Best 10 Essential Tools Freelance Writer Needs

So you finally crossed the line of deciding to start your freelance writing career? Or do you just have a curious mind and would like to know a little bit more about freelance writers?

Besides freelance writers, this blog may apply to all freelancers as well because they need handy-dandy technology tools to help with tasks since they are self-employed and lacks the utility that well-established companies provide for their employees, and they need to supply themselves with useful tools like these.

Specifically for this blog, we’ll provide you with the software writing tools for freelance writers and why they need them.

To the current freelance writers or future freelance writers reading this, continue reading our list of 10 essential writing tools every freelance writer needs to recommendations of our favorite tools.

10 Essential Tools Every Freelance Writer Needs

Project Management tools

As the name suggests, it is an all-in-one tool that helps you manage your tasks in a project to work efficiently and effectively.

To be more precise, a project management tool handles tasks such as:

• Organizing and scheduling your tasks, folders, templates, workflows, and calendars to plan and assign work in one location.
• Use file management capabilities that enable editing, versioning, and saving of files to prevent lost or out-of-date files.
• Monitor and evaluate growth and productivity by managing resources and reports.
• You can create a more effective way of working with your team by using project or work management tools to assign tasks, add feedback, arrange dashboards, and verify or approve changes.

Our recommended project management software tools include:

• Asana
• Trello
• Wrike
• ClickUp

Project management tools are not only essential for freelance writers but essential for all freelancers as well.

Check your grammar writing

Our first writing tool is very important to help create high-quality freelancing writing, especially when you have to present it to your clients.

Not everyone is perfect, even skilled writers make mistakes in their writing whether they forgot to double -triple-check their work or somehow our brains can’t process where the wrong is.

That’s why we need a trustful grammar checker writing tool to check our work!

Grammarly

World-famous grammar checkers like Grammarly is a popular online writing tool assistant that helps users improve their grammar and writing skills.

It offers real-time grammar and spell checking, as well as suggestions for improving sentence structure, word choice, and overall clarity.

With its user-friendly interface and wide range of features, Grammarly has become an indispensable tool for students, professionals, and writers.

Writing assistant

When you do start freelance writing, you might want to accept writing projects from multiple clients at once.

Although you can write it all and come up with all of those ideas all by yourself, it is going to take a toll on you and your work is going to pill up.

Don’t fret any longer! That’s why you NEED a writing tool that will aid you in your freelance writing process.

Writing assistants are bots that help you generate ideas by finding facts on the internet and implementing them into their sentences, which is plagiarism free so you don’t have to worry about them copying from other’s work.

Your only task is to read and fact-check the results produced by these writing assistants just in case the details are not up-to-date and check for little grammatical errors.

Some of our recommended writing tool assistants include:

• Jasper
• Quillbot
• Rytr
• Word hero

Plagiarism checker

When you do freelance writing, one of the most important things you can do for your professional reputation is to ensure that your work is original and plagiarism-free.

The next writing tool that will aid you to achieve that reputation is a plagiarism checker! It’s a great way to demonstrate your commitment to producing high-quality, ethical work.

By using a plagiarism checker, you can quickly and easily check your work before submitting it to clients or publishing it online, giving you peace of mind and the confidence to produce your best work.

Whether you’re just starting freelance writing or have been writing professionally for years, a plagiarism checker is an essential tool that can help you stand out in an increasingly competitive industry.

Website Builder

It’s crucial to have your website where to display your portfolio containing your contact details, your freelance writing services, and displaying some of the work that you have done so that you can attract clients to work with, it’s one of the ways freelancers market themselves on the internet.

But how do you even start to build a website?

No worries! You don’t need to learn all those complicated web developer stuff! There are website builders that can aid you build attractive and professional-looking websites.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a popular website-building platform that enables users to create stunning and professional websites without any coding knowledge. With its intuitive interface and a wide range of customizable templates, Squarespace offers a seamless experience for individuals and businesses. From online stores to portfolios and blogs, Squarespace provides a comprehensive solution for building and managing an impressive online presence.

