Freelance Writing Jobs for Wednesday, February 6, 2008
February 6, 2008 by Jodee
Filed under Writing Gigs
Good morning everyone! We’ve got a mixed bag of leads here this morning. If you are a sports or medical writer, there are multiple opportunities posted today. I know some of you had trouble with the e-mail address of the web content writer ad; I checked it again this morning and the ad has been flagged for removal.
Leads…
- Writer for Start Up Publication - Six Month Assignment – Seattle
- Local Freelance Writers for The Employment Times – ME, NH, Northern MA Writers Only
- Freelance Web Content Writers @ Writers Research Group – Telecommute
- Technical Writer - Contract – On Site – Abbott Park, IL
- Freelance Writer for Specialty Newspaper – Salt Lake City
- Resume Writer – Kitchener, Ontario – Looks like a Telecommute
- Associate Editor @ Marketing Magazine – Maternity Leave – Nine Months – On Site – Toronto
- English Writer – Mexico City – Telecommute – ($750 per month)
- Freelance Writers @ Zu Magazine – Mag Located in Johannesburg/Writers Can be Located Anywhere
- Football Writers Wanted – English League 1 & English League 2 (pays in GBP – 60 per round)
- Online Writers Needed – Telecommute
- Content Writer for Poker Web Sites ($15-$30 per article)
- Underground Voices Magazine Accepting Submissions ($30 per piece)
- Writer for Workplace Health and Safety – Telecommute
- Seeking SXSW Blog Writer – Austin
- Proofreaders and Copyeditors – Boston Area
- Web Material Writer ($10 for 300-500 words)
- Sports Writers for NFL Football Website
- Freelance Writer – Auto Audio/Sound – Houston
- Freelance Writer – Montrose/Houston
- Write Blog Posts, Movie Reviews & Product Descriptions – Freelance – Telecommute
- Freelance Medical Writer – Telecommute
- Freelance Editor – Telecommute
- Proofreader – New York – Temporary Through April – On Site ($15 per hour)
- Freelance Proofreader – Philadelphia – Local Candidates Only
- Copywriters Wanted - Full Time Freelance – Newtown, PA ($20-$40 per hour)
- Seeking Medical Writers – Telecommute
- Sports Writers for NFL News Site - Telecommute
- Freelance Grant Writers - Telecommute
- Communication Manager/Data Blogger – San Francisco Bay Area – 5-10 Hours Per Week – $20 per hour
- Freelance Writers for Online Technology and Lifestyle Publication – Telecommute
- Freelance Technology Editor/Web Producer @ AllBusiness.com - Telecommute ($40 per hour)
- Mobile Journalists to Cover Washington, D.C. Business Scene
Good Luck!
Jodee
Hi, I hope I am posting this at the appropriate link. I enjoy perusing the online job ads here; thank you so much for providing this service. Once again, however, I hit a link to an ad on Craigslist, only to find that it has been flagged for removal (by some untalented, unskilled lugs who cannot get work if there is competition — oops, yes, that was a dig. Better control my temper.) Anyway, I thought of a possible creative solution: perhaps, when you post a craigslist ad, you could include the contact information here on the site. Don’t know if that would be much of a deterrent, but it might give the rest of us a fighting chance to put our hats in the ring. And it might not be a perfect solution, but better than nothing. What do you think? Well, thanks in any case!
Sincerely,B.
Beth:
I remember someone suggesting a while back that when they find a Craigslist job posting they like, they cut and paste it into a document. That way, it won’t matter if it’s “flagged” or not. I thought that was a great plan and I’ve done it myself (and been glad I did!)
Good luck!
Angelique,
That’s a great idea!!! Jodee, what do you think about cutting and pasting the craigslist jobs listed on your site, instead of just posting the link? Would that work for you?
Beth
Hi guys,
I’ve been asked to do this often, but without permission from the person who placed the ad, I won’t do it as it’s considered a copyright violation. I’m sorry but that’s why it’s links only for me.
Deb
Hi, Deb
I certainly understand your need to not violate the copyrights of others. Another question, if you don’t mind my asking: Is my idea that just the contact information be posted viable? (Now I’m going to shoot down my own idea: Craigslist posters might not want their contact info. to live forever on somebody’s blog… okay, so delete said contact info. after a week or something? Am I creating a ton of extra work for you?)
