Comments on: 10 Things to Consider When Placing a Freelance Writing Job Ad

By: Donna

Donna — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:47:27 +0000

Wow – I just made these exact same points in a Squidoo lens and some ezine articles just a little over a weeks ago. Amazing that we think so much alike. Must be a writer thing.
.-= Donna´s last blog ..Qualify For The Ezine Articles HAHD Challenge And Win Prizes From 97 Dollar Ebooks! =-.

By: Top 10 Freelance Writing Job Ad Red Flags : Freelance Writing Jobs

Top 10 Freelance Writing Job Ad Red Flags : Freelance Writing Jobs — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:39:12 +0000

[...] shady or very low paying employers use to find freelance writers. As someone who has been reading freelance writing job ads every day for over a decade, I can tell you some things haven’t change. The good news is that [...]

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:54:29 +0000

That’s a good point as well. It also extends to the type of writing. Too many ads say something like “Writer Needed” where they could say “Automotive Copywriter”. This would save some time when searching leads, so that we could skip over ones that were clearly out of our area of expertise. I guess it’s a bit nit-picky since it doesn’t really help the company one way or another–but in an ideal world…

By: Claire

Claire — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:45:04 +0000

Great list, Deb! I would also suggest that ad placers USE their headlines by including any specific requirements that will eliminate most applicants. For example, a recent ad for an editor only wanted applicants who were Harvard graduates, but not only was this requirement not mentioned in the headline, it was basically the last statement in the entire ad. “Harvard Graduate Needed for Freelance Editing” would’ve been a good headline. The same for jobs that require applicants to be bilingual, etc. If you have a highly specific criteria that the majority of writers/editors will not likely meet, include it in the headline!

By: JenC

JenC — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:51:08 +0000

I totally agree here. I have avoided inquiring on many jobs because I wasn’t sure if I would be qualified and I don’t want to waste my time. I really relate to #10. I have quoted a price to some people and not only do they not negotiate, they just don’t respond at all. I think that is a poor way to operate. They could at least say, “sorry, but our budget doesn’t allow for that.” Some sort of a response, yes or no, would be appreciated.

By: Chinamatt

Chinamatt — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:25:39 +0000

Now that I think about it, my first job out of college was a vague ad in the newspaper. Aside from the pay it was an amazing job, and I still keep in touch with my boss and coworkers.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:52:43 +0000

Deb–Beautiful post! Thank you! I was one of the ones that was discussing this a few days ago in the comments and I think it’s great how you really picked it up and responded to our concerns–and quite quickly. Very good list. Only other things I would add:

Jumping off #3–in addition to unnecessary plagiarism warnings, any type of talking down to writers like we’re a bunch of idiots is not appreciated. You shouldn’t need to tell us three times in caps that if we don’t follow instructions our email will be treated to a delete–that’s a given.

Making a one-paragraph ad into an entire page by giving way too much extra information like your life history and career highlights. I really need to know about the job details, a brief bit about the company or person and the application requirements. Maybe it’s just me, but I hate spending that much time reading through extraneous information only to find out the job totally isn’t compatible.

Explaining away “no pay” because it’s a “start-up on a low budget”. You had enough money to get the website up and running, you aren’t starving, so why should start-up status mean that I don’t get paid? Chances are the site or publication is bringing in some kind of ad dollars and there’s always a rev-share agreement that could be worked out, so basically not paying means that I’m working to make you money for free because you’re a poor financial planner (or just a cheap skate looking for free work). Sorry, no.

By: Tish Davidson

Tish Davidson — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:38:57 +0000

Another thing employers should mention is providing a realistic turn-around time. Today (8/18) there is a job posting for a 100,000 word cat and dog book that they want finished by “very early September” — approximately 2 weeks from the posting date.

By: wombat

wombat — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:41:01 +0000

When looking at those comically vague ads, I do try to consider that, in any field, people who are hiring usually aren’t experts at hiring. They’re experts at doing whatever their own job is. But oh man, is there some way you can post this on every Craigslist board in the country?

