In a previous post, I talked about the value of creating an elevator speech that you can have ready to use when someone asks you about what you do. One of our readers asked for tips on writing one, and here are some suggestions to help you prepare one that will make potential clients want to learn more about you and what you can do for them: 1. Keep it short and to the point. Ideally, your elevator speech should be deliverable in 15-30 seconds. Any more time than that, and the person you are talking to will lose interest [Read more…]
Keep Your Writing Tools Ready
February 27, 2009. 5 Comments
By Terreece M. Clarke Writers tend to be creatures of habit and comfort. In order to do what we do on a regular basis we usually have a writing routine and our favorite writer comforts – a cherished pen, a specific beverage, a cozy spot in a coffee shop, etc. When you have all the things you are accustomed to you rock out the work in a rhythm that would rival any band’s jam session, but when you are missing something things are still great, but not as magical. Keep your writing tools ready. It’s a simple premise, but it [Read more…]
Leads Are Coming…
February 27, 2009. 11 Comments
Hi folks, I’ve been under the weather. Leads will be up a little later today (I hope)- I’m so sorry for the inconvenience. While you’re waiting, do check out my friend Anne Wayman’s blog at About Freelance Writing – she posts leads three times a week and is sure to have good stuff! Also, Jennifer Mattern at All Freelance Writing also posts leads regularly. If you have a good lead you want to share, feel free to post it in the comments! See you later, and say hi to my friends for me! P.S. Stay tuned for one more very [Read more…]
New Guidebook Publisher Seeks Music Writers
February 25, 2009. 2 Comments
New guide book publisher seeks music writers specializing in Celtic Punk (in the UK), Indi Pop (in India), and Cumbia (in Latin America). We are looking for writers preferably based in a city that has a significant music scene for these genres. Also excepting other pitches as well. Articles will be paid. Please email for more details. stefanie@museyon.com
Freelance Writing Jobs for February 25, 2009
February 25, 2009. 64 Comments
by Deb Ng Are you using Twitter to make connections and network with other writers – and the people who hire writers? If not, I recommend you take it into consideration. Twitter is a powerful and useful networking tool, plus it helps to break up the lonliness many of us experience when we work at home all day. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @debng – and post your Twitter names below so the FWJ community can follow each other! Here are some leads for today: Research Interviewer for Major Financial Services Firm – NYC About.com Seeks Sports Journalists [Read more…]
Who Are Your Clients?
February 25, 2009. 4 Comments
We spend a lot of time here at Freelance Writing Jobs talking about “where” to find potential clients. I’ve been giving this some thought and I think the first question we should be asking ourselves is “who” the potential clients are. Here’s my take on it: Your potential clients are everyone you talk to, e-mail, IM, follow on Twitter, etc. When you pick up a magazine or a newspaper, you can find potential clients. Local businesses can give you work, as well as ones that you find when you are surfing the Internet. Once you get into the mindset the [Read more…]
Call for Submissions – LoftLife Magazine
February 24, 2009. Leave a Comment
LoftLife magazine, a quarterly shelter and lifestyle publication, seeks experienced writers to submit stories for our back page—“My Downtown.” We want to hear about a memory or a reflection on a space, moment, place, monument, or institution that reminds you why you still call your metropolitan city “home.” Please submit an article with a strong voice, savvy grammar skills, and a plethora of descriptive and sensory details. We would appreciate an essay that is kept to a maximum of 450 words. Chosen pieces will receive $250 and publication in our print magazine. Check out the look and feel of our [Read more…]
Going Off Track…And Getting Back On Again
February 24, 2009. 5 Comments
By Terreece M. Clarke I love to write. I start or work out article kinks in my head while I lie in bed waiting to fall asleep. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I’m going to write, when I’m going to write and where my writing is going to be published. But there is a problem, I write and think about writing and work the business of writing too much. Writers are always told they need to write all the time and immerse themselves in their craft, and that’s true. But we advice-givers also need to stress [Read more…]
Losing…and Regaining My Blogging Identity
February 24, 2009. 2 Comments
The last year was quite roller coast for freelance writing jobs. As I took on more work for other people and hired others to replace me at my own blog, I found myself wondering if I was making a mistake. Let me tell you, it’s not easy to watch others take over your blog, no matter how much you love them. One year later, people forgot who I am. They thought my blog belonged to someone else. That hurt a bit. I’m also finding as I build up someone else’s brand, I’m becoming more associated with my day job and [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for February 24, 2009
