Ever wonder how some of your fellow freelance writers are making it? Why do some seem to have a ton of work while others are doing well just to scrape out enough for the rent? Freelance writing gigs aren’t always advertised on Craigslist and writing sites like AbsoluteWrite.com. In fact, there’s an entire sector of “secret” freelance gigs out there waiting to be found, you just have to know where to start looking.
How picky are you about the writing work you seek? Are you willing to do catalog copy or descriptions of items for sale on eBay? Commercial copy? SEO-optimized content? Believe it or not, there is LOTS of work available for people willing to write this stuff, even in the current bad economy. Sometimes BECAUSE of our current bad economy.
Look at any online music store like zZounds or Guitar Center, and you’ll find thousands of pages of musical gear all written up and presented for your review.
These companies don’t always have the cash to keep writers on the job in-house. And SOME companies have computer crashes and they lose six months worth of work because they weren’t smart enough to back up their most recent catalog. Yes, I personally witnessed that one. THAT bunch desperately needed a freelancer to come in and help pick up the pieces. And they would have kept that lucky freelancer employed for a long time, as once the catalog was recovered and published, they needed to turn around and start working on a new one.
So what’s the “secret”? Take a look around you–there are plenty of mom and pop stores with large online inventories, art galleries, even banks are all hiring freelance writers. I personally do work on the side for a Texas-based banking group, writing everything from how-to guides on first-time homebuyer loans and mortgages to refinancing and home improvement loans.
The key is getting in touch with the people who need you and reminding them of your existence until THEY realize they need you.
Take a look at the phone book and ask yourself how many of those local Yellow Pages entries might be in dire need of a writer for projects. Chances are you’ll find someone who needs a press release, articles for their (sadly lacking) web pages or web copy in general written by someone who knows how to string words together in a convincing, professional way.