I hope that you have at least considered getting a free account at Elance this week, because that’s where the quality jobs cropped up. If you haven’t yet, I would recommend it–of all the bid sites I’ve worked for, Elance seems to provide the lowest proportion of bad jobs, which sets it apart. Let’s get to the freelance writing jobs!

The Freelance Writing Jobs

1. Part-time editor – Red Flag Media seeks a Philadelphia-based editor to work on a new publication. Most work can be done from home but office time will occasionally be required. To apply for this, send in a resume, cover letter, and clips. This gig pays $15,000 per year.
2. Skincare/beauty writer – an online publication seeks passionate writers to produce well-researched articles for their site. Writers must be experienced and familiar with the AP style. To apply, send in your resume and cover letter with requirements on salary, background in beauty/style, and prior writing experience. This gig pays $.10 per word.
3. Book proposal writer –  a lawyer who has written a 90-page proposal that needs editing and reduced. The book deals with the War on Terror and has a high media profile. If you are interested in this one, place a bid on Elance with previous book proposals that you have produced. This gig starts at a minimum of $1,000 depending on your bid.
4. Real estate business proposal – a real estate company is looking for someone to put together a business proposal for them. This project should involve a word count of roughly 50,000 words, but would not include any financial models or projected cashflow. The client has about 16,000 words already assembled that you can work from. To apply, place a bid on Elance, ideally with other business proposals you have done. This gig starts at a minimum of $1,000, but we recommend bidding higher than the minimum on this one.
5. Book editor – an author has completed a 60,000 word thriller and is now looking for a good editor to help his book flow and make sense. It was developed from a screenplay so it still needs work on narrative. To apply, place a bid on Elance with prior book editing experience. This gig is anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on your bid.
6. Technical writer – a technical writer is needed to update two software application manuals. The manuals must include documentation such as installation, specifications, functionality, and a user manual. To apply, place a bid on Elance with a strong sample of previous manuals you have produced. This gig is anywhere between $1,000 to $5,000 so be sure to check word count for fair rate of compensation.

Freelance Writing Job Tip of the Week

If you’re out there looking for gigs in the wild, be forewarned. If a gig says that payment is commensurate based on the quality of the article, run far away. That usually means that they will nitpick the hell out of you and underpay you for high quality work. That is different from saying that payment is commensurate based on experience, which is a horse of a different color altogether. But please, for your sanity, skip the quality freaks.

Worst Gig of the Week

———– is looking for writers in various fields to write books on subjects such as: Houseplants, Solar Power and Raising Small Animals. This position is a freelance opportunity. There are 4 books, each book has an outline availbale and we are willing to pay $1400 for each title. Writers are not required to reside in Ocala, FL, work may be done anywhere in the United States.

That doesn’t seem so bad, does it? Why didn’t I list it in the gigs this week? I’ll tell you this–it’s not worth the cash. If you think that these publishers want a book for less than 14,000 words, you are mistaken. Not only that, but once you write the book, you have no rights to it. Become a ghostwriter instead, charge more, and don’t go with these types of underpaying “publishers.”

If you’d like to look through longer aggregated lists of freelance writing jobs to help you save time in your job search, All Freelance Writing recommends Anne Wayman’s freelance writing jobs at AboutFreelanceWriting.com.