start & scale your freelancing career
tips, guides, and resources to grow
What you'll
learn in the academy
- Basic steps for laying a foundation for freelance writing
- How to land your first client and get paid for writing
- Tips for scaling your business and taking it full time
- Extra resources, including expert webinars, designed to help you level up
Testimonials
You can become a better writer
Below are additional freelance writing resources that I personally recommend to help you grow and scale your freelance writing.
Grammarly
write better
One of my absolute favorite tools is Grammarly. I have it as a Chrome plugin, and it helps me stay on top of my writing. It’s like having an editor available for me all the time. Grammarly works well with WordPress, as well as in Google Docs and other sites. It will catch common usage errors, spelling and grammar issues and even make smart suggestions to improve your writing.
Hemingway
pithy, active writing
Get rid of passive voice and overburdened sentences. If you want to write actively and get straight to the point in a powerful way, the Hemingway App is the way to go. It’s available as an online tool, but you can also get the desktop app. I’ve thought seriously about just using it for my writing in general, mainly because of how awesome it is at forcing you to think about your sentences — and use every word to advantage
Asana
project management made easy
If you want to keep track of projects and deadlines, Asana is a great choice. I use it regularly. The fact that you can switch between list and calendar, and even track invoicing, is great. You can also use Asan to collaborate on projects and work with your virtual assistants (if you have them).
Are you a blogger looking to create the best content?
Two course recommendations for you
Enhance Your content
I love this course from my friend Ashley Barnett. This course takes you through the ins and outs of helping you create better content for your blog.
How to turn your blog into a business
My friend Larry Ludwig built a successful blog and sold it for seven figures. While you might not end up with a seven-figure blog, you can still make money with it.
The Freelance Blog
a collection of guest posts, guides, and helpful freelancing tips
Freelance Writing
3 Tips for Battling Freelance Writing Burnout [Video]
Do you have freelance writing burnout? I’ve been there. Here are some things you can do to get through it and emerge on the other side. One of the biggest problems that many writers face is online freelance writing burnout. There are always deadlines to meet since the internet is insatiable. Content creation is still
How to Start Freelance Writing — And Make Money Doing It
If you’re ready for the freedom and flexibility that comes with a freelance writing career, now is the time to get that ball rolling. Here’s my guide on how to start freelance writing. I love my freelance lifestyle. There’s a lot of freedom and flexibility here. As a result, people routinely ask me how to
How to increase rates on current clients
It’s never fun to increase rates on current clients, but sometimes, it has to be done. Freelancers face an eternal question: how to increase rates. The easiest way to raise your rates is to simply charge the next client more money. Boosting your current clients’ rates is much harder. I’ve had to do it, and
Pro Blogging
How to Diversify Income Sources as a Freelance Writer
As a freelance writer, it makes sense to diversify income sources. You never know when something will fall through or you’ll need extra cash. Here are some of the things I’m doing. When you have a variable income, developing different revenue streams can make sense. This doesn’t mean that you have to monetize everything you do. However,
Are You More Than a Freelance Writer?
Be clear about what you do as a freelance writer, and be careful about going beyond that description. Over the course of the last two or three weeks, I’ve had several people approach me about performing social media tasks. While I try to submit most of the posts I write to social media sites, I
What Do You Tell People about Being an Online Freelancer?
Many friends and family don’t really “get” the online freelancer thing. And what can I tell them? Since I work online (and sometimes feel like I live online), I tend to find myself in this happy bubble where people know what I do. I hang around with other online creators when I start feeling lonely
Writing Tips
5 Famous Doses of Reality for the Aspiring Writer
Whether you plan to write fiction or non-fiction, as an aspiring writer you need a solid dose of reality. You really can make money as a writer. You can even do it as a professional blogger. My story is simple and straightforward. It’s not glamorous, and following my tips probably won’t lead to insane amounts
15 Tips that Can Improve Your Writing
We can all get better. Put these tips into practice, and you’ll improve your writing in no time. Even though I’m a professional writer, I know that I still have room for improvement. I like to think I’m a decent enough writer (since people pay me to write for them), but I know there’s plenty
5 Ways to Battle Burnout in Your Freelancing Career
In order to stay on top of your freelancing game, you need to battle burnout. I love what I do. I feel extremely lucky and blessed to be able to freelance write from home, earning a living for my family. However, even though I love to write, and I write about topics of interest to
Productivity
Freelance Writing Schedule 2024: Less Client Work, More Personal Projects
What’s your freelance writing schedule in 2024? How do you want to change it? And what’s your ongoing focus? Every couple of years, I share my freelance writing schedule at the request of readers and others. It’s evolved over time as my priorities, living situation, and other factors have changed. Figure out your freelance writing
Paying the ADHD Tax
We don’t always talk about how some type of neurodivergence, like ADHD, can impact finances. But the ADHD tax is real. I had an amazing summer. It was AHHHHHH-MAZE-ING. Retreats, retreats, and more retreats Technically, it started at the end of April, when a dear friend and fellow content creator came to visit for a
Freelance Lifestyle: What to Do With a Family Vacation
Even though your family may have the day off, the freelance lifestyle might mean you have work to do. As Christmas approaches and I get ready to travel, I’m reminded that sometimes the freelance lifestyle doesn’t always lead to the same relaxation and time off you get with a “real” job. Running a home business,