I’ve already blogged about how writers can avoid online scams. Many writers avoid answering online ads because they fear being scammed (many are also skepticism about whether companies looking for writers online are willing to pay professional rates–call it the Demand Studios Effect). But I can say from personal experience that it is possible to land a decent-paying writing gig this way.
Here a few examples of clients I’ve secured by answering online ads: a communications agency that specializes in nonprofit clients (one of my favorite industries!) and subcontracts some of their email campaigns to me, an eco lifestyle blog that pays me to post several times a week, and a career website that has given me over $1,000 in assignments in less than a year. Earlier in my freelance career, I scored one of my first ongoing clients by posting an ad in the services section of Craigslist (this client still has me on a monthly retainer!). So it can work both ways.
Based on my experience, the key is to read each ad carefully and watch out for red flags. Here are a few phrases I’ve learned to avoid:
- “We need content writers.” This could mean web content writer, but a lot of the time, I’ve noticed that they’re looking for a writing bot to churn out a high volume of content at bargain basement prices. Often this content may be little more than a regurgitated Wikipedia entry. And when they’re looking for a bunch of writers, that could spell trouble.
- “Re-writer.” This is the ugly, incestuous sibling of #1. I’ve done a few projects where I help an author or speaker repackage their own material for a different medium, but often posts for “re-writers” means you’ll be taking a competitor’s content and changing it around a bit. Generally, when a potential client cops to this in an ad, it’s a bad sign that they are so far removed from the writing world (and issues of media ethics) that they don’t understand the value of original, well-crafted articles or marketing copy. And if they’re willing to screw the competition, what makes you think they won’t screw you, too?
- “We’re just a startup.” In this statement, the red flag is not startup as you might expect. It’s just. I’ve worked and freelanced for startup companies, and they can be exciting (and decent-paying) places. Trouble is, people sometimes use this phrase to guilt you into working for cheap. Plus, those who have the attitude that they’re “just a startup” may never progress beyond that stage. (Did Steve Jobs ever say “we just sell circuit boards”? Did Kenneth Cole ever say “I just make shoes”? If you don’t know the story of how Kenneth Cole got his start, it’s pretty interesting.)
- “We don’t have much now, but this could lead to bigger projects.” Yeah, and I could win the lottery or marry royalty. Be very skeptical when someone makes this claim. Yes, writing for a cool, but low-paying pub like BUST magazine could help you land a book deal or score clips in other magazines. But writing for some poorly designed website that no one has heard of is unlikely to impress new clients or make you famous. And some of these clients will dangle the promise of higher pay and just move on to other unsuspecting writers when you call them on it.
- “Easy for the right person.” Translation: “if this project takes you more than an hour to complete and you expect to be paid more than $10 for your time, then you ain’t the right person.” To this client, the “right person” is someone who’s willing to a) do a half-a$$ job and collect their crappy paycheck or b) spend hours slaving away for mere pennies just to prove that they are, in fact, a competent writer. Good writing isn’t supposed to be easy. It takes time to find just the right word or turn of phrase. In my opinion, high-quality clients understand this.
- “Great for students or work-at-home moms.” You may be a student or a work-at-home parent (or both), but it doesn’t mean you to have write for peanuts. I earned $100/article during my undergrad years. In retrospect, even that was a little low, but it seemed like a lot at the time for something I did for free whenever I turned in a homework assignment. Clients who care about quality writing don’t care if you’re a student or a parent or whatever, and they won’t exploit your situation to get you to settle. Quality clients care that you can deliver on time and on target.
So, what should you look for? I’m much for likely to respond to an ad if it states the pay rate in the ad (no nasty surprises later) and offers specifics on what they’re looking for (that way I can craft an email that fits their needs–or not if I’m not the right fit). If there’s a real email address (instead of those anonymous Craigslist addresses) or a website to check out, even better. That way I can follow-up later. What do you look for in online ads? What do you avoid at all costs?
Flickr photo courtesy of Tim Green aka atoach
Your post is spot on! I've snagged some legit gigs through Craigslist and have learned how to weed out the types you mention above that won't get anybody anywhere.
If there is a link to a website, I like to make sure there is a real physical address for when I send invoices and have to track down payments. If there is no contact information or something about the address seems too rinky-dink, it's probably not a real company that is going to pay you for your services.
Wouldn't it be great if we could search ads by filtering out all those warning phrases? Excellent post, Susan, and one that your readers should keep within easy reach.
I scored a really fun green celeb-related gig early on through an ad and it paid well. It's harder to find those quality gigs now, but they are there if you know how to find them.
Hi Susan
Thanks for this informative post. As a new writer it is important to know the red flags to watch out for. Come to think of it someone suggested number 4 to me recently!
Thanks again
Cheers
Thea
Susan, terrific post (have to thank Twitter for finding this). It should serve as a great source for budding freelance writers. I've seen ads targeted at Southeast Asian markets where prospective employers would only pay $1 for 300 word articles. It is really disappointing. Bet those employers are complaining too when they don't get quality work back. lol In the end, they get what they pay for.
For you newbies to the business, don't fret…there are some great freelance gigs out there. You just need to do your homework and keep your red flag radar up.
Karen, The Resume Chick (on Google or Twitter if you need me)
@Jesaka: I'm sure that with the right computer knowledge, there is a way to filter out ads by key phrases, but it's probably better to look at the phrases in context.
@Margie: Good point! If there's a physical address, I've been known to send the prospect a postcard as a follow up to my email application to set myself apart. And if there isn't an address on the website, then I insist on getting one before I start a project. If they refuse, then that's a *very* bad sign!
@Thea: Thanks for weighing in!
@Karen: I hope you said no to the $1 gigs!!
Great tips and I have found your tips to be true red flags in online ads. Like you, I've gotten some pretty decent freelance writing jobs from online ads. But I did not get any of those decent paying jobs by responding to ads for content writers or rewriters, or for ads that say and "as a startup company, we do not pay well (yet)but you will gain professional experience writing for us, sucker."
You detailed some of the biggest red flags for writers to look out for when replying to online ads.
Ahh, I can definitely identify with this post. There are loads of ads online that always post very similar luring and attractive text. Luckily I haven't had the misfortune to accidentally click on a fake ad, but they sure are annoying. T_T
~TRA
http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com
Susan, I assure you I steer clear of stuff like that. lol It's not just me, but also writers I know personally who try to find decent sources for writing jobs…it's a tough market out there…most of the time it's a bidding system so basically who wins is who can produce the most volume for the least amount of money.
Karen, The Resume Chick (On Google or Twitter for questions)
I'm so gun shy and wary of these ads overall, I tend to avoid them completely. It just seems too risky–but now that I'm a little more savvy when it comes to these types of ads, I cringe when I see writers I know happily taking on these types of assignments.
I could spoof this to no end. I get a significant portion of my work from Elance and Guru, and I have very much learned how to quickly NOT click on many links through these 6 steps. I'm putting this on my Facebook page.