By: Thursday Bram

Thursday Bram — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:07:52 +0000

I think it’s also valuable to be able to check up on a potential client in order to protect ourselves. There are definitely some people out there who don’t share their details because they know a Google search for their names will lead any smart freelancer to walk away from a job.

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:02:11 +0000

Thursday, that is exactly what promoted this blog post! Several members of the FWJ community were a discussing vague ads, with no client information or details about the job. How will we know if we’re a good fit? Plus I always recommend knowing as much as we can about a client so we can tailor our pitches to fit their needs.

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:00:46 +0000

The more the merrier, Julie.

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:00:15 +0000

Exactly! Thanks for your thoughts, Elaine.

By: Freelance Writing Jobs for Tuesday, August 18, 2009 : Freelance Writing Jobs for Web and Print

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:59:28 +0000

[...] Also, by popular demand: 10 Things to Consider When Placing a Freelance Writing Job Ad [...]

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:57:08 +0000

You’re very welcome, Wifey – and thanks for dropping by and commenting!

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:52:58 +0000

@ChinaMatt – I once wrote to a person who took out a vague ad asking for more details. it turned out to be a great gig. His problem is that he wasn’t a writer himself and didn’t know how to describe the job very well. Many are scammy/spammy they might be diamonds in the rough too.

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:51:18 +0000

Rock on, JoAnna. How can we take ourselves seriously if no one else will?

By: JulieF

JulieF — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:48:06 +0000

@ Kelly Thomas- Whaaaaa?

Deb, methinks you have a splogger.
Sorry, forgot to add great post! Can’t wait to see your next post!

By: JulieF

JulieF — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:14:51 +0000

@ Kelly Thomas- Whaaaaa?

Deb, methinks you have a splogger.

By: Thursday Bram

Thursday Bram — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:54:53 +0000

One of my pet peeves is how job listings are posted with no information identifying who’s doing the hiring — and more often than not, you won’t get that information even after an email unless you specifically ask for it. No one wants to hire a freelancer without a little information about the writer (and an opportunity to check out her past work), so why should a writer be expected to work for a company without reassurances that the gig is legit?

By: Kelly Thomas

Kelly Thomas — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:24:20 +0000

Freelancing is a work where from you could be able to connect with a employee who will give you his/her any online work.Such as data entry,web designing,data upload or something else. Now a days many and a big number of people from all over the world using Freelancing earning a lot of money.

By: Elaine Martin Petrowski

Elaine Martin Petrowski — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:38:50 +0000

ahhh, a topic always near and dear to my heart.

And you NAILED it…. BRAVO.

under “you get what you pay for” – I’d like to add: Please don’t insult professional writers by offering no pay or excusing your low pay rate because you offer “plenty of exposure.”
Writers can’t take “exposure” to the supermarket, drug store, dry cleaner or anywhere else they are expected to PAY for the services they use. You run a business to make a living as do the writers you are addressing.

By: Wifey

Wifey — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:49:24 +0000

Love,love,love this post. Especially #s 5, 6, and 8. Making a transition from print to online I’ve found some really ridiculous ads out there. Thanks for speaking up.

Winks & Smiles,
Wifey

By: ChinaMatt

ChinaMatt — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:21:04 +0000

Some of these apply to more than just writing gigs–I’ve seen too many vague job ads. And those vague ads usually turn out to be jobs that either don’t pay well or are a little shady.

And I’ve given a wide range for quotes when the details were vague (I gave reasons for the wide range though).

By: JoAnna

JoAnna — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:17:42 +0000

Thank you, thank you, thank you! You already know that everything you’ve written in this post is absolutely spot on, so I don’t need to reiterate anything you’ve said. It’s about time people understand that what we do is REAL, not a hobby. You wouldn’t ask an electrician to wire a house for a few pennies on the dollar or “on spec,” and you shouldn’t ask writers to do the same with their craft.