Sydney
Content Writer, Freelancer, Lover of Coffee
Freelance writing is a perfect way to make some extra money from home and can even blossom into a long and lucrative career. However, most looking to break into the field are daunted by the seemingly closed community of technical writers, bloggers, etc. Freelance writers are generally a pretty tight lipped bunch.
When I started writing I was living with my parents making around $100 a week, and barely scraping by. I just could not seem to find the good jobs! It was a daily source of frustration. I knew my content was good, I had confidence, but no one wanted what I was putting out there. I eventually gave in and found other work, just to keep afloat. To support my writing I worked as a window washer, a landscaper, a cook, a barista… But after a few years of this I managed to hunt down the resources that allowed me to follow my dream as a freelance writer. Now, I’m here to share these freelancer resources with you so hopefully you don’t have to go through years of eating Ramen noodles.
Elance.com is a very easy to use and reliable site to get you started. Most jobs are small freelance writing gigs, with a few hourly and contract jobs sprinkled in for good measure. You are given a number of free credits per week and can use these to bid on jobs that interest you under a wide variety of subjects.
Guru is very similar to Elance in concept, clients post jobs, writers bid on said jobs. The nice thing about Guru is that while there are generally fewer jobs, there seems to be a higher concentration of quality jobs. This means less “garbage” to sift through to find those freelance writing gigs that will pay the rent instead of just the water bill.
BloggingPro is set up differently than Elance and Guru, rather than bidding you contact the client directly using the contact information they provided and most are a set price, with a little wiggle room. The amount of work posted on the forum fluctuates from week to week but it’s worth checking every couple days. BloggingPro helped me land a contract writing social media content that kept me busy and well fed for a about 6 months, so it’s definitely worth a shot.
This may seem like an obvious addition to the list, but you’d be surprised how many overlook this amazing resource for freelance writing jobs simply because it is so obvious. The key to finding good freelance writing work on Craigslist is to look outside your local area. Try looking through the “Writing gigs” section of a few major cities and you’ll almost always find something worth looking into. Needless to say there are a ridiculous amount of scams on Craigslist, however, so proceed with caution and common sense. In the next article we’ll cover how to avoid getting scammed and ensure you get paid for your work.
MFP is a sarcastic, brutal assessment of the wide world of freelance writing. For those with an aversion to snark, there is a handy censor button that will make all content PG. Subjects generally revolve around handling the business side of life as a freelance writer, an invaluable resource to help keep you from getting into financial trouble once the checks start filling up your mailbox and Uncle Sam holds out his hand.
So there you have it, the 5 most valuable resources to get you started on your path to freelance writing freedom. If you feel I’ve missed any important sites, feel free to leave a comment!
Content Writer, Freelancer, Lover of Coffee
