Freelance Writing Jobs for Wednesday, December 3, 2008
December 3, 2008 by Jodee
Filed under Blogging Gigs, Writing Gigs
by Jodee Redmond
Good morning FWJ Friends! I’ve got leads for greeting card writers, article writers, technical writers, and curriculum writers for you this morning. There are opps for medical writers, translators, report writers, copywriters, proofreaders, and bloggers. I also have a few internships.
Is your dream job on today’s list? Let us know!
Leads…
Telecommute
- Article and Story Writers – USA/UK/Canada
- Greeting Card Writers @ Blue Mountain Arts
- FT Writer Wanted ($800 per week)
- Curriculum Writers for High School Business Courses
- About.com Seeks Sports Journalists
- About.com Seeks Health Professionals as Writers
- Website Writer for California Company
- Online French Editor/Tutor
- Online Spanish Editor/Tutor
- Arabic to English Translator Work
- Grant Writer - Opera/Performing Arts
- B2B Report Writer Needed
- Freelance Finance Writer @ Vault.com
- Editor/Article Writer/Content Writer for Websites
- Translators Wanted
- Seeking Small Business Plan Writer - Fashion Company
- Lifestyle Writer for 50+ Audience
- Medical Writers and Editors
Blogging Jobs
Site Specific
- Freelance Real Estate Reporters
- Freelance Writer, Alaska Pioneer Press
- Contract Technical Writer for eBay – San Jose
- Website Producer – New York/Los Angeles
- Copy Editor – Orange County
- Technical Writer – Contract – Denver
- Freelance Writers Needed – Aspen, CO
- Proofreader – Temporary – In House – Longmont/Denver
- Freelance Writers – Chelsea/New York
- Freelance Copywriter – Manhattan/New York
Internships
- 7×7 Magazine Seeks Editorial Interns – San Francisco (Course Credit)
- Editorial Intern Needed - San Diego (Course Credit)
- Internships @ OLOGY.com – New York (Course Credit)
- Internship @ Sanford Greenburger Literary Agency
Good Luck!
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The $800 a week post seems scammy – but it could just be my cynical nature.
The $800 was flagged.
Thanks for today’s leads.
Whew, it’s great to be back here. I’ve applied for some exciting things the last couple days. Thanks jodee!
Thanks for job links today.
Can any established freelance writers please tell me if it’s OK/legal to place my EIN in the SSN field on a W-9 form? I would be submitting the W-9 to an online company/website I freelance for. I’m apprehensive to place my SSN on there, so I figured it could be at least a little safer to put my EIN in it’s place.
Is this OK to do, though?
Thanks.
If anyone needs to know details on the About.com listings, let me know – I’m the About.com Guide to Autism.
Lisa
Thanks for today’s leads, Jodee!
A note: Editor/Article Writer/Content Writer for Websites is on-site in Miami.
Jodee,
Thanks for all of your hard work. I just started a job that I got from one of the leads you posted. Keep up the great work !!
Thanks a lot for the links today, Jodee. I just found out this site and already found many options.
Thank you
Samyuktha.
What’s with the first lead–a “US based” company that pays in pounds?
I have never posted here but I just wanted to thank you for all you do with this site! I found a listing on here a couple weeks ago, and just found out today I’m officially hired on their freelance team! I wouldn’t have found the job without FWG!
Will people please share any experience with Helium. Is the income based mostly on hits and readership? Thanks.
I have written material at Helium – I just did it to build my portfolio, though. I’ve never made money from it – but then again, I’ve never really pursued the option. But the option is definitely there. I think it’s based on what various publishers [who buy the work] pay for it.
Question: Does anyone here have experience with PhatGuru? They’ve offered to bring me on board their freelance team (a gig I found here!). Anyone able to offer any tips on what I should expect in regards to deadlines, payment, communication, etc.?
@ Jessica: Was it PhatGuru?
I wrote for Helium when they first started. To date, the three articles I wrote have earned a whopping $1.17 cents. I wasn’t impressed.
They did establish a program with better pay, but as it was explained to me, you submit the article and if the client wants it, you get the money. If not, you’ve wasted your time. Unless that’s changed, which it may have by now, I can’t say I’m willing to take that chance.
@Roxie: Yes it was. Congrats on also getting a spot on their freelance team. Hopefully they work out well…Have you looked over the contract yet? I sent another e-mail asking for a few more details; payment method, how many pitches I’m allowed to make per month, etc. so we’ll see what they say. I am eager to get going and to see what comes of it. They seem as legit as any of the freelance jobs I’ve worked (and stayed with), thus far.
@ Jessica: Thanks! Congratulations to you also!
I looked over the contract. I asked to change clause 3c because the company contact told me that he is flexible on deadlines, and that the Tuesday reference was an old one from when they first wrote the contract… I said I preferred it more accurately reflect their expectations. I took out the reference to Tuesday, so it basically now says (paraphrasing here) “agrees to send final version by the agreed upon deadline. Agrees to submit revisions within reasonable time frame.” My contact told me he would run it by his boss and get back to me. I also said that if he can get the contract to say the pay, that would be great (if not, I have it on record of e-mails). Payment method, that’s another good important detail to mention… Overall, though, the contract was reasonable, a simple & straightforward work agreement, and I liked that they were employing such clarity and professionalism in their hiring practices.
I had sent one article, which I thought was really good, but he didn’t think it was a good fit… however, since it was well written, he asked me to come on board. At the end of the e-mail where he mentioned the contract, he asked if I had any pitches. I sent one and he loved it! First assignment, on the way
.
It seems they are really expanding their ‘freelance team’ as they say… they do seem like a very reputable company, and their rates are reasonable. I’m looking forward to writing for them!
