Do you love to write? I do too!
I’m sure you’ve read Lynnette’s tips for turning freelance writing into a full-time career. Now it’s time to focus on how to find those great paying gigs by using the best freelance websites.
A freelance writer is a self-employed writer that can work for one or more publications, websites, or agencies, on an independent contractor basis.
Therefore, you aren’t tied to one particular agency, and you can use multiple freelance writing sites to find jobs.
Here are some of the best ones we’ve found, why we like them, and how to use them to grow your freelance writing career.
The Best Freelance Websites For Writing Jobs
Many freelance writing jobs can be found through these popular freelance writing sites:
- All Indie Writers Jobs
- CareerBuilder Job Listings for Writers
- Glassdoor Job Listings for Writers
- Hubstaff Talent
- Indeed Job Listings for Writers
- Mediabistro Job Listings for Writers
- Simply Hired Job Listings for Writers
- Upwork Job Listings for Writers
While the sheer number of job listings on larger job search sites like these is amazing (and you can refine your search in a variety of ways), you may find slightly higher paying jobs (and better long-term employers) via “niche” job search sites that are geared specifically to your type of writing.
Look for ones that have your “specialty” — such as technical writing, content writer, or blogging, right in the job title.
For example, these are the best freelance websites to find blog writing jobs:
Like Lynnette, I too started doing some freelance writing on the side — before it became my full-time gig. I had a couple of go-to’s that consistently panned out better for me than others from this list of best freelance websites. Let me tell you about them…
My Experience Using Freelance Writing Sites
My favorite was Guru. What I liked best about Guru is that it’s a site where employers need to find someone to do some work — immediately.
When you’re trying to prove to yourself (and everyone you know) that you really can earn some cash with your freelance writing idea, this is a really good thing! I found clients who were interested in content creation and they began to use me regularly.
Other benefits I enjoyed when using Guru:
- Multiple bidding options — I was able to bid on as many projects as I wanted to.
- Versatility of the site — I outsourced part of a project to a graphic designer within the site.
- Seamless payments and processes — Client approvals and payment were handled swiftly and as agreed upon.
There were some downsides to using Guru (like many of the freelance writing sites).
Here are a few challenges that I ran into:
- Creating customized bids — A customized bid almost always worked best, but it’s time consuming. (Think separate cover letter/resume for different jobs here.)
- Competition is fierce — Bidding against 50 or more other writers for that very same job can be challenging to say the least.
While you can see how many other bids are in, you can’t see the dollar amounts of those bids, so you’re on your own there. This is one of the reasons that the jobs really don’t pay all that well. Source
I had a similar experience using Freelancer.com, but I ended up sticking with Guru.
Here’s what some Reddit users have to say about Upwork, Guru, and Freelancer.
Other Freelance Writing Sites That Deserve A Mention
After searching the best freelance websites that cater to your niche style of writing first, I would encourage you to browse the job listings at these sites:
- FreelanceWriting.com — According to Mallee Blue Media: “They run a tidy ship and publish a weekly newsletter that gives a summary of freelance writing and editing jobs on a good variety of writing jobs. Since 1997, FreelanceWriting.com has delivered daily and real-time freelance writing jobs for freelance writers. They source freelance writing jobs from all over the Internet. The pay is good and the bonus is that they deliver the job offers right into your inbox.”
- OnlineWritingJobs.com — According to Miriam, a freelance writer: “I’ve been writing for Online Writing Jobs for years. The staff is always courteous and available to answer any questions I’ve had about the assignments. The editing process is the best of any online writing sites I’ve worked for in the past. Additionally, they pay on time every week.”
- Craigslist — According to Allisa Johannson: “You might not think Craigslist would be the first to offer you a content writing job. But as it turns out, I’ve found some great writing jobs here. I found one client who pays 10 cents per word (or $50 to $100 per article) and another one who gave me $3,000 worth of work in less than 1 month. And since you can complete a writing job virtually anywhere in the world, your opportunities here are almost limitless!”
- FlexJobs.com — According to Undress4Success: “We looked for an online job source that provided legitimate work from home and telecommuting job listings without scams or bogus “business opportunities.” We were just about to give up and create our own site when we discovered one we learned to trust, one with real jobs at a fair price.”
- Elance.com — According to The Balance: “Apply in volume. If you’re going to count on Elance, or any other bid site for your income needs, you must realize that you’re working against a tide. Hundreds, if not thousands, of providers are competing against you. Apply for many jobs — as many as fit your standards and pay needs, that is. The only reason that I continue to recommend bid sites is because I have happened upon several established companies who simply didn’t know where to look for freelancers. These established companies hold long-term potential for freelance writers. You’re it. You are now “their” freelancer, and they will continue to come back to you.”
- Constant-Content.com — According to Writing From A To Z: “I sold an 870-word article on Constant Content for $85. If you do the math, that’s a pay rate of approximately .10/word, which is a big step up from $5 articles on a content mill. If you’re inexperienced and hungry for work, Constant Content pays a lot better than some other options.”
TIP: You should never pay for a job (scams abound that make you pay for “supplies” or “invest” to be hired), but a subscription to a bonafide, reputable job listing service that is honest and will help you find the kind of job you want is definitely worth the money.
Overwhelmed? Don’t Be — Here Are 3 Final Tips
The only downside to searching freelance writing sites is the sheer number of job listings that you have to go through.
How to avoid feeling overwhelmed:
- Know exactly what you’re looking for in the job listings (technical writing vs blog writing vs article writing, etc).
- Use the built-in filters on each job search site to narrow down the job listings even further.
- Bookmark the results pages that seem to have the best opportunities for you (with all the pre-set filters in place) so that’s where you begin the next time you search those sites again.
Over time, as you become even more serious about freelance writing, you’ll streamline the process even further which will allow you to:
- Whittle it down to only a few of the best freelance websites that you check daily.
- Sign up to have other sites email you new job listings daily.
- Find a routine that works for you — in terms of submitting resumes and bidding on jobs.
Good luck on your writing pursuits and let us know what works for you!
I’m a health nut, a frugal mom, a dog lover, a DIYer, and a gadget girl. Personally, as a post-divorce, working single mom on a budget I have a lot of experiences that I enjoy sharing so others can learn from the things I wish I knew earlier! Professionally, I’ve worked full-time in a variety of marketing, sales, and editing jobs. You can always find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as Managing Editor at The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
