Apr 20
Freelance Writing Jobs, Sunday 4/20/08
Posted by kathrynv at 6:52 am in freelance jobs

Just a few more job links for those people seeking freelance work this weekend: 

Blog Jobs:

  • Bloggers, various topics, $84-$140 per month

Ongoing writing jobs:

One-shot writing jobs:

Editing jobs:

[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]

no comment
Apr 17
Always Read and Amend Freelance Writing Contracts
Posted by kathrynv at 11:13 am in finance, freelance jobs, writing

I recently got myself into an unfortunate situation with one of my previous writing gigs due to my own failure to read a freelance contract before I signed it. The end result didn’t turn out so bad but I felt foolish because I know better than to read anything without signing it. And I know better than to faily to review my freelance writing contracts; after all, I’ve been in the writing business in some form or another for almost ten years. Heck, I ran a freelance writing company for awhile that relied heavily on the proper use of multiple forms of  writing contracts.

So, what happened? I’d been working for a blog network for several months under a contract (which I did read before signing). Then two things happened. First, I began to find that the time the site was taking was much longer than I’d anticipated and I was getting less and less inclined to work for the site. Second, a bunch of changes were made in the way that the network was going to be operated. As a result of those changes, all of the bloggers were asked to sign new writing contracts.

When I received the electronic version of my contract, I skimmed it. My excuse is the typical excuse that I was busy with other things. Additionally, I thought that I knew what the major change to the contract was which was that we were going to start receiving payments in a different manner and time frame than in the past. I was comfortable with that change so I went ahead and signed the contract without further review. I then promptly forgot about it.

Over the course of the next couple of months, I found that it was too much of a drain to keep my writing commitment to that site and I resigned from the position. I still have a few payments coming in from the old work. To my surprise, the most recent payment was lower than I’d expected. Long story short, the contract had changed not only the terms of payment but also the amount. Moreover, it had changed the number of posts I was required to write. Since I hadn’t read it, I’d been almost twice the amount of work that I needed to do - and of course I didn’t get paid for the extra.

The situation was bad for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s disappointing to do work and not get paid for it (through no fault of the network; I have only myself to blame there). Second, I’m a little bummed because if I knew that the requirements for the site had changed, I probably could have kep my commitment and not quit the job. And third, I just feel ridiculous about the fact that I didn’t read that contract in full before I signed it. What an amateur error!

But it’s good because it serves as a reminder that we should always read every word of a writing contract and make sure that we know what it says. Additionally, I would encourage you to consider amending three standard parts of each new freelance writing contract that you sign:

  • Late payment fee. Every freelance writing contract should specify not only the amount of compensation but when it is due (for example, the contract may say that payment is due within 30 days of the date on the freelancer’s invoice). Additionally, the contract should specify what the late fee is (such as ten percent) for failure to pay within that time frame. Most freelance writing contracts will not have this written in to them but you should negotiate a change with the client before signing the contract. This is a way to protect you from non-payment by clients (a problem which happens all too frequently in the freelance world); even if you don’t end up suing, the threat of the legal problem can suffice to motivate people to pay you in full and on time.
  • Length of contract. Make sure that the contract specifies something about how long it lasts and/or how to make changes to it. This is so that you can properly negotiate raises to your pay over time. For example, the contract may state that it requires renewal after one year. At that time, you are in a position to negotiate a better rate. It also puts a time limit on other terms of the contract so that you have wiggle room if you find out after a period of time that there are certain terms you agreed to that you don’t like.
  • Rights. Your contract will say somewhere in it who retains the rights to anything that you write for others. You should read this part carefully and try to retain as many rights as possible to your work. In many cases, this will mean amending the contract. Most clients are open to amending the contract within reason because they realize (or can be shown) that typical contracts in the world of publishing allow the author to retain certain reprint rights or to gain rights to the work after a certain amount of time passes. Read up on this area of copyright law so that you can protect yourself.

