Editor’s note: This post was written by Brie Weiler Reynolds, the Director of Online Content at FlexJobs and a contributing writer for 1 Million for Work Flexibility. FlexJobs is the award-winning site for telecommuting and flexible jobs, listing thousands of pre-screened, legitimate, and professional-level work-from-home, flexible schedule, part-time, and freelance jobs. Brie provides career and job search advice through the FlexJobs Blog. Learn more at www.FlexJobs.com.
If you’re a freelance writer, you’re familiar with common jobs like subject writers, copy editors, technical writers, journalists, and the like. But if you’re looking for something a bit different, there’s a variety of unusual and interesting freelance writing jobs to seek out.
The following freelance writing jobs will all utilize your writing skills, but may also give you the chance to use or expand related skills, and may tap into other areas of interest. Here are five surprising freelance writing jobs to consider.
Production Editing Assistant
Television production companies and related firms that work with live televised events rely on the help of experienced writers for media management duties. In this type of freelance job, the writer edits content for live events and manages databases of related content for pre- and post-event use. Because of the nature of live events, the work environment is fast-paced, high-pressured, and exciting. This is an ideal freelance job for someone who has excellent organizational skills and is looking for short-term, temporary projects.
Community Manager
Websites from all sorts of industries and topics now manage community areas to engage their audiences. And because so much of the interaction that takes place in online communities is done through writing, it makes sense that freelance community managers are professionals with backgrounds in writing, editing, and written communication. Community management jobs are a great option for freelance writers who enjoy social networking, engaging with audiences, building relationships, and who can write excellent content and responses quickly and cleverly.
Curriculum Writer
Many freelance writers specialize in one or more subject areas, and curriculum writing jobs are available for people with this sort of expertise. Online and brick-and-mortar schools across the country hire curriculum writers to develop content for subjects ranging from sociology to calculus, history to math, and everything in between. If you happen to have teaching experience in addition to your writing credentials, all the better.
Content Translator
Can you write well in more than one language? If so, consider freelance content translator jobs. Companies from industries like education, web development, and online content hire content translators with strong writing, speaking, and editing skills to translate and write for a variety of audiences. This type of work is highly independent, and requires attributes like organization and self-management.
Encyclopedia Content Writer
Though paper encyclopedias aren’t nearly as prolific as they were in years past, encyclopedias still exist both online and in print. Experienced technical writers are hired to research and produce high-quality content for these collections of knowledge. In these types of freelance jobs, your ability to research a variety of subjects is as important as your writing skills, so be sure to emphasize both your research and writing experience.
As the web continues to grow, writers will always be needed to create new content and edit existing text, but they’re also being called upon for surprising jobs like these. If you’re looking for a unique freelance writing job, consider the five options above, or branch out and look for even more unique ideas. Whether you’re a specialist or a generalist, your skills will be put to good use.
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