Hone Your Skills

• 1). Choose a specialty based on your interests. Then look for areas where you can write about your passion. For example, if you enjoy restoring old cars, you can write for magazines that specialize in automotive reporting, but you also think about car restoration clubs, product descriptions for auto parts stores or ghostwriting blogs for mechanics. Copywriting a catalog for a business can pay between $2,000-$10,000 per project, according to the 89th Edition of the Writer's Market.
  
  
• 2). Become an expert. When you become an expert in your field, you can write knowledgeably on a subject and reduce your learning curve with new clients and editors. When you know about a subject, you can produce in-depth work in a short amount of time. Being able to meet deadlines with good work will make you stand out among the rest. As you stand out, you can command more for your work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a technical writer makes between $37,070 and $100,020.
  
  
• 3). Practice, practice, practice. Keeping a journal or blogging is an effective way to write every day. You will find that you will get better over time. Writing daily will help you discover your voice and perfect your personal writing style. The better writer you are, the more you stand out among the competition.
  
  
• 4). Take classes or workshops. You can find reasonably priced writing courses for grant writing, technical writing or business writing at your local community college or online. Workshops allow you to get feedback from your peers on how your writing can be more effective.
  
  

Look For Opportunities

• 1). Attend networking events. You have to let the right people know that you are a passionate writer. If you are interested in writing articles related to chemistry, attend the annual meeting for the American Chemical Society, or the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Attend networking events with a strategy, making it a point to meet editors and potential clients that you want to work with. Don't turn down a speaking opportunity to get your name out there, as well as establish yourself as an expert.
  
  
• 2). Ask for work. Don't expect people you know to ask for your help, let them know that you enjoy what you do, are good at what you do and want to help them. You can send emails, direct mail or make phone calls. Ask people you know if they know of anyone who can use your services.
  
  
• 3). Be online. You should have a website that highlights the work that you have done. Take it a step further and create a blog. The blog not only puts you on a regular writing schedule, it also gives you a platform to establish yourself as an expert. Finally, use social media to promote your work, learn more about your field and interact with potential clients.