If I could go back in time, one of the things I would have done before diving headfirst into freelance writing is to spend a few dollars on one or two freelance writing courses.
It would have saved me so much time from figuring things out myself.
Like almost every broke person out there, I tried finding ways to still learn how to write without spending anything. I spent countless hours reading through online articles, free books, and watching videos.
But learning through an online training course does wonders. All the materials are there for you to power through. At the same time, nothing beats being able to reach out to an expert and ask questions.
On the other hand, the subject of freelance writing is vast. As you may know, there are different writing services you can offer like copywriting, blog writing, and more.
Expectedly, there are online courses for each of those disciplines.
In this article, let me share with you my list of awesome freelance writing courses that you can take to either learn how to become a freelance writer or add more skills to your stack.
Let’s start!
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1. The Complete Guide To Becoming A Successful Freelance Writer
Right off the bat, let’s start with one of the highest-rated and most robust freelance writing courses on this list!
The Complete Guide To Becoming A Successful Freelance Writer course is perfect for anyone who wants to venture into freelance writing.
All you need for this course is a good command of the English language, your desire to earn money from writing online, and a courageous heart that can handle rejections.
I like this course simply because the instructor does not assume that you already know your specific interests and that you simply need a guide. There’s an entire section here dedicated to helping you know what kind of writer you want to be.
Perhaps the most important part of the course is teaching you where to find writing clients and how to get paid. Yes, there are a lot of freelance writer websites out there you can visit to find writing opportunities…
But this course gives you more as you will also learn how to identify your client base. Then, you will learn how to pitch and generate your own ideas to land your first writing contract.
There’s also a lecture on how to use social media as a marketing tool and expand your client base organically.
Naturally, there’s an entire section dedicated to teaching you how to write an article (since well, this will hardly be a writing course without writing). But I like it that the first lecture is about appraising your writing skills.
Seriously, everybody can write!
But obviously, not on the same level. Some may have a natural affinity towards writing while there may be others who have to build the skill from scratch. That’s why I like the idea of having to appraise your writing skills first before going into the actual writing part.
Check out The Complete Guide To Becoming A Successful Freelance Writer course here.
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2. Freelance Writing For Beginners
This next course is a good complement to the first one as it expounds on the basic points that the earlier course covers.
The Freelance Writing For Beginners is twice as long as the first one but contains only three sections and twelve lectures.
In addition, it was written by Laura Brown.
I usually don’t talk much about the instructor unless I find something worth mentioning. But Laura Brown is the author of the Amazon #1 bestseller How to Write Anything: A Complete Guide — one of the best books about writing.
Back to the course. As you know, one of the greatest dilemmas that beginner freelance writers face is how to demonstrate to prospective clients that you have the writing talent and experience for the job…
Fortunately, Laura spent a good two lectures addressing this issue…
In the first one, she will teach you how to get writing samples even before you have any paid experience. The other one will teach you how to show off your work and make it easy for your clients to find you.
I also like the fact that one of the concluding lectures is about how to avoid deadbeat clients and manage those who are reluctant to pay. Whenever there’s a course created by an expert that addresses these issues, better grab it and learn before you experience the issues yourself.
Check out the Freelance Writing For Beginners course here.
3. Browsers to Buyers: 21 Powerful Website Copywriting Hacks
Copywriting is one of the most popular forms of freelance writing.
In fact, there’s a great demand for it that somehow, the market still isn’t able to satisfy. A quick look at Upwork revealed that as of the time I’m writing this, there are over 6,000 copywriting job posts.
That’s why if you want to earn money from freelance writing, copywriting is one of the best ways to go. And this is where the Browsers to Buyers: 21 Powerful Website Copywriting Hacks course enters the stage.
So how do you know if a copywriting course is good?
Simple! Check out the course’s marketing copy and see if it clicks. That’s why I’m confident that this course rocks (aside from being the highest-rated course with a 4.8 rating and thousands of students).
Aside from the usual copy-related lectures, I like the fact that there’s a section about formatting secrets of the pros. A quick peek into it revealed that there’s actually a good and a great way to format sentences, paragraphs, and even subheadings on a marketing copy.
Oh, and here’s a snippet of the note from the instructor:
If you’re looking to become a copywriter, I’m living proof you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on expensive courses.
Whatever a great living means to you: five-figures a month, being your own boss, complete lifestyle freedom…
It’s all available to you with this course, a healthy dash of elbow grease, and a few easy-to-repeat systems.
Who wouldn’t want to buy into that?
Check out the Browsers to Buyers: 21 Powerful Website Copywriting Hacks course here.
4. Copywriting behind the scenes (write copy that sells)
If you’re looking for a lengthy and detailed copywriting course that focuses on ads and affiliates, then look no further than this Copywriting behind the scenes course.
