Why freelance academic writing jobs are so popular

Most people who come to freelance writing have had experience of academic writing. A minimum level of requirement for a potential freelancer is probably an undergraduate degree, and hopefully a graduate degree. This means that, despite our own achievements, many other freelancers are qualified to work the same jobs. This is one of the reason that academic writing is so competitive.

Everybody Has A Degree

When you have a degree, you want, of course, to use it. If you can turn a degree into money for writing, then you can maximize your experience and enjoy the freedom of freelancing. But, many people want to do the same, and converting the skills of academia into academic writing is an intuitive, and therefore common, step.

Limited Remit

Academic writing is very specific. If you have to write an article about ‘marriage’, for instance, then you may feel overwhelmed with possible references. However, if you have to research ‘Pneumonia between the years 1890-1894’, you have a wonderfully restricted field, and so can find easily the material you require. This limiting makes it an attractive prospect.

Good Rates

Academic writing usually pays higher rates than standard review or blog writing. You can be assumed to have good qualifications, and to be working to high standards academically, this carries a premium. This, again, makes it attractive.

Good Length Projects

An academic piece of writing is usually a reasonable length, and so makes for efficient use of time; when you research, you can apply all that you learn in one place, and minimise wasted research time. Being longer also of course, means a higher fee.

Interesting Work

Also, if you have an interest in academic writing, you are likely to enjoy and find interesting the projects you can find yourself working on. This in itself is enough to make the work desirable. If you are studying in a particular field, the research can have the second purpose of aiding your own study.

There are a great many reasons that academic writing is popular. This means it can be hard to find a niche in the market. However, if you persevere, eventually you can build a reliable and regular client-base in an area that you find interesting and rewarding. No wonder it is in demand!