Well, so much for the claims I made in my last blog post. After I wrote that, my freelance writing work picked up and I haven’t published a post since then. Last week alone I wrote about 12,000 words. The truth is that there is always freelance writing work online if you look for it and because it is, it can be hard to turn it down to do your own thing.
So I decided to write this post about how to find that writing work.
Writing for Agencies Versus Writing Directly for Clients
Most of what I write is for agencies. Yes, the pay can be a lot less than writing directly for a business, but most of the time, they give me the idea and possibly the outline for the article they want me to write and about 75% of the year, they keep me busy enough I don’t have to go looking for new work. With agencies, I really just write. I don’t pitch, don’t go back and forth with ideas, and really don’t do much in the way of editing.
But I do leave a lot on the table for this convenience. I learned it firsthand when a company I wrote for through an agency tracked me down to write directly for them. They wanted me to write the same type of blog articles and would pay me $800 a piece for articles in the 1000-1500 word range. The agency paid me $120.
With the work is flowing with agencies, I know how much I can make each month and know the schedule I have to have to keep up with the work. I know most of the articles I can write at the rate of about 500 words per hour and schedule my time accordingly. Not much thinking involved. I turned it into a system.
But agency work can also be feast or famine. Months will go by where I am consistently getting paid to write 1000 words a day and even have to turn down some work because there just is not enough time. And then, out of nowhere, the flow stops.
Which just happened this week. In the last month, I wrote around 40 articles freelancing. Yesterday, I finished the last one up and there was nothing in my queue. Which makes me anxious every time it happens and I start going through my bookmarks and searching Google to find new places to write for.
This time I decided to consolidate them in a blog post for easy reference.
Where to Find Freelance Writing Jobs Online
I decided to make this a list of other lists rather than linking directly to places you can write for because I am lazy and don’t want to come back and have to edit it every few weeks. I will let other sites curate and I will just curate their curations.
Writing Jobs and Pitch Request Newsletters Delivered to Your Inbox
I love these. I subscribe to too many newsletters and most get deleted before I open them. Some entice me to open them before I delete them. But these I read every time. If something catches my eye, I apply, even if agency work is keeping me busy. I do plan on cutting down on agency work, but while it is flowing, I don’t think about it. These remind me.
- Amber Petty’s Free Writing Job Listings: This is my favorite so far. There is a mix of freelance jobs, full-time jobs, and writing pitch requests.
- The Writer’s Job Newsletter: You can look at their previous issues here. New issues are delivered every Sunday.
- The Weekly Jobs Newsletter: Their listings include remote, freelance, contract, part-time, and full-time writing jobs.
- Where to Pitch: Subscribe to this newsletter through Substack.
- Funds for Writers: This newsletter is delivered weekly on Fridays and provides 24-30 markets that pay $200 or $0.10 per word or more.
- Kat Boogaard’s Newsletter: Writing gigs, freelancing tips, and more delivered weekly.
- Freelancing with Tim: Another Substack newsletter with writing job listings.
- SkipTheDrive: For this one, you will have to search for writing jobs and then use the email form on the side to get updates to the results emailed to you. I have to say that the IAPWE does regularly list work there and would not suggest signing up with them. Here are more details.
- The Morning Coffee Newsletter: I just signed up for this, so I am not sure what to expect yet.
- The Freelance Beat
- Freedom with Writing
Freelance Writing Platforms and Agencies
These are job boards and other membership sites that allow you to create a profile, portfolio, etc. Some are general job marketplaces. Some are agencies. I have signed up for a few of these, but there are a lot, so I haven’t reviewed all of them yet. I would also have to say that I am not too familiar with most of them even though they are the bread and butter for many other writers. I get most of my work either by hunting it down or through people who contact me on LinkedIn. This list I need to spend more time on.
- ProBlogger: A job board for bloggers, featuring freelance, contract, and part-time writing opportunities.
- Content Writers: A content writing service that connects businesses with professional writers for various types of content.
