How to Get Freelance Writing Jobs in Nigeria – and Succeed in 2022

Are you a freelance writer and you’re thinking of how to get profitable freelance writing jobs in Nigeria? If that’s why you’re here, I will show you the easy step-by-step guide to hit your first client.

Writing has since been one the best forms of communication even with the advent of newer technologies, writing is still relevant in today’s society. There aren’t many blessed with this skill, if you do have this skill, then you can make a whole lot of money from it.

In Nigeria, there are lots of freelance platforms for writers with different level of competence – from amateur to expert. I’ll be showing you best ways to succeed as a freelance writer, how to get freelance writing jobs in Nigeria, billing your clients and many.

Recommended: How to Start Freelancing Business & Build a Successful Brand

So, let’s dive into it!

What is freelance writing?

Freelance writing is a form of writing where you’re paid to create article, blog posts and other forms of writing.

Unlike the conventional writing for media houses, with this type of writing you’re not bound by contract by any employer, you’re at liberty to work for whoever you wish.

Becoming a good freelance writer in Nigeria will surely take some time to master, also, some materials will be needed to compliment your writing skills – you may have good command of English grammar and still be a mediocre freelance writer, you know?!

Freelancing has become common place in our online world, with lots of skills to be offered. Among the many skills on offer, writing seems to be the more popular choice, and yes, people do make money from it but that’s not our focus for now, we’ll get to that soon.

Some requirements to Start freelance writing business

Below are some materials and resources that’ll make you a much better writer in the freelance world;

·       A PC (preferably a laptop)

This is a must-have if you’re going to succeed in this field. This speed of QWERTY typing can’t be compared to any other form of typing. The keyboards on laptops have a larger keypad space where you could flex your hands on. You could start with a smartphone if you can’t afford to buy one, but be ready to spend more time typing.

·       Good internet connectivity

They’ve been complaints of below par internet connectivity in the past years, but in recent times – as technology keeps developing, we’ve witnessed much better internet speeds. A good internet connection is required for research purposes, communication with clients, (most of which you’d meet online). Generally, a good internet with high speeds lets you do more in little time.

·       Good command of English grammar

This is very important as it shows your competence in translating your acquired knowledge to comprehensible words. This doesn’t entail you know all the words in the dictionary, just simply the basics will do. All your research and knowledge will be of no use if you can’t convert them to well structured written words.

Benefits of Being a Freelance Writer in Nigeria

• Spare time: Freelancing in general affords you more time to take care of yourself, engage in other activities and develop yourself
• Money: This is a given, you’re in this to make money in the process. The amount of money you can make is limited by you – there’s no limit to your earnings when you got pretty good freelance writing jobs in Nigeria, it’s totally up to you.
• Knowledge/exposure: As a freelance writer in Nigeria, your client may give you topics to write on various niches which you may not be familiar with, these topics will require you to do extensive research which in the process, you would learn a lot of things which you don’t know.

As with everything that has positives, there are also certain negatives. In writing, there exists some challenges to be faced as a Nigerian freelancer – at least for now;

Some Challenges Faced by Freelance Writers in Nigeria – and Possible solutions

• PAYMENT OPTIONS:

One of the popular means of paying freelancers online is PayPal, it’s quite unfortunate in Nigeria that we can’t receive payment via PayPal. Most freelancers in Nigeria find it difficult to receive their payment after delivering their jobs, even though there exists other means, the charges are quite high and this might be a challenge.

Solution: Get a good PayPal alternative, Payoneer. Click here to learn how to create new payoneer account in Nigeria.

Another solution to payment options limiting the rate of getting job done easily is to use other possible available payment options. Click here to see the top ways to send and receive money in Nigeria to/from Abroad.

• CLIMES VARIATION:

Imagine writing for a client you met from the UK, how do you structure you write ups to sound ‘UKish’? (if there’s a word like that) that’s the big question you’ve got to answer.

As a freelance writer in Nigeria, there exists this challenge where you’ll need to tone your write ups to suit the originating clime.

Solution: Always read books written by foreign authors, watch Hollywood movies, watch some tutorials on YouTube created by foreign vloggers and finally, try to read from foreign websites or blogs.

The purpose of doing that is to learn their tongues and how you can write exactly how the contents will be easier and perfect for your foreign clients.

