how to find freelance writing jobs

What is your chosen direction? Perhaps you like to write web content for businesses, and pursue copywriting. Or do you like writing fiction? Neither offer easy paths to riches, and most opportunities are very competitive and at first, low paid. That said, there is light at the end of the tunnel and huge markets exist for freelance writers.

One of the reasons for the huge market, the explosion in content marketing online. Google has changed its algorithms to favour sites offering lots of useful content to readers. If you have a blog covering a subject of interest to a wide audience, and you write regular updated content, this is actually one way to make money as a freelance writer.

But what about jobs?

A number of sources exist to help steer you towards the better opportunities out there. Wait.co.uk regularly advertise job ads, and seek freelancers for their clients.

The longest running job site for writers has been showing job lists for years. From their page at http://www.freelancewriting.com/freelance-writing-jobs.php, you can see feeds from various sources. Though, I am not too keen on odesk anymore as the rates offered are pretty abysmal.

If you are starting out and need to gain experience, start with the lower paid jobs but plan to move on soon as you have a portfolio to use in your sales letter.

Yes, the sales letter.

You must get used to pitching for work. Don't wait for it come to you from a job site like indeed, look for business in your specialism.

If you write for computer blogs, you can approach local computer repair shops and tell them you can write about their products. You can offer to write for their web site, and also set up links from articles and press releases talking about their services. The articles can be how-to articles such as 'how to fix a blue screen error' and link to the repair shop's site. Suddenly you have a client paying for a lot of business.

Content writing and content marketing go hand in hand for today's business world. Soon, you can rack up the work from clients this way.

Do check on indeed as jobs show up, http://www.indeed.co.uk/Freelance-Writer-jobs. Also try variations on there such as content writer jobs, writing jobs.

One site offers a stream of jobs from reputable businesses globally, http://jobs.problogger.net/. At Problogger, you can pick up long term work that actually pays properly. Just ensure you are offering quality writing services, and can stick to deadlines.

You can find a good example of how to pitch for business at http://www.leavingworkbehind.com/freelance-writing-jobs/.

Writing jobs do appear on Gumtree at times so browse over the jobs section once a week, http://www.gumtree.com. look for writing jobs and SEO jobs.

Look at business directories like yell, yelp and freeindex. On there you can fish out businesses locally. How many types can you see? From butchers, to shops, to restaurants. All will have web sites (mostly) and could use a writer talking about their wares on press releases, facebook, linkedin, and on blogs.

They all need more broadcasting of their shop fronts or services.

Many blogs pay for guest posts. Those needing to target only the best content spend money on paying freelancers and staff writers for content. This is where you the freelance writer can enter via a pitch. Perhaps you like fishing. Google fishing and chances are that a number of blogs appear with tips and how-to articles.

All those blogs need content. what do you do? You write content, and you like fishing, so pitch some articles like 'How To Choose A River Rod?' and offer your article to blogs. Many just go for free guest posts, so comb through the Google results for blogs paying for content e.g. type into Google:

"fishing tips for anglers" "guest post" "we pay"

If you are setting up a fishing blog yourself, then go for free guest posts as these give you back links to send traffic to your blog.

Change the keywords for more searches such as fishing tips, angling tips, etc.

Do not rely on bidding sites like Peopleperhour, elance, odesk, and others. Use them to find clients initially but get used to pitching for business as you get more experienced. If you want to move away from the lower paid jobs, you will need to gain real traction on pitching well for new business. This is how the top paid web copywriters, blog writers, and authors go about earning those 5 and 6 figure sums.

Keep at it, I will post more tips.