Tag Archives: freelance writing gigs

3 Ways to Find Those Elusive Unadvertised Freelance Writing Jobs

By on April 28th, 2009

Writers ask me one question more than any other: “Where can I find high paying freelance writing jobs?” My response is usually along the lines of: “Most of the best gigs aren’t advertised, so you don’t really ‘find’ them; you have to help them find you!” We talk about writer platforms. We talk about networking. We talk about marketing and PR. But still writers want a magic pill (or magic place in this case) that will solve their problems. Today I’d like to explore those unadvertised writing jobs, and three ways you can land those high paying gigs you won’t …

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51 Places to Find Freelance Writing Jobs and Blogging Jobs

By on December 19th, 2008

I try to give you a few daily freelance writing jobs and blogging jobs throughout the work week, to help you find new gigs. Today I’d like to share a list of sites that you can search on your own at any time to find even more freelance writing gigs. I’ve found from experience that, often, the best gigs you can find on the Web are unadvertised ones that you’ll land through networking – but when you do want to see what’s “out there,” I hope these sites help. Recommended Sites for Freelance Writing Jobs Here are some of my …

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Lessons on Freelance Writing from the Dating Scene

By on September 15th, 2008

A chill runs down your spine. Your palms are getting sweaty. You’ve laid it all on the line. You’ve put yourself “out there.” You want them – bad. You share the same goals and ideals. You know you’d be a compatible match. But will they say yes? Or will they reject you? No, we’re not talking about that elusive “perfect man” (or woman). Then again, we might as well be. We’re talking about clients – freelance writing clients. Waiting on a response to what you felt was a great pitch can be as nerve-wracking as waiting to hear back from …

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Freelance Writers and Referral Fees: Would You Charge (or Pay) One?

By on September 8th, 2008

I know a few writers (and other professionals who sometimes refer writers) who charge a referral fee. I have a strict policy on not accepting referrals for freelance writing jobs that come with this kind of fee, and I never charge one. How do you feel about them? How Referral Fees Work Here’s an example of how a referral fee might work, based on a referral I recently gave a colleague for some content writing and copywriting work. In reality, my client contacted me about a project. I didn’t have time to work it in immediately, and it wasn’t really …

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Don’t Market Freelance Writing Services on Price

By on August 28th, 2008

Are you trying to build your freelance writing career around price? Do you figure if you offer the lowest rates, you’ll be more successful than all of those writers who “charge too much?” Have you ever lowered your rates just because you saw cheaper services getting picked more often? Do you assume more freelance writing jobs equals a better writing career? Uh oh. You may have committed a major freelance faux pas. Do you ever wonder how the “big dogs” got to where they are, where they can charge just about anything they want for their copywriting or other freelance …

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When it Rains it Pours (Writing Gigs that is!)

By on August 27th, 2008

I’m sure most freelance writers have heard that writing jobs can come in waves – you’ll have very busy times and you’ll undoubtedly have slow times as well. There are lots of reasons for this – some types of writing (or niches) are simply more seasonal, the economy can influence buying behaviors of freelance writing work, etc. When it starts to rain writing gigs for me, it really does pour – sometimes so much so that I need to take a step back, remind myself to breathe, and jump in without succumbing to pressure. Do you ever have times like …

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Why Freelance Writers Should Never Write Free Samples

By on August 25th, 2008

I’m sure you’ve seen the ads for freelance writing jobs where you’re asked to write and send a custom sample. Something like: “Must include a unique sample article (at least 300 words) on paying down student loan debts, following the article format at XYZ.com. Applicants who do not submit a sample will not be considered.” Every time I see something like this I can’t help but wonder what the poster was smoking. As far as I’m concerned, there is never a good excuse for a prospective client to ask for custom samples like this, and no writer should resort to …

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Why Should Clients Pay You More Just for Doing Your Job?

By on August 11th, 2008

I was doing a bit of blog reading this morning, and came across this quote in regards to freelance writers bidding low on writing jobs when they’re new: “A novice copywriter can start with a low price at first. Companies will eventually increase the pay of a copywriter who always submits quality work.” I see this being said to new writers of all varieties all the time, and the fact of the matter is that it’s not always true. As a matter of fact, most clients aren’t likely to suddenly start paying you more just for doing the job you …

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How to Get Decent Freelance Writing Gigs from Forums

By on June 19th, 2008

A common marketing / networking tool for new freelance writers is the forum. You can join forums in just about any niche – sometimes they’re stand-alone sites and sometimes they’re an add-on community to another resource. But how can you use forums to get decent freelance writing gigs? Here are a few tips that I use regularly to get high-paying gigs from online forums: Join more than just writing forums. While they’re great for networking with other writers, they won’t necessarily put you in front of large numbers of your target client base. On that note, join communities frequented by …

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Where Do You Get Your Best Freelance Writing Gigs?

By on April 21st, 2008

I hear the same question asked over and over again when I tell people they don’t have to work for peanuts – where do you get the good gigs? I give the same answer till I’m blue in the face, but it still doesn’t seem to sink in sometimes. Specialize. Network. In short, people (in many cases) pay more for niche “experts,” and the best gigs are rarely advertised, so who you know really does count. Most of my best gigs have come through referrals from colleagues or past clients. I guess what I want to know is this: have …

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