Comments on: Freelance Writing Jobs for Wednesday, February 6, 2008

By: Aimee

Aimee — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 20:26:50 +0000

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!

By: Ann G.

Ann G. — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:13:35 +0000

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!

By: Mary Ann

Mary Ann — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:49:01 +0000

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.

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:38:55 +0000

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 Can potential “employers” take a writer’s unpublished “audition” and use it without his/her knowledge?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

By: Dinnie

Dinnie — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 01:44:57 +0000

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

By: Jenn

Jenn — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:19:28 +0000

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.

By: Ann G.

Ann G. — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:41:19 +0000

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.

By: Ann G.

Ann G. — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:29:59 +0000

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.

By: Jodee

Jodee — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:27:42 +0000

@ 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.

By: Anali

Anali — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:56:14 +0000

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!