Where Do You Find Writing Jobs?

"Our focus is building tomorrows business leaders," said the ad. Apparently, they're not focused on using apostrophes. 


As a writer, I have mixed feelings about a job posting like this. The organization has a real need! But who proofs its ads? Third graders? 

Where do you find writing jobs? 

Craigslist has had its share of bad press, but is still a good place to look for jobs (or "gigs," which, at least to Craigslist folks, are not the same thing). 

Linkedin certainly seems to have lost its focus re: jobs lately. 

I'd like to see more boutique placement firms like 10-til-2 leading us to great opportunities, but I'm not seeing it happen as fast as I'd like. 

I am seeing a general increase in content-, marketing- and PR job opportunities here as summer wanes. What about you? Where do you find writing jobs? 

I'd love to hear from you! Contact me here or on Twitter. Yep, I tweet, when I'm not writing. Or looking for a job... 

Dear Writers: Don't Fall for a Line Like That

"This position is really meant for people who know how to bring in real traffic. We pay a $2.50 CPM (That's $2.50 per 1,000 pageviews your article attracts) with a cap set at $25 per article."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If the line above - from a real, recent post on a quite-respected job board - had you going at first, I hope you did the math at the end and got the same answer I did.  Sorry, but "$25 cap" isn't appropriate or respectable, even for a "small but respected social media reporting site."

SMH.

Writers Beware, and Be Smart

Among the many opportunities for writers, I'm seeing an increase in ads soliciting bloggers to write 250-700 word posts for $15 a pop and to basically pimp the copy on the writers' personal social media accounts.

From an ad posted last week:

"Writer MUST HAVE a STRONG social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media websites. If hired, articles MUST be posted on social media accounts. Please provide links to those accounts."

The best way to describe an opportunity like this is "Ew," because it stinks. In case you were left in a cabbage patch yesterday, I'll offer this advice that otherwise should go without saying: Don't do it.

Unless you want to sell your social media credibility for $15. Then, by all means, apply today. 

How to Tell if a Writer Likes You

OK dear reading-fellow-writers, now you know I like you - because I'm sharing one of my favorite sites of all time: Problogger. If you're just starting your copywriting/freelance endeavors, this could change your life. (For the better. You're welcome.) And if you're wildly successful, well. Well, I doubt you're reading this right now...and for the rest of you, golly, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. What a great site Darren Rowse runs! Even if the jobs are all beneath you (lucky you) a savvy reader can see it's a fine place to keep a fingertip on the industry's pulse.

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs

It's a pangram, not a personality disorder. A pangram or "alphabet sentence" contains all the letters of the alphabet, and I've had the great pleasure of reading them while shopping for fonts lately.

The Dancing Pen Calligraphy website lists a bunch. Consider it your silly online procrastination tool of the day. (You're welcome.)

Of course I've added Pangram Developer to my list of dream writing jobs, next to Captcha Writer,  Pokemon Card Copywriter, and Bakugan Namer.

Well, that's why they're called "dream" jobs...

OK, on a slightly more serious note: smart font choices can make your website work better, your presentations more memorable, and you the envy of all your friends. Mmmm well, two out of three are proven.

~Diane Stresing

Summertime freelancing

The #1 reason I love freelancing is because it allows me to work around my kids' schedules. But in the summer, I feel like I'm visiting my office more than I'm actually working there.

I'm not complaining - well, yes, I am. Long story short: I welcome guest posts especially in the summer.

Any takers? If you've actually found time to work this summer, can you give the rest of us harried freelancers some tips?

You wrote what? Dream writing jobs and diaper duty

I've written catalog copy, Facebook status updates for clients, a mission statement, a tag line, captions to create a photo essay, and a few other things. But I've never written anything intended to appear on a diaper.

Yes, some people get paid to do such things. Check out Marcia Yudkin's Marketing Minute post today to find out more about diaper captions and other unusual writing opportunities.

If I could pick my dream job right now, I'd have to say penning all the data on those interesting little Pokemon character cards or developing names for Bakugan Brawlers. When I took my first copywriting course in college, I thought my dream job would be creating descriptions for Proctor & Gamble products. Instead, these days I'm writing stuff that's a lot closer to legal disclaimers for websites. Which I have not written, but I've edited. And you know what? As jobs go, it isn't that bad.

How about you?  

What's your dream writing job? 

Please leave a comment below or send a note via Twitter or Facebook. Oh, come on! I'm pretty sure you're sitting in front of a keyboard right now, and you probably like to write. Right? So... what do you dream of writing?