February 24, 2009. 18 Comments
by Deb Ng So I’ve been checking out leads online for about ten years now. Every now and then I think about what has changed and what has stayed the same. There are definitely more ads that don’t pay. When I first started freelancing it was mostly literary journals or poetry sites that weren’t paying. There wasn’t a lot of folks expecting you to stock their sites and blogs for the glory. The offers were a lot more realistic a decade ago as well. Though I saw many calls for content, there weren’t any of the “I need 40 articles [Read more…]
Monday Markets for February 23, 2009
February 24, 2009. Leave a Comment
This week’s edition of Monday Markets includes two magazines for parents and families. I have also included one specifically for cat lovers. Family Fun From the Web Site: Thank you for inquiring about freelance opportunities at FamilyFun, the country’s number one magazine for families with children ages three to twelve. Founded in 1991 and with a circulation now exceeding 1.45 million, our publication celebrates all the fun things families can do together, from throwing parties and making crafts to taking trips and cooking great food. Our goal is to inspire families to spend time together by providing the sure-fire ideas [Read more…]
Freelance Restaurant Industry Writer Wanted
February 24, 2009.
Letters and Arts is looking for writers who have experience in the restaurant industry to write for our rapidly growing two-year-old website, www.MustHaveMenus.com. Our restaurant management guide, The Food Chain (http://www.musthavemenus.com/menu/guide.do), will be growing by leaps and bounds in the next couple of months. We’re looking for articles that can cover topics that a restaurant owner or manager would be interested in – from setting restaurant prices to maximizing profits to motivating staff from servers to prep cooks. Knowledge of food trends and the challenges faced by restaurants in this down economy required.
Addressing Your Comment Questions About Finding Higher Paying Freelance Writing Work
February 23, 2009. 20 Comments
We’ve had some terrific discussions on this blog lately. However, there were some questions put forth by some of our community members that I don’t want to get lost in the comment graveyard. So, I’m going to repost them here so we can all offer our thoughts. I’m not an expert and my answers are mostly just my opinion. I’d love to learn others’ thoughts as well. From our post about empowering newer writers to accept higher paying jobs: Maybe we need to ask a hard question, too – are some of the people working for no or low pay, [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for February 23, 2009
February 23, 2009. 16 Comments
by Deb Ng Have a favorite blogger? Want to help her (or him) during these troubled financial times? CellPhones.org is hosting a blogger appreciation contest, and the winner will receive up to $1,000 to pay the cell phone bill. Second place is a brand new cell phone and the third place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate from cellphone.org. So if you have a (ahem) favorite blogger, show your loyalty and appreciation by voting in this contest. Have some leads… Hiring Quality Writers – Probably a content mill so make sure the end justifies the means. Copy Editor for [Read more…]
Do You Get in Your Own Way When Looking for Freelance Work?
February 21, 2009. 2 Comments
When you are looking for freelance work, are there some potential clients that you don’t approach because you feel intimidated in some way? Sometimes it can be easy to talk yourself out of throwing your hat into the ring. You might consider that there may be several other people who are applying for the opportunity. You may also have doubts about your abilities, even if you have written for pay before (and will again). Mostly, though, you just plain don’t feel good enough to write for [fill in the blank here].
Freelance Writers to Conduct Interviews
February 21, 2009.
Looking for freelance writers to conduct interviews with individuals living in the following states: Florida * Truck Driver * Dental Assistant * Someone in the Film Industry (i.e. camera operator, music producer, cinematographer, audo technician, motion graphics designer, effects artist, sound designer or non-linear editor)
10 Work at Home Truths (That No One Will Admit)
February 21, 2009. 43 Comments
by Deb Ng This isn’t one of those “work at home myths exposed” blog posts. If you’re looking for talk about how hard it is to work at home with people calling at all times of the day and night, or how folks don’t really think you have a job if you work at home, this isn’t it. Instead, I’m going to expose the REAL truth behind working at home. 1. No one thinks bunny slippers are cute. Maybe you bought them because that’s what people think folks who work at home really wear, or maybe you bought them because [Read more…]
Should You Start Freelancing in a Down Economy?
