Freelance Writing Sites

Knowing where to look for freelance writing jobs is the first thing you need to know to get started. Most people lose interest in this profession when they can’t find any jobs. But as we will see, there are countless freelance writing bid sites where these jobs are found so you can start making some serious moolah.

If you think about it, there are actually unlimited opportunities for freelance writing when you know where to look. Typing in the keyword phrases “content writing jobs” or “freelance writing jobs” will often bring up a mind-blowing number of results. All you’ll need to do is click on a few links and take a gander at what jobs you’d like to apply for.

Now just because you’ve found some freelance writing websites doesn’t mean you’ve struck gold. Tread carefully when you try to apply for a freelance writing job at a particular site. There are sites that can drive you crazy with insane demands, sites that require you to become members first for a steep amount of money and then there are others that will require substantial cuts from the work you do for them.

Then again, there are jobs that would require you to purchase a particular type of software first before you start. They will promise you anything and everything but actual work and actual pay.

Beware of freelance writing sites that say “for just an hour a day and by replying to simple emails earn a mind-boggling sum of…” or “no research required…just answer a few questions and become the next millionaire!”

These are most certainly nothing but scam. Think about it — if these people could make you millionaires, how come they’re wasting their time peddling all these nonsense? Remember, money will come through legitimate channels online and definitely not from scams.

Here are perfectly legit options that you should check out:

1. Freelance Writing Websites

In order to start finding jobs within these sites, you have to register for membership, sometimes for a very minimal fee or none at all. With basic membership, you can bid for a limited number of jobs a month but what’s more important to the point is that you are able to get your first freelance writing job at practically no cost at all. That’s a good start.

Below are some of the best freelance writing sites on the internet to date based on personal experience with them listed in order of preference:

• Freelancer.com
  
  

  Bag a project or post a project on this platform and get the best bids from a whole group of skilled copywriters. Provide work or get work at the best prices. This site, which has evolved into one of the most popular freelance site this side of the Web, has about 60+ jobs a day that runs through the weekend as well.

  You can get about 30 freelance writing bids a month with a free membership which is actually good for starters. Responses from clients are pretty quick, with writers being hired in as little as a day. Freelancer.com offers various modes of payment including the Payoneer card which allows you to access funds from anywhere in the world using a Mastercard ATM.

  While some writers feel that jobs from Freelancer.com pay cheaper than most sites, the sheer convenience of using this site and the steady stream of work that can be applied for makes up for any of its shortcomings.

• Scriptlance.com
  
  

  This site is as good as Freelancer.com in terms of bidding for free but it does have a few setbacks — for one, it doesn’t have a debit card facility and job postings can be pretty few but still it is a good enough place to start for those who are new to freelance writing. The site is still better than most since the payout is lower for confirmed jobs and there is still a decent amount of work.

  The only irritating thing that we don’t like so much about Scriptlance.com is that you have to charge per project and not per article which means that if the client put down “looking for long term worker” with no specific numbers, you could end up overworking or undermining yourself.

• Elance.com
  
  

  Elance.com is considered an “elite” site for freelance writers because the project budgets of clients who post on this site are extraordinarily high which is also the reason why bagging a job here can be a wee bit difficult.

  Each project application or “bid” as it is known across the board, costs money as well so because there are sites like Scriptlance.com and Freelancer.com where bidding is free, this is actually a serious drawback as far as we’re concerned.

  Nevertheless, we cannot ignore how dedicated Elance.com is to protecting both their clients and writers alike by actually asking them to take a test before posting a bid on jobs. Just for great user friendly services, we put this site on our list.

• Guru.com
  
  

  The only problem we have with this site, is that the writing jobs are few and far between but still, the reason this site is on this list is because the pay is almost as good as Elance.com though not as high.

  The site itself has a very user-friendly interface that even beginners can use without too many problems. Another good point is that the jobs are not limited to online writing but also off as well.

  Diversity makes things more interesting and allows you more options where you can test your writing mettle. You may find yourself writing a wedding speech for a couple who’ll get married in India and a sales presentation for a company in America the next.

2. Forums, Blogs and Other Online Communities

Making connections is the primary purpose why joining forums, blogs and other online communities are important when starting to do freelance writing. Most if not all members of these communities can be your potential clients or know of potential clients whom they can refer you to.

Although not as good as bidding for jobs on freelance writing bidding sites, there are times when you can stumble on a forum that pays higher with a steadier workflow than bid sites. Of course, you can’t just become a member of these forums. You will still need to be approved first.

Posting insightful comments on blogs are also a way to connect with other writers except that there’s no secure way of payment but more on this later.

3. Websites

There’s nothing better than discovering a website that needs content writers. It means that you can communicate directly with your employer and be paid in full anytime depending on your agreed upon terms.

You can also create a website for yourself, advertising the services you can do and promote yourself well online. With any luck, clients will come flocking to you if you play your cards right.

Just note however, that the short-term nature of single website jobs like these may create problems with payments. Again, tread with caution.