This Patreon Page Is a Goldmine for Freelance Writers
You can secure clients who pay four figures a month
Image by Patreon on Polygon
Freelancing lets you dip your toe into business.
All you need is a laptop, the internet, and a willingness to work hard. You get to choose your clients and there’s no cap on your income.
The hardest step is finding clients. And not just any clients. You want the ones who pay well, openly communicate, and don’t stress you out with unreasonable demands.
Where should you look?
One answer is a Patreon page I’m about to share. It helped me land a new client in three days. What’s more, they tick all the “good client” boxes.
Said client is paying me four figures a month to write YouTube scripts. These scripts are for his second channel. His main channel has over 750,000 subscribers.
It’s nearly the same money as my part-time job, but I’ll be working half as many hours. (Around 10 hours a week instead of 20.)
So if you’re looking for high-paying, low-stress freelance writing clients, you’ve come to the right place.
Let’s go!
Recommended Reading
I discovered this Patreon because of Carter Kilmann.
He’s a personal finance writer and the author of 365 Days of Freelance Writing, which chronicles his first full year as a freelance writer.
In it, Carter shares countless resources and nuggets of advice.
I highly recommend it!
All screenshots by the author
One of the resources was this Patreon page.
Here It Is
And here’s how it works.
When you sign up for an account — costing ~ $4/month — a pop-up will show you how to navigate the site. Once you click away, you’ll land on a page that looks like this:
On this page, you’ll find thousands of posts that detail jobs you can apply for. There are also opportunities to pitch to publications.
Pitches mean you have to send an email to an editor. Here are some helpful tips.
Job listings mean you have to complete an application.
The filters at the top can narrow your search:
It’s then a case of scrolling until one of the posts grabs your attention.
Eight new opportunities are added each day. (Usually at the same time.) You’ll be emailed these opportunities as soon as they pop up.
This way, you don’t have to keep checking the website:
When you click on a post, it tells you:
Who can apply
Who you’d be working with
The deadline to apply
Here’s a recent example that was posted on Write Jobs PLUS+:
The One I Applied For (And Got)
The headline grabbed me.
I read through the post, realised I could apply, and clicked the link. The YouTuber wanted applicants to submit details via a Google form.
I haven’t written YouTube scripts before and the pay’s below my usual rate, but I figured it would be a good experience. I’d also learn a new skill.
The pros outweighed the cons.
The very next day, the YouTuber sent me an email. He asked if could write a sample about the American gasoline industry.
One thing I didn’t know before receiving the email is who the YouTuber was. It turns outs he has over 3.3 million followers on Tik Tok.
I sent him a sample. Less than an hour later, I received this email. He also sent me money via PayPal:
We jumped on a call, got to know each other, and agreed to work together.
I’m currently working on a YouTube script about the U.S. healthcare system.
If it goes well, I’ll be writing one script a week.
Application Tips
Stick to the brief — If they give you an example, use it. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Chances are the client is looking at how closely you follow instructions.
Be timely — This is one of the reasons I got the job. I applied for the role an hour after it was posted. When I emailed the sample, it was less than six hours after his response.
Go above and beyond — If they say doing something is optional, do it. In the brief I was sent, writing an outline wasn’t necessary. I wrote one anyway.
Takeaways
There are so many opportunities for freelance writers.
The skills we have are in demand. People want to tell stories. They want content for their websites. They want YouTube scripts.
So if you want to start your journey as a freelance writer, here’s what I recommend:
Step #1: Build a portfolio of work — You can do that on Medium. I’ve been writing here since September 2020 and have published over 160 articles. You don’t need this many. Five is enough.
Step #2: Apply for jobs on Write Jobs PLUS+ — Apply to ones that take your fancy. Link to your most popular articles and any client work you’ve done.
Step #3: Keep practising — You’re only as good as your last article.
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