Internet Want Ads: Finding Writing Jobs Online
by Julie Bloss Kelsey
Searching the Internet for writing jobs can be profitable, but only if you know where to look. There are thousands of websites promising fame and fortune to writers. How do you know if a writing website is worth your time? And once you've found a promising want ad, should you apply for the job?
It pays to do your homework. Use these tips to evaluate a website before you use it as a job source:
Is the website established? Writing job boards come and go with distressing frequency. It can be frustrating to find one that you like only to have it disappear six months later. Check to see how long a website has been in business before you invest your time there.
With its ten-year history, Absolute Write is a good example of an established website for writers. Like Writing-World.com, Absolute Write contains a wealth of information for writers, from finding an agent to dealing with rejection. Check out Absolute Write's Announcements for writing contests and hit the Water Cooler (writing forums) for job postings.
How popular is the website? Deborah Ng's Freelance Writing Jobs was recently voted as a top blog for writers. During the work week, new online writing jobs are listed daily, along with cover letter clinics and advice for writers.
ProBlogger is a favorite website of bloggers. Be sure to check the ProBlogger Job Board often; blogging jobs fill quickly.
Does the website appeal to professional journalists? For the latest media news, mediabistro.com is a good place to start. You can search current job listings for free or pay to join AvantGuild, which includes access to a database of magazine mastheads, examples of freelance pitches that landed jobs, and other treats.
JournalismJobs.com offers a free listing of current freelance writing jobs in the media. New jobs are added almost daily. You can also post your resume for free for six months.
Does the website provide jobs specific to your writing niche? The National Association of Science Writers maintains an active job listing database for dues-paying members. If science writing is your beat, this is a good place to look for work.
If you write poetry or creative nonfiction, be sure check the classified ads at Poets&Writers, the online version of the print magazine. You can find writing contests and calls for manuscripts for anthologies, books, magazines, and chapbooks. New listings are posted every two months.
Will the website send jobs to you? Free writer's e-zines, such as this one, are wonderful time-savers for writers - as long as they come from established and credible sources.
WritersWeekly.com offers a free weekly writer's e-zine, complete with a listing of paying markets and jobs. Be sure to stop by the Freelance Jobs and Paying Markets forum while you're there.
C. Hope Clark's FundsforWriters offers two free writer's market newsletters weekly - FundsforWriters and FFW Small Markets. Check out C. Hope Clark's blog for additional funding opportunities.
Writing for DOLLARS! provides a newsletter including magazine writer's guidelines roughly twice a month. Don't forget to browse the free Guidelines Database to view writer's guidelines for nearly 800 magazines.
Once you've found a promising job lead, use caution when responding to online want ads. Before you send out a resume or writing sample, ask yourself these questions:
- Does the prospective employer provide an identity?
- Anyone can say that they are a professional editor or a publishing
house. Do they have the credentials to prove it? Does the e-mail
address provided come from a dot-com or a free provider? Is the
employer anonymous? Is a website listed so that you can assess the
professionalism of the company? Be wary of sending your resume -
with all of your contact information - to nameless entities.
- Does the ad offer little or no pay with promises of future revenue?
- Many websites will offer you the "opportunity" to have your work
published on their website. Don't be lured into giving away your
writing for free. If you choose to write for little to no pay,
make sure that the exposure will count. If the organization is not
respected in the field or the website is shoddy, your clip won't
mean much.
- Does the ad request writing samples that sound exactly like the type of writing that the person needs?
- Be careful when sending writing samples that fulfill the needs of
the person listing the job. For example, if you are told to send
in descriptions of umbrellas for someone looking to update their
online umbrella catalogue, don't be surprised if you never hear
back from them. Yes, this may be a legitimate job opportunity.
However, they might also take your writing samples and run, leaving
you with no pay and little recourse for action.
- Does the ad provide just enough information to tease?
- Some job boards will provide you with half an ad; if you want the
contact information for the job, you have to pay for it. Before
you invest in a job listing service, however, make sure that it's
worth the money. That same ad might be listed for free on another
job board.
- Is the ad still current?
- Blogging jobs often have short shelf lives; positions sometimes fill within a day. Before you spend time crafting a query or drafting an article, check the job poster's website to make sure that they still need writers. If you found the writer's guidelines in a database, make sure the website is live. Don't bother with submissions if the copyrights for the web pages are several years out of date. If you are unsure as to whether a website is still in business, drop a short note to the editor.
Compared to print venues, online writing jobs can be more satisfying. You are often paid quickly for your work and your pieces are easily accessible. But searching for online jobs can be addictive, so be sure to set a time limit when surfing the web. Preserving your time to write should always be a top priority.
More Information:
- Absolute Write
- http://www.absolutewrite.com
- Freelance Writing Jobs
- http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com
- ProBlogger
- http://www.problogger.net
- mediabistro.com
- http://www.mediabistro.com
- JournalismJobs.com
- http://www.journalismjobs.com
- National Association of Science Writers
- http://www.nasw.org
- Poets & Writers
- http://www.pw.org
- Writers Weekly
- http://www.writersweekly.com
- FundsforWriters
- http://www.fundsforwriters.com
- C. Hope Clark's blog
- http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com
- Writing for DOLLARS!
- http://www.writingfordollars.com
Julie Bloss Kelsey has three years of experience as a freelance writer. Her work has been published in several online venues including Washington Parent, Natural Family Online, Write-from-home.com, and Toddler Travel Guide. She still hopes to get paid by the umbrella catalogue company. Drop her a line at Mama Joules, her family-friendly science blog at http://www.mamajoules.blogspot.com.
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