I largely got into freelance writing in the first place because of two reasons. First, I like writing and second, because I wanted to enjoy the freedom of self-employment. Unfortunately, freedom and enjoyment don’t pay the bills. For this reason, it is very important that you pay attention to how you can maximize your freelance writing income. You do want to make more money, don’t you?

For most intents and purposes, you can take one of two wide-reaching strategies into the field of freelance writing: you produce a vast amount of “quick” writing or you can invest more time in premium articles.

Get ‘er Done: A Content Creation Machine

The nature of the Internet makes for an environment that demands fresh content on a regular basis. This is especially true of websites and blogs that track a particular industry, because it is so important to be the first to “scoop” a story. If you’re the first site to find official pictures of a new iPhone, for example, you can expect a fair chunk of traffic if the story gets picked up by other outlets. The need for new content also comes up because there are so many new websites being generated on a daily basis and they all need content. They need your writing.

With tech blogging, like I do at Mobile Magazine, the exact quality of the post isn’t all that important. I just have to get the point across, treat the readers to a smattering of specs and features, and provide them with eye candy in the form of a good accompanying picture or two. This may surprise some people, but I typically average around 10 posts a day on Mobile Magazine alone. They’re short — about 150 words — but they’re there.

This is one strategy you can take to maximize your freelance writing income: just produce as much content as possible. You dont’ need to be an exceptional writer; you just need to be efficient.

Methodical and Thoughtful Content at a Premium

On the flip side, you can attempt to make more money writing by producing higher quality articles. These will typically be of greater length, require more research, and come off sounding a lot more polished. This is the approach that I take with feature articles and product reviews. As you’d probably suspect, I charge a fair bit more for these articles compared to “quick” blog posts.

When it comes to writing this “premium content”, it is more important to have a polished approach and a unique freelance writing voice. It is also through these kinds of articles that you can draw on your experience and expertise a little more.

A Little from Column A, A Little from Column B

To keep things fresh as a freelance writer, I tend to dabble a little in both types of writing. I’ll produce quick blog posts for Mobile Magazine and BlueFur, but I’ll also write more extensive reviews and feature articles as well. The former can produce some quick cash without too much effort, whereas the latter tend to be more lucrative overall. It is also through the latter that you’ll have an easier time leveraging your reputation for maximum profit.