Few Tips On Freelance Writing

A new writing job opportunity literally crops up every second of every minute of every day on the Internet. For a new writer this would seem quite overwhelming. But to the seasoned writer, this means having work tomorrow after finishing today's assignments. Many freelance writers, especially new ones who are just about to venture into online work, browse through many websites reading about the experiences of other successful online writers. Everyone is looking for the secret formula on how to earn big money from freelance writing.

There are several steps which a new writer can employ to help him land a job.

First Step: Know the Different Writing Opportunities Out There

There are so many writing opportunities in the net. Part time and full time writers know most of them, if not all. It doesn't mean though that one must know all of them, or apply work in all of them. A good writer knows what he can do. And in order to assess himself, he must first learn what are the kinds of writing jobs being offered in the net.

Here's a few writing jobs writers from all over the world choose from:
- article writing
- blogging
- grant writing
- resume writing
- scriptwriting
- academic writing
- ebook writing

- novel writing
- greeting card writing

Second Step: Self Evaluation

After knowing what each type of writing entails, the new writer can now assess himself. He must ask himself the following questions
- What are my achievements? passions?
- Am I knowleadgeable in health, computers, insurance, mortgage, sports, fashion, forex
- What type of writing can I do?
-  How is my grammar?
-  Can I do research and write about the given topic without copying from other articles?
-  Am I willing to explore other writing style?
-  Am I willing to give time to learning about the different types of writing out there?

Third Step: Start Writing

In order for the new writer to find writing jobs, he must have a few writing samples to showcase his stye of writing and build his online portfolio. Clients always look for writing samples which will help them evaluate the writer's style as well as his application of correct grammar in his articles. There are numerous sites in the internet where an aspiring writer could do this. One is Factoidz.com. No fees are collected in order to join these sites and sometimes, one can even share a small percentage from the earnings gained from the adsense placed on their article. He can write about any topic he is passionate about. Some sites may also suggests various topic to choose from.

Fourth Step: Start Looking for Writing Opportunities

Writing opportunities are out there. Once a writer knows what his passions are, he can narrow the search. If he's into academic writing, or resume writing, or if he is passionate about computers, health, tattoos or insurance, he can search specifically for any of them. A new writer can start small by applying to ads he knows he can do even if the said rate per article is small. To test the waters and to know what he is capable of accomplishing, he can definitely do this and move forward to bigger gigs which pays well in the coming weeks or months.

Some words of caution though for new writers. The internet is full of legitimate writing opportunities, but scams are also everywhere. The new writer should be aware of all these, and take extra effort to read through the forums and learn from the experiences of other writers.

Examples of sites that posts writing jobs:
Freelance Job Openings
Online Writing Jobs
Poewar Jobs
Freelance Writing

Fifth Step: Follow Instructions

Once accepted by clients and given writing assignments, writers should do their best to deliver what is required of them. Clients often provide guidelines on how they want the job done. So in order to avoid frequent revisions and complaints, it is best to adhere to what the clients want. After all, they are the ones who hold the dollar.

Sixth Step:  Continue Looking for Opportunities

Apply everyday. Aim high. You might just get what you're looking for.

--- dulz

Applying for a writing gig? What is your sample article?

I write articles for a living. I write for online publications as well as privately owned websites. There are sites which allow me to publish articles under my name, but most clients ask for ghostwritten ones.

A ghostwritten article is something a writer composes and sell for a fee. Once paid, the writer does not have any more rights to it. This means that the client has every right to do whatever he wants with the article. He can publish it under his own name, sell it to other clients or post it anonymously in other publications, online or offline.

Many aspiring writers wanting to test the waters of online writing continue to apply for writing opportunities being offered here and abroad. In order to do that, they have to send their application emails to probable clients. Clients usually ask for a resume, a short letter, and an original writing sample or two.

Can a writer use the articles he had ghostwritten as writing samples? For clients who paid for those articles, it is not okay that the articles they already paid for, and therefore own, be used as sample articles. Clients looking for new writers will also evaluate the aspiring writer for his article samples. He usually reads them, take note the flow of words and the overall tone of the article as well as for grammatical and spelling errors. He can also check the article in various softwares which detect plagiarism. Just imagine his surprise if the article claimed by the writer is already published somewhere else under the name of a different person. This means the article was copied, and the client – who would have considered the writer for the job – becomes disappointed and he scans his inbox again to look at the application of other writers.

There are several publication sites, like Factoidz, Hubpages, Triond and Suite101, where an aspiring writer can submit his original articles and have his own name under them. These sites does not usually give writers an upfront payment. The writer however is usually paid for the page views he gains from his articles and depending on the popularity of the article, the dollars can accumulate.

So why write for these sites? The articles written by the writer under his name can be added to his writing portfolio. And these can be used as writing samples in applying for writing jobs. These sites also allow comments, and a writer often knows what his readers and other writers think about his article.

I hope this helps some new and aspiring writer proceed with their writing ambitions.

----dulz