How To Get Freelance Content Writing Jobs in India

Remote content writers earn much more than you'd think. Some of the top freelance remote writers make more than ₹5000 per hour! And that's not very uncommon either. There's a real demand for good writers. and companies are willing to pay. So, how do you get in on the action?

Don't limit yourself to Indian companies

Indian companies, unsurprisingly, aren't the highest-paying ones. It's companies in the West. Companies based out of the US or Europe generally pay much, much higher than Indian companies. The reason they pay a ton is two-fold.

For starters, the cost of living in these countries is high and payment structures are designed to support life in those countries. The cost of living in India or other Asian countries is much, much lower, of course. Therefore, even if the company pays an average salary, it becomes a huge sum to people in India and other Asian countries.

So, that's the first takeaway: Don't apply just to Indian companies.

Know that their English isn't that good

I have spoken to a lot of great writers from India and other countries where English isn't the first language of the people. A lot of these writers are fantastic writers but way too many of them never apply to companies based outside their native countries. For example, very few Indian writers apply for remote writer jobs posted by a company in the US.

In speaking to a lot of these writers, I've found that the biggest reason they don't apply is a lack of confidence. I've heard varying versions of this:

"Oh but we don't know their way of talking", "They just speak so differently", "Oh no one even looks at resumes from Indians", "The competition is so high. They'll have actual English people applying!" — there are so many more reasons that I've heard.

The fact is that there's no reason why you should think that. If you're a good writer, it doesn't matter where you are from. Is there no bias at all in the writing industry? Of course not, there's always some bias and it's true that the bias is usually against people from India.

But having worked with quite a few international companies, I can confidently say that if your work is good, you will succeed. Make no mistake, it won't be easy but it'll happen if you don't give up on it.

Writers from the West aren't inherently any better than writers from India.

Apply to every writing job that you qualify for

Getting a great freelance writing job is a game of numbers. The more companies you apply to, the better chances you have of getting qualified. It's unfortunate that this is the case but hey, it is what it is.

Find good job boards and keep track of all the new jobs that are being posted. If you think you're the right match, apply without any hesitation. It'll take a lot of applying and a lot of rejections before you're called up for an interview but again, persistence is the key here.

Some of the job boards that you can keep track of are We Work Remotely, Truly Remote, and remote.co. These job boards post good remote writing jobs all the time.

Create a crisp, succinct resume

There are a few things to keep in mind when you're writing your resume:

1. Your resume must be ATS-friendly. Most companies use software (Applicant Tracking System) when they're creating the first shortlist. ATS rejects applications that it deems unworthy. Most resumes are rejected even before a human reads them. That's the fact. Now, ATS isn't perfect and there are a lot of problems with them but they're used widely. So, make sure your resume is ATS-friendly. There are some excellent guides that you can refer to online.

2. Your resume is a chance to brag. Some applicants are shy to claim that they did something great. It's just not in our nature to brag. But a potential employer needs to know how good you are. The only way they're going to find out is if you tell them.

3. Keep it brief. Only list your best achievements. If you won a writing contest that was conducted at a national level a year back, make sure your potential employer knows about it. If you won an essay contest when you were in 5th std, skip that.

4. Speak about what you did. A resume, at its heart, is an introduction to you. The company plans to hire you, not your team. They want to pay you, not your other clients. Make sure all the points that you list in your resume talk about how you have contributed to the success of your other clients. The aim here is to tell your potential client as much as possible about you, your work, your work ethic, your expectations, and your value. So, make it personal and talk about yourself. Again, don't ramble. One page is ideal. Two pages are more than enough.

Writing samples are indispensable

Companies need to see the quality of your writing before they start paying you. So, make sure you create a portfolio.

What is a writing portfolio?

Simply put, it's a single page that shows off the best content that you've ever written. How do you define best? It could be an article or a blog with incredible views, or it could be something that generated a ton of conversions, or it could simply be pieces of content that you think is great.

How to create a portfolio if you are a new writer

If you're just starting out, you probably don't have content that's published online. You can still create a portfolio, though.

Use Google Docs or Word Online and write a few blogs or articles. These can be in the niche of your choice! Write anything you want. Create a shareable link and upload the link to your portfolio. It's that simple.

While it's obvious that having live links on websites is always going to be a better option, having a good collection of writing samples will do, too.

Conclusion

Even though there's a lot of talk about how AI tools like ChatGPT will put writers out of a job, the fact is that it's going to be ages before that happens. So, don't worry about AI and start writing!

If you're finding it difficult to find remote writing jobs that pay well, visit SimpleJobListings. It's a job portal that I've created where you can find great jobs that are all remote. Bookmark the site and check it daily. There are always new jobs!