How to find work as a freelance writer in Sri Lanka

Writing is a skill you learn and build over time. It grows with you and evolves when you run with it. Once you start, it’s a matter of consistently applying yourself to it.

I already spoke about setting up the basics to become a freelance writer in Sri Lanka. This article is part 2 of it. I’ve been a freelance writer for close to seven years now with a few fulltime jobs here and there. It’s been over a year since I’ve fully moved into freelancing. So here’s hoping that these tips help you earn a living through writing and get more work too!

Get recommended

My main way of getting more clients is through recommendations. In fact, 90% of my clients are either recurring clients or clients who were told of my services by a colleague of theirs. If you do a really good job, chances are that your client will seek you out whenever they need communication services. Keep a good rapport with your existing clients, and I guarantee that you will have more where they came from.

I also ask my clients to give my work a recommendation on my Linked In profile as well so that potential clients browsing my profile see that real people have said good things about me and are confident of the work I deliver.

Use social media

Don’t be shy to let the world know that you’re a writer. Use Facebook, Instagram and Linked In to make some noise. Make a page for your work or use your personal account to let people know who you are, starting from your bio description. Some people feel as though their personal profile should be free of “work” and are slightly reluctant to use them to advertise their writing services.

However, we need to understand that in this digital age, hardly anything is “personal” anymore. You are who you are online and offline, so you might as well use these online tools and your online presence to let people know that you’re a freelance writer. Search on FB groups such as the EPFS Community for writing jobs because everyone is always looking for good writers. I have a friend who gets clients solely from her Instagram account!

You can also build a website such as this one and work on creating content such as this blog to get your word out there too. However, having a website just as an online portfolio is not enough but you must maintain it with good content that drives traffic your way if you’re really serious in becoming a content writer in Sri Lanka.

Advertise in the paper

I still haven’t advertised my services, but this is a good way to start. Take classifieds papers such as HitAd and place an advertisement for your work and mention particular areas of interest or fields that you like to work in such as travel and leisure or education. Mark your email address and phone number so people can reach out.

Improve your craft

I see that a lot of content writers in Sri Lanka get stuck here. Once they gain some traction, writers become too busy or “know too much” already to learn more about communication and I feel that is a BIG challenge that we all have to overcome if we want to produce good content.

Use an hour or two each week to learn something new because as human beings, and as writers especially, we will always have things to know, and new knowledge to gain. You can never have too much learning. Linked In, Hubspot, Masterclass and so many other sites have a LOT of good education which we can really use. And not just in writing English, but on digital marketing, social media, SEO and in general, how to create mindblowing content.

Content is a VAST subject. And being able to write good English simply just doesn’t cut it now. Clients will require more from you than remarkable English. Businesses are now floating online, ever-ready to ride to stardom with the next Google search engine algorithm change. From digital marketing to social media management to writing press releases, content is everything and more.

I will be very honest here and say that there is no one place or institute in Sri Lanka that will teach you what you need to know to become and do well as a content writer. It’s all on the job experience and knowledge you gather along the way.

If you want to become a writer in Sri Lanka, it would be useful to first work in a content agency, advertising agency, digital marketing agency or even newspapers to really get first-hand exposure before you dive deep into freelancing.

I created a group on Facebook called Sri Lankan Writers to build a community of us here so that we can share knowledge, writing assignments and improve our craft. Please do join if you’re interested. My approach to work and life is to always collaborate. None of us are competitors. We are all incredible human beings capable of so much more when we unite our energies.

Build your brand

When you’re freelance writing, you’re giving a very personalised approach to your clients. From the experience you bring in to your writing style, it is all personal. So work on doing work that is outstanding, and one that your clients won’t forget.

Hope these tips help. Comment below if you think I’ve missed any. Stay tuned for more articles on topics that are useful for freelance writers based on mine as well as peers experiences.

Nadeesha Paulis is a freelance writer and sustainable lifestyle advocator. Reach out via email or poke on Linked In.

Happy crafting! 🙂