Freelance writing
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Freelance writing
| Mon, 06-09-2008 - 4:41am |
Life as a freelancer just keeps getting harder. Between the blog sites who want to pay almost pennies for our work and the publications going out of business.
I have recently increased my querying and am playing the waiting game.
Anyone with insights on who is paying and assigning. I write about business, economics and health as well as relationships.
Thanks.
Laura Bell
writer@well.com
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As a full-time freelance writer, I find most of the job sites are now only posting jobs insulting to professionals. I've dropped a lot of them, and I also don't pay for listings on those bidding sites.
Hang out on Peter Bowerman's Well-Fed Writer site and blog -- that's always good when you're feeling down.
Media Bistro usually lists the best-paying jobs for the most reputable clients.
What I've found the most successful with the best rates is to look at companies that interest me and then create a proposal to convince them they can't live without me. It's more legwork up front, but ends up paying off, in every sense of the word, down the line.
Seek out professional freelance writing forums and look at other freelance writers' blogs -- they have great resources. Several of the blogs on my links list are from other full-time freelancers, not just novelists.
Join your local chamber of commerce. That's a goldmine.
Good luck!
www.fearlessink.com
www.devonellingtonwork.com
Thanks for the great reply. I wish I had the bucks to join the Chamber, but not now. I find most of the stuff on Media Bistro to be full time. I don't have current PR creds, so that wouldn't work. I have them, but they go back more than a decade.
The ads are purely insulting as you said and it makes you cringe. I too refuse to bid on a project.
Best.
Laura
I'm currently freelancing - for free, lol. I have a column coming out in Romantic Times BookReviews and I'm not paid for it but there was no way I was turning it down - it's excellent publicity and it's been really fun to write!! The column is about my journey to becomgin an apsiring writer. 1500 words a month - which I think is almost a full page.
How is joining the Chamber of Commerce a goldmine? Just curious.
Welcome to The Writing Life, Laura!
Hmm.
JudyB
Jennie, every single business that belongs to the Chamber of Commerce needs written materials. As a fellow member, they're likely to turn to you first. As a freelancer who does business writing in addition to articles and fiction, it's the best source of networking, contacts, and steady, well-paid writing for companies that actually respect what you do that I've ever known.
www.fearlessink.com
www.devonellingtonwork.com
PS I've always made back my yearly C of C dues in the first assignment received from another member. So, for me, it's always been worth it.
www.fearlessink.com
www.devonellingtonwork.com
Hello to all!!
I'm a newbie to the board, but not to ivillage.
I'm interested in getting into freelance writing, but I truly have no clue how to do it!!
If you read this thread thoroughly, there are suggestions; and do a search in the forum -- it's a topic that's been discussed regularly on the forum.
www.fearlessink.com
www.devonellingtonwork.com
Welcome to The Writing Life, Laurene!
Glad you found us! Hope you can find advice for beginners here on the board. If not, please pose a question or twelve and we'll try to get you the info.
As you can already tell, other writers can't do your research for what you write or give you lists of contacts to help you sell it. We can't even tell where you stand putting words together to make stories or articles. We can get to know you better, though, and nudge you in the direction you'd like to go.
What direction interests you? Sometimes the best way to find what you'd like to write is to look at what you like to read.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you better and to following your writer's journey. (It's quite a trip! LOL!)
JudyB
JudyB
Judy B,
I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to get back to your reply.
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