Freelance writers in Nigeria

Buisness

Writers in Nigeria: 4 ways to make at least $500 monthly as a remote Nigerian writer

Writers in Nigeria: 4 ways to make at least $500 monthly as a remote Nigerian writer

Writers in Nigeria – Do you have a knack for writing, you can weave words together and command attention from every class of reader?

You’ve probably heard that writers in Nigeria earn a living by offering writing services, but you do not understand how possible that could be?

You want to join the league of Nigerian writers, who have carved a niche for themselves, and have employed up-coming writers by subletting writing jobs? Writing job is demanding, and time is of the essence. To this end, writers tend to sublet jobs to meet deadlines.

If any of the above appears like you, I make it bold to say you’re one step away from making real money as a writer in Nigeria.

I used to be like you in the past, till I discovered the golden principle and abide by it. My writing career received a boost in the right direction.

That said, you can join the league of successful writers if you will.

  • Adhere strictly to the guidelines you’re about to read here
  • Endeavor to put everything you will learn into practice till you start making money.

If that goes well with you I think you are on your way to being the next successful online Nigerian writer.

Let me even sound it clear enough, making money as one of the writers in Nigeria doesn’t come easily.

By the above statement, I mean there’s no overnight success.

You should be willing to learn, implement what you learn then be patient enough to wait for the harvest, there’s no better way to say it.

You can make over $500 like other writers in Nigeria through any of the below

#1. Become a remote freelance writer

Are you aware that freelance writing is one of the rapidly growing industries in the world today?

Let me even shock you the more with these stats,

  • Freelancers represent about 35% of the global workforce
  • With a total global workforce of about 3.5 billion, there are about 1.1 billion freelancers around the world
  • As of 2019, 57 million freelancers are working from home
  • 75% of freelancers say that they wouldn’t trade their freelancing job for other types of work.
  • The U.K. alone has over 1.4 million freelancers working today.

The freelancer industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world as of date.

What is remote freelance writing by the way?

A remote freelance writer is a person who works on his or her terms, such a person is an independent business owner who offers services to clients and customers without even having to meet them one on one for the first time.

A freelance writer typically renders writing services for more than one client and is paid per writing assignment or batch of assignments.

As a remote freelance writer, you may specialize in any of these; departments

  • Freelance blogger – you will concentrate on blog writing
  • Content writer – you will write several types of content, etc.

I can assure you that several writers in Nigeria have been making a living by rendering services to clients who needed these services.

How to become a remote freelance writer in Nigeria?

This is one of the most asked questions by writers in Nigeria who wish to share from the pie.

So many people have been writing but have not benefited immensely from the industry.

The point is this, you can write for both the local and international clients, however, getting to work with the international clients does not come in handy.

What’s the difference in preferences about the two clients mentioned?

The answer is an open secret, as at the time of writing this guide, the exchange rate per/$ to NGN is N480 per/$.

Assuming you closed a deal to write 1000 words article for a foreign client at say $250. Let’s do the math.

$1 = N480, N480 X $250 = N120,000.

Now for a 1000 words article at $250, you will simply earn a cool N120,000.

How realistic is it to charge that much when the same content goes for about $30 or $40 on Fiverr?

There you are, keep reading I will show you why and how possible this can be when you work on your terms.

Now assuming you are working with a Nigerian client, at most you could just charge N3 per word.

And for a 1000 word count article you will earn N3000. This is how difficult it is to be a Nigerian trying to make money writing in the Nigerian market.

You can still play in the Nigerian market and make money without breaking into the international market, that is left for the real professionals who can write with dynamism across genres, though not to compare with the international market.

Becoming a remote freelance writer in Nigeria

If you have a knack for storytelling and can combine research and writing skills to compel people to pay attention to you with good mastery of the English language, then you’re one step in.

Peradventure you do not fall within this category, you still have a chance to achieve your dreams like so many writers in Nigeria.

What you need to succeed is a propelling force, motivation, and willingness to learn the rope.

