The course is covers topics such as:

How to write irresistible, persuasive Call To Actions (CTA)
Writing effective headlines
How to write a press release

The highlight of this course must be its Case Study chapter, which is hard to find in other freelance writing courses. Case studies are one of the high-paid niches in the industry, so its a valuable lesson.

Instructor:

Professional Copywriter Tamsin Henderson and Web Developer Rob Percival team up as Codestars Instructor to guide students in the creative and technical side of the copywriting business.

Tamsin is an expert at teaching online business owners using simple, easy-to-repeat methods. The instructors of this course successfully simplify lessons despite covering thorough information in each chapter.

Schedule:

The course length is 3-hours with full-time access, comprising of 38 lectures with 20 downloadable resources.

Cost:

Normal price is $129.99 but on a rare occasion the price is reduced to $12.99. Interestingly Udemy gives a 30-day money-back guarantee so basically, this course is risk-free!

4.Grammar Lion’s Grammar Refresher Course

Focus: Grammar

Course Review: If English grammar is not your forte and is hindering you from producing good articles, then you should consider taking this course.

The foundation of every writing job is good grammar. This online course covers contractions and possessives, punctuation commonly misused words, punctuation, and so much more.

The course is equipped with quizzes, personalized help by the instructor herself, and engagement with other participants in it’s Facebook Group. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to write cleanly, strengthen your writing, and ultimately gain the client’s trust.

Instructor:

Editor Ellen Feld has been teaching this course for years, serving 43,000 students. Holding a master’s degree in writing from John Hopkins University, she has worked as a newspaper reporter and copy chief, personal essayist, and writing coach.

Schedule:

Participants have the course access for 12 weeks so you can set your own pace to learn.

Cost: $139

5.The Complete Freelance Writing Online Course: Beginner to Pro by Kirsty Stuart

Focus: Freelance writing for beginners

Course review:

Tailored for beginners looking for ways to create an income in online writing, this course will teach you to build a solid foundation as an online writer. If you are looking to work offline (like newspapers and magazines), then this course is not for you.

By the end of this course, you will

effectively market yourself and entice writing clients,
discover how to write blog posts that capture readers’ attention
and ultimately earn a full-time living by becoming high-earning freelance writers.

It has clear, simple, practical steps to get going. The bonus eBook will assist you to build a stellar reputation which contains:

an email pitching template
a working agreement template as well as
worksheets complementing each lesson

The Complete Freelance Writing Online Course is rated as “Bestseller” in Udemy so, if you are ready to invest in becoming a better writer, it is worth it for you to enroll in this course.

Instructor:

After quitting her daily job in 2012, Kirsty Stuart makes a living as a freelance writer and writing coach. She has experience writing for international travel giants such as Flight Centre, Viator, and Tripadvisor.

As an experienced writer, she is eager to share her success in the writing industry through her website Freelance Writers Online and teaching on the online learning platform Udemy, while still doing what she loves best – writing.

Schedule:

Total length of this course is 1.5 hours and enrollers get full-time access, so you’ll be able to learn during your free time.

Cost:

Normally, the course costs $139.99 , but keep an eye out for discounts

6.Gina Horkey’s 30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success

Focus: Freelance writing for beginners

Course Review:

The 30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success is one of the online writing courses that has the most positive feedback online.

This is an online course that covers the basic skills of becoming a freelance writer as well as an entrepreneur.

It is so comprehensive that it includes 12 text-based modules, a checklist, and quizzes which covers items such as:

Setting the goal right and how to build a supportive network to bloom your career.
Nailing which topics/industries you can specialize in. Plus getting to know what kind of writing pays best.
How to conduct research before reviewing or promoting a product and write for various markets, including content marketing, copywriting, SEO writing, and B2B writing.
Gina also includes an overview of Google suite, video tutorials for Web hosting and WordPress navigation (setting up pages and other functions)
At the end of each lesson, participants will be supplemented with action steps that are filled with useful resources, including Gina’s worksheets, personalized tools (like the Pitch Tracker), and links to third-party resources.

Another highlight of this course is its 90-day Pitch Challenge. Participants need to send 10 pitches per weekday, so by the end of the third month, there’ll be 600 pitches submitted!

The challenge is an effective numbers game initiative that will help you win new clients.

What makes Gina different is she’s very transparent about her finances by sharing her early income wins and goals. This is what beginner writers need to hear – a crystal clear blueprint career path from a successful mentor.

Instructor:

Gina Horkey pivoted from her formal job in a finance firm to freelance writing and virtual assistance in 2014. Despite having no formal training or professional experience in writing, she set her niche in financial writing and later found her first paying client within two months.

She has written for big-name financial firms and publishers, including BMOHarris, Discover, and GoBankingRates.

