Freelance Writing Jobs for July 23, 2009

Comments

1. hazel says:
   July 23, 2009 at 3:05 pm

   Hi Deb,
   I’ve been away and missed your transition – hope it wasn’t too painful. I love your new design!!!
   Thanks for the leads. Hope all’s well.
   ~Hazel

   Reply
2. Fiona says:
   July 23, 2009 at 3:26 pm

   Deb,
   The DoctorText one looks as though it’s writing term papers.
   Fiona

   Reply
3. Kenna says:
   July 23, 2009 at 3:27 pm

   Thanks for the leads — your hard work is paying off. Very informative information you have available for any writer who is trying to make a decent living without all the chasms, snake charmers and fortune-hunters a new writer fall prey at onset of a freelancing writing career.

   Reply
4. Tish Davidson says:
   July 23, 2009 at 4:18 pm

   I agree with Fiona about DoctorText being a term paper service. From their Web site ad for writers “you must be able to expertly write term papers, essays, research papers, book reports, theses, and/or dissertations.”

   Reply
5. Anne G. says:
   July 23, 2009 at 4:24 pm

   Freelance Writers for Various Topics:

   This is another ad from Examiner.com and as Angela Hoy reported, you don’t make anything close to a reasonable amount of money with that site.

   http://writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/005364_05132009.html

   Reply
6. Uncle Ron says:
   July 23, 2009 at 5:17 pm

   Deb – I’d like to add to what you were saying about jobs being out there if you look for them.

   Employment gurus say that when looking for a “traditional” job, only a small percentage of the positions available are advertised. I don’t know what the ratio is for freelancing, but I suspect the same basic rule applies. For every gig that’s advertised, there are probably several that are not.

   So, in addition to scanning posted leads (thanks, Deb!), it’s also a good idea to directly market yourself to those who use and need freelancers. It’s not as easy, but I think it’s more productive.

   Reply
7. Embee says:
   July 23, 2009 at 7:27 pm

   @UncleRon: Thanks for this reminder. It’s easy to get into a rut!

   Reply
8. Donna says:
   July 23, 2009 at 9:14 pm

   That “promotion” Examiner is having is their regular referral policy. It’s been in place at least since I began writing for them at the end of May, but they recently sent out a mass email touting it, so now, unfortunately, some people are going overboard. I hate spammers as much as the next guy, but what I hate more is that people here seem to feel that Examiners aren’t worthy. I know a few who are doing it as a hobby–”Ohhh, wouldn’t it be fun to be a writer?!”–and you can tell from their work they’ve never studied their craft. But most of us are trained professional writers with degrees and a wealth of knowledge we’re happy to share on our given subjects, regardless of the compensation. I don’t make a lot of money with them. Honestly, my goal is to be able to fill a grocery cart once in a while, maybe get a haircut, or pay for my kid’s birthday party with my monthly payment. But the reason I took that gig was for the potential. They give you (more or less) free reign and all the tools to market your own brand, get as much or as little exposure as you like AND you retain all copyright. So far, I’ve already had a few publications and individuals contact me about writing for them after reading my Examiner articles. It can always lead to bigger and better things.

   Reply
9. JulieF says:
   July 24, 2009 at 2:00 pm

   That Examiner referral thing is bogus, at least on my end. I signed up someone, never saw a bonus and the Examiner I referred followed the steps, is active. The Channel Manager says she doesn’t know why I wasn’t credited, said I should get paid this month (after 3 months), then nada.

   But, since this only happens to 3 or 4 people out of over 800, it isn’t bad.

   Not unless you’re one of the 3-4, I guess.

   Reply
10. E. Peevie says:
    July 24, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    Yes, DoctorText is paying for writers to help students cheat by having their essays, theses, and term papers written by someone else. This disgusts me: writers, business people, and students collaborating to cheat and lie for a buck or a grade.

    I helped pay for my college by tutoring and teaching freshman comp, but the students I tutored did their own research, wrote their own papers, and earned their own grades. I helped them get better grades by teaching them, showing them examples, and commenting on the work they did.

    Am I missing something? Is there another way to look at this that I’m just not getting?

    I don’t want to come across as holier-than-thou–I screw up all the time– and I probably sound like Andy Rooney here, but how do people justify making a living by helping people cheat?

    Reply
11. Uncle Ron says:
    July 24, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    E. Peevie – Like many immoral transactions, obviously there’s a market for cheats. From a purely economic viewpoint, the writers are simply supplying a demand. Ultimately, the ones who are hurt the most are the cheaters themselves. Since they aren’t being taught to fish, as the old saying goes, they will likely “starve” in some way, shape or form later in life.

    Personally, I could never bring myself to harm someone by helping him or her cheat.

    Reply

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