Freelance writing can be a great way to earn some money online. If you can build up a reputation as someone who can put together quality content in a decent timescale then you can get a decent amount of money, particularly if you are quick at typing. But where can you find work?
There are websites where you can bid for freelance work. These tend to be set up very formally and you will find that a job is listed and you can apply, using your CV, samples of your work and a few paragraphs to explain why you think you can do the job. You then put in what you will charge for the job. The website adds on a percentage which they take as a fee and if you get the job and complete it, you will get the payment that you asked for and the website will take their cut. Often the potential employee has to put the money in an account with the website so you know that you will get paid. There is a lot of competition on sites like this and often workers can be found at very low rates. However, if someone wants specific knowledge that you have or a writer from a specific country that you live in, then you have a better chance of getting offered the work.
There are also smaller websites where you can get paid for doing small pieces of work. Often these are just for $5. These can be good places to pick up small jobs and once you have shown a person what you are capable of, they may give you larger pieces of work which will pay more.
It can be wise to set yourself up with a website or blog. This will allow you to be able to showcase your skills by writing articles which potential customers will be able to read and judge you on. Make sure that it is obvious that you are looking for work as a writer. It is also good to offer your writing skills for free to blogs which are in areas that you have knowledge in. If you offer a free blog article in exchange for putting your name and a link to your website on it, then they could act as a good advertisement for you. Try high profile websites and make sure that you produce high quality pieces of writing, ensuring that they are unique each time.
There are forums where you can pick up writing work. People advertise for writers and you can apply to the advertisements and do some work for them. Alternatively you can advertise that you are available for work and see whether you get approached by anyone. Sometimes the forum will take a cut of the money that changes hand as a fee for providing the lead. Make sure that you charge enough to be able to cover that cost and still give yourself a fair wage.
On occasion, you will also see companies directly looking for writers to create articles for them. Here is an example from HostPresto.com who are a website hosting company from the UK. As you can see, the rate you’re offered when working directly can be significantly more in comparison to using one of the freelance work aggregators. Something to consider.
Search… And You Shall Find!
You can use search engines to look for freelance writing work. If you just search, you should find that there will be a number of companies advertising for freelance work. You may want to be specific though and only look for the type of writing that you are experienced in so that you get jobs that are relevant to your skills.
There are freelance writing social media groups that it can be worth being a part of. These may share advertisements online for freelance writing posts and you may also be able to share hints and tips with other users of the site as well. You may even find that some writers have too much work and need to outsource and you could help them.