Eight years ago, I started writing after a break of more than a decade. I had last worked as a features writer for a thriving mid-sized newspaper. But so much had changed! Slowly, I began finding my way through the confusing maze that is freelance writing.

Today, I have recurring writing assignments at several local and regional magazines, I review books for Publishers Weekly, and I have written personal essays for online sites such as Grown & Flown. 

These are the steps that took me from pondering to getting paid.

1. Research the kind of freelancer you want to be: content market writer, book reviewer, blogger, magazine feature writer, book author? Each path requires different experience. Take the time to choose the one that fits best with your skill-set and goals. I recommend Jane Friedman’s book: The Business of Being a Writer . She gives a detailed overview of the many ways to make a living writing.

I will say that deciding what to say “yes” to has been difficult for me. I have filled in for weekend news reporters, worked as a food writer, taught cooking classes, penned a free monthly newsletter, written magazine feature stories, blogged for local businesses and started a Middle Grade novel. Only in the past year have I become more discriminating in what I take on. I now ask myself: Does this work pay fairly? Is it interesting? Does it help me achieve my larger goals?

2. Follow blogs, newsletters, podcasts and social media accounts of those teaching and writing in your field. There are so many resources, the danger is that you spend all your time reading — not writing. Be sure to set boundaries and revisit your goals frequently. Here are a few recommendations: FundsforWriters, of course. Also, The Write Life, Catapult, Mandy Hofmockel, Notes, Kat Boogaard, Eat Like a Writer.

3. Build a platform to let the world know what you’ve done and what you can do. This can feel paralyzing in the beginning. And it can be a huge time suck. I recommend starting with social media: put together a strong Linkedin page  and set up a Twitter account (this is where editors, agents and publishers are,, so you might as well get versed in this platform). T hen decide if you want a professional presence on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok. Don’t pick too many; you can’t be everywhere. After a few months of thinking about how to present your writing, you’ll likely be more ready to make the many decisions that building a web page requires. As for website how-tos, I recommend using SquareSpace and finding a high school or college student to build your page at an affordable rate.

4) Pitch. If you aren’t emailing magazine editors or seeking work on job boards, no one is going to know what work you want to do. I recommend choosing a few outlets — blogs, newsletters, business accounts, small circulation magazines — that publish early-career writers. Spend time with them, read their submission guidelines, follow their editors on Twitter, pitch and try to have follow-up email conversations with the editors. Sometimes an editor can share a list of topics the publication focuses on  throughout the year or specific pitches they are seeking.

5) Keep pitching. It can feel disappointing to get turned down. But you’ve got to keep putting yourself out there. If one market is not clicking, try another. If you aren’t getting the response you’re hoping for, improve your skills, then try again. Each experience will teach you — either where your strengths lie or how to get better at where you aspire to publish.

If you’re willing to put in the work, there’s a place for you to write.

BIO: Christina Nifong is a freelance journalist and personal essayist. Find more of what she writes and sign up for her email newsletter, Nourishing Stories, at christinanifong.com.