The Back and Forth: Securing Jobs as a Freelance Writer

There are many obstacles on the path to fame and fortune for a freelance writer. One of the toughest things to deal with for many writers is the pursuit of clients. Securing regular, reliable writing gigs can be a full time job in itself. In order to secure work you’re going to need to engage in the usual back and forth email flurry. This is time consuming and it will inevitably end in frustration a lot of the time.

Let me give you the scenario – you see a job ad you like. They need a writer on a topic you want to cover. Let’s say video games. They don’t post any real specifics beyond the subject. They want to entice some applications and they list out what you’ll need to do to secure the gig. Usually this will be a resume, three clips or links to show off your writing and the email equivalent of a cover letter talking about why you’re perfect for the job.

Sometimes they’ll want an example article that could fit on their website or in their publication. This is to be expected if you don’t have any clips to show, but for a full time freelance writer with a good body of work built up it can be off-putting. If you’re lucky they’ll offer to pay you at least something for it. They should certainly pay you if they use it. Often they’ll expect you to do it for nothing. If it’s a regular job that you really want and you know it will pay well then it’s worth doing. If it’s a vague job ad and you don’t know the long term prospects or pay then don’t do it.

So, you tailor your resume, you find three relevant links or clips that will wow them and you craft an enticing cover email that highlights your perfect credentials for the gig. Maybe you even come up with an example article that they could roll straight out. You read it through, re-read it, ask someone else to read it and then read it again before hitting send. You then read it again even though it’s too late to change it (maybe that’s just me). Now the waiting game begins.

After 24 hours with no reply you’ll be hitting your Get Mail button every five minutes. After 48 hours you’ll be cursing their lack of talent spotting ability and wondering where you went wrong. After 72 hours you’ll be shrugging it off, hey it’s their loss (maybe that’s just me again).

The truth is it can take a long time for applications to be reviewed. In my experience the bigger the publication or website the longer it will take because they’ll have more applications to wade through. I have been offered a job up to six weeks after applying, and of course in that case it was too late and I no longer had room in my schedule. Freelance writing jobs are like buses, there isn’t one for a while then three come at once.

If they do come back to you and express an interest then it’s time to discuss the specifics of the job. Do they want a single 1,000 word article with images, do they need three 500 word blog posts a week, or do they want timely news updates? More importantly how much money are they willing to pay? Things can often break down at this stage as you realize how far apart your expectations are. Using the video game example again, it is quite common for websites to advertise “paying positions” and then offer a free review copy of a game and maybe some ad share revenue based on traffic. Perhaps they think $5 per post is reasonable while your bottom line is 20 cents per word. You can expect some email ping pong as you negotiate a price and get a specific brief for the work.

Some places will have a clear idea of what they want. The Managing Editor might have an editorial calendar with specific topics they research and assign. More commonly you’ll be expected to pitch ideas of your own. This means researching the publication or website to get a handle on the style and then researching the area they cover to generate great article ideas. The more appealing and detailed your idea is, the better the chance of it being picked up. You need to spend some time honing your pitches. Make sure you choose catchy titles and give a flavour of the content in a brief description.

If you can get your initial application accepted, agree on the topic, agree on the guidelines and agree on the pay, then all that’s left is to fix a deadline….oh and then of course you have to actually write it!

If you like the variety or you just need varied work then you’ll find yourself going through this process several times every month. For most writers only a small percentage of those back and forth discussions will result in solid work. You will get faster at it over time. As you get more confident you’ll have a fixed idea of your desired/realistic rates. You’ll get a feel for what’s worth pursuing and what isn’t. To keep that work flowing you’ll incorporate the job search, application and pitching process into your schedule as a regular activity.

The back and forth of securing writing jobs as a freelancer can be a frustrating and discouraging experience. It is also a relentless necessity. Surely there’s a better way?

How do you cope with the back and forth? Post a comment and share your experiences or fire away if you have any questions.