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Avoid These Freelance Writing Jobs

By on January 11, 2019
Avoid These Freelance Writing Jobs - Writer's Life.org

When starting as a freelance writer, it can be easy and tempting to take on jobs that you shouldn’t. Of course, we can’t dictate to you what work to take on, but there is a genuine problem with writers taking on poorly defined, unfairly demanding jobs to build up their portfolio which means that the businesses offering these jobs will continue to think it’s okay to treat writers this way.

It’s not just the money; there are also people out there who refuse to give you the right information to get the job done - and then complain you did it wrong, and those who take far too long to pay you or who try to avoid paying you at all.

As a novice freelance writer, it’s easy to make mistakes and to make your life less stressful here are some kinds of freelance writing jobs that every writer should avoid:

Ones that ask you not to plagiarise

There are so many jobs out there that patronize writers - ones that specifically say ‘no article spinning’ or ‘we’ll know if you plagiarise’ are already revealing themselves to have no respect for writers. OK, we understand that maybe they have had bad experiences in the past. But by communicating with the writer, asking them about their experience and making sure they are a good fit for the piece of work it will become obvious whether they are a serious, credible writer, or one who will try to get away with using someone else's work. Stating this in the job ad suggests an inherent distrust of writers from the outset, and spells trouble ahead.

Ones that pay less than minimum wage

When you first start as a freelance writer, you might have to wait a while to get the highest paid jobs. However, that doesn’t mean you should work for free or get paid next to nothing for your copy. Don’t let businesses take advantage of writers and refuse to accept jobs that don’t pay at least the minimum wage.

Ones that are too vague and the communication is bad

Another red flag is a vague job description, or one that sounds too good to be true or where the poster doesn’t communicate well or answer your questions. In these instances, the job posting might be spam, or it just may indicate that the employer isn’t willing to give you enough information to do the job well.

Ones where the employer is rude and demanding

No matter how inexperienced you are employers should treat you with respect. They are hiring you to do a service, and if they are rude or overly demanding from the outset they will probably continue to be this way throughout the project, and you’ve got to ask yourself whether it is worth it?

Ones that compromise your morals, integrity or passions

Content is needed for all sorts of things, so find out what you are most interested in and passionate about and try to find jobs that align with that. Avoid writing content that you don’t agree with that compromises your beliefs in some way or that bores you - what’s the fun in that?

By avoiding the types of job above, you can start your freelance writing career with your head held high and can make sure you are doing honest, exciting work that makes you proud.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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