I lost a job worth $250 because my writing style did meet my US’ client expectation – although he compensated me with $50 but I could have been his regular writer hadn’t been I impressed him in the initial place,

• LIFE-WORK BALANCE:

As you grow as a writer, your work load will invariably increase and this may lead to stress. You’ll need to get to a point where you balance your life and work activities – too much of something is bad. Sometimes it’s important you take a break from work to unwind, and feel more rejuvenated.

Solution: Hire someone else to be assisting you. For instance, I have two active writers that work for me and I pay them per article written. Hiring these two content writers has give me enough space to focus on my web design and digital marketing agency, and I have enough time to enjoy myself.

Now, let talk about the big deal – how you can easily get freelance writing jobs in Nigeria;

How to Get Freelance Writing Jobs in Nigeria

It’s difficult getting a job in the conventional workspace, the same applies for getting a gig in freelancing – very stressful!

But don’t worry, I’ll be showing some of the best places to sink your net and catch more clients.

A lot of things can the done online with the help of the internet, and as a writer, it’s important you get familiar with the terrain.

1. Get Freelance Writing Jobs in Nigeria on Social Media

Social media is one the best places to finds freelance writing jobs in Nigeria, and many have benefited in terms of job hunting.

How do you get writing gigs on social media? There are lots of answers to this question but the first is about you marketing yourself.

No one is coming to meet you and hand you a gig, your profile should suggest to your followers what you do before they could consider hiring you. LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are some of the best places to find your clients – you just have to make yourself available.

As Zig Ziglar would say; it’s better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.

2. Get Freelance Writing Jobs in Nigeria on Freelancing Marketplace

There are some other platforms where you could get writing gigs in Nigeria faster, these are mostly freelance sites which you could choose any below.

Top 10 Freelance Marketplace to Get Freelance Writing Jobs in Nigeria

1. Fiverr | https://www.fiverr.com
2. Upwork | https://www.upwork.com
3. Guru | https://www.guru.com
4. Freelancer | https://www.freelancer.com
5. Indeed | https://www.indeed.com
6. Freelance Writing | https://www.freelancewriting.com
7. ProBlogger | https://www.problogger.com
8. Jobrapido | https://ng.jobrapido.com
9. Uvocorp | https://nigeria.uvocorp.com
10. People Per Hour | https://www.peopleperhour.com

You need to understand how these freelance marketplace work. The major thing you need to understand is brushing your skills often, learn negotiation and communication skills.

But let me talk about one of the major part; billing a client;

How to Bill a Client as a Freelance Writer in Nigeria

Ah! This is one of the biggest challenges while starting out as a freelancer and it’s important you master this skill because thinking of getting freelance writing jobs in Nigeria. It’s quite difficult even for the pros but there’s a way to tackle this problem.

As a writer you’d be doing rigorous researches, scouring the internet for answers – and for this, you be visiting the internet once again. Going online to find out how others in your field charge for a gig is a good place to start, this gives you an idea of the billing/pricing architecture.

As you get more proficient in your writing, you’d want to earn much more, your level of competence should also be considered, if you’re offering much value you should consider increasing your price – in freelancing, value is key!

• On fiverr and most famous freelancing websites, the average price for writing a 500 words content is $5, 1,000 words is $10 and so on.

But you can earn more than that! I’ve seen a guy who won a freelance writing job worth $300 for just 1200 words.

• Another way to bill your client is PPW or Pay Per Word. You can be charging $0.02 for a single word.

That means if you write a 1000 words content for a client at $0.02/word, then you will earn $20 and you can increase your price depending on the value you’re creating and the client you’re writing for.

Don’t forget to do the necessary arithmetic required for certain factors like transaction charges on payment portals. Most online payment portals charge for using their portal to receive payments.

If you’re dealing with a foreign client, don’t forget to check the current exchange rate for their country and yours.

Pro Tips to Get Freelance Writing Jobs in Nigeria

1. Always endeavor to meet up to schedule, if you know you can’t meet up don’t accept the gig
2. Connect with others in your field as this exposes you to some of the latest events, best practice and also you get to exchange ideas. Social media and forums are perfect places for this.
3. Read, read, read! As a freelance writer in Nigeria, you need to to know what’s happening around you – this make you a better writer.

Over to you – How to Get Freelance Writing Jobs in Nigeria

So, here’s what you need to know about freelancing and getting freelance writing jobs in Nigeria, I hope these tips help you succeed in the freelance marketplace (and writing niche).

Don’t forget that you need to build relationship with your clients. A single client can pay you money worth hundred-thousands of Naira, if you build the right relationship with him/her.

So, what do you think about this blog post? Do let me know what you think below in the comments.