Show, Don’t Tell for Freelance Success

Success

When you are communicating with a potential client about a freelance writing job, you want to present yourself in the best possible way. Unlike applying for a traditional job, you may not be asked to meet with the client for a face-to-face interview; your cover letter, resume and samples may be your only shot at persuading the client to hire you. This is not a situation where you can hold something back and save it for the face-to-face meeting – there may not be one. Instead, make sure that whatever you submit gives the client the information he or she [Read more…]

Should You Take a Survival Job as a Freelance Writer?

Coins

I’ve seen a number of web sites recently that suggest freelance writing as a survival job for people who are in between employment opportunities. While I admit that I do find the idea that anyone who can string a couple of words together can get paid to write until they find something better to do with their time a little insulting, this post isn’t about that particular topic. I want to talk about people already working as freelance writers who may be faced with having to work for less than they are used to making. Many of us are familiar [Read more…]

Would You Complete a Personality Test for a Freelance Writing Job?

Test

When a person is working for a brick and mortar job, it’s not uncommon for the employer to request that the candidate undergo some type of testing. People who are interested in working in law enforcement or as firefighters are required to complete physical and personality tests as part of the screening process. Applicants for administrative positions could expect to be asked to do a typing test at some point in their job search. Freelancers are in a different category, since they are not applying for a job. I’ve been asked to do a personality test as part of a [Read more…]

How do I Prepare a Writer’s Resume?

Selling Yourself to Potential Clients

Dear Jodee, I’ve seen ads for freelance writers where the prospective client asks for a resume. How do I prepare a writer’s resume for freelance clients? Confused Applicant Dear Confused, A writer’s resume isn’t some mysterious document; it’s just a resume for a writer. The idea of being a self-employed business owner and having to prepare a resume strikes me as being a bit unusual. If you were hiring someone to look after your lawn, fix your broken toilet or replace your roof, you wouldn’t ask to see a resume, so why would a freelance writer have to provide one? [Read more…]

How Can I Market my Freelance Writing Services Online?

Dear Jodee, For people who have business clients, how do you go about getting them? What are people’s advertising methods? I’m currently advertising on Craigslist and find it’s not as effective as I’d like it to be. Are there other ways of advertising online that are more effective? Thanks in advance. Sam Dear Sam, There are a number of ways of advertising your writing services online. Your web site or blog is a marketing tool that is always available to potential clients. Make sure that your copy includes the kinds of long tail keywords that clients in your niche would [Read more…]

How to Use Your Freelance Work Personality to Your Advantage

Know Yourself Before Applying for a Gig

Don’t let the title of this post fool you. I’m not suggesting that you become some type of chameleon and develop an entirely different persona at work. (If you have already done so and it’s working for you, carry on, though. Why mess with success?) I got the idea for the post from watching a medical show on television. I enjoy watching real life ones that show medical professionals as problem solvers. Since I’m always curious about what other people do for a living and why they were drawn to a particular type of work, I pay particular attention to [Read more…]

Show Me the Money

Following Up After the Job is Done

Dear Jodee, I’ve finished work for a client, submitted my invoice, and….nothing. I don’t want to appear too pushy, but I want to make sure that I get paid for my freelance work. How can I follow up without being aggressive? Hurting for Coin Dear Hurting, I appreciate where you are coming from here. On one hand, you don’t want to alienate the client by jumping on him or her five minutes after you submit the work, but you also want to be paid for what you have done in a timely manner. The first thing you need to do [Read more…]

Do You Ask for the Gig?

Getting the Client to Make a Decision

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You’ve been talking to a prospective client about his or her writing needs. So far, everything sounds good. You know you can do the work and give the client what they want, but they haven’t made you an offer. Now what? In this situation, you do have some options. You can back off and focus on the work you have in front of you right now and give the client some space and hope that when the time comes to hire someone that you will get nod. You have another option, though, and that is to assert yourself and get [Read more…]

How to be an Internet Job Miner

Digging a Little Deeper Can Get You Results

The Internet is a wonderful resource for people who are looking for work, including freelance writers. If you are interested in picking up your next gig, you have many options and places to look available to you. Many people who are looking for jobs check employment web sites looking for listings for “freelance writer.” This is an effective strategy, to be sure, but you can also get some great leads by looking at postings for editors. Read through the job description to see if it mentions something about the client looking for someone who can “supervise the work of freelance [Read more…]

How to Respond to a Blind Ad

RouletteWheel

Not all clients who are looking for freelance talent share their contact information when they post an ad looking for help. Not knowing exactly who you are responding to can feel a bit awkward. Some ads looking for freelance writing help are poorly written at the best of times, and when the client is not clearly identified, it is even more challenging to provide the information needed to show them that you are the right person for the gig. It may be tempting to assume that blind ads have been placed by shady individuals who are either looking to collect [Read more…]

The Myth of the Perfect Freelance Writing Gig

Do you dream of the “perfect” freelance writing gig? I bet that a lot of us do. It might be a certain client you would do just about anything to work with (the name “Deb Ng” might come to mind right about now, but I digress…..). I used to think there was one perfect gig, too, but now that I’ve been a freelance writer for awhile, I’ve changed my thinking on this subject. Much like there isn’t a Perfect Man (or Woman, as the case may be), there isn’t one perfect gig – and what a wonderful thing that is! [Read more…]

Do You Care About Your Clients' Business?

