Randy was always a writer. From grad school to college, he was one of those students whose writing the teacher would read aloud as an example of exceptional work.
These days, he mainly writes WordPress theme and plugin roundups, tutorials, walk-throughs, and user guides, but Randy has experience in writing scripts for training videos, and training materials, and creating white papers, among other things.
In the following interview, Randy was kind enough to answer some basic content writing-related questions for our readers.
1. Let’s start with your background…What did you want to be when you were young? And how did you end up becoming a content writer?
I’ve wanted to be lots of things including an astronaut, singer/musician, game designer/programmer, writer, and artist. Of all those, I ended up becoming a musician, artist, and writer. It really felt like they chose me. I tried game programming several times, but it never stuck.
Writing is the only one I’ve done professionally. I’ve always been a writer. Some of my earliest memories are of my teachers reading my work aloud in class. Even in college, several professors used my writing as examples for the other students on how to write an essay.
I became a content writer in an effort to start my own business. I was an engineering technician and then an industrial engineer. I enjoyed the work, but not the company politics. I’ve always wanted my own business, so I planned different options until I heard someone provide advice in a podcast on how to decide the business to start. They said to follow these steps:
- List your top 3-5 skills.
- Of those, research which is in demand.
- Of those, decide which you can afford to provide.
This led me to freelance writing. I was already known for my writing, so when I turned in my notice, everyone had already expected that I’d become a writer. No one was surprised.
2. Anyone who wants to build a career in content writing, how do you suggest they get started?
Write about what you know. First, make a list of the topics you’re the most familiar with. Also, focus on the topics you love. It’s harder to change topics later. Start with the end in mind. Don’t just think about what you want to be doing now, but think about what you want to be doing in the future. Plan your career to meet that future. A lot of content creators expand with a team and then eventually end up teachers. Decide how you’d like to grow your business before starting.
To get started (if you want to freelance), write a few articles for your blog or as free guest posts. Add them to your portfolio on your website, LinkedIn, etc. Then, pitch article ideas to websites you’d like to write for.
If your goal is to get hired full-time, you’ll need the experience the job calls for. You can get this by taking on writing assignments in your current job or by freelancing to get the experience. It’s usually harder to get hired full-time because of the experience companies want.
3. Any tips on how to improve one’s writing and job skills?
Get a good book on writing (For Dummies books are great), and maybe take a few classes. Use tools such as Grammarly and learn from what it tells you. Ask clients for their writing guidelines and follow them closely.
To improve your skills, focus on quality. Don’t rely on information you find on the web. Test plugins and themes yourself. This will give you a better understanding of their features and you’ll know what has changed. This improves your quality and sets you apart from everyone who just throws articles together without regard for accuracy.
When pitching to potential clients, keep the introduction as simple and short as possible. Write like a real person and avoid being “salesy”. Keep in mind there can be a fine line in their mind between a pitch, spam, and harassment.
4. How did you choose your niche (i.e. Tech)?
I actually planned to be a generalist and just write whatever anyone needed. This was just me not knowing what to focus on. There were lots of options and I didn’t have a strong preference. My first client wanted WordPress articles and I’ve specialized in all things web ever since. I’ve written in a few other fields, such as solar energy and business in general, but I always come back to tech.
5. How did you find your first writing gigs? And any tips on pitching to new clients?
I landed my first writing gig by accident. I had started my writing business and was looking for clients. During this process, I read many articles about freelancing. One of those articles stood out to me. I wanted to read more by that author, so I went to her website. I decided to subscribe to her newsletter and found a spelling error. I tried to ignore it, but I thought she would want to know about it. So, I wrote her and told her that I had just started a freelance writing business and I appreciated the articles that she’s published on the topic, and then casually mentioned the error. She thanked me and asked if I’d be interested in writing for her website.
After I had a few articles with my bi-line, I started pitching article ideas to as many WordPress-related websites as I could. Several wanted ongoing articles.
6. How did you deal with the initial rejections?
I just thanked them for their time, asked them to keep me in mind if they needed anything, and moved on to the next one. Sometimes I also asked if they knew of anyone else who could use my help.
7. How do you maintain a good relationship with clients?
Communication, quality, and meeting deadlines are my keys to a good relationship. I make sure I’m writing the exact article they want, to the audience they want it for, and on their schedule. If I run into any issues, I inform them immediately. Sometimes they give me extra time, provide more information, or ask me to move to another article..
