For Web Writer Beginners: Looking Back at the 'First Wall' and Real Experiences Through an AI Interview

"I'm interested in being a web writer, but I don't know where to start..."
For those of you feeling this way, I've decided to look back on my experiences so far in an interview format.

From what sparked my interest and the first wall I hit, to what beginners should do in their first month.
I've shared my story based on real experiences.

I hope this serves as a helpful hint for those aiming to become web writers.

Borrowing a wonderful prompt from Yu Yanagi

It was quite a while ago, but Yu Yanagi released a "prompt that allows you to create interview-style articles using AI"✨

I had bookmarked it, thinking I'd do it someday, and I finally put it into practice this time.
This time, I had the AI conduct an interview to draw out useful content for "web writer beginners or those aiming to become web writers."

Yu Yanagi, thank you for the prompt🙇

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Answering the AI's interview

Now, let's get right into answering the interview.

Q1. What sparked your interest in becoming a web writer, and what was the specific wall you felt was "difficult" at first?

What sparked my interest... let's see.
I guess it was by process of elimination.

At the time, I was slowly recovering from depression and was looking for work I could do from home, which led me to web writing.

I already knew about web writing because I used to be on the side requesting the work in my previous job.
I also had skills in SE and design, but since those are medium-to-long-term projects, I didn't have the confidence to deliver consistently, so I settled on web writing, which has relatively shorter cycles.

The wall I found difficult was the copy-paste check rate. This really gave me trouble😔
No matter how many times I tried, I couldn't get it below the client's specified copy-paste check rate.
In the end, they let it slide even though it was slightly higher than specified.

Since then, I avoid projects that use copy-paste check tools. Because I think it's
impossible for an article you research and write not to overlap with existing articles.In the end, you have no choice but to adjust the phrasing, and the article I mentioned earlier with the copy-paste check requirement was delivered with slightly strange Japanese.

Q2. When you first landed a job, what actions or ingenuity were the deciding factors?

The deciding factor was luck.
At that time, even though the job of web writer existed, it wasn't widely recognized by the public.
Was it around the time of COVID that web writing gained attention as a side job?

It was before that, so there weren't that many web writers, and since AI hadn't appeared yet, there were plenty of projects.

My first project was an article about fishing for an outdoor media site.
I only had experience fishing with my family, and I'm actually more of an indoor person myself 😓
I really think it was just luck that I was hired for such a project where I had so little knowledge and experience.

I'm not sure if you could call it a trick, but I made sure to keep my proposal as simple as possible so that the person hiring could grasp it at a glance. This is something I still do today.

Q3. If you had to narrow it down to three things that someone aiming to become a Web writer should do in their first month, what would they be?

Let's see.

• Create a portfolio

• Take on even low-paying projects

• Develop communication skills

I suppose those would be the three.

As I wrote a little earlier, the population of Web writers has increased, and the number of projects has decreased due to the emergence of AI 😱

For those who want to start as a new Web writer, it is better to have a portfolio.
Some people think that a portfolio must be made from projects they have actually received, but it is fine to create a mock request yourself and write an article based on that.
In short, it's enough to show what kind of writing you can do.

Naturally, no payment is generated when you create it based on a mock request.
However, think of it as a proactive investment, since a portfolio leads to actual requests. If you find it difficult to come up with a mock request, I think it's also a good idea to have AI create one for you these days.

Once you have a portfolio, you start moving to acquire actual projects, but I think it is difficult for someone trying to be a Web writer for the first time to get the often-mentioned 1 yen per character rate. I'll talk about cases where you use crowdsourcing sites like CrowdWorks or Lancers.

On crowdsourcing sites, you can receive evaluations from clients by taking on requests.
This leads to a track record, but of course, you start with zero evaluations when you first begin.

You can imagine that even if you have the ability, it is difficult to get hired without a track record.
Therefore, apply for low-paying projects first to build up your track record.

By the way, the first fishing article I took on had a rate of about 0.2 yen per character.
It was tough and didn't pay much, but from there, I gradually started getting hired for higher-paying projects.

You might think that since Web writing is a job that involves writing, you need writing skills.
It is true that you need to be able to use proper Japanese to a certain extent, but writing techniques are acquired while doing projects, and you hit a plateau once you reach a certain level. Generally,
whether you can follow the regulations is more important than technical skills.

And I believe that communication skills are important for being continuously chosen by clients.
After all, it's an interaction between people, so the key is how pleasantly you can proceed with the project.

Like being able to communicate frequently or ensuring mutual understanding.
Each one is just a small bit of consideration, but as they say, many a little makes a mickle, and these become the pieces that build a good relationship.

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That was my message to Web writer beginners and those aiming to become one.

It ended up getting a bit long.
I feel like I still have a long way to go when I find myself writing about this and that.
I will strive to write more concisely.

I hope this article is helpful, even if just a little, to beginner web writers or those aspiring to become one.

I felt that the interview format was a nice way to write about my own experiences while recalling various things.
Once again, thank you for the wonderful prompt, Yu Yanagi 🙇

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I am accepting questions and topics you would like me to turn into articles

I am accepting questions and topics you would like me to write about.
Instead of leaving a comment, please send them via the form below.
Whether it's about web writing or running a note, feel free to ask anything that's on your mind✨
I have already received a few questions. Thank you very much 🙇
Please wait a little while until I turn them into articles.

I cannot promise to answer everything, but I would like to answer as many as possible in my articles.
It's anonymous, so I'd be happy if you could just drop them in🥰

If the form does not appear or you cannot enter text properly ⇒ Open the form directly

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Bonus: I received a Congra Board again this week

Following last week, I received a Congra Board again this week 👑
A Congra Board is like a certificate that note officially gives to articles that have gathered many 'likes'.
This marks 28 consecutive weeks.

The target article is here.

The tags were '#event' and '#illustration'.

I am able to receive these Congra Boards thanks to everyone who always visits and leaves 'likes' 🫶
Thank you very much 🥰
I look forward to your continued support 🙇

I wrote about how to get a Congra Board

Because I have been able to consistently get Congra Boards and have received requests from people wanting to know how, I wrote the 'Yuki-style Congra Board Acquisition Method'.

A celebratory board presented by note officially to articles that have received many 'likes'.
It makes me happy, as if my article has been recognized.
The price may go up, but I have no plans to lower it, so if you are interested, please check it out now ✨

People who practiced it and acquired a Congra

Yuri, a woman approaching retirement, practiced it and acquired a Congra Board for two consecutive weeks 🏆
The other day, she also told me about her first acquisition, making this her third award in total.
I think my note had some effect, but I believe it is a Congra Board earned because Yuri took action and wrote her articles properly.
Thank you for purchasing and putting it into practice.
Once again, congratulations on acquiring your Congra Board 🎉

For those who have practiced it and acquired a Congra, I have been sending a small celebratory tip.
It's your turn to get the next Congra ✨

Shall we get a 'congrats' together?

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