The exact steps I'd take to get paid to write if I had to start over in 2025

Freelance writing has evolved - and so have the opportunities.

Let’s be real. Getting advice from people who’ve “made it” (whatever that actually means) is valuable, but the industry is always shifting. What worked five years ago won’t necessarily work now. New opportunities arise (hello, AI). New challenges emerge (hello again, AI).

If I were starting my freelance writing career today, while I’d follow the same fundamental steps, I’d incorporate a few different strategies to what I did in 2019. Strategies that focus on where the opportunity is and what works right now.

I truly believe there has never been a better time to get paid to write. And the numbers back me - at the time of writing, there are 15,000 job ads for writers on LinkedIn alone, and there are almost 400 million companies in the world. 400 million! That’s a lot of businesses who need strong copy and communications. And that doesn’t even include sole traders — which is huge market for freelance writers.

Combine that with the rise of subscription-based platforms like Substack + the doors AI is opening and the opportunities for writers are rampant. But to capitalise on them, you need to be strategic.

Let’s talk about the biggest trends shaping freelance writing in 2025—and exactly what I’d do to build a sustainable, high-paying writing career from scratch if I were starting today.