How To Find Good Freelance Writing Opportunities: Directions For Starters

Do not delude yourself: freelancing is one of the toughest jobs out there. The competition is fierce; the people are ruthless, and the pay is difficult and measly. This is not meant to scare you into giving up, but is the harsh truth that you will eventually have to face.

How will you accept and overcome it? In a world where editors and companies are bombarded with repetitive pitches every day, how will you make them remember you?

Well, you can start by finding good freelance opportunities to write, and here are three tips on how to do that:

1. Stay far, far away from content mills: These are online freelancing websites that claim to have an endless database of jobs for all aspiring authors and designers out there. The truth: the database is not endless. The clients are rude and selfish, and your competition will be willing to sell their services for a quarter of what you charge, thus taking jobs away from right under your nose. Do not put yourself through the pain and struggle among people who are so much less capable than you are. Get out of content mills and look for real, enticing opportunities.
2. Read what you want to write: Want to be a travel writer? Pick up a travelogue. Passionate about business? Choose a journal over a novel. Every publication has a particular tone and voice. Identify it, and decide whether it is for you. If yes, then send a query to the editor of the magazine, telling him/her about your idea in detail along with why you should be published. You might not be able to get through on the first try, but keep the process up, and you will eventually have success.
3. Sell yourself: If you want to find good freelance opportunities, you have to practice good marketing. Assemble a portfolio; go to conventions; send in pitches and queries; learn from each rejection and each note, and make sure to remember the lesson for the next time. You should spend as long on marketing as you do on writing. Talking to people is how you build a network. Eventually, a friend might mention to another friend who might talk to an editor and tell them about how you are the business writer to hire. A little effort sure does go a long way.