We've all seen so much "end of the world" on this and other subreddits lately so I thought I'd chime in with a useful humblebrag.

In March I left my full-time content writing job (couldn't stand the return-to-office) to go back to freelancing. No clients booked, no plans other than to start browsing UpWork.

By the end of April I was booked up with work and had hit my day rate goal of $500. I write two blogs every weekday and handle whatever edits they want from previous work, if there are any.

Today I saw a comment on r/ChatGPT ostensibly from a writer with about as much experience as me (five years) who also left their job and claimed to have sent out 200 applications without a single word back. That's absurd. My clients explicitly hire me off the strength of a few pieces in my portfolio they probably skimmed through. If you can't do the same then your body of work isn't good enough. Simple as that.

I have more work than I can handle. I could very well be making more money if I actually knew how to prospect on LinkedIn or network online or in-person. But I don't and that's okay, for now.

Don't get bogged down in doubt. There are plenty of clients out there looking for high-quality work, and if you can provide it you'll be able to make money today, and tomorrow. Next month? Next year? Who knows. ChatGPT has another update coming out next week and maybe it'll be the one that drives away at least one of my clients. That's freelancing for ya.

Until then, keep producing the kind of work that we all claim only humans can create. Hone your style. It really all comes down to being a stellar writer.

I'd like to say there's more to it than that but when all my client-finding boils down to "scroll through UpWork and only apply to jobs that are offering >$50/hr," I honestly can't say it's about anything more than git gud.

And I mean gud. I have a bachelor's degree in English, previous in-house and agency experience, and a strong portfolio. Since I'm a writer, I know how to write a good UpWork pitch too. I meet deadlines and stay in communication. It's really not more complicated than that. Just. Write. Well.

I came across an article today from Forbes about five high-paying types of freelance writing jobs. Links aren't allowed in posts, so I can't share the link. You'll just have to search for an article called "5 Remote Freelance Writing Jobs That Pay Up To $10,000+ In 2025" by Rachel Wells. It was just published today.

I always think these kinds of articles are silly, so I was just looking at it for fun, but this one surprised me because I thought the ideas were actually good. The important point that sums up all five types of jobs is: Niche into specializing in a type of writing that requires expert knowledge. That's what all of these types of jobs had in common.

I encourage you to actually find and read the article so you'll get the full explanation, but the five types of jobs are:

• Speechwriting and presentations for executives

• Corporate report writing/white paper writing

• Executive resume writing (This is different from typical resume writing. This is for high-level corporate leaders.)

• Writing startup pitch decks

• Writing press releases (if you already have a background in marketing and communications)

So again, the idea here is to write things that require expert knowledge. Unfortunately, these aren't the kinds of things you can jump into with little to no experience. It may be hard to gain the knowledge and experience required to charge high rates for these kinds of jobs. But that's the point. That's why these skills are so valuable.

This is a lesson for all of us: Whether you do one of these things or another type of writing, you can make more money if you specialize in writing for high-paying, high-quality clients who need someone with specialized knowledge and skills. You have to take time to learn the ins and outs of your ideal client's industry. You have to have a carefully curated portfolio designed to appeal to these high-level clients (not a portfolio that contains a variety of random work that's irrelevant to what the client needs). That's how you can make money as a writer even when you-know-what is taking over some writing jobs.