Freelance Writing After Retirement: Launching Your Second Career

Are you looking to launch a second career? If so, you’re not alone. For millions of people around the world, retirement is no longer the end of working. If you’ve always dreamed of becoming a professional writer, your retirement years could be the perfect time to make that happen. Even if you haven’t retired yet, it’s never too soon to start thinking about how you could turn freelancing into a lucrative second career once you have the time.

If freelancing is new to you, however, you probably have plenty of questions about how it works—and how you can break into it. Here is the information you need to ensure that you start off your second career on the right foot.

Am I good enough to be a professional writer?

This is probably the most common question that first-time freelance writers have. The answer is: As long as you’re willing to work to improve your writing, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to turn it into a career. Nobody is born a great writer, and even experienced professionals are continually working to hone their writing and learn new skills. If you have a strong grasp of basic English skills, you have everything you need to start becoming a better writer.

What type of jobs should I look for?

There is no one right answer to this—you can write about anything you like! If you’re completely new to professional writing, however, you may feel most confident writing about areas that you already know well. Consider the experience you gained from your previous career. If you have expertise in a field such as computers or library science, you can put this to good use. Clients are looking for writers with this kind of experience, so make sure you mention it prominently when you create your portfolio. However, you shouldn’t be afraid to learn new things! Use the extra time you’ve been given by your retirement to become an expert on the subjects that interest you.

What types of writing are best to start with?

When you start searching for writing jobs, you’ll immediately notice that they tend to fall into several common categories. For freelance work, the most common types of writing include blogging, copywriting, technical writing, ghostwriting, social media posts, and press releases. It’s a good idea to study examples of all of these types of writing, and practice them on your own before you attempt to write them professionally. Don’t rush! If you’re a beginner, taking the time to hone your writing is a must. You can master any type of writing, but you will need to give yourself the time and opportunity to do it.

How often should I write?

If you’re serious about writing as a new career, you should try to spend some time writing every day. Practicing your writing is the only way to get better, and getting into the habit of doing it daily will help you get into the appropriate mindset for regular freelance writing. Even if you don’t have any current assignments to work on for clients, you should spend as much time as possible working at your writing, developing new story ideas, and trying to advance your career.

How can I get noticed?

When you’re just getting started, it’s easy to feel as if nobody is paying attention to your work. That’s why it’s so important to use the best tools available to increase your visibility as a writer. Starting a blog on a platform such as WordPress is a good excuse to start writing every day, and it provides you with links so you can share your work. If you don’t already have accounts on social media, it’s time to join LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter and start promoting your work. Every time you get an article published or a new blog post up, be sure to repost or link to it on your social media pages. You can also use social media to network with other writers, influencers, and even potential clients. The more effectively you brand yourself, the easier it will be for you to find writing jobs.

How much can I expect to make?

The amount of money you can expect to make as a freelance writer depends on a number of factors, including how much experience you have, what type of writing you are doing, and time and energy you are able to put into your new career. When you’re just getting started, it may be best to think about freelancing as a supplemental income, since it can take some time to build up momentum and begin making more money from your writing. The more clients you find and the more articles you have published, however, the more confident you are likely to become about your prospects!

How big a workload should I take on?

If you’re retired, it’s likely that you have a reasonable amount of time on your hands every day, so you’re better equipped to take on multiple projects than a freelancer who is balancing writing with a day job. It’s important, however, not to overburden yourself with obligations that you won’t be able to meet. When you’re just getting started, it’s best to start off slow and gradually build your way up to the point where you’re taking on more than one project at a time. That way, you can be sure that you won’t find yourself struggling to meet deadlines and turning out substandard work. Once you have a sense of what your natural work pace is and how much time it takes you to complete each project, you can begin steadily increasing your workload.

Are you looking to launch yourself into the exciting world of freelance writing? If so, let Writers Work be your guide. We have assembled a host of useful resources for aspiring freelancers, including our handy job finding engines and a series of informative videos! If you’ve always wondered if you had what it takes to be a successful freelance writer, it’s time to join our writers’ community. You can discover us for yourself by going to our website and checking out our introductory video.