Why I Still Post Freelance Writing Job Leads and Why I Know You Know Best
November 21, 2009 by Deb Ng
Filed under Thoughts and Stuff
Yesterday my friend Anne Wayman sent a link to her post “Job Postings Here are the Tip of the Ice Berg.” Anne’s thoughtful post was inspired by another freelance writing blogger’s decision not to post freelance writing job leads. I know Anne wanted me to go to her blog and comment (and you should by all means do so, as Anne’s blog is a good one) but I had so many thoughts about this I felt it worthy of its own post.
Anne feels maybe her readers feel her blog is the only source for job leads and they don’t go looking elsewhere for jobs as they should.Not to other blogs and job boards, but to the markets that aren’t always advertised.
With respect to Anne, I’m not sure I agree with this. I don’t think Anne or I are enabling you by posting an assortment of job leads each day. I feel the majority of the FWJ (and AFW) community appreciates the convenience, but I also feel you know your options.
I harbor no illusions.
I know many of you come for the freelance writing jobs, and that’s OK. However, I also know most of you know there are other places to look. Not only job boards, but other markets and venues. Whether or not you choose to look in any those places is up to you, which is why I’ve never stopped posting leads. We’ve been about freedom of choice here since day one, and I’m not going to change a formula that works. I don’t think you feel there are only lower paying opportunities available to you though. I think the majority of this community, and maybe even Anne’s community, know your options and you’re comfortable with your choices. I can’t find fault with this.
Variety is the spice of life
Other than aesthetic changes and a few bells and whistles here and there, this blog’s mission and goal hasn’t changed. It’s about presenting you with all opportunities, discussing where to find all levels of opportunities and sharing tips and tricks for success. Again, it’s a formula that works for all of us, so I’m not about to change. From time to time I offer to elminate opportunities paying below $20, or bring in the really low paying stuff and you raise your voices loud and clear. You know what works for you and you know not to go too low. I respect that and it’s why I don’t cater to only high paying or only low paying jobs. Do I try to look for the best opportunities? Of course. Do I think you know the best opportunities aren’t always advertised? Yes, I do because we discuss it here often, and also, because you tell me. I also know many of you aren’t into querying and cold calling. I also feel you don’t have to be married to one form of writing over another. You can pitch to the $1 per worders and supplement that with a $20 blog post, there’s no right or wrong.
Freedom of Choice
Every day we discuss tips for finding markets, rocking the customer service, networking and the different types of writing available, and I’m sure you find that useful. My stats tell me the majority of this community come here looking for work and I’m going to offer a wide variety of choices. Some of you love the choices and some of you aren’t happy with some of the offerings but you will always have choices.
I know FWJ isn’t the only job board or blog you visit. I know many of you have a long laundry list of places to search each day or week because you know I don’t find all the opportunities, and that’s fine. I would never say that you should only come to this blog, or that it’s the only blog with good leads as that’s silly. I’ll continuously present you with a variety of options and let you take it from there.
This blog is also getting a silly reputation for being a harbor for low paying jobs. That’s kind of silly because we’ve always posted a variety of leads. Moreover, we have discussions every day about the ways to find high paying opportunities and how to advance your career.
In the past we’ve discussed:
- Cold Calling
- Pitching to the “Hidden” Jobs
- Stepping Away from the Job Boards & Creating Your Own Opportunities
- How to Find High Paying Opportunities (Not Online)
- Freelance Writing Jobs Paying $100 or More
- Types of Freelance Writing Opportunities and Where to Find Them
- Turning a Low Paying Client into a High Paying Client
I know you know…
I know you know where to look for work and I know why you come here. I also know that every single writing blog brings something dfferent to the table. I may not always agree with your choices, but I’m not going to make you feel bad about your choices. Do I think maybe you feel the jobs posted here are the only jobs out there? No. I don’t think that at all.
Thanks, Anne
I want to thank Anne Wayman for giving me something to think about. I often wonder if I’m doing the right thing or if I should change the way we do things around here. After reading Anne’s post I know we’re both doing the right thing. We’re presenting you with the tools you need to succeed, no matter what type of job you wish to pursue. You send your success stories, so I know it’s working.
Tell us what you think…
Are the daily leads enabling? Do you feel that what’s presented here is all there is? Do you feel there should be only high, or only low or do you prefer the combination platter?
- Freelance Writing Jobs is Looking for a Blogger to Join Our Team
- The Best of FWJ: 15 Posts About Finding the Best Freelance Writing Opportunities
- How (and Why) I’ve Changed My Thinking Over a Decade of Freelance Writing
- Are There No GOOD Freelance Writing Jobs Anymore?
- FAQs Answering Your Questions About the Gigs Posted at Freelance Writing Jobs
Hi Deb continue to do what your doing and being yourself, great post
Thanks, Rebecca. I’m more interested in you than me, though. How are you finding work? Is this your other source or do you use other methods?
I think it’s valuable to have the job leads. For new writers, it’s a great chance to get access to a filtered stream of job opportunities posted online. Even for those who are more experienced, with established client lists, it’s good to know what’s around in case you’re looking for a change. I have to be honest; I haven’t applied for a job from the leads provided here for a while, but I still check them, and when I started freelancing, this list provided some of my earliest clients. Keep ‘em coming, I say.