With more than five hours’ worth of lectures, I’m certain you’ll learn more copywriting principles here than you can apply.
The first lecture alone is already worth it as you will learn the architecture of the perfect ad. Then, you will learn the most important skill you need to master (hint: it’s not about writing).
This is a good course to take especially when your goal is to become an expert in ads and social media. One of the lectures is about Facebook ad secrets and naturally, becoming a masterful copywriter yourself.
One of the things that made me pick this course is the fact that the instructor included good 6-figure per month ad templates. And no, I’m not talking about the template document alone. A whole section is dedicated to studying that template.
It’s extremely important and beneficial to have a working template…
Aside from being able to use it as your own, you will also be able to pattern other templates from it. Because it’s already proven to work, you can be certain that if you follow it closely, you will also be able to bring results.
In addition, I like the fact that the instructor added an update to it!
The added lecture is about the art of storytelling. In the world of copywriting, adding a relatable story can increase the odds of the customer buying into whatever it is that you’re selling.
Check out the Copywriting behind the scenes (write copy that sell) course here.
5. Email Marketing – Copywriting and Growing Your E-mail Lists
Writing emails is one of the most lucrative freelance writing jobs there is. I know someone who earns more than $2,000 from email marketing and he works only a few hours per week on it.
The reason? You can earn so much from commissions alone.
That’s why courses like Email Marketing – Copywriting and Growing Your E-mail Lists are so hot right now.
Compared to other forms of freelance writing, you can charge a small rate for the writing part and ask for commissions when the emails make sales.
A cool thing about this course is that the instructor will not teach you to write emails alone, you will also learn the right tools to use in email marketing like autoresponders, algorithms, and automation.
You will also learn about email sequences and the most popular ones that work. The sequence of the emails has an impact on the mindset of the recipients and in preparing them for the sale. In this course, you will also find templates for emails and sequences.
This course is a bestseller with a 4.9 rating. It runs for almost five hours in total length and spans 42 lectures. Aside from templates, you will also find various resources here that can help you grow any business through email marketing.
Check out the Email Marketing – Copywriting and Growing Your E-mail Lists course here.
6. Bad Grammar: How to Edit Your Own Writing
Did you know that there are job posts that specifically look for editors and proofreaders?
That’s because writers often make mistakes (ahem!) and they don’t even know it. In the past, I hired a few editors myself to go through my content before I published them.
That’s why taking up the Bad Grammar: How to Edit Your Own Writing course is such a good idea.
Not only will you be able to write better and watch out for your own mistakes, but you can also earn a living by being an editor or proofreader.
The course focuses primarily on three important mistakes — sentence structure, ambiguity, and word usage. Each section is solid, with over 25 lectures for the whole course.
At the end of each lecture, there’s a quiz that will test how well you understood the previous lecture.
Personally, I always encounter trouble with comma splices, run-on sentences, dangling modifiers, and fuzzy comparisons. When I write for high-profile clients, I won’t hesitate to pay big for editors and proofreaders to run through my article.
The course may not be that long. Its total length is only a little over two hours. But what I like about it is that since each lecture is relatively short, you will not easily get bored. And if you want to learn even further, the instructor has suggestions on the best grammar books and resources to check on.
Check out the Bad Grammar: How to Edit Your Own Writing course here.
7. WordPress for Beginners: The Complete 2020 WordPress Guide
Whatever type of content you want to write for a living, it’s always worth it to learn about WordPress. Personally, learning how to use WordPress is one of the best investments I ever made as I was able to earn more from this skill.
(Not counting the fact that this blog would be non-existent without my WordPress skills. ?)
The WordPress for Beginners: The Complete 2020 WordPress Guide course will walk you through everything you need to know about WordPress — from hosting to building a business website yourself.
You might ask…
What’s WordPress got to do with freelance writing?
If you know how to use WordPress and publish articles straight from it, you can charge more for doing the task yourself. I know of many bloggers and business owners who hire virtual assistants to publish articles written by another person on their WordPress sites.
In addition, you can even start a blog yourself after your passions and interests and earn a living separate from your freelance writing business. I can’t really think of a disadvantage of learning WordPress.
Check out the WordPress for Beginners: The Complete 2020 WordPress Guide course here.
Kickstart Your Freelance Writing Career With an Online Course
The seven online courses above are the best freelance writing courses I can find. Naturally, there certainly are others out there. Freelance writing is vast and there’s no shortage of courses about the many jobs you can do as a freelance writer.
But even if you took all the courses above, I will still advise you to continue learning more. Aside from courses, there are tons of books out there about writing, editing, and earning. All you have to do is look for them.
Now it’s your turn…
- Do you know of any good freelance writing course that’s not listed here?
- What online course (or any resource material) has helped you the most?
Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
