There are No Small Freelance Writing Gigs

I’ve been thinking about the quote, “There are no small roles, only small actors,” and how it relates to freelance writers. Freelance writing and acting do seem to have a lot in common. Consider the following:

  • You’re only as good as your last gig.
  • There is no guarantee that anyone will hire you for your next one.
  • Start pulling a lot of attitude and no one will want to work with you. Period.

All of us have the opportunity to decide for ourselves which gigs we want to go after and which ones aren’t right for us. Before you turn down a “small” freelance writing gig or one that doesn’t pay as well as what you normally charge, consider that all the projects you take on give you the chance to keep your creative juices flowing.

I think of the act of writing like a muscle. You need to keep working it to keep it in shape. If a small job comes along and you decide you want to take it, then don’t hesitate to do so.

It can get your name and your work in front of someone who may be able to hire you for larger projects down the road. Do well with this gig, and you may be able to get a testimonial that you can share with prospective clients or a referral to someone else.

The great thing about working as a freelance writer is that you get to decide which gigs you want to take and which ones you will pass on. If you do decide that you have the time and you want to take on a smaller gig, give it the same level of care that you would with any other one. Having some degree of flexibility in your choices can lead to more and better opportunities.

What do you think? Have you been able to turn a “small” gig into something better or do you have certain criteria that a gig must meet before you will even consider it?


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3 responses
  1. Debra Stang Avatar

    I’m working for a company right now that doesn’t pay nearly as much as I’d like to make. The draw for me? They give me the chance to research a lot of topics I’m interested in. I figure down the road, I’ll be able to turn that research into a bigger paycheck. For now, I’ll have fun writing for the little guys.

  2. Jodee Avatar

    Debra, You are absolutely right that the smaller jobs can help you gain experience with certain topics or even a different type of writing. You can add this experience to your resume and use it to look for better opportunities. Keep in mind that the “little guys” may not always be so little and as they can afford to pay more, they will look to the writers who they have developed positive relationships with along the way when it’s time to give out the bigger projects.

  3. Marina Avatar
    Marina

    Hello, guys!

    A student urgently needs your help!

    My name is Marina, I am a Fulbright student from Russia getting my MA in Journalism at University of Nebraska.
    One of our classes – Multi-platform Journalism – gave us an assignment – write about two blogs on the same topic.
    One of the blogs i chose is this blog.

    Could you please answer my questions and send me the answers on marshenkulova[at]gmail.com ASAP? It is only for the class purposes, and will not be published anywhere else.

    I would really appreciate your assistance.

    Thank you!

    Sincerely, Marina Marshenkulova

    The questions:

    1. How did you find out about this blog?
    2. Do you follow any other blog on this subject? If you do, is there anything better on this subject in the Internet?
    3. What do you like about this blog? What don’t you like?
    4. How often do you read it? How often do you comment?
    5. Is the content helpful to you? If yes, no, why?
    6. Name, occupation, age, location

    Thank you!

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