Thanks good to know, Sharon. I actually think freelance writing blogs are sort of transient communities. People come here to look for work and move on to the higher paying stuff or to the “hidden” markets later.
Tell us what you’re doing to find work now…
A lot of my work comes from referrals, Deb. Some of those early leads I got from FWJ led to repeat work (I think I found the Lifetips gig here and I wrote for them for a while) and some of those clients passed my name to others. It’s a minor snowball effect.
I’ve also focused on increasing my web presence with my own site and by creating profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook and a variety of networking and freelancing sites. This helps people find me via the search engines. My writing blog has also helped me to get more blogging work, though I also look on the Problogger job board.
Anybody who thinks FWJ has a reputation for being “low paying jobs” obviously hasn’t bothered to look around. Sure, I came for the great job leads (which are NOT all low paying, I must say) but I stayed for the community, news, and thoughtful articles. It’s a whole network so it’s awfully closed minded to think of it anything other than that – some things you’ll like, others you won’t.
Thank you, Andy. I’m glad you find it all useful. The team here enjoys sharing their ideas. How are you finding work these days?
Similar to Sharon’s comment, a lot of the leads I found on FWJ a long time ago have stayed with me, which is great.
I also supplement leads from FWJ with contacts in my network, which is quite strong thanks to Twitter. I know enough people now that those in the travel industry know me and now who to go to when it is a job suited to me.
It’s all a mix. Some weeks there isn’t anything new except a shout out from FWJ, and other weeks stuff drips in from all angles.
Thanks for the link and your also thoughtful post Deb. My real hunch is that anyone who hangs around either of our blogs for a week or two quickly figures out there’s more to the writing job market than shows up on either of our blog gig lists.
But I realized I hadn’t stated clearly anywhere that I could remember, and that goes back to my About.com days, that the gigs I list aren’t meant to be anything but a convenience and a pointer to a tiny portion of the available gigs.
That essay is now also in my category about getting jobs and gives me a handy place to point people to.
And thanks for asking folks to visit my blog…
hugs
A
It was a good essay, Anne, one that all should read. Sometimes though I think we (not just you and I, but all freelance writing bloggers) underestimate our audience. They’re smarter than we think they are. They like convenience but they don’t like their intelligence insulted either. They know what’s out there and what they have to do get it. I don’t want to make them feel as if they don’t.
I don’t know if I ever stated clearly that these jobs aren’t the only game in town, but by sharing our methods and the secrets to our success, we’re probably getting that message across anyway.
My bookmarks of job lists are in the 100s now, including this blog. I share some of those at About.com, but they’ve grown since I published that series. This reminds me of when I got into this career. I (stupidly) printed out dozens of jobs – probably close to 100– that I simply didn’t have time to pursue since I was working FT, and shared the sheaf of papers with my husband. But that VOLUME– that VOLUME is out there. Or was. And in between, yes, do your DS, send out queries. Etc.
I know, Allena. There are a lot more jobs listed every day then when I started doing this about ten years ago. Heck, I remember when Craigslist only spanned one city!
The important thing is choices. Every one has them and everyone makes the choices working best for them.
Thanks!
Brava, Deborah. This is the reason I will continue to come to this blog. I’m very disheartened by bloggers who feel as if they need to give us a “b*** slap” or insist we’re not interested in higher paying opportunities. My blood boiled today after reading one blogger’s remarks that if we’re not taking $50 jobs we’re “not serious” about our work. Will the condescension never end? We ARE adults and we CAN make our own choices. To insinuate we don’t know any better, or that we don’t want to know any better, is insulting and judgemental.
I have news for the elistists; the writers who are the most vocal about low rates will continue to come here every day. I also know from various editorial projects that some of the most vocal proponents for high wages take low rated jobs all the time. Many of them claim to never stoop to the level, but stoop they do.
Let all the elitists go to the other blogs. I’m going to stay where it’s warm and where it’s real…and where the “welcome” mat hasn’t changed like a chameleon every time there’s a new bandwagon to ride.
You ask about where we write and find our jobs. I would like to tell you that I am I left a $75,000/year Copywriting job to freelance. Like you, I enjoy a mixed bag of opportunities. I’m sure many of the elitist writers won’t approve of my choices but why should I care?
Thank you, Deborah.
Kevin, the beauty of blogs is that there’s something for everyone. There are blogs for writers of all different levels and backgrounds. Personally, I don’t even see why one has to choose over another. Everyone has good advice. Glad you get the warm and fuzzies from coming here. I promise it will always be about choices.
In many types of work, there are people working at different levels, if you will. Does anyone get in the face of a doctor who chooses to work providing medical care with an organization like Doctors Without Borders rather than becoming a plastic surgeon to the stars? Or a lawyer who decides to become a Public Defender rather than become a corporate attorney? I doubt it. Cooks, hairdressers, teachers and many others can choose where they want to work and the level of income they want to make. Writers should be able to make the decisions that are right for them, too.
