How to be a Freelance Fashion Writer

Your career as a fashion writer can be a stylish one indeed, pun not intended. Fashion Writing is one freelance option that offers hundreds of jobs to you. The culture of freelance work and the scope of its reach have increased and it has replaced other regular jobs as a decent source of income. Fashion writing is in no way a recent development, however the amount of websites that have sprung up, testify that there is much scope in freelance fashion writing. Fashion houses have always needed people to write about them, and people like you, i.e. fashion writers, have thus found employment. You may have many reasons for taking up freelance work. Some of you may look at the option, out of a need to earn some money on the side, while some of you to make a living away from the confines of office. Whatever your preferences, you can be assured that there is more than enough money to be made as a freelance fashion writer.

Job Duties for Freelance Fashion Writer

Your work would mostly involve spinning content about fashion and style. You will mostly be involved in the conceptualisation and creation of fashion magazines, advertising publications, newspapers, and increasingly, online forums such as blogs and newsletter style mailers. Let us have an in-depth look at some of the duties that will fall under your purview, as a fashion writer:

• Create content based on principles regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style and terminology
• Maintain the quality of content and a record of files and work revisions
• Edit, standardise or rephrase material prepared by others or fellow writers
• Confer with other teams like the design and style teams to understand the best way to approach an article
• Review published content and revise scope, format and content if needed
• Be able to translate business needs and objectives in quality driven and attractive copy

Skills:

You should have all the skills most writers boast off, however you should also have an understanding of the latest from the fashion industry practices and styles. You need to master some of these skills to make it big as a freelance fashion writer:

• Writing skills
• Design skills
• Research skills
• Content development
• Content Management
• Acceptance
• Balance
• Clarity
• Consistency
• Interpersonal skills

Many websites, forums, and instructional videos offer resources so that you can hone and perfect the inner fashion writer in you. Some of the websites where you can pick up skills associated with fashion writers include Academy of Art, Southamption University, Distance Learning, Course Horse and Media Bistro offer both free and paid-for resources, and in some cases certifications for fashion writing, where you can learn without having to move from your seat.

Being Successful as a Freelance Fashion writer:

Fashion writing is a lucrative profession, where people like you who love fashion and writing, get to combine hobby into profession, come up with quality copies, and earn some money from the comfort of your couch. With experience, the ‘some’ money in question, rapidly evolves into handsome money. More often than not, talent is not a determinant of success in any sphere. The freelance market insists that that talent combined with the relevant experience attracts generous prospective employers. Thus, you must aim at garnering the requisite experience. Initially, you could think about doing something along the following lines:

• Offer to do projects for minimum fees, sometimes for free
• Bid the lowest for a project on freelancer portals
• Get good testimonials for guest blogs, recommendations for work
• Start a blog, back link it to more visible blogs
• Create a website, or at the very least, a web page
• Advertise your services on social media platforms
• Understand the product or service intimately
• Be able to simplify overly complex language

Average remunerations:

So how much do freelance fashion writers earn. Most of the revenue generated by you depends solely on your ability to market your services and your credibility with previous employees. Usually freelance portals offer various kinds of payment models. In the fixed-price model, the price is usually pre-determined. The hourly model is the most popular and employers usually pay a predetermined sum per hour. Finally, in the project-budget based model, you often need to auction for such projects. Usually a fixed price model may range from $20- $200 and upwards, while you have to pitch for hourly projects, and budget payments, which usually range from $5- $35 an hour. Usually, fashion writers earn around $20 an hour.

Finding work:

Finding work as a fashion writer is quite easy. However, it may require efforts on your part. Quite a lot of effort in fact, network with other writers and editors to build a responsive network. In the past decade, many portals exist where you can apply for jobs all over the world and offer proposals for international projects. The most advisable course of action is to take the extra pain, go the extra mile, at the start of your career, at the least. It is important to remember that you are entering a market, as a freshman and thus, you must be willing to put extra efforts. Websites like Odesk, Elance, Guru and Peopleperhour offer many jobs to freelance fashion writers globally. Freelancing has opened up the way we view work: and the trend only continues to rise. All you wordsmiths, who wish to carve a niche in this booming field, do not just think about pressing those keys do it.

Resources:

There are many resources available for you to begin fashion writing as a career. Academy of Art, Southamption University, Distance Learning, Course Horse and Media Bistro offer both free and paid-for resources, and in some cases certifications for fashion writing, where you can learn without having to move from your seat.