Comments on: The Freelance Writing Jobs I Avoid http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:00:10 -0600 hourly 1 By: Shuchi Kalra http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/comment-page-1/#comment-201463 Shuchi Kalra Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:51:48 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/#comment-201463 I agree with you on most fronts Michael. Though I am a writer from India, I agree that many of my counterparts agree to work for a pittance (for writing that hardly makes any sense). Indian writers have only themselves to blame when companies start treating them as "cheap labor". On the the other hand, like Archana said, a cent a word is above average money by INR measures and newbie writers sometimes short sell themselves in an attempt to build their portfolio. In the end, it is only we who can decide how much we are worth! And yes, while a large fraction of web content writing is "counterfieting", I have had the opportunity to work on some "good keyword planting" projects that aim to create valuable content :) I agree with you on most fronts Michael. Though I am a writer from India, I agree that many of my counterparts agree to work for a pittance (for writing that hardly makes any sense). Indian writers have only themselves to blame when companies start treating them as “cheap labor”. On the the other hand, like Archana said, a cent a word is above average money by INR measures and newbie writers sometimes short sell themselves in an attempt to build their portfolio.

In the end, it is only we who can decide how much we are worth!

And yes, while a large fraction of web content writing is “counterfieting”, I have had the opportunity to work on some “good keyword planting” projects that aim to create valuable content :)

]]> By: Philip http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/comment-page-1/#comment-70005 Philip Sun, 11 Jan 2009 06:28:52 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/#comment-70005 Ok, thanks for taking the time to explain all that! Ok, thanks for taking the time to explain all that!

]]> By: Michael http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/comment-page-1/#comment-69918 Michael Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:15:42 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/#comment-69918 Phil, I commented on your blog with some of my thoughts. But no, I think you should start with the tips I listed in my article <a href="http://www.dailywritingtips.com/entry-level-freelance-writing/" rel="nofollow">Entry-Level Freelance Writing</a>. I've tried some of those sites you mentioned, but I didn't find them as authentic or even as much fun as real writer's markets. With them, you can end up listening to everybody else on the site and deceiving yourself into believing that you're all professional freelance writers. But the job experience there is not only inferior, it's not even a good example of what professional writers do. You don't need to use them as examples of your writing. Where do professional writers keep their writing samples? On their own websites. That way your reputation won't be tarnished by the neighborhood because it's your own neighborhood. As your writing gets picked up by more creditable publications, you can link to those. That even goes for what you've written for article banks. A potential employer might say, "If he can't give me a link to anyone who bought the article, maybe it wasn't worth buying." Phil, I commented on your blog with some of my thoughts. But no, I think you should start with the tips I listed in my article Entry-Level Freelance Writing. I’ve tried some of those sites you mentioned, but I didn’t find them as authentic or even as much fun as real writer’s markets. With them, you can end up listening to everybody else on the site and deceiving yourself into believing that you’re all professional freelance writers. But the job experience there is not only inferior, it’s not even a good example of what professional writers do. You don’t need to use them as examples of your writing. Where do professional writers keep their writing samples? On their own websites. That way your reputation won’t be tarnished by the neighborhood because it’s your own neighborhood. As your writing gets picked up by more creditable publications, you can link to those. That even goes for what you’ve written for article banks. A potential employer might say, “If he can’t give me a link to anyone who bought the article, maybe it wasn’t worth buying.”

]]> By: Philip http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/comment-page-1/#comment-69732 Philip Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:45:32 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/#comment-69732 Thanks for your response. Just to clarify, are you saying it's best not to write for those sites at all, or that it's ok to write for them, but don't put them on your resume? I wasn't particularly thinking of putting them on my resume, as if it's some kind of achievement to have been published there! But I was thinking that I could point people to those articles to show that I can do good work. I'm taking it as a given that I'm not going to putting anything out there which is not good work. Thanks for your response.

Just to clarify, are you saying it’s best not to write for those sites at all, or that it’s ok to write for them, but don’t put them on your resume?

I wasn’t particularly thinking of putting them on my resume, as if it’s some kind of achievement to have been published there! But I was thinking that I could point people to those articles to show that I can do good work.

I’m taking it as a given that I’m not going to putting anything out there which is not good work.

]]> By: Michael http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/comment-page-1/#comment-69634 Michael Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:14:17 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-freelance-writing-jobs-i-avoid/#comment-69634 Philip, any good writing practice will improve your skills, and some of the companies you listed can give you something vaguely resembling professional experience. After working with them, you can even say on your resume that you have now written financial/medical/business articles. But experienced freelance writers (http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/ for example) usually advise you NOT to put the names of any of those companies on your resume. The reason? Your resume should show that you've written for well-paying, prestigious publications (such as magazines) that are hard to break into. Saying that you've written for companies that are easy to break into won't prove that you can do higher-level (and higher-paying) gigs. In fact, it might give evidence that you don't need to be paid much. Sure, you could put your school term papers on your resume too, but that doesn't prove your professionalism either, because even poor writers have to do term papers in school. Philip, any good writing practice will improve your skills, and some of the companies you listed can give you something vaguely resembling professional experience. After working with them, you can even say on your resume that you have now written financial/medical/business articles. But experienced freelance writers (http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/ for example) usually advise you NOT to put the names of any of those companies on your resume. The reason? Your resume should show that you’ve written for well-paying, prestigious publications (such as magazines) that are hard to break into. Saying that you’ve written for companies that are easy to break into won’t prove that you can do higher-level (and higher-paying) gigs. In fact, it might give evidence that you don’t need to be paid much. Sure, you could put your school term papers on your resume too, but that doesn’t prove your professionalism either, because even poor writers have to do term papers in school.

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