Tag Archives: freelance job advice

advice, editorial, resources

Freelance Job Sharing

Freelance Job Sharingby Joe Wallace

I can’t help it, I like to play matchmaker. I have friends who are up-and-coming in their freelance careers, and others who have been around the block a few times but suddenly find themselves in a situation where the work has dried up and they’re in search of any gig whatsoever.

I don’t like seeing my colleagues going through this, to be sure, but I do love the opportunity to help where I can. So I pass along any freelance job related intel I can get my hands on to my friends struggling between gigs.

In the past, I’ve made the mistake of just assuming people know to look at places like ProBlogger.net, JournalismJobs.com, Indeed.com and elsewhere. And naturally those resources only scratch the surface of what’s out there, but many of my freelancing friends say they’d never looked there before I had mentioned it.

It’s easy–for me, at least–to just sit there and think surely everyone knows about these places, but they don’t. So now I just pass along everything and hope I’m not insulting everyone’s intelligence by doing so regardless of the source. If I see an “editor wanted” posting on Cat Juggling Magazine or Chicken Plucker Quarterly, my out-of-work pals are getting it and never mind the groans.

My days of just assuming “everybody” knows about the really good resources out there, especially when it comes to freelance gigs, are over!

Which reminds me–if you know of a good freelance job resource you’d like to share, please feel free to put them in the comments section or even contact us here at FZ about doing a guest blog post on the ones you think are most useful. We’d be happy to consider it.

Joe Wallace is a freelance editor and writer. His recent projects include editing a book on the voice over business, video game scripts, and he’s the snarky vinyl record expert at Turntabling.net. In his spare time, Wallace sells rare vinyl online and at film conventions. He is currently available for book editing projects and accepts writing assignments on a limited basis. Contact him: jwallace (at) freelance-zone (dot)com.

advice, blogging, Marketing yourself

Battle of the Freelance Advice Videos

By Joe Wallace

Normally, I’m the one bringing the snark or praise on a particular issue related to freelancing. But I think YOUR feedback is an important part of staying on top of the issues, how relevant they are, and whether a particular freelance topic is worth pursuing, discussing, etc. And I am definitely interested in your opinions on today’s topic–freelance advice videos.

I did some searching to see if there’s anything of actual use to freelancers on video in terms of advice or practical information. Here are a few things I found–you can click on them and watch right here.

My question is–which video do you think has the most credibility, and why? Is video a good way to communicate freelance advice? How do the creators of these vids succeed or fail? They are all short, and have different aesthetics and production values.

What do you think of their work?

Video one:

Compare the efforts of that video with THIS one…what do you think?

Here’s our third and final example:


Continue reading Battle of the Freelance Advice Videos →

advice

Getting Ahead in the Officepla…wait a tick

2 Comments

By Amanda Smyth Connor

1235996_pencil-pusherThat “Mike O’Mary” and his *expletive* blog posts. Well Mike, hats off to you. You scooped me.

I had an amazingly well mapped-out plan of action regarding ways in which “one can get ahead in the office.” I even had some snarky yet optimistic ideas for freelancers in the office place,  yet you’ve addressed many of these this topics splendidly well in your blog post, “How to Get Ahead in the Office.”

Thanks, Mike. I’m going to give you a sarcastic slow clap.  “Clap.     Clap.      Clap.”

Actually, I’m glad we are addressing this topic. (And thank you, Mike, for bringing this up.) It’s easy to overlook how many freelance writers and editors do have desk jobs and are looking for ways in which they can get noticed and get ahead in the work place.

Tip #1 – Be an opportunist. Always be looking for that next chance to stand out in the office place, whether you agree to take on a big project or you simply agree to watch the boss’ dog while s/he is out of town, any chance to stand out and be seen is a good chance. Grab it. Otherwise, the old adage “out of sight, out of mind” applies. Don’t let yourself be a silent worker. Continue reading Getting Ahead in the Officepla…wait a tick →

advice, freelance jobs

6 Freelance Job Resources You Haven’t Thought Of

freelance newspaper jobs

by Joe Wallace

Looking for freelance gigs? You’ve probably been all over the map in search of more steady work, but there are a few places that haven’t been beaten to death by the scraper sites..though they probably will be after we publish this. Best advice? Keep your BEST job resources to yourself as long as possible to avoid the bandwagon syndrome.

That said, here are a few that haven’t been ruined by scraper sites yet…and some that NEVER will be due to the nature of the job sourcing:

Reddit Jobs is pricey for editors to list gigs on–300 a day for 30 days–so you won’t be troubled by a bunch of spammy ads from the usual places offering you three bucks a post or “revenue sharing”. At press time, the problem with Reddit Jobs for freelancers is that some fields are underrepresented, but that obviously changes depending on supply and demand.

Artisan Creative. The reason why Artisan won’t be scraped out of usefulness for a busy freelancer? They have a screening process for candidates. This isn’t an “all-comers” source of freelance jobs, it’s a situation where talent actually matters. Artisan is a creative staffing agency that places writers, coders, designers, and many other freelance specialties. The jobs are heavy-hitting, too. Major companies, household names. I have personal experience with Artisan Creative and am very happy with them.
Continue reading 6 Freelance Job Resources You Haven’t Thought Of →

advice, editorial, freelance money

Freelance Trendspotting Part Two

how to set freelance ratesby Joe Wallace

Yesterday I talked about watching freelance trends to get an advantage in the freelance job market. I caught a bit of criticism from a couple of fellow editor/writers for saying that a market correction was coming.

According to my friends, the market correction has already happened–the huge influx of new freelancers due to layoffs and cuts has taken freelancing into the mainstream and is no longer the exception to the rule  it once was.

Ahhh, yes, I tell my friends, but the market won’t stay this way forever. Once it starts moving into more profitable times a lot of freelancers are going to feel the competition getting even tougher than it already is. But by then it’s too late–you’re already hooked on your morning commute from the bedroom to the coffee pot to the computer, and you’ve grown accustomed to the unique bouquet of your own unwashed carcass at 2 in the afternoon.

So how do I personally watch freelance job trends to get a read on what’s hot and what’s not? Continue reading Freelance Trendspotting Part Two →

advice, resources

Applying for Freelance Jobs? The One Thing To Remember

freelance-writing-advice-3by Joe Wallace

I know some people think I’m too hard on freelancers–in my FZ writing, I’ve done everything short of telling (some) people to go back to their day jobs. I hear cries of, “Joe, you’re just too mean!”

But now some OTHER freelance sites are saying what I’ve been saying for ages, and it seems that I’m not such a bad old editor after all. Case in point, a recent post at Freelance Switch called,”How NOT to Apply for a Freelance Position.”

Freelance Switch put out a call for designers and other creatives a while back, and wouldn’t you know it, they got tons of really crappy responses. I feel their pain. One missive from the post goes, “…out of all who applied ONLY 10% actually provided what was asked for.” Holy crap, you got as much as 10%? How’d you pull THAT off?

Here’s the secret to applying for a freelance job. Ready? Grab a pen, you might wanna write this on your arm: Continue reading Applying for Freelance Jobs? The One Thing To Remember →