February 20, 2009. 10 Comments
The world’s in trouble right now – you hear it on the news every day. High debt, low sales, and everyone’s scrambling to prevent the economical recession from getting worse. Then there’s you. Your job security may not be good or your partner was recently laid off. You have worries and fears. Maybe it’s not the best time to start freelancing, you think, but then again, you need the money. I’ll tell you something. You can start freelancing now. You’re going to have to work harder and be more careful about the risks you take. But you’re also going to [Read more…]
If You Think You're Not in Sales, Think Again
February 20, 2009. 4 Comments
The idea of being in sales may bring to mind images of men in plaid sports coats pressuring the poor, hapless customer into buying something that they don’t want or need. The reality is that if you are offering a product or a service, you need to be able to present it to the potential customer or client, give them the information they need to make a decision, and overcome any objections they may have about hiring you. That is selling. The Freelancer as a Problem Solver I used to think that I got hired to write. That is partly [Read more…]
Let’s Brainstorm: How to Empower New Freelance Writers Not to Settle for Low Pay
February 19, 2009. 84 Comments
Yesterday’s post about what freelance writing job ads really mean hit a nerve for many writers. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one finding many of these low and non payers ridiculous. Why is writing the only field where the client is expected to work for little or no money? The mind boggles. A few commentators wondered how we convince newer writers not to accept low wages in order to break the habit and raise the rates. It’s not easy. Many new writers believe they have to start low, or even with no pay to gain experience and [Read more…]
Advertorial Tourism Magazine Seeking Experienced Writers
February 18, 2009.
Seeking experienced writers ONLY for 800-1000 word articles on everything from home and garden to tourism events in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area. 1000 words pays $150, 800 words $125, FIRM. Each article needs from one to three interviews. Sources and article angles are provided. If you are quick and know the area this is an excellent opportunity to earn your rate in volume. Qualified applicants please send 3 clips/links and your resume (in the body of an email) to saportnoy@yahoo.com. No attachments accepted.
Blue Mountain Press Seeking Book Submissions
February 18, 2009.
Blue Mountain Press, the new book division of Blue Mountain Arts, is accepting manuscripts in the following categories: gift books, personal growth, teens/tweens, family, relationships, motivational, and inspirational. Mail manuscripts to: Blue Mountain Press, P.O. Box 4219, Boulder, CO 80306. Request writer’s guidelines or e-mail queries to BMPbooks@sps.com. Please note: We are not accepting works of fiction, rhyming poetry, children’s books, or memoirs.
Freelance Writing Jobs for February 18, 2009
February 18, 2009. 7 Comments
by Deborah Ng Good morning. We’re still working out a few kinks and all our blogs should be up and running shortly. Hey, did you catch the post of the Freelance Writing Jobs home page called What All Those Freelance Writing Job Ads Really Mean? Check it out and join the conversation! Hope it’s a productive day for you all. Leads… Steady Freelance Opportunity Seeking Professional Writer Freelance Writers – San Francisco Global Investing Editor for MoneyShow.com Game Studio Needs Writers for Fantasy Game Script Freelance SEO Writer – $200 – $300 Freelance Writers for Women’s Magazine Mathematics Editors, Proofreaders, [Read more…]
Freelance Writing Jobs for February 18, 2009
February 18, 2009.
by Deborah Ng Good morning. We’re still working out a few kinks and all our blogs should be up and running shortly. Hey, did you catch the post of the Freelance Writing Jobs home page called What All Those Freelance Writing Job Ads Really Mean? Check it out and join the conversation! Hope it’s a productive day for you all. Leads… Steady Freelance Opportunity Seeking Professional Writer Freelance Writers – San Francisco Global Investing Editor for MoneyShow.com Game Studio Needs Writers for Fantasy Game Script Freelance SEO Writer – $200 – $300 Freelance Writers for Women’s Magazine Mathematics Editors, Proofreaders, [Read more…]
