Today, becoming a successful freelance writer has never been easier.
But, even though freelance writing is a lucrative industry, it requires more than just publishing a blog post to become successful. You’ll need a mix of strategy and skill to build a sustainable freelance writing business.
That’s why I’ve compiled a list of the best freelance writing courses you can take to improve your game. Moreover, these courses are self-paced, so you don’t have to worry about finding time or managing the workload.
Freelance Writing Courses For Beginner Writers
As a beginner, you want to get paid to write —I get it. However, starting out can be overwhelming. Here are some online freelance writing courses you can pursue.
1. Freelance Writing Essentials
Course Website: https://peakfreelance.com/freelance-writing-course/
Price: $99 for lifetime access
Useful for: Writers who need an easy explanation of how to start freelance writing from scratch.
Instructors: Michael Keenan and Elise Dopson
This six-module course explains everything you need to know before starting a career in freelance writing. Here, Michael and Elise teach students the basics of professional writing and the foundations of running a freelance business.
For example, students learn how to build a website and portfolio that converts visitors into paid clients. Furthermore, you’ll learn how to use social media for content creation and brand visibility. From handling your finances to landing clients and effective pricing, this course gives a bird’s eye view of what to expect when building a career as a young freelance writer.
What’s more, the course is entirely self-paced. It’s designed with lots of interviews, resources, and life interactions that support new writers. However, learning doesn’t end there. Peak Freelance also has a membership community for freelance writers interested in scaling their businesses and earning more.
2. Local Rebel Academy
Course Website: https://www.locationrebel.com/join/
Price: $749
Useful for: Freelancers who want to get paid to write blogs.
Instructor: Sean Ogle
If you’re looking for an agency to help catapult your writing career, look no further than the Local Rebel Academy. In this course, Sean provides many resources for new writers to build a one-person agency.
Here, you’ll learn about everything—from how to run a freelance business to the basics of writing effective copies. You also gain access to a community of pro freelance writers who are always available to network and collaborate. If the price is out of your budget, no need to worry.
With a $99/year membership fee, Local Rebel has an extensive website that covers freelance business ideas and writing tips to help you build your skills. While it’ll take more time and dedication, these free resources are useful. You can also subscribe to their newsletter for the latest info on how to make money from freelance writing.
3. Killer Cold Emailing
Course Website: https://www.writingrevolt.com/courses/
Price: $697 (installment payments available)
Useful for: Writing cold pitches that convert leads into paid clients.
Instructor: Jorden Makelle
As a young freelance writer, sometimes you’ll have to reach out to editors and pitch story ideas. In this course, Jorden walks you through the subtle art of sending cold emails with a high response rate.
Furthermore, you’re taught how to build a pricing formula, what to say in cold emails, how to pick a niche that works for you, and where you can land paying clients—even with no experience.
You also get access to tools that help you find emails and confidently handle cold calls. This course is great for freelance writers who don’t know how to find clients and need the extra push to get going.
4. 30 Days 30 Queries
Course Website: https://www.thewordling.com/30days30queries
Price: $899
Useful for: Freelancers who want to create story pitches that translate into paid gigs.
Instructor: Natasha Relph
Looking for a great way to send pitches that convert into assignments and paid gigs? This course is for you. Natasha is a journalist with extensive experience and has written for many popular media houses.
In this six-week course, Natasha dives into the different techniques you can use to generate story ideas. Daily, she sends out a 5-minute coaching video and additional courses on publishing.
What’s great about this course is that students get lifetime access to the Wordling Plus curriculum that helps writers master specific aspects of publishing and journalism. This community allows members to grow their freelance writing careers with free resources, training, meetings, and workshops.
This course is best for writers who want to gain clarity on how to express story ideas in a way that keeps publishers interested.
5. Pitching 101 Bootcamp
Course Website: https://freelancewritersden.com/bootcamps/
Price: $40/month
Useful for: Freelancers who primarily work in industries where pitching is an integral part of their work process.
Instructor: Freelance Writer’s Den
If you enjoy writing stories, you’ll probably send many pitches throughout your writing career. Think of the Freelance Writer’s Den as a community that shares publishing resources, training, and templates with new freelance writers.
The Pitching 101 boot camp walks you through all the basics of creating pitches that capture the attention of editors. Here, you can also access pitching templates, in-house live events, and a 24/7 Slack forum to network and ask for reviews.
6. Become a Bestseller
Course Website: https://selfpublishing.com/become-a-bestseller/
Price: Available after a free one-hour consultation call
Useful for: Aspiring authors who want to build a career in publishing.
Instructor: Selfpublishing.com
You’ve always been passionate about storytelling. However, you find out that writing hundreds of pages can be overwhelming and exhausting. This course by Self Publishing might just be what you need to start your career as an accomplished author.
Think of this course as a publishing house that works with you from scratch to finish. Here, you get a ground-up approach where you’re assigned a coach and are given the resources you need to get your book out there.