Cloud Storage

Rather than saving their work on their working devices, freelance writers should have cloud storage to store their writing projects, this will save them so much time and enable them to work efficiently.

The benefits of saving your work on the cloud include:

• Security is prioritized.
• Work from anywhere from any device as long as you have internet service.
• Affordable – some cloud storage providers offer lifetime cloud storage at a low cost for both small enterprises and individual customers.
• Easy to share files, especially if users use the same cloud provider, some providers might not provide cross-platform sharing.
• Easy to recover in case of emergency.
• Automatically save your work.
• Allow collaboration in one document from multiple users, only after you have allowed them to access.

There are many free cloud storage available for everyone to use, such as Google Drive and Microsoft Outlook.

Note-taking app

As a freelance writer, you will be doing tons of research on whatever topic you are writing about for your clients or your website, so you will maybe need to brainstorm ideas, write down a to-do list, remind yourself of your work due, and many more.

Similar to the project management tool project we talked about at the beginning of our list, this tool can be considered a productivity and organizing tool too, but more lightweight and easy for users to use, to be installed on their smartphones and/or laptops.

It’s almost like having a Post-it reminder note but digitally and paperless!

Evernote

Evernote is a versatile note-taking application that helps users capture and organize their ideas, thoughts, and information across multiple devices. With features like text, image, and voice note capture, as well as seamless synchronization, Evernote offers a convenient way to store and access information on the go.

Payments tools

So you’ve landed on a project, and you have done delivering the client’s demands and provided them with your superb freelance writing service, so of course, you need to receive your part of the trade too!

All business owners will have to provide their clients with payment methods to pay for the products they purchased, or in this case, the services freelancers used.

Having a user-friendly yet secure and trusted payment method is important to gain the trust of customers.

Some examples of payment tools online businesses use are as follows:

• Paypal
• ApplePay
• Stripe
• Wave

Job landing websites

To land on projects, freelancers have websites dedicated to their job search or other known as job boards for freelancers. Freelance writers can look for their typing jobs from these websites easily.

The popularly known freelance websites are such as:

• Fiverr
• Upwork
• People per hour
• Flexjobs
• LinkedIn

These websites may come with a commission cost as a tip for helping freelancers land those freelance jobs, a small payment to make to get you the bigger money.

Communication tools

Communication tools play a crucial role in the success of freelancers by enabling efficient and effective communication with clients, colleagues, and collaborators.

These tools provide freelancers with the means to stay connected, exchange ideas, clarify project requirements, and address any concerns or questions promptly.

Whether it’s email clients, project management platforms, video conferencing software, or instant messaging apps, having reliable and accessible communication tools ensures smooth collaboration, fosters client relationships and helps freelancers deliver high-quality work while maintaining professionalism and responsiveness in a remote working environment.

A couple of frequently used communication tools include:

• Hunter.io – Hunter locates, validates, and enhances contact information using technology and artificial intelligence.
• Boomerang – Its best feature is its capacity to plan emails so that they are sent at the most advantageous periods. Useful for managing email correspondence.

FAQ

What is Freelance writing?

Freelance writing is a writing job done by self-employers who can choose to work for multiple different clients at once.

They can work at home, in libraries, cafes, or anywhere their heart desires at any time they want to do it.

Freelance writers much like other freelancers are loyal to one company only although they might get the same client again and again just like regular customers if the service they’ve provided has satisfied the client.

Freelance writers also have the freedom of choosing the industry they want to write for, for example, business, travel and food, science, and many more.

They also may need to be skilled in many different writing styles as they are many types of writing, this is proven as we can see there are writings everywhere from the internet like website contents, blogs, and articles to hard copy writings such as fiction books and newspaper.

How to start a freelance writing career?

Starting a freelance writing career can be taunting because different from other careers, you are pretty much on your own, therefore, you need to have a strong mindset and know how to motivate yourself.

