Are you interested in starting a freelance writing career? Trying to figure out where to start can be one of the biggest challenges aspiring freelance writers face. To help point you in the right direction, I've put together a list of recommended resources for freelance writers -- tools to help you get started, build a network, learn from freelance writing colleagues, find freelance writing jobs, and more.
Here are 101 resources for freelance writers, whether you're just starting out or you're looking to find new freelance writing opportunities to grow your business.
While most of the writing resources listed below are free, I did include a few paid options that I felt were well worth the cost, including some freelance writing books.
Disclaimer: Several of my resources here at All Freelance Writing have been included. Obviously I'm affiliated with those resources wherever you see this site's name mentioned.
Freelance Writing Blogs
Here are 18 freelance writing blogs that I'd recommend you start with (although some don't cover freelance writing exclusively). They provide a wealth of articles and advice on various aspects of building and managing a freelance writing career.
- About Freelance Writing
- About.com Freelance Writing
- AlexisGrant.com
- All Freelance Writing
- Be a Freelance Blogger
- Fab Freelance Writing
- Freelance Folder
- Freelancer FAQs
- Freelancer's Union
- Funds for Writers
- LittleZotz Writing
- Productive Writers
- The Well-Fed Writer
- Who Pays Writers? (from Scratch Magazine)
- The Write Life
- Words on the Page
- Write to Done
- Writing Thoughts
Writing Forums
Joining writing forums can be a great way to meet new people. After all, freelance writing can be a solitary line of work. Consider these writing forums to build your network and ask questions of your colleagues.
- About.com Freelance Writing Forum
- About Writing Squared
- Absolute Write Forum
- All Freelance Writing Forum
- Be a Freelance Blogger Community
- Writer's Digest Forum
Writer's Markets
If you want to start querying magazines and other freelance writing markets right away, your best bet might be to sift through some writer's market directories. Here are some examples to get you started.
- All Freelance Writing' Writer's Market Directory
- Writer's Market Online Directory
- Writer's Weekly Paying Markets and Jobs
Job Boards and Freelance Marketplaces
Here are some job boards and freelance marketplaces that might help you land some early gigs. Note: This does not include bidding marketplaces due to their "race to the bottom" approach to freelance writing jobs.
- All Freelance Writing' Freelance Writing Job Board
- Freelance Job Openings
- Journalism Jobs
- Media Bistro
- ProBlogger Job Board
- Blogging Pro Job Board
Books for Freelance Writers
If you're looking for some deeper reading before you jump into a freelance writing career, these books can each serve as a great starting place.
- Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer -- by Jenna Glatzer
- The Freelancer's Bible -- by Sara Horowitz
- The Money Book for Freelancers, part-Timers, and the Self-Employed -- by Joseph D'Agnese and Denise Kiernan
- The Renegade Writer -- by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell
- The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock -- by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell
- Six-Figure Freelancing -- by Kelly James-Enger
- The Wealthy Freelancer -- by Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Savage, and Ed Gandia
- The Wealthy Writer -- by Michael Meanwell
- The Well-Fed Writer -- by Peter Bowerman
Social Media Tools for Freelance Writers
One of the best ways to get your name out there professionally these days to is to effectively harness the power of social media to build your network. Here are some social media tools that can help you get started -- from social networks to online collaboration tools.
- Buffer
- Feedly
- Google Drive
- Google +
- HootSuite
- TweetDeck
- Zoho Writer
Writing and Editing Tools
If you want to improve your writing and self-editing, here are some tools that might help. For example, you'll find word processors and online editing tools.
Apps for Freelance Writers
Here are some Android and iPhone apps for freelance writers which make it even easier to work on-the-go.
Android Apps for Writers
- Any.do
- Call Recorder (for recording phone interviews)
- CamScanner App (for scanning research material)
- Dropbox
- Evernote
- Pomodoro Tracker
- Tasks N Todos
- Todoist
- Writer
- Zoho Writer
iPhone Apps for Writers
- Any.do
- Dragon Dictation
- Dropbox
- Evernote
- GoToMeeting
- Penultimate (from Evernote)
- Scanner Pro
- TinyScan
Research Tools for Writers
Not sure where to find credible information for your next story? Need to find an expert source for an interview? Then check out these research tools and other resources for writers.