You need to read more journals and books from good writers, practice the act of writing, write and write continuously get people to edit and make your corrections, with time you will improve in writing.

Becoming a freelance writer does not involve a herculean task, if I do it you too can.

Follow the below steps religiously

Step 1. Build a compelling writing portfolio 

A writing portfolio means creating social relevance for yourself.

Let me give you an instance, if you want to take a loan in most cases, the bank will require collateral/ a guarantor who can stand in for you.

Peradventure you could not repay the loan, such guarantor will be held responsible.

Now your social proof or portfolio speaks for you before you client-to-be. It simply indicates that you can execute and deliver the writing service you are bidding for.

How to build a writing portfolio

Build a portfolio by getting your content published in authority websites/blogs.

This foot does not come easily, but with determination and resilience, you will be published on different blogs within a while.

You must offer value if your content must be published, at this stage you should not expect money in return for the content being published. You won’t get it, publishing your content is enough advantage and seed you’ve planted today to harvest money tomorrow.

The first step to getting published is by sending out what we call “A cold pitch.”

This is the practice where you send a request mail to the publisher discussing business, or something that will benefit every party involved, etc.

Not every publisher will respond to your mail, so gather as many email contacts as possible, send a lot say 20 at once, which one or more hopefully should respond.

But there are rules to sending out cold pitches

  • Mention the editor by his/her name it’s very important, how do you feel when you receive a mail and you’re being addressed as “High there!” It’s annoying, I will just delete such mail without looking at the content even, it sounds spam. Where you could not get the editor’s name address to the publication.
  • Introduce yourself swiftly and why you’re contacting them, editors do not have time to spare, their attention span is very low.
  • Include the article headline.

You should have written the proposed article before contacting the editor or publisher as the case may be.

Go through this template and learn a thing or two to help your cold pitch.

Dear [mention the editor or the publication]

Trust my mail meets you well at this time?

My name is [mention your name in full], I’ve been a regular on your website, thank you for the great job you’ve been doing here.

I am writing to enquire if I can contribute an article I just concluded titled “Write the title here.”

The article proffers solutions to so, so and so challenges, 

and how people can now go about it the easy way.

I’m sure it’ll make a good read for your audience.

Let me know what you think about it so I can send in the article at once.

Regards.

Now that’s a sample cold pitch that has worked magic for me sincerely, you can modify it to suit your situation any time. It converts.

You should take a thing or two away from this pitch

  • I teased and complimented the editor, there’s no better way to accessing entrance into someone’s house without knocking at the door first. Everybody wants to feel appreciated.
  • I was brief and straight to the point
  • I gave them the article idea by including the title, this will help in decision making and reduces response time.
  • Emphasize briefly how the article will benefit their audience
  • I included a call to action (CAC) in the end, which means they are indebted to giving a response either positive or negative.

If positive you just scored, if on the contrary you quickly move ahead to another website, (the market must sell). Some may not give a response even, follow up 3-4 days after your first mail, then wait for another 5 days or 1 week.

If they skipped the mail or forget to respond by oversight, they will issue a response.

But if after two weeks you couldn’t hear from them, kindly move ahead. Your email headline must be captivating, please.

Once you get published congratulations on your journey to success.

In your subsequent pitches, include links to your articles published in other blogs already, because it increases your chances of being accepted.

You will always have your credit at the “Author bio,” which’s an opportunity to include your social media links and contacts.

Step 2. Make a collection of your articles published in authority blogs 

Aggregate your articles published in authority blogs and weave them into a portfolio that should now speak for you anywhere.

You are ready to hit the ground now.

Step 3. Locate websites/blogs that need your service and pitch them

Send them a cold pitch with the afore-recommended template above, this time you will have to add your portfolio.

Increase the number of pitches, say 30 per day, you must get a response.

Recall, you should be pitching foreign clients mostly, this is how Nigerian writers make good money with remote writing services.

The approach is that once a client is satisfied with your writing skills, you’re in for a real deal.

You will start making money like it’s no man’s business, they’ll bring jobs repeatedly.

