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Topic: Freelance Work Contacts?
| Author | Message |
| keke23 | Posted – 9/10/2008 4:51:42 PM | show profile | email poster Hi all, This board seems to have some pretty good ideas and although I might be looking for the same thing as everyone else, I thought I'd ask the community. I teach classes at a university on an adjunct basis and would like to find some freelance writing work. I have worked on staff at a paper and done some freelance work in the past. I would like to make an additional 4,000-8,000 a year (I am sure we all would). I have scoured the job postings on various sites and it just seems like my e-mail, resume, and clips will get thrown to the bottom. Therefore, perhaps somebody knows of somebody seeking a writer for a steady project. Or maybe somebody can just direct me to someone or some organizations or companies who might need a writer on a steady basis. I have seen a lot of people who have written content for yahoo and other places on here and would like some suggestions/contacts. If you could e-mail me directly, that would be even better. Material I have written in the past has included music/entertainment, business, education, personality profiles, real estate (not too specific/technical), and 20 something female essays/feature stories. My biggest strength is my sense of humor and storytelling ability in writing. I can be entertaining:) Thanks! *P.S, I have already tried my local papers/magazines and am looking for more stuff on a national level/Internet. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 9/10/2008 6:58:16 PM | show profile I, too, would like people to provide me with leads on companies who have an ongoing need for writing services that they will buy from me. In addition to finding the work for me, I would also appreciate if you would handle the actual writing. I will stay completely out of the way, other than to cash the checks. Respond asap. Every second you delay is costing me money. |
| nygeek | Posted – 9/10/2008 8:59:57 PM | show profile Wow, dribble. I would try Craigslist, keke. I've gotten some legit gigs from them. |
| keke23 | Posted – 9/11/2008 12:52:00 AM | show profile | email poster G Thanks nygeek. I like craigslist, but the difficult part is figuring out what is legit or not. I wish they had a way to better control their spam. Because I have been scammed before (in an icky way, I should post something about that experience for others to learn from it.. which is why I went away from writing for awhile), I was reaching out for contacts and ideas. I appreciate your insight. As for the previous comment, thanks for the defense, though I am not concerned. People have their own way of dealing with their unhappiness. I have no time or care for cynicism or sarcasm. I just go about my day. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 9/12/2008 10:33:23 AM | show profile My response to the OP was mixed. Sure, it's a little bit elementary, but this is the beginner board. Sure, it's a little bit naive, but maybe this is a really, really raw newb. And sure, it's a little bit ballsy and entitled, but so many times in life I've heard, "Can't hurt to ask." That said, Keke, we'd all love to know someone who is seeking a writer for a steady project. The best way to get work is to network, preferably in person. Talk to people you already know--friends, colleagues, even the person who does your hair. Attend MB events if they have them in your area, and join a few professional organizations, like the Editorial Freelancers Association. The work is out there to be found, but you have to find it. Folks here aren't just going to hand you work, because when you get right down to it, we're your peers, but we're also your competition in some ways, too. |
| nygeek | Posted – 9/12/2008 1:00:22 PM | show profile Sarcasm irritates me, and seems to be rampant on this board. |
| Grateful Deadline | Posted – 9/12/2008 8:38:14 PM | show profile >>Folks here aren't just going to hand you work, because when you get right down to it, we're your peers, but we're also your competition in some ways, too.<< Not only that, but we don't know you -- or each other. I never hand out referrals and tips as if they were candy; they go to my very best-qualified freelancer acquaintances and friends, and those people do the same for me. It's not because we're hoarding tips, but because we don't want to risk our editors' precious time or our own professional reputations. So follow that advice to network and learn. Online communities where you know people's names make only one place to start; also look for writers groups meeting in your area. Pick up some books about freelancing; take an online course (the Renegade Writer offers some); and become known to other freelancers through your participation and advice. It isn't as easy as stepping into the room and saying "Feed me!" but it doesn't take long to get up and running once you begin laying the groundwork. |