And read those contracts. Every time. No matter what!

Question of the Day: What stories can you share about problems and successes related to signing your freelance writing contracts?

[Tags] freelance, writing, contract, rights, legal, blogging [/Tags]

1 comment
Apr 16
18 Ways to Find Freelance Writing Work
Posted by kathrynv at 1:26 pm in freelance jobs, freelance, writing

There are many times in a freelance writer’s life when it becomes necessary to track down new work. Here are eighteen ways that you can start bringing in more freelance jobs today:

  1. Check the classifieds. Craigslist is the best of the sites out there for daily advertisements by people seeking to hire freelancers. Be sure to check for telecommute writing positions in multiple cities and not just the ones posted on the Craigslist site for where you live. Other good sites include Performancing and Online Writing Jobs.
  2. Check sites that offer job links. There are several sites that will troll through Craigslist and other advertisements for you and provide you with links to the good opportunities for freelance writing. Freelance Writing Jobs, Freelance Hub and Freelancing for Blogs are good places to check. There are also job links here on Real Words on Saturdays and Sundays.
  3. Check the job boards of sites that advertise open postions for their own sites. For example, Word Press has listings when bloggers are needed for any Word Press blogs. Likewise with the Creative Weblogging blog network.
  4. Advertise on your own blog or website that you’re available for work. Let people know what you’re seeking to do and provide them with links to relevant samples. If you don’t have a blog / website that gets noticed, you’ll want to get it some attention. Run a contest asking other bloggers to mention your site.
  5. Advertise on writing job sites that you are available. You’re able to post your resume or write an ad that you’re available on numerous sites including Online Writing Jobs (see link above) and Blogger Jobs. Take advantage of that.
  6. Get active in social networking. Make contact with people on sites like LinkedIn and let them know that you’re looking for new writing work.
  7. Identify online sites that you would like to work for. Put together a great cover letter as to why you would want to work for them along with a sample of your writing ability. Contact the people who head the site with this information. They may not be hiring immediately but they’ll surely think of you when they are.
  8. Cold call local businesses. Nobody likes cold calling but it can be a really effective way to start getting new writing work. When you’re in the famine time of the feast-and-famine freelance world, you should consider trying this out.
  9. Put together a media kit and/or brochures and send them out to local businesses to advertise your writing skills and availability. This can be just as effective as cold calling and can be a lot less intimidating for most people.
  10. Send out an email to all of your contacts. This can go out in the form of a general update about what’s going on with you but may briefly mention that you’re seeking work. Someone might bite or may at least point you in the right direction of new freelance work.
  11. Add announcements on all of your social bookmarking sites (such as Mixx or Digg) that you’re always on the lookout for new work. Describe what type of writing you do and encourage people to get in touch with you if they know of availabilities.
  12. Teach a class. This is a great way to earn money by doing something relevant to your writing and possibly get new writing work as well. Think of an aspect of the writing business that you know well enough to speak on. Hold a class (you can advertise locally and through sites like Craigslist) and charge a small fee for your efforts. At the end of the class, pass on your contact information and encourage anyone in the class that is seeking writing help to get in touch with you to discuss your rates. You may end up doing writing, editing or consulting as a result of this work - and if not, at least you have something new to add to your resume!
  13. Drop a hello to previous clients. A simple “hey, how’s it going” can remind previous clients that you’re still around for work and may get them interested in hiring you for a new project.
  14. Work on submissions to magazines and anthologies. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get paid for this work but it pays well if it pays off. And it’s better than doing nothing at all when you don’t have work flowing.
  15. Write content articles for sites like HubPages. You can earn revenue for the articles that you write. On your profile, you should state that you’re seeking writing work. Make sure that the content you create is representative of the kind of work that you would do for your clients.
  16. Ask other writers if they know of work that’s available. You should try to put together a social group of writing friends. That group can be through an online forum or a community networking event. Either way, you’ll have a group of people who will send work your way. Sure, they’ll keep the jobs they want but they may suggest jobs to you that don’t appeal to them (for example, if you do music journalism and a writer friend doesn’t, she might send a client who wants that your way.)
  17. Circulate a press release. Come up with something stellar that you’ve done related to writing and write a professional press release about it. If you do a good job on the release, you’ll be proving that you’ve got what it takes to be a good writer and someone will likely take notice.
  18. Offer to write for free. It’s not typically recommended that you write for free because it takes away from your other writing time. However, it’s better than not writing at all. If you’re in a position where there’s not a lot of work flow, volunteer to do some writing for your favorite charity. You help them out, you get a tax break, and you may find that it leads to a paying writing job with the place that you’ve volunteered.