Because writing a book in one sitting is almost impossible, you’re assigned to a writing room with accountability check-ins that break the writing process into stages. Once your manuscript is finished, you’ll be assigned an editor. This editor will proofread and format your book to fit different devices.
Furthermore, they’ll help you publish your book on Amazon with a cover that drives sales and brand awareness. You’ll also learn to categorize your book, set up your ISBN, and protect your royalties, all within 12 months.
7. Writer Website in a Weekend
Course Website: https://courses.profitablecreative.com/p/wwiw-v3
Price: $65
Useful for: Beginner freelance writers who want to build their own website.
Instructor: Elna Cain
You’ve finally learned the basics of writing, and it’s time to create a website where you can showcase your skills. This course is an in-depth guide on how to build a professional WordPress website that clients can use to learn about you and your services.
After enrolling, you get lifetime access to future updates and learn additional skills like graphic design and the best tools you’ll need to set up your freelance writing business.
As Whitney testifies, the course is a great tool for folks who are just starting and don’t have extensive technology experience. It is especially useful for writers who want to build a professional website quickly without trial and error.
Courses on Different Types of Writing
Freelance writing is quite lucrative because you can get paid to write in different industries. Depending on your area of interest, here are some online writing courses you can take to grow your career.
8. SEO Copywriting Training
Course Website: https://yoast.com/academy/seo-copywriting-training/
Price: $99/year plus free trial
Useful for: Writers who want to specialize in search engine optimization.
Instructor: Yoast
Yoast is a popular game changer when it comes to optimizing copies for search engines. This simple yet intensive course is designed to teach you how to create attention-grabbing copies that rank high in Google searches.
Here, you’ll learn how to perform keyword research, create better copies that retain visitors, and create content that is ready to publish. Although it’s over seven hours long, the modules are self-paced, so you can learn at your own pace.
With a yearly subscription, you get access to all of Yoast Academy’s courses where you’ll learn about WordPress and SEO strategy development.
9. Blogging For Business
Course Website: https://ahrefs.com/academy/blogging-for-business
Price: Free
Useful for: Freelance writers who want to blog full-time.
Instructor: Tim Soulo
Whether you’re a professional in content marketing or a freelance writer looking for a big break, you know how important it is to create convertible copies.
In this online course, Tim shows you how to build a blogging strategy to attract readers and find clients who enjoy your work. With 11 sections, each segment is broken down into a module that is easy to study at your own pace.
This course also teaches you everything blog post-related—from how to generate organic traffic to building backlinks that matter.
10. Learning to Write Marketing Copy
Course Website: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/learning-to-write-marketing-copy
Price: Free
Useful for: Freelance writers who want to specialize in content marketing.
Instructor: Ian Lurie
If you enjoy sales and want to become a better writer, this online course by Ian might be a great fit for you. Here, Ian teaches you how to tell stories that sell your product and brand.
The course explains the different types of copywriting and provides insights on how to rewrite and optimize content for sales. Students also get bonus lessons on how to manage a copywriting team and editorial calendar.
There are many exercises and quizzes that make the course interactive and practical for the student. Consider taking this course if you want to become a better writer and create fantastic sales copies.
11. Substack Grow
Course Website: https://substack.com/grow
Price: Free
Useful for: Writers who want to monetize their content on Substack.
Instructor: Substack Team
What sets every successful freelance writer apart from other writers is their ability to monetize their content. Substack is unique in two ways:
i) the writers are often niche/topic-focused and
ii) a community of equally excited followers who are interested in that topic.
With Substack, you can write about what you love and get paid to do so. This online course covers all the essentials writers need to grow their readership and subscriptions on their accounts.
It is particularly great for freelance writers who collaborate and create content on specific industries/topics. Furthermore, you also learn how to develop a publication strategy and prepare a successful content launch.
This course gives writers lifetime access to past and future sessions—which is a great deal if you ask me. With Substack, writers can be a part of a community that values their work and connects with readers who are willing to support them.
12. Ship 30 For 30
Course Website: https://www.ship30for30.com/
Price: $800 with 100% return policy
Useful for: Freelance content writers who have an interest in web copies.
Instructor: Dickie Bush
Students of this course pass through a series of videos, replays, and transcripts to learn the fundamentals of digital writing. Furthermore, you’re taught how to generate ideas, develop outlines, and build a solid career as a web writer.
What’s more, you have lifetime access to all past and current classes, including Dickie’s best-selling books—The 5 Pillars Of Digital Writing, The 22 Laws Of Digital Writing, and The Art And Business Of Online Writing.
According to a testimonial from Alice, Ship 30 for 30 helps you become a better writer who can publish great content every day. Each student is required to write a 250-word essay every day. This daily exercise helps the writers build consistency and apply all the concepts they learn in class.
13. Travel Writing
Course Website:https://www.udemy.com/course/travel-writing-class/
Price: $89.99
Useful for: Writers with an interest in travel journaling.
