Note from Jennifer: I apologize for my repeating subject lines the past week on my newsletter. I am still learning MailChimp. The fabulous folks at Sumy Designs helped me fix the settings that I had somehow managed to mess up. If you missed the last two posts because you thought I was sending out repeats, be sure to check out Will Editors Still Hire You if You Write Both Content and Journalism as well as How to Make Money as a Health Content Marketing Writer.

I often see fellow writers often complaining in forums, on Facebook and in the hallways of writer conferences around the country that the good ole days of being a freelance writer are over. This seems to be a widely held truth among writers, and there is often little debate. However, I personally could not disagree more with this sentiment

Yes, the industry has changed. Many pubs have shrunk or folded. It is harder to find (and land) the $2 a word gigs in the glossy mags found at the Target checkout counter. But I honestly believe that one day today is going to be viewed as the good ole days. I believe that this is one of the very best times to be a freelance writer. And I feel very strongly that there are enough high earning gigs out there for every writer who is persistent, focuses on marketing, has desirable niches and adapts to today’s publishing industry. Yes, it can take some weeding through low payers and crazy clients to find the gems, but they are out there. I promise.

For most writers (yes, there are exceptions who can make a living just writing journalism), this involves writing content in addition to journalism. But ironically I have found that many writers who are hesitant to write content have actually already written content – typically for airline magazines, alumni pubs, hospitals and association pubs like AARP. And it is definitely very possible to write both journalism and content marketing without compromising your ethics. Yes, it takes some effort to shift your business and your marketing to include content marketing writing, but just the way that a decade ago you adapt to writing online stories, you can make this shift as well. I promise.

Here are the three reasons why this is the best time to be a freelance writer:

1. Every business in the world is a potential client

Previously, writers could get work mainly writing for publications or newspapers. However, today most businesses cannot be successful without a high SEO ranking and the most effective way to get that ranking is to produce relevant content. This means that every single business in the whole world is a potential client for freelance writers. Every last one of them. The challenge is actually narrowing in on the clients whose needs are the same as your skills because it can be overwhelming because there are so many potential clients.

2. Creating great content is a rare and valuable skill

Yes, technology has made it possible for anyone to call themselves a writer. But the proliferation of bad writing has actually been positive for us “real writers.” With so much crap out there, companies need great content to stand out from the sea of words out there. For their content to be successful, they need compelling stories that will build trust will potential customers. I am finding that companies are really recognizing the value of writing as a skill these days in a way that I haven’t seen previously. And these are all skills that journalists have been perfecting for decades. Yes, there are low paying content mills and companies offering pennies. But the big brands and top agencies have learned (or are learning) that the only way to see the return on investment in their content marketing is to produce interesting, relevant and well-written content.

3. You can earn a living as a writer by offering many different services

It used to be that writers earned a living by doing just that – writing. And maybe a few editing gigs thrown in for variety. But in addition to writing for both journalism and content marketing outlets, writers can branch even beyond these services.  I know writers who make money by managing clients social media accounts, writing scripts for video, editing podcasts and crafting text for mobile apps. One of my favorite projects last year was creating a content strategy plan for a client. Other writers offer coaching and training courses to both businesses as well as other writers. Both technology and the need for well-written text has really opened up many possibilities for writers. And I am sure that by next week there will be more ways that writers can make money that weren’t possible even today. Our skills will only continue to become more valuable and the ways that we can provide value to clients will only expand.

So as my dad always told me – you may not have a choice in what happened (in this case the publishing industry changing), but you have a choice in how you respond. You can either be frustrated that the freelance writing business has changed and complain about it. Or you can see how these changes are ultimately positive for your ability to earn a living as a freelance writer. By choosing the later and evolving your business, you can earn the high income that you deserve without compromising your ethics and still find ways to make a difference in the world with your worrd.  It is totally possible. You just have to make the choice. And then make it happen. You can do this. I promise.

Note from Jennifer:   If you are still struggling to make a good income in content marketing, please email me and I am happy to talk with you on the phone (no charge) to help you with ideas (and I won’t try to sell you anything since I have a rule about not taking money from writers – I just want to help every writer be as successful as they can).

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree that today is the best time to be a freelance writer?