Now she teaches budding writers how to launch their freelance writing or VA business through her well-known “30 Days or Less” courses and her blog, Horkey Handbook.

Schedule:

The course is self-paced and all course material is available immediately upon enrollment.

Cost:

To enroll you can choose either a one-time payment of $297 or four monthly installments of $89 ($356 in total).

P/s: There is an optional minimal fee $33/month networking subscription to the exclusive Facebook group, where enrollers can virtually mingle with other freelancers, get support from Gina herself and if lucky, might get some shared client leads.

Why Should you Become a Freelance Writer?

You Can Pursue Your Passion

I love writing, it makes my heart beat fast with happiness. Becoming a freelance writer will allow you to pursue your passion for writing and share your thoughts and ideas with the world.

2. You can inspire people

Sometimes I read stuff which really uplifts me and makes me happy. I hope my writing (and your writing) can do the same for others.

You Get Free Therapy

Now let’s see this from the other side of the spectrum.

If you are struggling emotionally, writing a journal is a form of expression. It could be a therapeutic method where you can channel and release your inner struggles.

Writing has scientifically shown to be effective in helping people manage their depressive symptoms, according to Courtney Ackerman from the Claremont Graduate University. It calms and clears your mind, helps let go of negative thoughts, and shifts your perspective.

Flexible Work Arrangements

Let me tell you a fact about like: working in my pajamas with my cat lingering around is one of the best things that ever happened to me! *yahooo!*

As a freelance writer you can choose to work anywhere (be it waterfront ocean view, or from your bed listening to the music that you love), any time, and choose projects that suit you.

Even if you don’t have the intention of being a full-time freelance writer, it is a great career or side-gig to supplement your income.

The beauty of freelance writing is you can build the business while working a day job, or enrolling in a graduate school.

You can write for 10 days and then take 10 days off a motorbike around your country. (That is what I did!)

How Much Can You Get Paid as a Freelance Writer?

There is nothing glamorous about sleeping at a bus stop, so let’s talk about money, if we want to avoid that.

So, how much do freelance writers get paid?

For a novice writer, many start with a modest $0.04 per word, and raise it with every new client to $0.10-$0.20.

Here is the good news: this year -2020 el coronavirus – (which left most people on this planet in cuarentena and scrolling the internet) has positively helped writers get higher freelance writing rates for longer blog posts.#yaaasss

As you progress your writing career, aim to rapidly raise your pay to $50-$75 per article range, and keep moving up from there. Experienced freelance writers earn $75-$100 per project and more.

Note- Always confirm the payment terms before you commit to any writing project.

Some clients will make the payment once received and checked, some with a 30 day payment term, some upon publication, and some on advance payment.

What types of freelance writers are there?

The following is a list of types of writing available you can explore to expand your freelance writing portfolio:

Web Content – For beginners, this is a great place to start. Websites and blog posts need to have Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to capture potential customers.

So, content writers can help websites and blog owners to ensure the platform is well-placed in search rankings and serves their potential customers.

Marketing Pieces – Do you know the “Just Do It” tagline has allowed Nike to further increase its share of the North American domestic sport-shoe business from 18% to 43%, (from $877 million to $9.2 billion in worldwide sales) from 1988 to 1998? \*o*/

See, that’s how valuable creative writing is! Think about other marketing components like brochures, company profiles, perhaps even company reports and case studies.

Business Plans and Project Proposals – Keep your eyes open for newly formed companies around you that might be open to new writing projects. Get on board, and offer your writing services.

E-books – Companies use e-books like magnets in marketing tools either for large or small businesses. It is powerful to generate leads and position the company as an expert in what they offer – so clients pay well for this.

Similar to blog posts, they present useful information, like “how-tos,” on topics that interest a company’s prospects or customers.

Speechwriting – You may not have the chance to write for Donald Trump or any of his neighbors, but busy managers or research professors might be interested to let you prepare their speeches . 🙂

Freelance Writing Niches

If you want to quickly market yourself, choose one or two specific niches.

Next question – what is a niche?

A freelance writing niche is like a specific topic or industry – maritime, finance, beauty, healthcare, food, and travel.

Clients hire writers who can speak their “language”, so they look for freelance technical writers, Asian travel writers, beauty bloggers, and such, to suit their marketing style.

When you start a freelance writing business, try to choose 2-3 niches to keep your business diverse .Also keep in mind the economy and seasonal interests ( ie during the World Cup, me, my cat and every client thinks they are a football expert)

To Wrap It Up

Taking a few freelance writing courses transformed my life and earnings for the better. I got to pursue my passion and get paid for it! Learning how to become a writer online has been a dream come true.

I hope my article can help you avoid wasting money on the wrong freelance writing courses, so you can spend it on the right tools to grow your business.

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Freelance Writing Courses That Will Transform You Into A Six-Figure Writer