Instructor: Dave Fox
Dave Fox is a travel journalist with over 20 years of experience in freelance writing. He came up with a course that reflects all the strategies he’s used to build a full-time career as a travel content writer. Shy of just 8 hours, this course is divided into eight modules you can implement immediately.
First, he’ll teach you how to write professional travel content that gives readers a run for their attention. Next, you’ll learn how to connect with people when you travel, understand the best ways to pitch to editors, master writing techniques that draw attention, and know what not to include in your tales.
Later on, you’d be able to create a travel tale by capturing the setting, people, events, and the unique emotions travelers experience. In the end, Dave shows you how to publish your content in popular magazines and land a paid client from your network.
14. Freelance and Feature Writing
Course Website: https://www.lsj.org/courses/distance-learning/freelance-and-feature-writing
Price: $446.80
Useful for: Content writers who have an interest in journalism and feature writing.
Instructor: The London School of Journalism
This course has 12 intensive modules that span an average of 9-15 months. LSJ promises to teach you how to write features that publishers want to get behind. In this online course, you’ll learn about the foundations of journalism and the ethics of the profession.
You also understand how to conduct interviews, the basics of radio/television scripting, and how you can capture the subject in ways that captivate the readers’ attention.
Beyond technical knowledge, the online course introduces you to the sales part of journalism—how to land paid features from editors and publishers.
15. Dramatic Writing
Course Website: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/david-mamet-teaches-dramatic-writing
Price: $10/month billed annually
Useful for: Freelance writers who want to build a career as dramatic scriptwriters and storytellers.
Instructor: David Mamet
This Master Class course lasts for a little over four hours. Pulitzer prize-winning writer Dave shares insights on the foundations and expertise required to create compelling stories.
These modules essentially show you practical ways to build a dramatic case. You’ll interact with story elements like character development, plot, narration, dialogue, and drama scenes.
Dave’s ultimate mission is to provide the tools you need to turn life’s strangest moments into art that nobody forgets. With him, you’ll understand the rules of drama and sharpen the writing skills you need to develop your own unique voice.
Courses for Intermediate and Advanced Freelance Writers
As an intermediate or advanced freelance writer, here are some additional courses I recommend you take to build a rewarding career and land more high-paying clients.
16. 10x Freelance Copywriter Slack Mastermind
Course Website: https://copyhackers.com/10xfreelancer/
Price: $1300
Useful for: Advanced freelancers who want to turn writing into a sustainable, long-term income stream.
Instructor: Joanna Wiebe and Amy Posner
This course teaches you how to make over $1000 in monthly sales. By collaborating with Joanna and Amy, you’ll learn how to structure your freelance writing business, scale up sales, and build a network of fellow high earners.
Additionally, you’ll receive one-on-one coaching sessions and dedicated support that walk you through every step. With seven modules of intensive training and additional resources that are shared weekly, you also learn how to create an effective pricing strategy that guarantees 10% month-on-month financial growth.
17. An Advanced Crash Course in Writing
Course Website: https://peakfreelance.com/advanced-crash-course-in-writing/
Price: $149
Useful for: Intermediate and advanced freelance writers who want to build a successful writing career.
Instructor: Elise Dopson and Mike Keenan
Elise and Mike are advanced writers with over seven years worth of experience in freelance writing. In this intensive online course, you’ll learn a lot about advanced writing techniques—for example, writing articles that rank for specific keywords, building your own tone of voice, and negotiating with clients in a manner that yields results.
Furthermore, you get access to copywriting formulas that use psychology to drive effective sales and returns. Elise and Mike also provide additional templates for different stages of your freelance business, with replays of all classes and materials that have been shared.
Loise says, “Peak freelance is a community of eager people who help each other with referrals and client-based advice. Furthermore, the website is filled with loads of free resources beginner and advanced writers will find useful as they build their careers.”
With this course, you’re on your way to becoming a much better writer in no time.
18. Freelance Writers Den
Course Website: https://freelancewritersden.com/bootcamps/?channel=Organic&medium=Google%20-%20Search
Price: $40 per month
Useful for: Freelancers who need a community of other writers.
Instructor: Freelance Writer’s Den Community
This community has many courses advanced freelancers can use to grow their business and influence. From pitching to email marketing and advanced content creation, students in this course can access templates and study materials to support their dreams.
Furthermore, writers can attend live events with over 300+ hours of on-demand training. If you struggle with doubt and need a refresh on all your freelance skills, this course is for you.
Pursue an Online Writing Course Now!
I’ve personally taken many different online courses in my freelance career to help me scale my business and sharpen my skills.I reckon you should start with a freelance writer course today to shorten your learning curve. Most of the above ones are self-paced, which can help you in pursuing them on your own schedule.
Do remember, though, that the most successful freelance writing students are the ones who take that action. Apply the concepts you learn in a course to your business, and get real-world feedback. A successful freelancer learns on the job.