Website Development Tools
It's a good idea for any freelance writer to have a professional website. If you aren't sure where to start, give these resources a try.
- ElegantThemes -- Join for access to premium WordPress themes.
- Google Analytics -- Track your website stats to get a better understanding of how clients use your site.
- Google Webmaster Tools -- It helps you identify problems (like dead URLs) on your website.
- ThemeForest -- This is an Envato marketplace where you can find premium Web templates and blog themes.
- WordPress (self-hosted)
- WordPress Theme Repository -- Access free themes for WordPress.
Online Tools and Calculators
Here are some of my own free online templates, worksheets, and calculators that you can use when starting (or growing) your freelance writing business.
- Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator -- Set your freelance writing rates.
- Freelance Project Hourly Rate Calculator -- Find out how much you really earned per hour on a project.
- Keyword Density Analyzer -- Tailored specifically for writers, this tool helps you keep both SEO and readability in mind.
- One Page Business Plan Template
- One Page Marketing Plan Template
- One Page Project Plan Template
- SWOT Analysis Worksheet
- Monthly Marketing Calendar
Design Tools for Writers
Whether you're looking for design resources to assist you with a client project or software to simplify design elements of your writing work, give these resources a try.
- Canva -- This is my new favorite image creation tool for my own, and clients', blog posts.
- GIMP -- Free image editing software
- GraphicRiver -- Templates for business and client projects (like brochures, newsletters, and your business cards)
- PixaBay -- Free stock photos
- Scribus -- Open source desktop publishing software
This certainly isn't an all-encompassing list. If you can think of a category I didn't cover here that you'd like resources for, please let me know and I'll consider putting them together for you in another post.
Note: This post was originally published on November 20, 2012. The list was greatly expanded in 2014, and is periodically updated to remove stale resources and add new recommended resources.
Jennifer Mattern is a professional blogger, freelance business writer, and indie author. She runs numerous websites & blogs including All Freelance Writing, NakedPR.com, and BizAmmo.com.
Jenn has 18 years experience writing for others, around 13 years experience in blogging, and over 10 years experience in indie e-book publishing. She is also an Active member of the Horror Writers Association.
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Latest posts by Jennifer Mattern (see all)
- Review of Peter Bowerman’s Well-Fed Craft - June 28, 2017
- Why Don’t Some Writers Take Time Off? (And Why You Should) - June 12, 2017
- Feeling Stuck in a Freelance Writing Rut? Stop Making Stupid Choices. - May 1, 2017
- Are You Working the Wrong Freelance Writing Schedule? - April 24, 2017
- Spring Cleaning for Freelance Writers - April 19, 2017
Awesome list, Jenn. I will be bookmarking this. I’m familiar with many of these, but there are a couple of new ones and it’s sooo nice to have this all in one place.
Thanks Sharon!
Thanks Jenn, for the double “Well-Fed Writer” plug (book and blog)! Sincerely appreciate it.
And just a reminder as well about my complimentary monthly ezine focused on commercial writing, “The Well-Fed E-PUB,” 10 years old this past May. Folks can subscribe on any page of The Well-Fed Writer site.
Thanks for a great list with a lot of solid resources.
Have a great Thanksgiving! I know I’m thankful to be a freelancer (19 years this January). 😉
PB
That certainly is something we can all be thankful for. 🙂
And no problem on the mentions. I know I don’t get to the blog as often as I’d like, but it’s one of the few I try to go out of my way to take a peek at when I have the time. Always features great info. And I consider your book second to none in the niche.
