JobMonkey.com, the coolest jobs on earth

Focus on Jobs for Freelance Writers

----------------------------------------
JobMonkey.com
Volume VIII, Issue #17
----------------------------------------

Welcome to the JobMonkey newsletter! We're so glad you are here. A few weeks ago, we talked about Work-at-Home jobs. Interest in this field is expanding rapidly, as many of the recently unemployed are looking for opportunities to make money from home - either as a stop-gap measure or as a permanent solution. One of the most popular jobs among the work-at-home set is freelance writing. If you've been thinking about trying your hand at writing, this newsletter is for you. Learn about four of the most popular online writing careers, check out a recent JobMonkey blog post with tips for breaking into the industry, and find out about freelance jobs from our free job database.

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

1) Spotlight: 4 Online Writing Careers for the New Freelance Writer
2) Around the Monkey: How to Jumpstart Your Career as a Freelance Writing
3) Job Announcements: Freelance Gigs for the Writer & More

Haven't set up your profile yet? It's quick and easy. Click Here.

Why get a profile? Learn More.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPOTLIGHT: 4 Online Writing Careers for the New Freelance Writer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, you think you want to be a freelance writer?! Maybe you have a degree in journalism. Maybe you worked in marketing. Maybe you just really liked 8th grade English.

Good for you! Freelance writing is a great career. But before you get ahead of yourself, you should know that freelance writing is not a fast track to easy money. Just like any business, launching and managing your freelance writing career requires a lot of drive, determination, organization, and talent.

What does it take to break into the freelance writing world?
Anyone can call himself a writer, but not everyone can write. Or at least not well. And if you want to earn competitive rates for your writing, you need to be a great writer. Plus, you need to honor deadlines, communicate well with clients, and know a thing or two about marketing yourself.

Still think you fit the bill? The read on. Here's a look at four of the most popular online writing jobs, all of which offer abundant opportunities for talented, hard-working writers.

Technical Writing
Technical writers take complex technical information and translate it into easy-to-understand manuals and documents. The manual that came with your VCR? Written by a technical writer. As high tech companies look for ways to trim their budgets, outsourced technical writers can provide a great pool of money-saving talent. The field is competitive, though, and companies are looking to hire people with experience. Barring a ten-year history as an in-house technical writer, a strong educational background in applied sciences, journalism, English or business is also a good asset. Salaries are competitive, with most freelance tech writers earning between $25 and $50/hour.

Magazine Writing
Also a highly competitive field, magazine writing is a high-paid, high-profile position. Although nationally and regionally distributed magazines usually have staff writers, most also outsource stories to talented freelance writers. National glossies (like Cosmo or Sports Illustrated) pay as much as $2 per word or more. Smaller, niche magazines (like National Fishermen or American Baby) typically pay at least $1 per word. In addition to commanding a competitive salary, magazine writing also gives you a nation-wide platform, which can lead to even bigger and better contracts in the future.

To succeed in this competitive field, you need a respectable portfolio, a good idea and a great pitch. There are countless sources that teach you how to "pitch" your ideas to an editor, but here is a good starting point.

Web Content Writing
If you are just breaking into the business, and don't have an educational background in tech writing or journalism, you will probably find the most plentiful opportunities in web content. Web writing can include blogs, newsletters, press releases or online articles. Pay ranges from pennies per word to more than $1 per word.

A word to the wise about web writing: Beware of writing sweatshops - websites that outsource their content to writers (often times in India) who are willing to take a penny per word or less. Even writers without a prolific resume deserve to be paid a living wage. If, after a few months of web content writing, you find that you are not able to increase your rates, you might want to rethink writing as a career.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
AROUND THE MONKEY: The 411 on Freelance Writing
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to learn more about breaking into the world of freelance writing? Check out a recent post on the JobMonkey blog. It's chock-full of ideas and resources for the new writer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
JOB OPENINGS: Freelance Jobs for Writers and More
--------------------------------------------------------------------

If you are looking for freelance work, a great place to start is the JobMonkey Job Center. We have hundreds of job listings from around the country (and the world), updated daily. The best part is that our job center is free for job seekers! To pinpoint freelance jobs, try plugging the word "freelance" into the key word search.

Find current jobs in the Job Center.

JobMonkey Home >>>