8. Would you say building a website is necessary for beginners?
A website always helps. How detailed it is depends on what they’re writing about. If they’re writing about web design, then they need an amazing website to showcase their knowledge. If they’re writing about social media, then the social media presence is more important. It’s more important to actively do the things they want to write about.
9. How much should freelance writers charge per word?
This will vary greatly based on the expertise required. For example, someone creating a list of popular plugins will cost much less than someone writing about healthcare. For a list of WordPress plugins, the writer just needs to look at a few websites and build the list. Building that list of Photoshop plugins requires a little know knowledge. For healthcare, the writer needs a background that requires an expensive degree, experience, etc. Writers should research their field and price accordingly.
10. When is the right time to increase one’s rate?
Writers should only increase rates if they feel that they’re underpricing their work. Too often, writers think that increasing their rates is the best way to make more money, but they should reduce their costs first. They should remove the waste from their processes, improve their time management, reduce their overhead, purchase more efficient tools, etc. Exhaust all other options before raising rates.
11. Do the rates include on-page SEO and drafting?
Yes. My rates include the completed article written to their spec with keywords (they provide the keywords) and images. I always write with SEO in mind, and I want to use the keywords naturally in the text. I never send a first draft. I at least do a second draft, but I edit as I go even though they say not to. I just feel better about my work if it’s clean as I write. This means my second draft is probably a third draft. My goal is for the client to hit publish without making changes unless they want to.
12. Do you use any invoicing software?
Not really. I just keep it simple. I use Google Sheets to keep track of billing and send invoices through PayPal. A few clients prefer a PDF invoice. I use PayPal to create them and then send the PDF rather than billing through PayPal. I would use dedicated software if I needed it to cover a huge volume of invoices.
13. What is the best way to accept payment?
I like to invoice through PayPal with a business account. Ultimately, I use what my clients prefer if I’m comfortable with it. I have a few that do direct deposits into my bank account. These are high-profile clients that are household names.
14. In the freelance writing space, what challenges do you believe aren’t talked about enough?
How to handle the ups and downs of the market. Freelancing is like mowing yards. If it doesn’t rain, no one needs their yard mowed. After it rains, everyone needs their yards mowed at the same time. The main thing to consider is what to do through those times you’re waiting in the rain. We can’t sit and wait for clients to need us, or to even get back to us if we’ve asked them a question. We have to move on to the next one and stay busy. The key is to have enough work lined up ahead of time. If there isn’t enough work in your chosen field, consider a related field or another field you have expertise in.
15. How do you think AI is impacting content writing? And what can writers do to future-proof their business?
A lot of websites have gone to AI for their writing, but none of them were my clients, so I haven’t been impacted by that. I think it will eventually impact all writers. I personally don’t use it, but I’m extremely picky about doing my own research. I don’t fully trust AI’s accuracy to not check it myself. I do think that AI should be included in a writer’s list of tools. It is helpful and any clients wants articles about AI. To future-proof your business- know its strengths, limitations, and how to get the most out of it.
16. What tools do you use to manage your own time and workflow?
I use Google Sheets to track which articles I’m working on. I made the sheet myself. I have a tab for each client. Each sheet shows the article title, any notes the clients might provide, the total word count, the date submitted, the date billed, and any other information such as the URL of a test site that I’ve built for screenshots. The sheet also includes a tab that tracks the totals for the week, month, and year. This tab is color-coded to show if I’m ahead or behind my weekly targets.
17. What are some non-fiction books that helped you in your career?
My favorite book is 7 Habits for Highly Effective People. This is one of the best books anyone can read in my opinion. Any business should follow the guidelines in this book.
I also like the For Dummies series of books about writing and business. I especially recommend Technical Writing, White Papers, Freelancing, and The Complete MBA. Most writers either have a good knowledge of their topic or writing in general, but rarely have knowledge in running a business. The For Dummies series gives you the practical basics.
I’d also recommend getting a For Dummies book on the topics you’re writing about. They’re great for the basics.
18. And finally, if you had to go back in time and offer advice to your younger self at the beginning of your writing career, what would you say?
Focus on multiple income streams. Instead of just writing for clients, create products, courses, books, and your own blog. Plan the end from the beginning.
19. Where can we find your online?