Tag Archives: freelance writing jobs

Hey, Tweet Thang

by Mike O’Mary

iStock_000005848850XSmallOkay, I never thought I’d say this, but there’s some fascinating stuff on Twitter for writers. I see lots of job postings and writing advice. Have you gotten a freelance job via a Twitter contact? I haven’t gotten that far, but I’m finding decent advice and interesting revelations in 140 characters or less. Here are some of the results from a recent #writing search (followed by selected parenthetical comments from Yours Truly):

“Marry somebody you love and who thinks you being a writer’s a good idea.” Richard Ford @AdviceToWriters (Do you think Richard Ford really abbreviates writer + is = writer’s?)

I have a Leadership Devel (sic) Freelance Writing Jobs (sic). @writingjobs_in (As they say, the devel is in the details)

Article Writer Needed for 20 Articles on Health. @TWeelanceWriter (Writing the articles is cheaper than actually going to the doctor.)

To (sic) Good Online Writing Websites. @williamswafford (Because to is better than won?)

I have an online class. I want you to take it and do it for me. @Elance_Writing (That was my post from 30 years ago. Except classes weren’t online back then, so I had to pay somebody to actually go to class for me too.)

A brief rundown of novels and historical fiction set in Vancouver. @vancouver_rt  (I think that was the full text.)

Never use an adverb to modify the verb “said.” Elmore Leonard (He said knowingly.)

Writer wanted for occasional work. @writingjobs_in (Is there any other kind of work for writers?)

FlashFiction vs Short Stories: What’s the difference? @iwritepoetry (That’s what I keep saying!)

Have a new idea for a story. Gotta start writing it down. @AntMan0623 (Doh! Too late. I forgot it!)

The Impotance of Edditting @OnUrge (Very clevver.)

I just cried writing a scene. So either it was really good, or I’m totally delirious from being locked in this room all day! @capetownbrown (I cry when I read my own writing, too. Good writing? Delirium? I attribute it to writing with an onion.)

Possibly the best book I’ve read about writing and living the creative life. @DreamofThings (Hey! I said that!)

Bottom line: Don’t waste a lot of time there. But if you have a few minutes, get your Tweet self on over to Twitter and find some occasional work!

Mike O’Mary tweets as @DreamofThings and @TheNoteProject

Google Me, Baby: Managing Your Online Identity

By Amanda Smyth Connor1260785_laptop_work

Last week, I wrote a blog post about a gentleman from a popular television show. Within one hour of my making the post live, he emailed me directly to thank me for my kind compliment of his abilities.

Blew. My. Mind.

First of all, my blog has only been live for a few months and doesn’t exactly have the huge number of page views yet (it will get there. I have hope and some decent SEO skills.) But I am fully aware of my humble blog stats.

Secondly, I can only now refer to him as “He Who Shall Not Be Named” because he obviously does a fantastic job of tracking his online identity. My mention of his name online brought his attention to my blog post immediately. That’s commendable.

What are you doing to track your online identity? Online identity management, or brand management, is one area that most businesses, large or small, are willing to spend millions of dollars on each year. I may not have millions of dollars to spend on my own brand management, but all I need is a little time and a good search engine.

My name is Amanda Connor and once a week, I Google myself. There. I said it. I Google my name and close variations. I read the Yelp reviews regarding my business. I update my LinkedIn connections and I have a VERY strict filter up on my Facebook account. I read up on all of my Twitter followers and I check the status of all old press releases that contain my name from every former company I’ve worked for. I don’t like surprises and I like to know every detail of my life and my business that is available online.

Whether you do it to manage your private life, or you do it to manage your business or professional presence, there is no excuse for not being diligent in managing your online identity. Even if you don’t know what’s online, it is likely that your potential employers and clients do.

Amanda Smyth Connor is a SEMPO-certified SEO specialist, has managed online communities and nationwide marketing campaigns for several start-up and  Fortune 500 companies, and has been an editor for more years than she can remember. She also runs her own wedding planning company, Hummingbird Bridal and Events, throughout the northeast.

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

The Problem With Job Boards

199 laptops bill kurtis AT&T

Freelance gigs are posted and reposted like crazy on your favorite writing sites. Even we have posted jobs here when the mood strikes us. While we enjoy doing it when there’s time, we fully recognize one overriding problem with getting leads from “the usual places”.

If 75 people who are all looking for freelance writing opportunities look at a single job post, the editor is likely to get 75 query letters or resumes. That’s some pretty stiff competition.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t use the freelance writing job boards, just be prepared for a lot of no-reply situations unless you can get on the bandwagon early and beat the rush.

I have a dirty little secret I use for just such purposes, and it involves looking at the freelance writing gig sites, taking a few notes, and then not responding to ANY of the items posted there. My secret? Continue reading The Problem With Job Boards

Freelance Career Stuff that Works For Me

sex writer adviceThere are plenty of writing blogs that advocate “best practices” or things that seem to be best practices…and enough of those things are similar enough that a newcomer might get the mistaken impression that the writing game has a set of rules or ways to “do it right” that, when used like a magic formula, equal success.

But the fantastic truth of the matter is, there’s no one right way to do this–freelancing is about what works for YOU. No formulas aside from a few professional courtesies and common-sense activities like spell-check and final draft revisions.

That said, here’s a list of things in no particular order, that I do on a regular basis that seem to work for me:

–I like to stay up late. Past midnight. I try not to work myself into the ground, but around 11PM, after Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, I do some shameless self promotion. Continue reading Freelance Career Stuff that Works For Me

Writing Jobs for Monday, September 21 2009

get freelance jobsIt’s time for another round of hand-picked writer and freelance writing jobs. Let those other sites scrape Craigslist, they’re doing a great job. We prefer to bring you our picks based on something more discriminating. We don’t always catch the goofy ones– sometimes a clown company slips under our radar and we thank you for pointing out when we’re found what looks like a promising freelance job that turns out to be something less than what it promises. Together, we’ll find the GOOD gigs. As always, thanks for reading.

There are lots of higher education writing gigs available lately. Want to go back to academia? Columbia University in New York needs a writer/researcher. You need a Bachelor’s and a background in PR or news writing. You’ll be working in the office of Columbia U’s president and there’s a lot of internal communication mentioned for this position. Apply online at Columbia via their Human Resources page.

St. John’s University needs a writer for the Office of Communications, Division of Institutional Advancement in Queens, NY. You’ll write for St. John’s University Magazine, plus internal communication, advertisements and create content for the St. John’s University Alumni and Friends official site, among other things.
Continue reading Writing Jobs for Monday, September 21 2009