Comments for Freelance Writing Jobs

Comment on Caption This by lornadoone

lornadoone — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:36:20 +0000

Uno dingo ate my nino!

Comment on A Little Early Autumn Weekend Link Love by lornadoone

lornadoone — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:19:47 +0000

Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems like David is surprised to not be able to make a “full-time” income working one-quarter to one-half time. Even if you put 40 hours a week into a blog, I’m not sure you should expect $2,000 a month. There are so many people out there telling others that blogging can be a full-time “business,” but that’s the exception rather than the rule.

Comment on Back to Basics: Part 2 Writing Clips vs. Writing Samples by Kristen

Kristen — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:47:02 +0000

Thank you for this post. My work experience/freelance jobs are mainly editing, so clips/samples are new to me. I am actually blogging for free (!!) for a couple of sites to get more writing/blogging clips for paid jobs. And it’s working.

But I never really knew how to tactfully address when a potential client asks for samples. Now I know.

Thanks!

Comment on Back to Basics: Part 2 Writing Clips vs. Writing Samples by Dani

Dani — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:41:41 +0000

AMEN!

“Remember, we don’t ask plumbers to fix our toilets for free to determine whether or not they’re a good fit for future bathroom problems, nor do we ask our doctors to see our sick kids for free to see if their bedside manner meshes with our personalities.”

That is similar to what I tell people about free samples. We are professionals, and as such we have a right to be paid for our work. PERIOD.

If we want to end the problem we can personally create a policy to not do free samples and we can ‘educate’ fellow writers about their right to be paid a fair wage for a fair day’s work.

Kudos and Thanks Deb!

Comment on Back to Basics: Part 2 Writing Clips vs. Writing Samples by Leigh

Leigh — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:45:37 +0000

@ Krista: Good for you for sticking to your guns and requesting payment. A client of mine sent one of his clients to me about two weeks ago. I sent her writing samples and she asked me if I would do one small project before we agreed to work on large projects together. I wrote a sales letter for an e-book she wrote, and when I sent it to her, I said, “shall I invoice you through Paypal, or send you an invoice through e-mail?” She wrote back that she was surprised to hear anything about an invoice, as she had “gifted” me her $67 e-book (she sent it to me so I could write a sales letter about it!) and she felt that was an even exchange for the value I provided. Hmph.

Comment on Back to Basics: Part 2 Writing Clips vs. Writing Samples by Phil

Phil — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:27:52 +0000

I provide links to appropriate clips.

Comment on Garrison Keiller’s Advice to Writers by C.J. Harley

C.J. Harley — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:31:43 +0000

I tend to get my ideas when I am driving in my car. Like Anali I have to try and remember everything until I get home or to my destination. I also get inspired when I read a book.

Comment on Garrison Keiller’s Advice to Writers by Anali

Anali — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:49:03 +0000

I totally agree that it’s easiest to come up with ideas when you get away from writing. For some strange reason, I tend to get inspired when I’m in the shower. Then I have to remember everything until I can get to pen and paper! : )

Comment on What Do “Top Tier” Blogger Really Earn? by Jenn Mattern

Jenn Mattern — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:23:18 +0000

I saw the RWW post mentioned somewhere else this morning and checked it out. If anything, I was really surprised by how low the average payment per post was after talking to “top” bloggers. I think $25 per post is actually the lowest per post rate I ever accepted for a blogging gig, and I generally charge much more and don’t have an issue bringing in clients (and I’m anything but a “top blogger”). Making decent money blogging is certainly possible, and works much like any other type of writing - it’s often all in the marketing and value. So I’m sure bloggers out there are thankful for sites like this that help point them to some of those decent gigs, and I also hope they’re going far beyond just advertised projects.

While it’s interesting to see, and is certainly getting some attention, I’m not sure how worthwhile surveys of this nature really are with such a small test group, and especially without more details on the types of bloggers these are - by-lined / ghost-bloggers / corp. bloggers, etc. That said, knowing corporate ghost-bloggers, the full-time income notes in the post seemed a bit closer to what I’ve heard and observed.

Comment on FWJ Community Creativity Project: One Paragraph Story - Volcano by margaret

margaret — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:32:46 +0000

Matt can’t remember if he stomped out his cigarette before he and long time girlfriend Leslie finished their hike through the lush and green wilderness of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They can’t wait to get back here one day, camping under hundred year old oak and black walnut trees, to see how all the animals just run and run. Ah, the beauty of nature.