Step 4. Do not join content mill create a writing blog instead

I will advise against joining the content mill because over there writers are treated like slaves and pieces of shit, which they are not.

The importance of freelance writers cannot be overstretched, if businesses depend on content from writers to reach out to their clients why should writers not earn enough as compensation for the outbound campaign?

Writing quality and unique content requires expertise and research skill. You worth more than what is available at the content mill, why should you earn below your worth.

The thing is that at those platforms clients will always want to use you free of charge.

Most of these clients are even middlemen to who the jobs were outsourced, so they will want to keep almost the whole money. They will want you to work at a very ridiculous price.

A content mill is a freelance open market where clients hire writers for peanuts e.g,

  • Upwork
  • Fiverr
  • Freelance etc

Since you have a portfolio to back you up, why not create a website where you equally market your service by creating and publishing content to educate your potential clients.

The moment they find out you are good at your skill they will hire you.

Exactly what I did here

Said I was going to show you how to charge a high rate for your service.

The idea is this, the client has probably read your content on the authority website, then decides to hire your service. At this point they see you as an expert, there’s no how they won’t pay your rate.

You have positioned yourself as an authority, you have the power to bargain high rate since they are convinced about your ability they’ll pay. Sometimes you charge upward of $300 or more for a 1500-word count content.

Is that possible? Very possible.

On the content mill, they will want you to accept $10 for a 1000-word count job, they felt they are doing you a favor.

Another reason you will end up charging high and the closing deal is, by sending cold pitch as a job haunting strategy you will end up with real owners of the jobs you jostle for on content mill.

Only if you get to know how much they outsource those jobs, your price sometimes may be better than the middlemen charged them.

#2. Blogging

Blogging is a veritable tool to market your writing service anywhere in the world.

Several Nigerian writers have broken even with this strategy including myself.

Blogging is the practice whereby you write and publish interesting, educating, and problem-solving content on a website.

For example, Raphael Orji (myself) is a pro blogger in Nigeria who blogs finance, banking, entrepreneurial development, investment, and how to make money online.

I have worked so hard to grow this blog over the space of 3+ years, today the reward has been immense.

I simply write and publish content that solves problems, in turn, monetize this blog in different ways like,

  • Sponsored post
  • Email marketing
  • Banner ads
  • AdSense
  • Affiliate marketing.

I wouldn’t like to expose my income report for several reasons, but believe me, blogging for me has been rewarding as a way of utilizing my writing skill like other writers in Nigeria.

#3. Train writers

This is the principle of monetizing one’s knowledge. What you know appears simple, but extremely difficult for someone without prior knowledge.

You can make money by training other writers either one on one or in a group.

Leverage the power of WhatsApp to train writers for a fee.

Alternatively, you can drive your business on social media like Facebook by running ads, develop a kind of template that’ll help writers get better at their craft.

Be sure to add how they can monetize their skills.

#4. Write and publish a book on Amazon Kindle publishing (KDP)

With Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), you can publish your book on Amazon and start making money within 24 hours.

It’s absolutely 100% free to use the Amazon KDP, Amazon lets you keep your money and more.

To know more about this read “How to make money with Kindle Direct Publishing.”

It’s educating that you can get to work immediately, and start making money.

Conclusion

Writers in Nigeria have made a lot of money in the freelance writing industry that, the industry is growing at a rapid rate, would you join the bandwagon or watch while others make the money?

The choice is yours to make, I have set the golden principle that works for you to follow.

Are there questions you would like to ask sequel to this exposition? Let’s do it in the comment section.

3 comments on “Writers in Nigeria: 4 ways to make at least $500 monthly as a remote Nigerian writer

Raphael Orji
Idogun Victor eshiomuemeh

This is really helpful sir.

[…] you agreed on a writing service for $1,000, with a client, you may outsource it for $300 then keep the balance of $700 as your […]

[…] Read also: Writers in Nigeria: 4 ways to make at least $500 monthly as a remote Nigerian writer […]

Comments are closed for this post !!

Follow financengr on Twitter

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.