A Way with Words: 5 Steps to Become an Effective Content Writer

Ever since COVID-19 broke out, the world ceased most of its operations. Most countries are in lockdown and are limiting their movements. Quarantine and lockdown measures are necessary to prevent the spread of the disease. Because of the quarantine, most people are now staying indoors. Those working office jobs are affected as many businesses and firms are slowly shutting down because of the virus.

Thankfully, there are jobs readily available, even if you’re forced to stay indoors. One of these jobs is being a content writer. If you have a way with words, a stable internet connection, and a laptop or PC, this job is for you. Even before the pandemic, content writers have been making good money from writing stuff for website owners and other companies.

On average, an experienced writer can charge $0.50-$1 per word. Depending on the difficulty of the article request, it may contain a minimum of 600-1000 words. So if you’re a newbie and want to get in on the action, then this article is for you. In this piece, we’ll help you become a solid content writer with these seven easy steps:

Preparing Your Tools

As with any craft, have a particular set of tools to help you do your job efficiently. Even the best writers have their tools to come up with great works. Aside from a PC and internet connection, some tools that writers use are grammar checkers, plagiarism checkers, character counters, proper writing software or app, etc.

You can write without these tools but take note: the world of content writers is cut-throat. A single mistake can lead to your work being shoved away for someone else’s. This is the reason you need to have a grammar checker to check grammar and spelling, a tool that monitors character count to see how many characters your article has, and a plagiarism checker to see if your work is original. Be smart with your tools.

Doing a Lot of Reading

Knowledge is one thing that a writer should always possess. However, it’s quite reasonable for a writer not to know something specific. In reality, no one really knows everything in the world. We have to accept the fact that you will not know everything in this lifetime.

You don’t have to read a thousand-page novel or case studies done on the human psyche, anything informative, random, or anything that interests you can help you a lot. Take note, as a content writer, you’ll be writing about a lot of topics. It’s always a good thing to have extra input on a subject when you’re writing.

Doing a Lot of Research

As mentioned above, it’s impossible to know everything in the world in just a single lifetime. This is the reason we need to do research when writing. As a writer, flexibility is one of the best attributes to have. Even if you have a faint knowledge of something, a request may require you to delve deeper into a topic.

As a writer, there’s no such thing as an honest mistake. When you make up statements because you “claim to know a bit,” you’re putting yourself at risk. Making up false statements or plagiarising works can land you in jail. Research helps you avoid that problem and makes everything you talk about more credible. Never forget to cite your references and give credit whenever it’s due.

Doing a Lot of Writing

Ever heard of the saying, “Practice makes perfect?” With content writing, practice really makes your work perfect. For an inexperienced writer, you can expect to have some revisions and even rejections with the first submissions.

Even experienced writers can get their works shelved. This is the reason writing regularly and consistently sharpens your skills as a content writer. Don’t let revisions and turn downs bring you down. Think of them as a challenge or hurdle you need to get over by writing more and more.

Being Happy

The biggest mistake that newbie writers make is to assume that writing is like other jobs. When you consider writing more of a job as a hobby, you’ll eventually burn yourself out. When you’re burned out, you’re sad, you can’t think straight, and your production heavily suffers.

Most of the time, a lot of clients understand that the creative process takes time. Aside from that, writers also need to have proper time management to avoid cramming. Once you’re happy in what you’re doing, you’ll be amazed at the amount of work you’ve already done.

Takeaway

Since the pandemic struck, many people have been looking for work. Luckily, many people found comfort with a work-from-home setup. Writers, in particular, are making good money even before the pandemic started. The tips mentioned above are just a few of the many pointers for newbies to develop themselves.