How Do Freelancers Get Paid?
This is where things can get a little tricky.
If you’re working as a freelancer on your own, you’ll be responsible for invoicing your clients. You’ll also need to follow up, assign late fees, and create your own contracts.
If you work with a freelancing agency, they’ll take care of the back-end work for you. Usually, your agency will take a pre-set percentage of your profits in exchange for client management.
As a freelancer in the United States, you’ll also need to file taxes. If you make more than $600 in a tax year, you’ll report your freelance income to the IRS.
Some companies will send you a 1099 form with your tax information.
It’s key that you keep careful records to ensure you stay on top of your taxes as a freelancer.
Where Can I Find Freelance Work?
You know you love to write–but it can be tough to figure out exactly how to get started.
Working with a digital content marketplace can help connect you with the people who need your skills to grow their business.
While writing comes easily to you, that’s not the case for everyone–the ability to understand what a client needs and create text that works for them is invaluable.
You also have the option of reaching out to clients on your own to find freelance work.
This can be a good option, but you won’t have the benefit of an agency to take care of invoicing, payment processing, etc.
If you’re working with clients without the support of an agency, it’s smart to learn how to create a contract that can increase the likelihood that you’ll get paid on time.
It helps if you’re willing to experiment a bit. Networking events, online writing communities, and industry-specific forums still matter in 2025—sometimes the best gigs pop up casually in a thread or a virtual meetup, not a polished platform. And there’s always that oddball lead from a friend or even a former coworker who suddenly needs web copy or a newsletter. None of this is rocket science; it’s more just paying attention, tossing your hat in the ring, and not getting too discouraged when people ghost you. (There will be ghosting. Brace yourself.)
Skill-building matters, too, and not only in your main niche. Maybe you start out writing blog posts about tech and discover that white papers or case studies command double the rate. Or as a designer, you might realize there’s a weirdly strong demand for presentation makeovers or eBook layouts. Freelancing can surprise you—there’s no set path, and half the time, the thing that keeps your bills paid for a few months is something you barely noticed developing as a skill. It’s a learning process that doesn’t really stop, which is both a headache and oddly satisfying.
Ready to get started as a freelancer? Check out these content agency options:
Wrap Up
Whether you’re a freelancer who is interested in top-notch jobs or you’re a content creator looking to outsource your copywriting, we’ve got you.
