Robyn Roste, Systems & Funnels

How to Find Great Freelance Writing Jobs

When you’re a new freelancer, finding freelance writing jobs may seem like an overwhelming task. And I understand how finding a gig—any gig—can feel a bit like luck.

How to Find Great Freelance Writing Jobs

Where do you even start looking? And when you find someone looking for a writer, how do you know the job is any good?

The good news and the bad news about online freelance writing jobs

OK, here it is. The good news is, when you Google “freelance writing jobs” you’ll find a lot of postings.

The bad news is, when you you’ll also find a lot of low-paying postings and straight up bad gigs.

Learning to tell the difference is an important part about finding success as a freelance writer.

Finding gigs that pay what you need is another important part.

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How to discern a good freelance writing job from a bad one

The first thing to keep in mind is “good” and “bad” gigs are subjective. You need to know ahead of time what kind of job you’re looking for and what type of client will suit your needs.

If you’re new to the freelance world you may not know this yet and will learn through trial and error. That’s OK! But take a few minutes to think about the types of freelance writing jobs you’d like to have.

  • Writing blog posts and articles?
  • Media releases?
  • Business profiles?
  • Journalism?

Think it through and write it down

After you know what type of writing you want to do take a few minutes to figure out who your ideal client is.

  • Are you looking for someone who is hands off?
  • Someone to collaborate with?
  • Do you want to be able to meet in person?
  • Do you want one-off clients or ones you have an ongoing relationship with?

There are no wrong answers here, just what’s right for you. Knowing what types of clients you’d like will help you avoid overwhelm as you comb through the vast array of freelance writing jobs out there.

It will also keep you from applying for gigs that aren’t a good fit for you.

Extra Credit: Platform Building: Smart and Strategic Tips for Writers

Bonus tip: keep a close eye on how the job postings are written. If you see phrases like “looking for hungry writers,” or a value attributed to the quantity of articles they’re looking for rather than quality of writing, these should trigger warning bells in your head.

These gigs are often low paying (pennies per word, if that) and demanding. Even if you don’t have much experience yet, you can do better.

How to figure out what you need to earn as a freelance writer

Even though many writers aren’t numbers people, it’s important to learn how to budget so you know how much income you need in order to reach your goals.

Do a bit of number crunching and determine what you need per month to get by.

Also figure out how much time you have to dedicate to your freelancing. From here you’ll have a good idea of how many clients you can take on and how much you need from each one.


If you’re wondering how to set your prices, I think you’ll like the course I co-created, How to Price Your Work. Setting your prices takes a bit of effort and guts but it will help you stay away from jobs that don’t pay enough. So you can make a living from your craft!

When you look at online postings you may feel like you have to lower your prices or standards in order to get work.

Don’t give up!

There are great freelance writing jobs out there but sometimes you have to know where to look.

Where I look for great freelance writing jobs

I encourage writers to think outside of the box when looking for work. Even when you need to get clients fast you shouldn’t lower your standards.

The main ways I find work are from referrals, networking with other writers and Twitter (really!).

There’s always someone looking for a writer but people have to know you’re a writer in order for them to think of you and reach out.

Job boards are a great starting point for freelancers who don’t have established networks. The good gigs are scooped up quick so if this is your go-to then you will need to check often and apply a lot.

It’s a numbers game so don’t become discouraged if you don’t hear back from many or most of the places you pitch.

Here are a few suggestions for job boards I’ve found good.

Parting words: I’ve learned it’s important to keep looking for freelance work even if you have a full client load. Developing strategies to keep the marketing machine going during busy times ensures you won’t have so many dry spells. And the better your clients are, the less you’ll need in order to reach your financial goals.


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When you're a new freelancer, finding freelance writing jobs may seem like an overwhelming task. And I understand how finding a gig—any gig—can feel a bit like luck. Where do you even start looking? And when you find someone looking for a writer, how do you know the job is any good?

One more thing. You may be interested in my free resource library. This is where I keep my files, downloads, ebooks, worksheets and whatever else I manage to create. I love sharing what I learn and want to keep adding to this library so it becomes a wealth of helpful goodness.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

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When you're a new freelancer, finding freelance writing jobs may seem like an overwhelming task. And I understand how finding a gig—any gig—can feel a bit like luck. Where do you even start looking? And when you find someone looking for a writer, how do you know the job is any good?
When you are a new freelancer, finding freelance writing jobs may seem like an overwhelming task. And I get how finding a gig can feel a bit like luck.

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