Thanks for letting me brainstorm on this forum…
Beth
Hi Beth,
Yes, that is a lot of work,I’m afraid. I know it’s frustrating to click on ads that are no longer available, but right now this is our best option.
Thanks for your understanding.
Looks like there could be a lot of potential leads for a newcomer in this batch. I’ve worked up the guts to go ahead and place resumes today.
Thank you so much for keeping this updated, Deb! This helps a newbie out far more than you know. It’s only through your site that I’ve gotten the inspiration and gumption to give freelancing a shot. You really make it seem plausible to even those who have never held a freelance job before.
I’ve been trying to be more disciplined about looking for freelance work and appreciate all the time that you put into finding these for us. I have a question. When an employer asks for a writing sample and wants a response by email, if I include links to specific posts on my blogs, is this considered acceptable? I’m still trying to figure all this out. Thank you!
@ Anali: I would think that including a link to a blog posting would be acceptable. I have had better luck landing gigs since I put up a website with some samples on it and direct potential clients there.
I usually provide links, but I’m finding more and more employers are not accepting links or even photocopies of print articles. I had a response today asking for a test asking for an original, spur of the moment article. The woman claims they need a test article to see how quickly I can create an article once assigned and what the quality is when sent to their offices.
I tend to shy away from these offers, but this one offers exceptional pay and this has been a wicked month for me financially because my husband’s company cut hours, so I’m trying to grab all the work I can find to cover his lost income. I’ll probably agree to this writing sample.
I should add, look up the “whois” information for the site they are saying they need writers for. I do this all the time and in this case, the sites I would have been writing for are owned by two different people in countries on opposite sides of the world. As the email I had stated the websites were owned by a company out of California and the domain information showed one was based in India and the other in Washington, that sets off alarms for me. I’ve asked the employer to clarify this and I’m betting I’ll never hear from them again.
Like Ann, I also wonder about potential clients who require “audition” articles on a particular topic or area of focus, written specifically for them. I totally understand the need for clips of some sort, either published or unpublished, to guage a writer’s ability, but multiple tailored pieces written expressly for a potential client on the fly? I’ve had one situation where such a request paid off well, with a blog column gig that turned out to be an excellent clip-builder and venue for building my name in my local community, but I’m getting more and more wary of Craigslist ads that ask for this. For every gig like the one I got, there were several more in which I felt like I wasted way too much time penning sample pieces for editors who never responded.
Is this an issue that might be addressed in a column, Deb? I’ve been so curious as to whether this is standard or even advisable practice, especially for blog/web work, in which clients seem especially keen to guage a writer’s ability to jell with their online communities.
Hi Deb,
I see lots of telecommute jobs. Could you explain (in a new post) how they are different from on site and other work-at-home freelance jobs?
Thanks,
Dinnie
Hi again,
I am far from being experienced in all this, but the idea of an “audition” piece, for writers, strikes me as very murky territory. For editors, auditions equal working for free. Can potential “employers” take a writer’s unpublished “audition” and use it without his/her knowledge?
Another thought: I wonder if some people flag Craigslist postings because they think or know that the poster intends to commit fraud.
Beth
I always print a copy of any ad that I respond to just so I’ll have a record of what their requirements were and the pay offered. I started this after I applied for a job and I know they paid less than the ad offered but I had no way of proving it.
RE: “Auditions”
If you have a website or blog, I’ve been known to take the “audition” article that I’ve done, save it to a webpage, and then send them that link telling them I’ll be running the article through Copyscape for my own protection.
This worked well for me with a job that I didn’t get. The potential employer was furious that I dared post the articles online. When I stated why I did it, I never heard from him again. I learned from another writer a few weeks later that the samples this guy had accepted were showing up online, but mine wasn’t among them!
Hi colleagues! I’ve been in the freelance writing business for quite some time and recently discovered this site. ( It’s wonderful… thanks Jodee and Deb!)
While I’ve been fortunate enough to maintain a core group of clients with relatively steady work, I could certainly use some extra jobs when things get slow. I see several “Craig’s list” postings that do not include any information about the potential employer, which makes me nervous. Can anyone shed light on this new avenue of opportunity for me? I am uneasy about throwing my hat in the ring without knowing anything about the recruiter. (Perhaps this stems from my lack of experience with Craig’s list… I’ve never used it before.)
Your thoughts and insights would be welcome!