So You Want to Become a Freelance Writer? Part 3: Finding Gigs
May 29, 2008 by Lillie
Table of contents for So You Want to Become a Freelance Writer
You’ve decided to start a freelance writing business and have considered the kind of writing and the niche(s) you want to pursue.
If you’re like most freelancers, you’ll probably work from home. Although you won’t need to do many of the items in setting up a self-publishing company, you may want to review the list for things that apply, such as getting a business checking account and phone line and setting up a bookkeeping system.
You’ll also need to determine your freelance writing rates. You will find excellent advice on setting rates on some of the sites mentioned in Parts 1 and 2 of this series. When you’re new to freelance writing, you can’t expect to charge the same as someone with many years of experience. However, you need to determine what you’re worth and charge accordingly.
You’re eager to get started … but where do you find jobs? Remember, you can find work both offline and online.
If you want to write for publications such as magazines, Writers Market is a valuable resource, though it does require a subscription. I recommend the online edition as it is continually updated, and the print edition is published only once a year.
Tips for finding freelance writing jobs offline:
- Use your contacts and let everyone in your circle of influence know about your new business. You might be surprised to learn that someone you know works for a company looking for a freelance writer.
- Let the people you do business with know you’re a freelance writer. Your vet or the dry cleaner may be planning a brochure or an ad campaign.
- Network in your community. The next person you meet at your local civic group could become your best client.
- Volunteer for organizations and causes you believe in. Although I don’t usually recommend writers give their work away, I advocate pro bono writing for charities you support. You are likely to meet people who can help you build your business – either by hiring you themselves or by referring you to others, and you can use the work you’ve done as clips for paying jobs. And you’re contributing to a worthy cause while you build your business.
- Advertise in free or inexpensive venues – a classified ad in your neighborhood newspaper, flyers on public bulletin boards, or a listing on craigslist.
- Cold call businesses in your niche. You can make contacts by telephone, letter, or e-mail. Few people enjoy cold calling, but some writers find it effective in finding unadvertised work. Keep the contact brief and professional. Be prepared for a lot of rejection but remember that every “no” is just one step closer to a “yes.”
Resources for finding freelance jobs:
Note: not every site will be appropriate for every writer. Visit the various sites and see which ones post jobs appropriate for your specialty, niche, and skill set.
6 Ways to Find Writing Markets - creative ideas for sources of writing markets
All Freelance Writing Jobs - job board and regular freelance job listings
Freelance Writing.com - jobs posted online and in a weekly newsletter
Freelance Writing Jobs - daily job postings and plenty of excellent advice for freelancers
The Golden Pencil - jobs posted several times a week
Life of a Writer - jobs posted weekly
Poewar: Writer’s Resource Center – jobs by state and jobs by category
Sunoasis - job board for writing and journalism jobs with a special section for freelance jobs
Top 10 Freelance Writing Job Sites and 10 More Freelance Writing Job Sites – Listings of job sites (some of which are included elsewhere on this list plus several that are not)
Worldwide Freelance Writer - databases of markets categorized by topic; free database has fewer and lower-paying markets than subscription database
Writer’s Weekly - freelance writing e-zine with new jobs and markets listed weekly
Writing Career - career site for writers with a section for freelance jobs
You can also look into some of the bidding job sites. However, I haven’t used any of these sites in years; my experience with them was not favorable; and I’ve heard a lot of negative reports about the very low prices of most jobs offered. If you’re just starting out in business, give them a try if you choose and make up your own mind. Concentrate on free listings, though, and beware of paying high fees just to access jobs that may or may not be suitable for you.
Strategies for success in finding freelance projects:
Establish a “looking for freelance work” routine. Market yourself even when you have plenty of work.
Build long-term client relationships. Spend less time marketing and more time earning with repeat business.
Where are your favorite places to find freelance writing gigs? Please share with us in comments.
[tags]freelance writing jobs[/tags]
Very nice discription for freelance writing. Very well done!
Lillie, thanks for the link! Deb’s FWJ site is one of my favorites. Of course, as you mention, networking within your community is important, too.
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Paula,
I hope beginning freelance writers can use these resources to find good-paying jobs.
Susan,
Your article gave helpful places for writers to look for work. Deb’s FWJ site is great – both for the job listings and for the informative posts.
Hi.
Thanks for sharing with us the info about freelance writing. the links are useful too.
cheers~
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This article have lot of things for the new writers who had just started their work as a free lancer. I am really impressed by the article. Good work.
Julia,
I’m glad you find the information and links useful.
Marc,
I hope the article helps new (and may not-so-new) freelancers find gigs.
Lillie,
Thanks for the great info about where to find freelance jobs. It is one of the biggest challenges with this type of work. We just have to be willing to stick our neck out a little and go after what we want.
Kerrie
http://www.the-writing-bug.blogspot.com
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Kerrie,
You’re right – we have to stick our neck out and take some risks to succeed. Good luck with finding gigs from these resources.
I love your blog name!
Thanks Lillie,
I’ve just found your site today, and so far every article is a great resource, thanks again Lillie.
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I love how you post so many links with your blogs. They really are a great help.
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Diane,
Some time back, I wrote that I’m not a big fan of link posts. That seems like a contradiction when I write posts like this that are link posts. However, the ones I don’t enjoy as much are those that are link roundups of articles on that blog for the past week or month or whatever. If I read the blog regularly, I’ll already seen the articles and don’t need to see them again. However, link posts that are a collection of links on a specific topic can be excellent resources. All that great information is out there, but readers may not know where to find it.
Lillie,
More excellent advice and resources!
Jeanne
Jeanne,
One of the main questions aspiring freelancers ask me is “Where do I find jobs?” They’re surprised when I tell them there are so many places to look.
Thanks for such an exhaustive description with important links. You have got a regular reader now. Thanks again.
I’m glad you found the post helpful.
I had to start off selling articles for free before people would take me seriously!
Lori,
I’m glad that tactic paid off for you. Often, when you give away articles, people never want to pay you because they think you should continue to give everything away for free.
I replied to every comment at the time it was written; however, when I moved my blog, nested comments, which included my replies, were lost.
[...] So You Want to Become a Freelance Writer? Part 3: Finding Gigs [...]
I’m glad you discovered my site and hope you continue to find useful articles.
I’m glad you found the series helpful, and I’m delighted to have you as a regular reader.