AI is officially here and you know what? So are freelance writers! Yay!
2024 was a crazy year but 2025? It’s looking to be a great year to become a freelance writer, a copywriter or a content writer online.
A lot of the entry-level gigs I picked up back when I started in 2014 are gone.
These were freelance writing jobs that didn’t pay well and didn’t value the writer.
Plus, small businesses are turning to AI tools for things like simple blog posts and website copy.
But that doesn’t mean content writing jobs has disappeared.
There’s still opportunity for freelance content writers who know how to offer value.
But this time, it will take a more strategic approach.
So, if I were starting as a freelance writer today in 2025, here’s the approach I’d take.
For more help, watch my YouTube video and subscribe to my channel to learn how to become a freelance writer.
4 Steps to Become a Freelance Writer (In the Age of AI)
So, how did I become a freelance writer?
Back in 2014, I was on maternity leave and wanted to stay home but needed a job of some kind.
My husband told me about these moms who were doing virtual assistant work and writing work for businesses.
During times when my twins were napping I would research what these moms were doing and found that freelance writing was what I wanted to try.
At first, I was unsuccessful.
I signed up to freelance platforms called Odesk and Guru and I also signed up to some content mills (I think it was called iWriter).
I landed a gig on the content mill and was paid something like $2 for three hours of work.
I almost gave up but through trial and error I found better quality writing jobs and eventually grew my business to make thousands per month as a freelance writer.
Are you interested in turning your love of writing into a real business?
Trust me, if I can do it as a stay at home mom then you can do it!
Here are the simple steps to get started as a freelance writer in 2025.
1. Take the Work That’s Available
One of the first things you should do once you decide you want to moonlight as a freelance writer is to start by reaching out to people you already know.
Go to a friend or family member and have a quick conversation about how you want to earn some extra cash with writing.
This might lead to an unexpected writing job.
Maybe your neighbor needs help with website updates or your cousin’s coworker is looking for someone to clean up AI-generated content.
In-person events are worth your time, too.
Local meetups for small business owners or entrepreneur groups are full of people who need writing support but may not know where to find it.
A couple years after I started freelance writing, I went to different printing companies in town and my local newspaper to see if they needed a freelancer.
Show up, introduce yourself, and mention what you do.
You don’t need a full pitch, just a simple, “I help businesses with content and copywriting” is enough to start the conversation.
2. Focus On the Places Hiring Freelance Writers
If I were starting out now, I would look into smaller niche marketing agencies.
In my course Writeto1k, I have a lesson where I share with you content marketing agencies that need freelance writers.
This is the fastest way to gain writing experience.
The only drawback is it’s not that big for payment.
You might not get paid that well but in the end you’ll gain experience working with a client.
These agencies regularly hire freelancers and are usually more interested in whether you meet deadlines and follow instructions than how much experience you have.
If you’re easy to work with and turn in solid drafts, they’ll keep sending projects your way.
Freelance platforms can work, but pick just one.
Something like Contra could be a winner for you.
They have writing jobs and other freelance jobs you can take.
Instead of spreading yourself thin across multiple sites, spend time learning how that platform works.
Pay attention to what clients are asking for, how top freelancers set up their profiles, and what it takes to get noticed.
The better you understand the platform, the faster you’ll land a freelance writing job.
3. Choose An in Demand Writing Niche that Pays Well
Remember, in the beginning this isn’t your forever writing niche.
It’s just a starting point to help you stand out and land work faster.
And choosing a writing niche doesn’t mean you turn down gigs outside of it. If someone offers you work, take it.
This was my mentality when I first started in 2014.
I picked a niche at that time which was digital marketing writer but I took gigs outside of my niche.
- VFX
- Dentistry
- Career
- HR
- Ghostwriting for CEO’s
- Business
The goal is to focus your marketing.
Pick one niche, update your LinkedIn headline to say you’re a freelance content writer for that industry, and target companies in that space.
You only need a couple of relevant samples to make it official.
When choosing a niche, don’t start with what you love writing about.
Later, after you secured a few gigs you can look into passion topics, but if you want consistent, well-paying writing gigs, look for industries that actually have budgets and aren’t overcrowded with other writers.
In my Writeto1k course, I show you you can validate your niche so you know if the companies you are pitching to actually have a budget for a content writer or a few writers.
Skip the trendy niches unless you have a clear angle.
Wellness, beauty, and mental health are competitive and tough to break into.
B2B industries, tech tools, and services businesses might not sound exciting, but they tend to have more ongoing work and fewer writers competing for the same gigs.
4. Send Cold Pitches That Actually Work
While you may get some good writing gigs with agencies, these aren’t your tried and true ideal clients for you.
Agency work is a stepping stone to better, more higher paying writing jobs.
And to get to that point, you need to start cold pitching.
Cold pitching isn’t blasting out the same message to dozens of companies.
It’s about reaching out to small brands in your niche that could genuinely use help from a reliable writer.
Many of these businesses are struggling to keep up with content and would welcome someone who can take work off their plate.
So, how do you start cold pitching?
Start with LinkedIn if your contact is active there.
A simple connection request is all you need.
Try, “Do you ever work with freelance writers?” or “What’s your process for hiring writers?” Keep it casual and friendly.
If your contact doesn’t engage on Linkedin consistently, it’s better to email them.
Write a short, polite message explaining what you do and why you’re reaching out.
Link to two strong writing samples published is preferred and as long as you have permission to share the work, it counts.
Cold pitching works when you focus on real businesses, offer real value, and keep your outreach personal and straightforward.
But for beginners, focus on Google, LinkedIn and ChatGPT.
On Google, you can search a business directly like Crunchbase to find companies to pitch to.
From here you can peruse these companies to see if they have:
- A blog
- Author bios
- Email list
- Social profiles
These can help you decide if these businesses can pay freelance writers.
With All of This, What About AI?
ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Midjourney….there are probably thousands of companies that have some kind of AI component or ARE the AI component.
With all of this, it IS making it much easier for business owners to run their business.
I mean, for me, as a business owner, I use AI all the time with:
- Ideation
- Helping me with examples and sample ideas
- Finding websites
- Finding people for quotes
- Building out bullet lists
- Answering questions
- And more
And while some businesses use AI to write a blog post, there are other businesses that use writers too.
And THOSE companies want (and need) quality writers that stick to deadlines, communicate consistently and are easy to work with.
That’s all and many new writers fit that bill!
So, don’t let the hype about AI taking over jobs scare you enough to not start as a freelance writer online.
There are many companies that value writers and NEED qualified writers and will pay TOP dollar too.
It’s Time to Become a Freelance Writer in 2025
Are you excited about freelance writing? Tell me in the comments! I’d love to hear your stories!
And if you haven’t already, grab my free course Get Paid to Write!
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