Out of all the questions I’m asked about freelance writing, the one that comes up the most is, “where can I find freelance writing work?” New writers don’t want to know the “secret” to find the hidden gems or where they can find “goldmines” if they sign up to specialized lists or services. They want straight answers about how to do this, where they can find leads, and who to contact. Why does it have to be a mystery? The simple answer is—nothing about finding freelance writing work has to be mysterious.
Do You Want to Work for a Company?
If you want to work for a company on a freelance basis, there are many ways of going about doing this. First, you’ll need to make sure your resume is up-to-date. If you’re using a website like Indeed.com or ZipRecruiter.com to find these companies, they have tools to help you build and edit your resume. Once you finish, these sites will direct you to a list of suggested jobs based on your previous work experience. If none of those match up with what you’re looking for, you can use the keyword search to look for freelance writing work.
Where else can you find companies?
- LinkedIn: once you have your resume up-to-date, LinkedIn is an excellent place to build a profile and find companies seeking freelance writers. Use the keyword finder to locate companies with recent jobs posts. You can also see posts in your feed from those in your connections as well.
- Twitter: hashtags are an excellent way to find companies looking for freelance writers. They are continuously looking for help and making these kinds of posts. You can also find work by searching under hashtags like #freelanceopportunity or #writingopportunity or something similar. Be sure to click “latest” in the options, so you’re getting the newest results.
Don’t Forget About Looking Locally
Your local community is an excellent opportunity for scoring freelance writing work. Those who are new to the freelance writing world may think, “I have to find work with a magazine or newspaper to break into print or make any money.” However, that’s not entirely true. Companies in your community need newsletters, website copy, blog posts, email marketing, social media posts, and more. Get in touch with the Chamber of Commerce to learn more about the businesses in your area. Laura Murphy has an excellent article about how to pitch your freelance services to small businesses here.
Check Out Boards and Groups
Every day, new job posts show up on boards and in groups. You can find these boards on sites like ProBlogger.com, Freelancewritinggigs.com, and FreelanceWriting.com. These are just a few of the websites where you can find job postings. Don’t forget to look at Craigslist.org (the freelance gigs section under every city has posts) and MediaBistro.com. MediaBistro.com is similar to Indeed.com and ZipRecruiter.com, except it’s specifically for those who are looking for editing, writing, creative, and other media professional jobs.
About Joining Groups
Dozens of groups exist on Facebook and LinkedIn for freelance writing jobs. Some post leads daily, and others do so periodically. You can search for what is referred to as “Binder” groups on Facebook and, once you’re a member, you can find tons of freelance writing leads daily. Otherwise, all you have to do is type in “freelance writing jobs” in the search bar and click “groups.” That will reveal a list of what’s available on Facebook.
On LinkedIn, type “freelance writing jobs” in the search bar and hit enter. Then, you’ll see the word “more” in the list of options. When you click on that option, a drop-down menu will appear with the option for “groups.” When you click on that, you’ll see all of the groups available offering freelance writing job posts.
Final Thoughts
Be proactive in your searching. If you’re not receiving the results you like, don’t forget to put your profiles up everywhere! That way, potential clients can find you on sites like ClearVoice.com, nDash.com, Scripted.com, and SkyWord.com. Hundreds of prospects are using those sites to find freelance writers daily.