*record in e-mails
Yeah, I like your revisions too, though my contact told that the Tuesday deadline is solely for pitches, not for the actual articles…maybe I should e-mail him and see if that can be addressed in the contract?
I pitched my idea to him shortly before Thanksgiving and he loved it and told me to turn in the article on Monday and if he found it on par with their website, he’d publish it, I’d get paid for it, and I’d be on team…he was really happy with it, so I’m glad that I’ll be getting paid!
And yeah, the pay isn’t bad at all…considering I’ve done the same kind of work for $10-20 a post, I’m not gonna complain.
Did your contact tell you how many articles a week/month their freelancers post on average?
@ Jessica: I agree, the pay is good for web work. I do most of my work in print, which is much more lucrative, but I want to diversify and earn freelance income from many different avenues, you know?
Hm, I was not told that the Tuesday deadline was for pitches… maybe we have a different contact. He did not tell me how many articles/week or month, but personally, just based on what I feel I can do, I am guessing that I can probably gain assignments weekly or bi-weekly, as long as I have good pitches. I figure, they have a pretty solid team, so if I’m not pitching, others will be writing, so I just have to stay in the loop and continue to contribute ideas, and as long as they fit, I’ll have article assignments. I will also try to contribute ideas on internet marketing/advertising that will fit well at connectthru.com, a site which is also owned by ICMedia Direct. They have a very good platform for visibility at both sites.
P.S. Isn’t it great that, not only are they are going to publish your piece (did you turn it in already?) before you sign on, but they are also being up front about pay from the moment they tell you they will use your work? They aren’t luring you in by suggesting that publication itself is so exciting (”we’ll publish it, how does that sound?” Lol), and then not mentioning payment, you know?
On another note: I have learned that, when it comes to freelancing, you have to make sure you talk about pay RIGHT-A -WAY. You can get caught up in being a part of someone’s new publication or idea, or their politeness and desire to work with you, and decide that you’ll bring up money later because it’s not something you want to openly talk about, for fear that it will might somehow mess up the opportunity. But in reality, if someone isn’t up-front about paying you, or at least discussing payment (they might need some time to pay, but either way, they should be up-front about it!), they aren’t going to be good to work for, and you should consider walking away, or at least being prepared to. And that’s something you should keep in mind no matter how nice people seen. I believe Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds used to say something like, “Get the business out the way, then you can make the music,” in the music business. The same applies for the writing business. You have to know how much you might be able to expect, when, how, from who, who you should talk to about it/who’s in charge of it, etc. If you want to make money freelancing, with every job, you have to talk business right away.
(Would love to see this topic as a post, Deb & Jodee!)
P.P.S. *Correction to first comment: Print work can be much more lucrative, but not always… in general, though, it is more lucrative. That is a more accurate statement.
Oh, I have learned to not be shy about bringing up the money aspect immediately. I got burnt by a magazine I wrote for and have yet to get paid for (A LOT of) work I turned in over a year ago and now I’m very meticulous about it.
My contact told me that I can pitch as often as I’d like, and that they’ll use ideas as needed. He said most of their freelancers write 1-2 articles a month(?!?) which seems really low so I’m hoping he meant a week. Or if he didn’t mean a week, I’m hoping I can knock their socks off and get more work with them.
Do you mind if I ask what you primarily write about for print work, and how you generally find it? I started out with print work, but got the job through a friend/connection, and have had a rough go at it since. But it’s what I really long to do. I enjoy writing for internet sites and how many hits I can potentially get, but I also love doing print work and would love to find more.
Good luck with PhatGuru, we should keep in touch a bit and let one another know how it’s going.
Jessica: Knock their socks off and get more work – ha, I like that. I am also hoping to be a very regular addition to the team
. (But hey, there is also the option of changing it up and trying to shoot for two articles/month at connectthru, if writing on internet marketing/advertising is your think, and two articles/month at PhatGuru – an article each week, but for both sites – for a higher extra monthly income from ICMedia Direct.)
I write in all kinds of subjects for print work – fashion, health, design, profiles/interviews, profiles of luxury real estate (more recent job I picked up). I am trying to break into women’s interest markets (the Sister Six women’s magazines/some major fitness magazines!), writing advice pieces and personal essays, and travel writing (with a submission soon its way to Islands – keeping my fingers crossed!). Sometimes its better to send a submission, but I found the work I have now through soliciting with strong cover/application letters that included ideas/brief pitches, and through well-focused pitches. Find print work is really all about pitching (although, like I alluded to, a submission can sometimes be your “in”). I too really enjoy doing print work, and I’m still looking to find more! I want to diversify my income sources, of course (blogging, copywriting, online magazines, local work, and print work), but print is where I really aspire to be.
That probably has a great deal to do with – aside from my own interests and love for reading magazines! – the reasons I started my freelance career, and the resources I used when I began. I HIGHLY recommend the book “Six Figure Freelance” which teaches you how to write solid pitches for print magazines, and also “The Writer’s Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing,” which is a great resource for improving your writing skills in general.
You have to continue to improve your ability to write, and come up with great ideas (and send them out! “It’s not how many ideas you have, it’s how many you make happen” – or in this case, how many you pitch. You’ll never know with that great idea in your head until you try.) It can be hard sometimes to muster up the focus and courage to get a pitch out to a major mag, but you just have to sit down and focus, trust yourself and be confident, and tell yourself to “just go for it!”
I do think we should keep in touch
– do you think maybe you can post your e-mail address here and ask Jodee/Deb to delete it after 24 hours or so? Just so its not floating around… Or rather, e-mail Deb/Jodee and ask them for commenter Roxie’s e-mail address, lol. Drop me a line – I’d love to chat!