How Do I Find Paying Writing Jobs?

photo by Tracy Olson

There are many different online freelance marketplaces where you can acquire writing jobs. There are two major websites top on my list.

www.guru.com

www.elance.com

Each of these websites has a search agent which can e-mail jobs based upon the desired search criteria which you would like. Most of the websites do usually charge a monthly or quarterly subscription fee and take a cut of the job. This can be a great investment because you will have access to writing jobs that you would not normally have seen.

There are many other ways to acquire writing jobs other than using online freelance marketplaces. This is where you can use your creativity in selling yourself. Many companies in need of writing will not normally look online first. They may go towards local contacts and sources that they have because they feel more comfortable using someone who they can physically meet with. You can take advantage of these needs by cultivating contacts within your region. Look into joining your Chamber of Commerce as well as other civic groups. Be sure to bring business cards with you and have a thirty second speech explaining what you do and who you are. Do not work at directly selling yourself to them at first but rather make the connection and allow them to come to you. People are more willing to do business with you when they actually know you rather than just a face on a website or an anonymous bid to a project they post.

Another key when acquiring writing jobs is to make sure that you have a website. Many writers do not have a website, and this can give you a competitive advantage. You can publish some of your past jobs on the Internet so that if people are interested, they can look at your website. You don't have to worry about e-mailing them any information, and they will contact you if they're interested. If you work on SEO, people searching the Internet for writing could also stumble across your website and provide another source of leads for you.

When looking for writing jobs, you must sell yourself and think creatively outside the box. If you set yourself up well, you will find that you will be inundated with work by consistently prospecting for new business using some of the techniques explained above.