At first glance, this may seem like a bit of a silly question. Your answer may be something along the lines of, “I care if my clients are doing enough business to make sure I get paid, so yes….”, or some such thing. What I am getting at is something that is much deeper than that. Do you have an understanding of what your clients’ goals are and what they want to achieve through your writing? Here’s the thing. There are a lot of people out there who are working (or at least trying to find work) as freelance writers. [Read more…]

Your Turn: What’s Your Definition of a “Good” Freelance Writing Job?

Thumbs up

Credit where it’s due: I’m writing this in response to a Skype conversation I had with Mark Narter, a friend and writer who doesn’t have a huge online presence but writes full time for a local business. Every now and then Mark pings me to talk about something I wrote and whether or not he agrees with me. After I posted a peek into my portfolio, Mark wondered what makes my past experiences good ones. What do I consider a “Good” freelance writing job. The money? The glory? The opportunity? I love questions that make me think. So when a [Read more…]

Freelance Writer Wanted

*   Name of business or contact person: Advertical Media. Vincenzo Desroches, vincenzo.desroches@adverticalmedia.com, 386-986-1600 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              386-986-1600      end_of_the_skype_highlighting Full description of job’s duties * * 4 cents per word * 500 on average * 3 day turn-around * Well rehearsed knowledgeable forex writer * Personal forex trading experience * 100% authentic * Professionally composed * Edited

Writers for Windows 7 Tutorials

Name of the business: www.7tutorials.com Cotact Person: Ciprian Rusen – ciprianrusen@gmail.com Payment Details: 15$/article Job Title: Writer of Windows 7 tutorials Job Description: Write Windows 7 tutorials for both beginners in computing and computer geeks using Windows 7. Requirements: Good knowledge of English; Good Windows 7 operating skills (no need to be an expert but you must know the basics very well); Ability to explain technical terms to non-technical audiences; Willingness to write original content instead of copying ideas & content from others.

Writer With Real Estate Experience for Part Time Writing Job

WANTED: Writer with real estate experience for part-time writing job. I’m looking to hire a writer to work with me roughly 10 hours/week to start, to write about real estate investing, landlording, property management, etc for publication on various real estate-related websites. Majority of projects will be 500-600 word articles, minimal research, minimal editing required. 100% flexible hours, 100% telecommute, pays $10/hour through PayPal. Native English-speakers only please. If interested, email gbdavisjr@gmail.com with a resume, and a (very) brief cover letter explaining your reliability, real estate experience, and writing experience.

Pitch to the “Hidden” Places that Hire Freelance Writers

pitch

Have you ever done a search for “freelance writer” only to land on a gig that isn’t for a freelance writer at all? For example you may land on a job for an editor who has to “supervise freelance writers” or a managing editor who has to “hire freelance writers”.  Don’t click away from these gigs yet. They’re actually offering valuable information — they’re telling you these businesses hire freelance writers. Even though they don’t have  job ad requesting freelance writers, it doesn’t mean they’re not open to the idea of reading your pitch and, at the very least, keeping [Read more…]

Top 10 Freelance Writing Job Ad Red Flags

red flag

When you troll the job boards every day you learn a little about the tactics many 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 after all this time it’s easy to spot poor opportunities. Perhaps you’ve come across these red flags: Top 10 Freelance Writing Job Ad Red Flags 1. Perfect for Work at Home Moms, Retirees or College Students Jobs are perfect for writers, not situations. The [Read more…]

Freelance Writing Jobs for October 5, 2009

It’s Monday, the beginning of a new week and a clean slate. Hope it’s a good start for you. I want to congratulate a friend of FWJ, Sandy Mitchel, on publishing her second book. Sandy has been a member of this community for years and we worked many of the same places. It’s a treat to be able to witness Sandy’s success. Check out “Cleveland’s Slavic Village” and support a long time member of the FWJ community. Here’s what’s new around the network: Is Writer’s Block an Excuse for Procrastination? 8 Places to Network Offline Weekend News and Awesomeness Winning [Read more…]

Funny Witty Freelance Copywriter Wanted

To write a post between 250-350 words including Title and Description Tags (SEOed) Up to 15-20 posts required a month. $7.50 – $10 per post. Can pay per post or accumulate and pay! All payments will be done through Paypal!! Web url: www.madeyoustare.com Note from Deb: Generally I don’t post anything paying below $10/post but this word count was low so I allowed it on this one occasion.

Product Reviews and Helpful Articles

We are looking for an native English speaking writer. We are looking for somebody who has experience in writing quality articles and/or product reviews. Your topic will be writing for a vacuum cleaner websites, so you will have two writing assignments: reviews and articles. Product Reviews This doesn’t mean however that you have to purchase a vacuum, test it and write a review. This job is a professional review aggregation, so you will research the product reviews on a popular review sites like eopinions, amazon and others. Then you will summarize the consensus of the reviews and ratings that people [Read more…]

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