(Putting my soap box away for the time being….)
ok, correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t I get several $1,000+ gigs through leads I found on this site in the last 12 months? (YES! I did!)
I also subscribe to Anne’s newsletter, and visit online-writing-jobs.com/ daily – and they, too, are great resources.
of course, I continue to seek out clients the old fashioned way (through connections and person to person outreach).
but wow – I certainly don’t feel that your leads are cheap or low-quality by any means.
keep up the good work!
Lisa
I found an excellent high-paying gig from this site that has netted me nearly $50,000 this year – and I continue to visit your site to scan the leads each day in search of another great opportunity. I do, however, applaud those sites which are moving towards more aggressive filtering of the ads they provide to visitors. In truth, even $50 per article is not a huge amount
I found an excellent high-paying gig from this site that has netted me nearly $50,000 this year – and I continue to visit your site to scan the leads each day in search of another great opportunity. I do, however, applaud those sites which are moving towards more aggressive filtering of the ads they provide to visitors. In truth, even $50 per article is not a huge amount, but it sets the bar a little higher and shows that even “entry-level” jobs do not have to be for just $10 or $15. Yes, you can be a “beginner” and make $50 and much more on a simple article. Nevertheless, I will continue to visit your site and recommend it to others as a source of potential good leads – and I do appreciate the fact that I found my best and highest paying client to date from visiting your site.
I also wanted to mention that, even though you post some low-paying ads, I believe that (overall) people have a higher chance of finding a high-paying job on either your site or Anne’s site, for the simple reason that you both provide a good mixture of opportunities and not just blogging opportunities. The other site has alluded to the fact that it may be “difficult” to find enough jobs paying a minimum of $50 to post each week. In fact, there are numerous jobs out there that pay this amount and much more in all writing sectors. Perhaps it is different with blogging. I am not really a blogger, so that is not my line of interest.
I’ve found one small item here, wish it would have been more, but many aren’t the right fit, due to pay, experience, etc. Sure, I wish it was more. But I still visit this site once or more a day. I know leads are typically posted once (though sometimes there are separate, individual listings), but I also look at some of the other posts on the FWJ network.
I also look through a few other sites, particularly JournalismJobs.com, due to my background in journalism. And I plain pick up the phone and call people. I still get most of my leads, especially those that turn into actual work, via the phone. Offers better interaction with contracting authority and a better way to expand on ideas (by reacting to what the contracting authority says) than e-mail.
More than once, I’ve made a call and started working for someone the next day. But I won’t apply for leads that look shady, or are going to pay less than minimum wage. I’m not a “crank it out” type of writer. I can do it when the situation warrants, but I’m not someone who can write several thousand words day in, day out.
That all being said, I appreciate the leads, it saves considerable time from going to each of the sites you (Deb) visits, but its good for everyone to have additional resources as well.
Again, I don’t think anyone has to pick one blog over another. There’s no reason why we can’t all visit and participate in all the blogs we enjoy. Choose the ones that best fit your personal philosophy and enjoy!
Jenn Mattern did not say she would not list leads–she said she would not list leads that pay under $50…She will no longer give credence to the low-ballers and help them find writers willing to take their rates…Writers can find those jobs if they want them elsehwere. Jenn says they just won’t be her audience. She will put up leads once a week, and I applaud this and will go everyday to see what she is up to.
Hi Star,
As I didn’t read the post and I don’t know what it says, but if Jenn is listing $50 leads, I applaud her efforts. Also, as stated many times, I don’t believe anyone needs to choose one blog over another. I think everyone in this community should take advantage of the wisdom and sharing found on other freelance writing blogs. As someone said the other day, it’s like asking people to only read one book and it’s silly.
This blog has always been about the discussion of and sharing of freelance writing jobs and I will always post a variety of freelance writing jobs. It’s not the $100 freelance writing jobs network or the $20 freelance writing job network. It’s about freelance writing jobs for writers of all levels.
FWJ is and will always be about freedom of choice. Don’t know why that upsets so many people, but it’s all good.
“Jenn says they just won’t be her audience.”
Sounds to me like she doesn’t want us there anyway.
Kevin, Please refer to our comment policy regarding personal attacks. You may not agree with another blogger but please keep it respectful. I removed your comment because it was very disrespectful.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I started coming here for the job leads…and stayed because I liked having a community of other writers to talk about freelance writing job issues with. It’s nice to have a place where people can hash out the details of how to manage a career as a freelance writer. And in fact, that’s why I come back…more than the job leads. The job leads are great, but there are weeks where I don’t even look at them. But I always read most of the new articles/posts and comments to see what’s up with my fellow freelancers.
I do like your job leads. However, as we all know, these leads cannot be my only source for jobs. I’ve gotten leads from support groups, magazines to which I subscribe, companies I do business with, Craig’s list, friends, and on and on. Thanks for your help!
Thank you, Deb, for FWJ.
I don’t think of FWJ as enabling me but it definitely helps me get started, especially on the days that I don’t feel like looking. Coming here first kind of eases me in because I feel like I can search leads, read a few articles, hear from other freelancers, and catch up on what’s going on. I’d still look elsewhere but it would seem more like work if I couldn’t check leads here first.