Following that way of thinking, here are some tips that might help you start freelance writing:

1. Do some research

Before you start your freelance writing career, it’s important to do some research. Find out what type of writing you’d like to do, what type of clients you’d like to work with, and what type of pay you can expect. You can find this information by reading articles, talking to other freelance writers, or searching for job postings online.

2. Build a portfolio

One of the best ways to land freelance writing gigs is to have a strong portfolio. Your portfolio should showcase your best work, whether it’s published articles, blog posts, or even sample chapters from a book. 

3. Create a website or blog

Your website should include your writing samples, as well as information about your services and rates. A blog is also a great way to attract potential clients, as it shows that you know how to write engaging content.

4. Join relevant online communities

There are many online communities for freelance writers, such as Freelance Writers Den and Problogger. These communities can be a great resource for finding jobs, networking with other writers, and getting advice on freelancing.

5. Get organized

Once you start landing clients, it’s important to get organized so you can keep track of your assignments and deadlines. Creating a system for tracking your assignments will help you stay on top of your work and meet all of your deadlines.

6. Promote yourself

To find new clients, you need to promote yourself as a freelance writer. You can do this by creating business cards with your contact information and handing them out at events or networking meetings. You can also promote yourself online by creating profiles on freelancing websites or social media sites like LinkedIn

The benefits of freelancing

Here are the reasons why some people decide to work as a freelancer:

1. Flexibility: Freelancing offers the freedom to set your schedule, choose projects that interest you, and work from anywhere, allowing for a better work-life balance and the ability to pursue personal commitments.
2. Diverse Work: Freelancing exposes you to a wide range of projects, clients, and industries, allowing you to expand your skills, knowledge, and experience in different areas.
3. Independence: As a freelancer, you have the opportunity to be your boss, make decisions autonomously, and take full control over your professional growth and development.
4. Increased Earning Potential: Freelancers often have the potential to earn more than traditional employees as they can negotiate their rates, take on multiple projects simultaneously, and benefit from the absence of fixed salary brackets.
5. Work-Life Balance: Freelancers have the flexibility to prioritize their personal life and take breaks when needed, leading to improved overall well-being and reduced burnout.
6. Variety and Creativity: Freelancing enables you to work on diverse projects, which keeps work exciting and allows you to express your creativity in different ways.
7. Professional Growth: Freelancing offers constant learning opportunities through exposure to different industries, clients, and projects, helping you develop new skills and expertise.

The disadvantages of freelancing

While freelancing offers many benefits, there are also some disadvantages to consider.

Firstly, freelancers often face inconsistent income and financial instability, as projects may fluctuate, and securing a steady stream of work can be challenging.

Additionally, freelancers are responsible for managing their taxes, insurance, and retirement plans, which can be complex and time-consuming.

Moreover, freelancers often lack the traditional benefits provided by employers, such as health insurance, paid time off, and retirement contributions.

Lastly, the isolated nature of freelancing can sometimes lead to feelings of loneliness and a lack of social interaction, as freelancers typically work independently without the camaraderie of a traditional office environment.

How much do freelance writers earn?

The salary for freelance writing may vary depending on each freelancer, however, to give an estimate, research on how much freelance writers make have been done.

There are different ways these writers calculate their pay rate per project, this will vary depending on the person:

• Word count – You decide how much you’ll charge per word, and either the client or you decide on the goal word count. 
• Worked hour – Hourly rates are universally comprehensible, and it is a straightforward method for monitoring and calculating earnings. You establish a specific price for each hour worked, keep track of your time, and subsequently invoice your client based on the number of hours expended.
• The project/ flat rate –  Flat rates can be tricky to figure out, particularly if the project takes far longer than you anticipated. That could result in financial loss.
• Based on the clients/ Retainer rate – The amount of each client’s monthly (or yearly) retainer is predetermined and fixed. You can complete any number of tasks or projects for the rate. Clients who need you to complete frequent, ongoing work for them benefit from this type of rate.