Top 6 Places to Find Work as a Freelance Writer

I’ve been a freelance writer for many years now, and probably know everything there is to know about my profession. In this article, I discuss the top 6 places to find work as a freelance writer. You would probably know about some of the places discussed here, maybe not so much about some of the others.

Finding work as a freelance writer is much easier today than it used to be in the past, especially if you are someone who is just starting out. There are many more options today than at any time in the past. Let’s get started with the most popular freelance site, Upwork.

Best Places to Find Work for Freelance Writers…

#1: Upwork – Upwork was formed from the merger of two of the biggest freelancing platforms, Odesk and Elance. As a freelance writer, you will find a lot of jobs on Upwork, more than you would find anywhere else online, but it can get very competitive here. The bidding can drive down prices, and it’s very difficult for someone new to start making money on Upwork. Another issue you will find is that the fees on Upwork have risen from 10% to 20%. I just get the feeling that the Upwork management is making far too many mistakes and they are driving talented freelancers away. Don’t get me wrong, Upwork is still a very good platform for freelancers – as long as you’ve already been there for a couple of years or so.

#2: Fiverr – You have no doubt heard of Fiverr, it is a very popular freelance site today. Fiverr is my favorite place to make money as a freelancer. I know, Fiverr gets a bad reputation as a “gig” on Fiverr costs just $5, which means you will probably write an article for just $5 on Fiverr. But here’s what you should know – an article, blog post or press release need not cost just $5 – there are many copywriters who get paid $100 or more for a single job. There is one writer I know on Fiverr who makes $10,000 per month – which is huge! Of course, you won’t make much money when you start out, but now with packages on Fiverr, you can make a lot of money after picking up some experience.

 #3: ProBlogger Job Board – ProBlogger is only for serious writers, those who really know what they are doing and have at least 2 years of experience in copywriting or content writing. ProBlogger charges clients $50 to post job ads on their board, so you can be sure that those who post job ads here are very serious. They expect only the best. The jobs here are for the long term, they can last for 6 months to 12 months and require at least 30 hours of work on a weekly basis. Don’t apply unless you are very serious about freelance writing.

#4: Reddit – I’ve been on Reddit only once or twice. No, Reddit is not just a place where trolls get together and harass people online. I urge you to take a look at the [Hiring] and [For Hire] threads on Reddit. You can post your own ads here and if it’s good enough, you will have people responding to you. Just be clear about the payment terms.

#5: Craigslist – Craiglist is not my favorite place to find work but it deserves a mention as it is actually the #1 place for freelancers to find clients in the USA. It might work for you even if you are from outside the United States, but generally clients here prefer those who are US-based. Still, you should be able to land a gig or two. Keep your options open.

#6: iWriter.com – If you are an absolute beginner to freelance writing, I suggest starting with iWriter.com. That’s how I got started in this profession. I learned a lot from iWriter about content writing, and while I was only there for a month, it gave me the confidence to look at freelance writing as a profession. iWriter in my opinion is the best training school out there for freelance writers. You will learn the hard way there as the clients are very demanding, but you will be all the better for it.

Of course, this list is based on my personal experience. I would love to hear from you. What’s your favorite place to get started as a freelance writer?