Real Words

It’s incredibly rare for a freelance writer to not be looking for new work. In fact, even when I have plenty of work to keep me busy, I make it a point to keep my eye out for new opportunities in case there’s something better out there that I want to try to grab. Because freelancers are always looking for those new positions, there are a plethora of sites available for finding those jobs.

Following you’ll find some of the best ones. Note that the list includes direct ads and job boards advertising work but does not include sites where you have to bid on jobs. Although many freelance writers and bloggers do get great work from these types of sites, I’ve never been a fan of the bidding process because I believe that it drives down freelance rates. As such, I’ve left those off of the list in favor of my top sites for directly applying to get the work.

Here are the top ten sites for finding freelance writing jobs and freelance blogging jobs:

1. Craigslist. In my opinion, this is the number one spot for finding freelance writing and blogging jobs. Tips for doing well on this site are to check both the “writing gigs” and “writing jobs” that are advertised. You should also make sure that you’re not only checking the job listings posted in your own city but also those posted in other cities. San Francisco, New York, and Boston are top cities to check daily but you can peruse the other cities for regularly posted jobs.
2. Right here on Real Words. Of course, not everyone wants to take the time to flip through city after city on Craigslist. That’s why there are some of us out here who will do it for you. If you’re looking for work that’s been posted on the weekends, right here on Real Words is a great place to start (see the post previous to this one for an example of what’s available today). It doesn’t only include jobs from Craigslist; there’s also a selection of available jobs posted all around the web. However I do make sure to check all of the top US cities on Craigslist for paying writing jobs posted on the weekends so you can come here instead of Craigslist to get that information.
3. Freelance Writing Jobs. This is probably the number one source for aggregated job listings during the week. Like what I do here on the weekends, this site posts links to various jobs found around the web so that you can easily locate the work that’s available without having to go from site to site. The site has been up and active for a long time so you can count on the fact that they’re going to be dependable with daily job posts (Monday - Friday) and that they know what they’re doing. On the downside, they post a lot of jobs that aren’t strictly telecommute jobs so work-at-home freelancers will need to sift through those. To their credit, they recently started more clearly identifying which ones are and aren’t telecommute positions.
4. Problogger. If you’re seeking strictly blogging jobs, this is the best place to go. There are only a few posted every day but it’s a good resource to check for this kind of work. Plus the blog that goes along with this site is really helpful to bloggers.
5. Online Writing Jobs. There are a lot of jobs posted here that are no-paying, low-paying and scams. However, there are also a lot of great jobs available here. The site clearly separates low-paying from high-paying jobs and it has a section where you can report scams so it’s getting cleaned up despite its flaws. I’ve gotten several long-term jobs through ads placed here so I’d recommend it albeit with a cautious eye. (Of course, that’s true of all job postings, isn’t it?)
6. Absolute Write Forums. There are usually one or two jobs posted here daily. It’s a mixture of actual jobs, contests and calls for submissions but it’s a good resource for writers to keep bookmarked. It’s particularly great for diverse writers who delve into fiction writing because there are lots of posts for stories and anthology submissions.
7. Performancing Forums. This is a place for blogging jobs so if that’s what you’re looking for, head here. Some of the jobs posted here are no-or-low paying but there are a wide range of different jobs available. You do have to sign up for a free account with the site in order to respond to most of these ads.
8. Copyblogger. This site has just started posting available jobs so it’s hard to tell yet whether or not they’re a good resource but it’s a reputable site and they have a nice layout for their job listings.
9. Journalism Jobs. The downside to this one is that there aren’t too many telecommute jobs here. The upside is that it’s easy to find them when they do post because you can search location by “telecommute”, “all locations” and “United States” to turn up those work-at-home positions. And the real upside is that a majority of the jobs you will find here are high-quality, high-paying jobs.
10. MediaBistro. Like Journalism Jobs, you have to sort through the site to find those few positions here that let you work from home. Unlike Journalism Jobs, it’s not as easy to sort them and you have to spend some time browsing through the site to find them. Additionally, you have to sign up for a free account to get the details here. Despite this, it’s a good site for the freelancer who has some time to look for new work.

Related posts: How to Steadily Increase Your Freelance Income and 10 Signs That Freelance Job Might be a Scam

Question of the Day: What is your favorite resource for freelance writing or blogging jobs?

[Tags] freelance writing, blogging, jobs, gigs, employment, job boards, freelance [/Tags]