- Scripted: A platform for freelance writers to find work creating content for businesses and agencies.
- nDash: A content creation platform that connects freelance writers with brands and agencies looking for quality content.
- ClearVoice: A content marketing platform that connects freelance writers with clients in need of content creation services.
- The Urban Writers: A ghostwriting service that offers opportunities for writers to create eBooks, articles, and other content.
- Reedsy: A platform for freelance professionals in the publishing industry, including writers, editors, and designers.
- Steady Content: A content creation service that hires freelance writers to produce blog content for businesses.
- All Freelance Writing: A resource for freelance writers, featuring job listings, writing tips, and advice.
- Compose.ly: A content writing service that connects businesses with freelance writers for various content needs.
- MediaBistro: A job board and career resource for professionals in media, including writing and editing positions.
- Bou.co: A platform that connects freelance writers with clients seeking content creation services.
- ContentFly: A content writing service that hires freelance writers to create content for businesses and agencies.
- Panda Copy: A content writing service that offers opportunities for freelance writers to create content for clients.
- FlexJobs: A job board featuring remote, part-time, and freelance job opportunities, including writing positions.
- ServiceScape: A platform that connects freelance professionals, including writers, with clients seeking their services.
- Guru: A freelance marketplace that connects professionals, including writers, with clients looking for their services.
- Upwork: A freelance platform that connects professionals, including writers, with clients seeking their services.
- VirtualVocations: A job board featuring remote job opportunities, including writing positions.
- Freelance Writing Jobs: A job board that lists freelance writing opportunities in various niches.
- TextBroker: A content writing service that hires freelance writers to create content for clients.
- CravInkMinds: A content writing service that offers opportunities for freelance writers to create content for clients.
- iWriter: A platform that connects freelance writers with clients seeking content creation services.
- Audience Ops: A content marketing service that hires freelance writers to create content for clients.
- Twine: A platform that connects freelance professionals, including writers, with clients seeking their services.
- Contena: A job board and resource for freelance writers, featuring job listings and writing tips.
- Best Writing: A job board that lists writing-related positions, including content writing and copywriting opportunities.
- BEwriters
- Word Candy
- The Writer Finder
- Verblio
- WriterBay
- Constant Content
- Writer Access
- Express Writers
- qwoted
- superpath
- Fiverr
Online Lists and Directories of Writing Jobs
While some of these might fit into the list above, most of these are just basic lists of writing opportunities that get updated on a regular basis without all the bells and whistles.
- Who Pays Technical Writers: I visit this one often when I am looking for more work because I am a full-time software engineer and have found work with LogRocket and other major software companies here before.
- Working Nomads Writing Jobs
- SmartBlogger
- Websites that Pay Writers $100 or More
- 80 Websites that Pay Writers
- Top 101 Websites that Pay Content Writers
- 50 Sites that Pay You to Write
Social Media Writing Job Lists
These aren’t actually lists, but filtered or hash tag searches of social networks or profiles that may turn up some writing opportunties.
- LinkedIn “freelance writing” search: You can modify this search to fit your needs.
- Narrative Gigs: Opportunities for narrative storytellers
- Who Pays Writers: An anonymous, crowdsourced list of publications that pay freelance writers and their rates
- Write Jobs: Job postings for various writing positions, including freelance, full-time, and part-time opportunities
- Freelance Writing Jobs: Daily job listings for freelance writing gigs, including blogging, content writing, and more
- Best Writing Jobs: Job postings for content writing, copywriting, and other writing-related positions
- Freedom With Writing
- #callforpitches
- #writingjobs
So Much for Exhaustive
Well, I had the idea to write this post so that I wouldn’t have to hunt through all of my bookmarks and do google searches next time I went looking for writing work. It turns out it was a lot of work and there is still more to add. I also need to add some descriptions and break up some of the lists. Consider it a constant work in progress.
So I will have to update this in the future when I have more time to complete the list. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions, let me know.
Top comments (0)