by Jodee Redmond
Good morning FWJ Friends! Winter is back this morning and it’s chilly out there. Hope something on today’s list makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Leads…
Telecommute
- Politics Site Seeks Full-Time Reporter ($36-$40K)
- Writer Needed for Inaugural Booklet
- Remote Editor for Professional Correspondence
- Short Stories from People Aged 90+ Needed ($20)
- Grant Writer Needed – Documentary Film Grant Requested
- Guitar Expert Needed for Freelance Writing Gig ($10-$50)
- Social Marketing Writers Wanted
- Health, Nutrition, Fitness Writer Wanted
- Writer for Content Driven Site ($745 per month with bonuses after 90 days)
- Writers Needed for Copy for Business Web Site
- Writing and Editing Gig for Health-Care Web Site
- Seasoned Writer Needed
- Freelance Writers for Adult Online Magazine – Health/Beauty Topics
- Need a Web Site Translated into French
Blogging Jobs
- Engineering Technology Blogger
- Dog Bloggers
- Parent Bloggers Wanted ($125 per week)
- Chicago Bloggers Needed
Site Specific
- AMA Proofreaders/Editors/Writers – North and Central New Jersey
- Freelance Copywriter – Dallas
- Freelance Writers Needed – Washington, D.C.
- Web Site Content Writing – Washington, D.C.
- Freelance Writing Opportunities @ The City Star – San Francisco
- Freelance Newspaper Writer - Pleasanton ($55 per hour)
- Web Content Copywriter – Oakland
- Freelance Journalist or Writer with Experience in the Public Sector – New York
- Film Reviews and Industry News Writer – Los Angeles
Internships
- Web Editor Intern (College Credit)
Good Luck!
Snow day here in Lexington, KY! Not sure why that seems so exciting since I work from home and don’t have kids so it really doesn’t affect me, but it makes the day seem more fun. I’ve already been out taking photos of snow covered trees for future use.
Thanks for the leads, Jodee!
“Writer for content driven site”
Id be weary of that one. A few weeks ago I wrote a mini how to article for a similar ad on craigslist and never heard back.
Now I try to stay away from ads asking for samples, especially when a website name isnt listed.
$55 an hour for a newspaper (pleasanton), jeez, I was in newspapers at the wrong time (nearly 20 years ago)!
Just noticed the ad for debt settlement USA on this site. Cool. I just interviewed some of the top execs for one of my clients.
Thanks for the leads, Jodee.
One thing I’ve noticed since I started freelancing is that I seem to gravitate toward healthcare writing. This is funny only because one of the reasons I quit my job to freelance is that I was tired of writing about the same thing (pharmacy) all the time. It’s not that I haven’t pursued other leads, but it seems that I only reply to those about healthcare or very general topics. I guess it’s because I lack confidence in other areas. I was curious as to whether other people tend to pursue the same subject matter or specialize in certain areas and why. Any insights into this or are there previous posts on how to broaden my topic horizons?
MojoRisen – I just have to say this because it’s my #1 English peeve.
‘Weary’ does not equal WARY or LEERY. Combining them into one word with a completely different meaning is not okay.
We’re writers here, man.
Plus, the ad in question asks for completely original material, an instant tip-off that this is a scam.
Up until now, I have been working with one company exclusively. Now they are having some financial difficulties, so after a lucrative summer and early fall, I’ve needed to look for some additional opportunities. I’ve been applying for some of these postings– thank you for the leads! I have a couple of questions/comments:
The company I work with had a contract with eHow last year, so I have written a lot of them and know how it works. I applied to Demand a couple of weeks ago and never got my verification email to start my account. Emailed them and heard nothing back. Should I re-apply after the holidays or not bother? I have heard varying reports about how difficult it can be to work with them and don’t want to seem like a bother.
I also wanted to ask if anyone has had experience with Textbroker? I read all their FAQs but am not sure it would be worth my time. What percentage of writers earn the highest level that pays 5 cents/word? That’s pretty much what I have been earning when I write one particular type of assignment, and anything much lower than that seems like not much to me. But, I suppose beggars can’t be choosers in this economic climate.
Thanks for any input you can give me.
I’ve been writing for Demand for about a month now. Here are the pros: Easy work, consistent payment schedule, editorial feedback (on occasion),). It’s a good gig for someone starting out freelance writing (pay is only $5-$20/article), looking for increased byline exposure, etc, or during the slow times. I have not had any difficulty working with them and have never had an article rejected. Cons: A lot of work is required for each low-paying article (time that could be devoted to other writing), minimal topic selections (unless you suggest an article, but then the pay is much lower). I am continuing to work for them, but when I have a heavy workload I release articles back into the queue for writers who need them.
http://www.jodikendall.com
Andrea, since I’ve specialized in health care coverage during much of my career too, I tend to follow up on ads related to health care gigs the most often. It’s just easier, since I have that background.
But I’m trying to branch out. When I apply for a job that is not related to health care, I just emphasize the experience that I have that is more relevant to that particular job. You don’t have to tell a potential employer or client that you’ve specialized in health care, after all. You can just tell them why your experience has made you a strong writer and how those skills would benefit them.
@Erica – Right now I have a solid gig and another good part-time one. I do realize, however, that jobs come and go. I’ve had three employers shut down their sites or companies because of the economy leaving me without income. That’s when I discovered Textbroker.
I have yet to find anyone with that site that is rated higher than a four. I have a four rating, so the pay isn’t great. Yet, I’ve made good money. Because you have a choice of what you write, you pick and choose from what is available, I have been doing little 80 to 100 word summaries that basically introduce a country and then mention the word “hotel” somewhere. I’m a former travel agent, so it takes me little time to do these. I did 10 of them yesterday in 15 minutes time earning about $30. Had I wished to continue, I could easily have earned $120 an hour doing them all, but I had other work to do.
If you can find a subject you know well, Textbroker can lead to a decent wage. They pay at the beginning of every month via Paypal. You submit your invoice on the 10th and they they usually take about 3 weeks to process it. I’ve never had them skip out on a payment which is more than I can say about some of the people I’ve worked for!
I got here a day late, busy writing. Thanks for the leads.
@ Anne,
You wrote 800-1000 words in 15 minutes? I’m sorry, but that just seems really out there to me. Do you proofread your work at all? And I think another important question to ask is whether you could sustain such a pace for several hours. That’s 4000 words an hour! Even someone who types 60 wpm couldn’t do that (they’d type 3600 words an hour), and writing and typing are two very different things. I must be doing something wrong. A polished 500-word article takes me an hour on average. I hope this isn’t coming across in the wrong way. It just amazes me how fast some people can knock out articles.
@ Krista:
Trying this again. Web site went down for whatever reason and didn’t reload until now but it lost the answer I’d typed out.
First, I had a very strict typing teacher (taught the Mavis Beacon system) who wouldn’t pass us unless we were at 75 wpm or higher by the end of the school year. I type at rates of 80 to 90 wpm not 60.
Second, I don’t have to research these articles at all. I simply type an intro into why people travel to this country and then add in a keyword phrase or two. 80 words takes me no time. So yes, I can get 10 done in 15 minutes. And while I will not say I do a thorough proofreading, I did spend the last 5 minutes scanning them over. At the rates textbroker pays, I’m not going to invest as much time proofreading as I would with my higher paying jobs.
@ Robot Bacon–Seriously?! You’re going to get on a guy for misspelling a word in a forum? Give me a break. We are writers here “man”, which entails not trying to prop yourself up by editing a word in some dude’s forum post. Come on, I’d like to think you’re better than that.