Freelance Writing Jobs – the Where, the How and the What

Hunting for freelance writing jobs is a lot like fishing. Every person has their special lure or bait, a particular spot to do the fishing and even a special way to fish (fly fishing, net fishing or even trot lines). I’m not a fisherman and I don’t play one on T.V. but I come from a long line of fishermen and live in the country so I’m surrounded by them day and night. I’ve heard every trick in the book and every fisherman that uses a trick or gadget is bound to swear by it.

Finding freelance writing jobs is a personal adventure that can not be dictated or predicted by previous travelers. Each individual will have to find a path all their own. It is wise to use the knowledge and experience of the freelance writers that have gone before, but twist it around to make the journey to freelance writing jobs all your own.

1. Using a Net or a Rod to Fish for Freelance Writing Jobs

When I first started out in my freelance writing career I applied to every job that I thought I might be able to pass for qualified to do. I figured that if I sent out a dozen queries a week I was bound to land at least a few new jobs when the dust settled. I have picked up a few gigs following that path but some were much more painful than I would have preferred.

I have recently started looking at freelance writing jobs just like I would potential markets for my articles. I spend a little time reviewing any information that I receive to see if we are a good fit BEFORE I start the process of sending a query and samples. If my tone is sarcastic and humorous then a serious website is probably not be best place for me to be searching for new work.

2. Research or passion in Freelance Writing Jobs

There are people out there that are truly gifted researches and can write about any subject under the sun. I am lucky to have some of that ability. My gift is attributed to the fact that I got a B.S. degree when I was in college but if you listen to some of my family you’re likely to uncover that it is partially genetic. It is possible to write about anything with some level of authority if you are willing to spend the time and effort doing the research but very few freelance writing jobs will pay for that research so be sure you consider that when looking at pay for those freelance writing jobs where you have no real interest or current knowledge.

When I have a passion for a subject I may still do some more research but the articles flow much more readily. I have a heart for personal and family finances and can write articles down that path with relative ease. Finding freelance writing jobs that fall into my passions and my interests make it easy for me to write more in each hour so I’m usually willing to take less pay for these topics. It is possible for me to make more money for less pay writing finance articles than I could make writing automotive articles. Writing for passion can pay off in the end.

3. The Long or Short of Freelance Writing Jobs

Writing long articles or reports offer a better end pay check. These types of freelance writing jobs require more work to complete the one project. The extra thought and energy may cause a project to take more time than originally estimated. Keeping projects on a pay per word basis is generally the best route for the freelance writer but this is not always an option. There are ways to make a longer freelance writing job easier on the freelance writer. Keep in mind that on the internet in particular white space is a good thing and using bullets, quotes and other eye catching format options will help to make a long project easier to put together.

Short articles take less time, research and energy to create. There is just not as much information required for a 200 word article as there is for a 10 page document and the great thing is that there seems to be an abundance of short freelance writing jobs in the marketplace. Most of the time the short articles will be quick and easy so more can be done in one hour. The pay for each article may not be as much as the pay for a large project but the hourly pay for a freelance writer may actually turn out to be much more than it would be for the longer freelance writing projects.

4. New or Old Material for Freelance Writing Jobs

The great thing about writing an article is that even if that article is sold to someone else you can still use it. Now it can be used in the form that it was sold, but it can be recreated as a longer or shorter article, report or workbook. Long articles are usually broken down into points. Each point could be rewritten as a separate article. Lots of short articles about one subject could be recreated into a longer article or report. There are no real limits to the ways that writing material can be recreated and repurposed.

Writing new material means there is no risk of plagiarism. The material will be completely your own thoughts and words. It may take a little longer to create but you know what you are creating is unique.

The long and short of finding freelance writing work and making the jobs work for your needs is that you have to find what is best for you. Some people do better with long articles and some find their niche in short articles. Freelance writing work is just as diverse as the people that choose freelance writing for a career. Use the methods that work best for you to find the freelance writing jobs that will get you to where you want to be.