Today I’m sharing a guest post from my friend Holly Johnson. She’s a successful freelance writer who has earned more than $200,000 writing online. I’ll let her tell you how she did it.
Until 2011, I worked as the Director of Family Services at a local funeral home. The role itself was meaningful, but it demanded so much of my time, strained family life, and wore on my sanity.
My schedule was brutal: I often left home at 7:00 a.m. and didn’t return until 5:30 p.m. I worked every other weekend, several weeknights a month, and unpredictable on-call shifts. And I had two young children.
If you balance full-time work with parenting, you know how it goes. The mornings began with long daycare drop-offs where my kids would spend more than 10 hours, and evenings were a second shift of parenting—dinner, baths, playtime, reading, and bedtime.
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I was exhausted and couldn’t see an end to that routine.
Then in 2012, something unexpected happened: we started a blog.
Yes—right in the middle of the busiest phase of life, Club Thrifty was launched. Once we gained momentum, I used our site as a springboard to pursue my real passion: writing.
Within a year, my online writing income matched my $38,000 salary. With that security, I gave one month’s notice—and left.
Since 2012, my earnings have far exceeded what I imagined, all from home. In 2015 I invoiced more than $180,000 for freelance writing, not counting blog revenue. In 2016 it looked likely I would invoice over $200,000 in paid writing work.
Related: Interested in starting a blog? Check out this free blogging course!
I’m a Contributing Editor for The Simple Dollar and I write for sites like LendingTree, Frugal Travel Guy, and U.S. News & World Report Travel. My writing has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, and Fox Business.
People are often surprised because I don’t have a journalism background. I’ve always loved writing, but before 2012 it was mostly short stories, essays, and a few gloomy poetry collections.
5 Ways to Build a Freelance Writing Career from Scratch
I learned what I needed through trial and error. The outcome has been remarkable, and many readers have asked how they can do the same. Here are the core strategies I recommend repeatedly:
Tip #1: For heaven’s sake, start a blog.
Whether your goal is content creation or affiliate income, a blog gives you a home on the web. You can build a freelance career without one, but having your own site makes the process much easier. Blogging and freelance writing complement each other: one can help grow the other.
Related: How to Start a WordPress Blog on Bluehost
Tip #2: Be yourself, and put yourself out there.
Many new writers think they must tone down their personality to succeed. My experience proves the opposite: when you let your voice shine, you become memorable. That personality can lead to better, higher-paying opportunities. Don’t be afraid to stand out—own your style.
Tip #3: Do the jobs others don’t want to do.
People assume I only take glamorous assignments, but that’s not true. Often the duller, less glamorous jobs pay more. Over time I learned which niches have well-paid, unexciting assignments and targeted them.
Tip #4: Show up like you own the place.
When you’re starting out, it’s easy to overvalue external feedback and wonder if anyone is reading or caring. That doubt leads to second-guessing. Instead, act as if you already belong. Publish confidently and keep showing up—consistency builds credibility.
Tip #5: Treat your online writing career like a real job.
A common mistake is failing to treat freelancing as a proper job. Without scheduled work hours and proactive client outreach, progress stalls. Build a dependable work routine, pursue client relationships actively, and treat your writing like a professional career. If you do, it will become one.
Final Thoughts
Before investing in a writing course, consider who created it and whether they have real, proven success. How many people can honestly say they built a six-figure writing career from scratch, without journalism training or industry connections? Very few.
Are you interested in writing online? Why or why not?