How To Get Started With Online Writing As A Beginner

Getting into online writing is intimidating at the outset. The universe of available options is so vast that it's easy to fall into decision paralysis and just give up on trying to decide what to write, where to post it, and who your audience should be.

Luckily, it doesn't have to be complicated. There's an easy approach available to all of us that takes much of the guesswork out of which apps to choose, what sort of writing to take up, and which platforms to jump onto. And it all starts with just a few questions.

What do I hope to gain from my writing?

It's a simple question, really. Something in your life made you curious about writing as a hobby, or a side hustle, or a new job. So, what was it about writing that made you curious?

If you can't land on an easy answer, it might be helpful to answer these questions first:

1. There are a million things your mind could have jumped to besides writing. Why do you think it landed on this particular craft?
2. What's missing from your life or your job right now that you'd like to find? (ex. money, meaning, fun, etc.)

For example, when I got started writing I was flailing about aimlessly looking for a new job after my wife and I moved to Bermuda. I didn't want to practice law anymore and I landed on freelance copy and content writing as a source of income. So, for me, the search was largely materialistic. I needed money and writing was a way to drum up that income.

What do you think that writing can provide you with that you're not already getting from your work or your personal life? Is it a way to express your creativity? Is it a way to make some more cash? Is it just something you're good at and you want to develop the skill?

A fork in the road

Your answer to the previous question will likely fall into one of two categories: money or fulfillment.

In other words, it's probably the case that you want to take up writing because you want to increase your income or because you want to express yourself and you think that writing will fulfill your creative urges.

Both are perfectly fine and valid motivations. It's also common to fall into both camps, hoping to find a way to tell interesting stories (and get paid a little bit along the way).

But how you proceed from here will depend largely on which of these things - money or meaning - you're most interested in pursuing.

I want to express myself (meaning)

If you're more interested in telling stories that mean something to you and you're less worried about getting paid for it, you should probably get started by hopping on a writing, blogging, or social media platform and start sharing your work.

Yes, it's really that easy. I know that sharing your writing with the world can be a scary proposition at the beginning but it really is as simple as picking a platform, typing your work into the interface, and hitting 'Publish.'

The reason I say that you should pick a platform (as opposed to starting your own Wordpress blog or newsletter) is because you likely don't have any built-in audience yet. And while platforms come with a lot of their own drawbacks and downsides, they also provide significant audiences and attention you wouldn't otherwise get.

That doesn't mean you can't also fire up a self-hosted blog or a newsletter of your own! I just mean to say that, at the beginning at least, you'll probably get more people reading your work if you choose a platform like Medium, Substack, or Wattpad. (And there are a ton more like them). Then, if you find your work is catching on, you can always try to move your audience over to a self-hosted solution.

The two main obstacles standing in your way on this approach will likely be your own self-limiting beliefs and the frustration that inevitably arises when your work doesn't catch on immediately. I've linked a story I wrote on Medium a while back that talks about the first pitfall, and the second refers to the feelings that come up at the beginning of any writing endeavor when it feels like you're talking into a void. (I'll write about how to combat that feeling shortly in a future newsletter.)

I want to make money

It's been said that knowing how to write well is like a license to print money. And while that's a bit of an overstatement, it's definitely possible to earn a second, or even a primary - income from writing.

I, for example, make the bulk of my money from writing copy for clients. ("Copy" is basically sales and marketing oriented prose designed to get people to buy a product or service.) I've written web copy for landing pages, case studies, eBooks, and even the copy that appears on the back covers of non-fiction books. I also sometimes write content for blogs.

If you're out to make a living - or a viable side hustle - out of writing, you'll need to take a more targeted approach than if you were just writing to have fun.

You can begin by putting up a very simple website advertising your service. Once you've got a web presence (which is often just a your-name.com domain with a one-pager listing your services and your qualifications), you may wish to dip your toe into freelancing platforms, particularly Upwork.

I say this VERY hesitantly. Upwork has all kinds of problems. Most of the clients on the site are looking for writers willing to work for rock-bottom prices (we're talking fractions of a cent per word sometimes) and who wouldn't know a good writer from a bad one if their lives depended on it. In other words, a lot of the work available on Upwork is terrible.

The reason I still think it's worth your time is two-fold:

1. No one knows you from Adam yet. Sometimes pitching clients on freelance platforms are the only way you can realistically get eyes on your CV.
2. There are good clients on Upwork, if only a few. I found a couple gems in my early days that I still work with today. You just have to discover them.

Of course, you'll also want to canvas with your existing professional contacts to find out if anyone needs a copy or content writer. You might also try canvassing local businesses (in person).

Summing up

Getting started as an online writer is as easy as figuring out what you want to get out of this whole writing thing. If it's fun, creativity, and fulfillment you want, jump on a platform and just start writing. If you want to earn money, post a quick-and-dirty (but still professional) website, see what Upwork has to offer you, and put out feelers for copy and content work.

The trick, at the beginning at least, is to outlast the frustrations that inevitably pile up if you get off to a slow start (which most of us unfortunately do). And don't worry. I'll get into much more detail in future issues of this newsletter.

Until next time!

Postscript

I'm working on a few ideas for newsletters that I wanted to let you all know about. Feel free to hit 'reply' and drop me a line if any of these strikes a chord with you and I'll see if I can bump it up the batting order!

1. A Guide To Identifying Great Clients On Upwork
2. How To Handle The Feeling That No One's Reading Your Work (Yet)
3. Where To Post Your Prose: A Writer Platform Round-Up
4. Technical Writing: The Working Professional's Shortcut To Online Writing Success
5. The Biggest Mistakes New Writers Make When They're Just Getting Started