A Realistic First 90 Days of Freelance Writing (What Actually Happens)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to quit my nursing job during the first 90 days?
No—and you shouldn’t. The RN2writer approach is built around low-risk, part-time implementation. The first 90 days are about building credibility and learning how freelance writing works, not replacing your income. Keeping your nursing job removes financial pressure, which leads to better decisions and more consistent action.
Is it normal not to make money right away?
Yes. In fact, it’s expected. The early phase of freelance writing is front-loaded with setup and outreach. Many writers don’t earn their first paid assignment until they’ve built clips, sent multiple LOIs, and had a few conversations that don’t go anywhere. That doesn’t mean it isn’t working—it means you’re early.
How much time should I expect to spend each week in the first 90 days?
Most successful RN2writer graduates spend 1-4 hours per week. This is enough to watch a coaching session, complete an instructional module, contact a nonprofit, update profiles, and build momentum—without burning out or overhauling your life. More time can help, but consistency matters far more than volume.
Do I need a perfect website before I start pitching?
No. You need a functional website, not a polished one. A simple site that explains what you do, shows your clips, and includes contact information is enough. Waiting for perfection often delays progress unnecessarily.
What if I still don’t feel confident after 90 days?
Confidence is not the goal—it’s the byproduct. By 90 days, most writers feel more grounded, not necessarily confident. That’s normal. Confidence builds through repetition and exposure, not readiness or reassurance.
What matters most during the first 90 days?
Showing up consistently. Writing imperfectly. Sending pitches even when it’s uncomfortable. The writers who succeed aren’t the most talented—they’re the ones who stay engaged long enough for momentum to take hold.
January energy is powerful. It makes big change feel possible.
But it also has a dark side—especially in the freelance writing world—where timelines are exaggerated, income claims are inflated, and beginners are quietly set up to feel like failures when reality doesn’t match the hype.
So let’s reset expectations.
This is not a post about what happens in the first 90 days after you decide to become a freelance writer.
It’s about what happens in the first 90 days after you complete RN2writer training and begin implementing what you’ve learned—consistently, imperfectly, and without quitting your day job.
No $5,000 months.
No overnight authority.
No viral success stories.
Just what actually happens when nurses do this the right way.
First, a necessary reframe
If you come from nursing, you already understand this concept intuitively:
You didn’t graduate nursing school and immediately feel confident, efficient, or fully competent.
You became those things through supervised experience, repetition, and exposure.
Freelance writing is no different.
The first 90 days are not about income replacement. They are about infrastructure, credibility, and momentum. Get those right, and income follows later.
Miss them—or rush them—and self-sabotage creeps in fast.
Month 1: You get published (without getting paid yet)
This is where many people get tripped up.
RN2writer does not recommend waiting around for a paid client to magically take a chance on you with zero clips. Instead, the fastest and most ethical path to credibility is strategic volunteering for a nonprofit organization.
Here’s what that looks like in real life:
- You identify a nonprofit aligned with your interests.
- You reach out and volunteer to write for them: blog posts, web pages, flyers, newsletters, what-have-you.
- You write professionally, on deadline, with feedback—just like you would for a paying client.
Within the first 30 days, most writers who follow this method end up with:
- 1–3 published clips
- Real work samples they can share with editors and content managers
- A noticeable confidence shift (“I’ve actually done this now”)
This phase isn’t glamorous—but it’s foundational. These clips unlock everything that comes next.
Month 2: You start marketing (even if it feels uncomfortable)
Once you have clips, you stop being “aspiring” and start being operational.
This is when most RN2writer graduates:
- Send their first letters of introduction (LOIs) to prospective paying clients
- Begin reaching out to healthcare companies, agencies, startups, and publications
- Learn very quickly that silence is normal—and not personal
A realistic outcome during this phase:
- You send 10–20 LOIs
- You hear back from a couple
- You may get one or two “not right now” responses
- You might get your first discovery call
This is also when mindset matters most.
People who quit here usually assume:
“If this were going to work, someone would have said yes by now.”
People who succeed understand:
“Success has no timeline. As long as I persist, I will succeed.”
Month 2 (parallel track): You craete a basic website
Not a perfect one.
Not a fancy one.
Not an expensive one.
A basic freelance writing website in the first 90 days typically includes:
- A homepage that clearly states who you help and how
- A simple services page
- A clips or portfolio page (even if it’s just a few links)
- A contact page
This site isn’t meant to convert at scale. It exists to:
- Validate you when someone Googles your name
- Give prospects somewhere to land after reading your LOI
- Help you feel like a legitimate business owner
If you’re spending weeks agonizing over fonts and colors, you’ve missed the point.
Heck, you even can simply set up a free portfolio-hosting page with one of the services designed to do that. As long as it looks professional, you’re golden.
Month 3: You retool your LinkedIn presence
By now, something important has shifted:
You no longer need to imagine yourself as a freelance health writer.
So your LinkedIn profile should stop reflecting your past and start supporting your future.
This typically includes:
- Updating your headline to clearly state what you do now (or are actively doing)
- Rewriting your summary to focus on writing, not bedside credentials alone
- Adding clips, volunteer work, or freelance projects to your experience section
This isn’t about posting daily or becoming a “personal brand.”
It’s about alignment.
When a prospect checks your LinkedIn—and they will—it should quietly confirm that you are who you say you are.
Somewhere in Month 3: You may land your first paying gig
This part is intentionally unspecific, because it varies widely.
Some RN2writer graduates land a paid assignment within 60 days.
Others take closer to 90. Some take six months. As we said earlier: Success has no timeline.
A realistic first paid gig often looks like:
- A one-off blog post
- A short content project
- A modestly paid assignment, not a retainer
And that’s exactly what it should be.
The goal is not immediate financial transformation.
The goal is proof of concept.
Once money changes hands—even a small amount—the business becomes real in a way nothing else can replicate.
What the first 90 days are really for
Let’s be very clear about this.
The first 90 days are not designed to:
- Replace your nursing income
- Prove your worth
- Determine whether you’re “cut out” for this
They are designed to:
- Build credibility
- Normalize marketing
- Create early wins
- Reduce fear through action
Most self-sabotage in freelance writing comes from expecting the wrong outcomes at the wrong time.
If you expect mastery, you’ll quit.
If you expect momentum, you’ll keep going.
The bottom line
A realistic first 90 days of freelance writing are quiet, effortful, and deeply formative.
You won’t feel finished—but you will feel started.
And that’s the point.
Because once the foundation is in place, the next 90 days look very different—and far more interesting.
Learn more about what your first 90 days as a writer can look like by downloading our $5.90 ebook, Design Your Dream Career as a Nurse Writer.