This is an AWESOME list of resources! I was just looking for forums and I love a recommended list of books. Write on! 🙂
Kari
I’m glad you liked it Kari. Definitely check out some of those books. They’re great, and most are ones I repeatedly go back to. 🙂
A real jeeper – thanks, Jenn!
uh…make that keeper-typos are faster than the fingers 🙂
lol Happens to the best.
Jenn, excellent resource of resources!
The research resources are especially helpful. Thanks!
Thanks Samar! 🙂 There were several more categories I thought about adding, but I just didn’t have the time that day. So maybe I’ll do some separate lists later on with even more — including some additional research resources. 🙂
Thanks for including me, Jenn! Great list all the way around. There are some favorites on it as well as some new ones.
No problem Lori. You know I love your stuff. 🙂
Thanks for the info: Another good book to check out: The Moonlighter’s Guide To Online Writing For Immediate Income by Connie
ss
Thank you, Jennifer! It’s so nice to have all of this information in one handy place!
No problem Kristen. I’m glad you found it helpful. 🙂
Wow! Thanks for including my blog on this list, Jenn. That’s really exciting for me!
A few other resources I personally recommend:
-Be a Freelance Blogger community forums
-Write Your Way Out of the Rat Race…And Step Into a Career You Love (an eBook for people looking to quit their jobs and start freelance writing)
-Make a Living Writing blog (I’m really surprised you didn’t include this one)
This is a great list of resources! I love that you’ve included things like apps and freelance rate calculators.
Not a problem Alicia. I enjoy the blog. 🙂
I wasn’t aware that Sophie’s site had forums. I’ll have to check those out.
She just released the free community recently. It’s fun for me because I’m one of the few moderators over there!
Congrats! 🙂
love being included… twice 😉
Two good resources. You know I’m a big fan of the community. 🙂
What a great list! I’m hanging on to this one. I signed up for Canva a while back, but I haven’t used it yet. With your seal of approval, it’s worth looking into more closely 🙂
I love it. I’ve always been a Photoshop fan. But if you just want simple blog graphics, there’s no need to pay for that each month. Canva makes that process faster anyway, with all of their built-in design elements, templates, and drag-and-drop interface. 🙂
Thanks for this goldmine of information, Jen!
This list is Godsend! More power!!
No problem Grace. I’m glad you find it helpful. 🙂
Awesome Post! Would like to add another tool for online collaboration & project management is www.proofhub.com. Simple & feature rich.
Thanks for including my blog on your resource list. This is a great list of all-around resources. I’ll definitely share this with new writers and others. 🙂
Thanks Laura. 🙂
Awesome list of resources again this year! I’ll have to check out a few of the ones I don’t know. Thanks for updating!
Jenn, thank you for the awesome list. It’s really good job! If you don’t mind, I’d like to add my favorite forum for writers www.writingforums.org
Thanks Emily!
Thanks for updating this list. It’s a great, comprehensive list. And thanks for including my blog again!
You’re very welcome Alicia.
One more useful online tool for fiction writers – http://CityNameGenerator.com
I have recently developed an online tool that checks jargon words and calculates jargon density! Will be good for business writers –
http://www.jargonbuster.repairtxt.com
– Amit
Hi Jenn, thanks for the post.
I’m a huge fan of Scrivener. It was good to see that it’s listed here. I wish they’d come out with an iPad version soon. It would make my life a lot easier.
I wanted to share another writers resource – WriteWorks.co. @TrishSammer writes a lot of great content to help freelance writers build steady streams of content.
I’d love an Android version too. I’ve found myself recently using Google Docs more than Scrivener for shorter pieces simply because I work on any device without having to move files and content around later. I still use Scrivener for manuscripts and love it for blog organization though. I thought they were working on an iPad version a while back. Hopefully they’ll have it ready soon-ish for you. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this wonderful article! Four years ago I also left my job as a marketing manager in Sydney to do something I’d always dreamed of: writing and editing romance novels full time. Anyways, here are also my 8 best tips and tricks for those wanting to follow a similar path http://catehogan.com/tools_for_writers/
Great great list Jenn..it gives one what it wants and needs to know ..i just bookmarked it..