People who set out to make a full-time income from freelance writing sooner or later become disappointed by the fact that there are just so many writers who are as talented as they are, many of whom are willing to work for dirt cheap prices.

If you're a beginning freelance writer, what you want to do is to take your first baby steps in the right direction. Here are some tips on how you can earn big bucks from freelancing:

1. Save first before you go full time

Freelance writing isn't for the faint-hearted, and neither is it for people who are just waiting for things to happen.

Freelancing is a business and you could spend at least two hours of your day simply marketing yourself and your services (READ: finding writing jobs).

Without enough savings, you'll be desperate for projects, and will most likely jump at the first project that comes to you, which usually isn't the best offer.

2. Market yourself

Just like any other business, you should get the word out about you and your business. And I do mean heavy promotion here.

The easiest way to do this is to set up a profile on freelance job exchange websites and start bidding on jobs. Or you can set-up a website and start promoting yourself through article marketing.

While they've had their glory days, freelance writing jobs are right no notorious for being home to service buyers who are only willing to pay pennies for hard work.

3. Set up a website

These days, it's actually become quite necessary to set-up your own personal website to make yourself look more professional, and hence command more respect (and leverage during price negotiation).

Creating a website isn't at all that expensive. You can buy a domain name for less than $2 dollars and web hosting for less than $10 per month.

4. Specialize

Have you heard about the jack-of-all-trades who's a master of none? We'll he works as a freelancer too, writing ezine articles here and there, writing web copy every now and then, and when he feels like stretching himself, writes research papers for professors.

Don't kid yourself into believing that writers can write just about anything. I know I can write articles well, and I write website copy for my own websites. But term papers?! No way.

Just like doctors, the specialists among freelance writers are the ones who are earning top dollars in the industry.