The main thing that you should get out of this is that jobs come along when you put yourself out there. There’s always writing that can be done in order to secure new jobs down the line. Don’t get lazy and don’t burn bridges and you can make a career out of this type of work.

Question of the Day: What are some other ways to find freelance work that I’ve forgotten to include on this list?

[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs [/Tags]

3 comments
Apr 12
Freelance Writing Jobs, Saturday 4/12/08
Posted by kathrynv at 8:12 am in freelance jobs

Job links from employers around the web 

Blog Jobs:

Ongoing writing jobs:

One-shot writing jobs:

Editing jobs:

Misc:

[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]

no comment
Apr 06
Freelance Writing Jobs, Sunday 4/6/08
Posted by kathrynv at 7:07 am in freelance jobs

Today’s job links for those who are on the hunt for new work. Make sure not to stress yourself out with too much work though; read today’s article on tips for reducing web writing stress. 

Blog Jobs:

Ongoing writing jobs:

One-shot writing jobs:

Seeking submissions:

Editing jobs:

Misc:

[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]

no comment
Apr 05
Freelance Writing Jobs, Saturday 4/5/08
Posted by kathrynv at 8:00 am in freelance jobs

Happy April and happy job hunting!

Blog Jobs:

Ongoing writing jobs:

One-shot writing jobs:

Seeking submissions:

Editing jobs:

Misc:

[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]

no comment
Mar 29
Freelance Writing Jobs, Saturday 3/29/08
Posted by kathrynv at 8:58 am in freelance jobs

If you’re on the hunt for freelance jobs that are available right now, you’ll want to check out the following opportunities:

Blog Jobs:

Ongoing writing jobs:

One-shot writing jobs:

Seeking submissions:

Editing jobs:

Misc:

[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]

no comment
Mar 23
Freelance Writing Jobs, Sunday 3/23/08
Posted by kathrynv at 10:17 am in freelance jobs

If you happen to be spending Easter looking for freelance work, here are some links that will point you in the right direction: 

Blog Jobs:

Ongoing writing jobs:

One-shot writing jobs:

Seeking submissions:

Editing:

[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]

no comment
Mar 22
Freelance Writing Jobs, Saturday 3/22/08
Posted by kathrynv at 6:47 am in freelance jobs

There are plenty of freelance writing jobs out there if you’re looking for new work. Here are links to some of the stuff that’s being advertised as available today:

Blog Jobs:

Ongoing writing jobs:

One-shot writing jobs:

Seeking submissions:

Editing jobs:

[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]

no comment
Mar 16
Freelance Writing Jobs, Sunday 3/16/08
Posted by kathrynv at 8:43 am in freelance jobs

If you’ve landed on this page and are surprised to find that there are freelance writing jobs links to be found somewhere online on the weekends, you might want to check out this post to see why people apply for this work on Saturdays and Sundays. Make sure to check out yesterday’s job posts, too, because there were some good ones that are probably still available!

Blog Jobs:

Ongoing writing jobs:

One-shot writing jobs:

Seeking submissions:

Editing jobs:

Misc:

[Tags] freelance, writing, jobs, gigs, resources, employment, links, freelance writing jobs [/Tags]

no comment
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