Jobs for Freelance Writers: Is it a Great Idea for Ghostwriters to Use Job Boards?

Jobs for freelance writers–it’s something we talk about a lot in writer’s circles.

Wanna open a can of worms during a job discussion? Bring up the topic of job boards for writers and you’ll crack open quite a can of worms.

But guess what, I’m gonna do it anyway. Why am I so determined to tackle this subject, you may ask? Because without job boards there is no way that I would be a full-time freelancer right now. Finding freelance or ghostwriting gigs elsewhere is fantastic. However, I feel that, when used properly, job boards are a great resource as far as finding work goes.

There are a number of different platforms out there through which to land freelance jobs. I’m going to cover the three that I have the most familiarity with today. My goal is to give you my two cents as a paid writer who has utilized each one. Time for “yay” and “nay” of a few job boards.

Upwork: Yay

I’ve never really been the “eat dessert first” type. I tend to go more the route of “eat dessert first and just don’t eat dinner if you aren’t feeling it.” So, if you don’t read any other part of this article, read this part because it’s the dessert!

Firstly, Upwork is a Yay. All the way. Here’s why. 

Without this platform, I wouldn’t have been able to start my journey toward my now full-time ghostwriting career at all. Okay, maybe I would have figured out another way–figured out somewhere else I liked to find jobs for freelance writers– but going through Upwork made it a heck of a lot quicker to get going and who doesn’t want to save time? 

You know when you have those “Oh my gosh, that was a close one” moments? That’s what I think when I look back on the first encounter Upwork and I had. I almost gave up on it far too quickly. If I had, I don’t know where I’d be now. Let me explain how the start of my relationship with Upwork came about.

Initial Usage

I was bored in college. I’d chosen a Fiction Writing degree figuring it was the thing to do and an excuse to chase my dreams while still doing what I was “supposed to.” But only a few months into my freshman year I started to get the feeling that I wasn’t going to be learning anything about making a living as a writer anytime soon–not here. This made me rather restless since I like to feel like I am making progress. There, all I felt was stuck like I was waiting around for something to happen.

So I started poking around in search of what sorts of writing jobs I might be qualified for after school. 

That’s when I stumbled upon a plethora of boards advertising jobs for freelance writers. Immediately, I made free accounts with lots of them. I scanned the jobs and applied for jobs (which was hard since I didn’t have a portfolio yet, but portfolios are a story for another day). 

During my search, I stumbled upon Upwork. I was looking for anything that would give me some real world experience and reassurance that I could actually make a living as a writer. After my profile was created I gave up checking it with any consistency after a very short time, discouraged at not getting immediate offers. I left it inactive for months because I let the feeling that no one would pay me for my writing get to me.

It was only when I finally wandered back to it later that I realized, though I’d neglected it, activity had taken place on my profile. I had even received messages from prospective clients that had been sitting in my inbox for weeks since I hadn’t bothered to check in! People were interested in me!

Getting the Hang of It : Jobs for Freelance Writers

From this point on, I threw myself full force into finding jobs on Upwork. It was incredible how quickly I landed a job with very little experience, a rudimentary portfolio, and only a few samples. I was working for peanuts, but I did my best to represent myself well and it got me started. 

I landed my first paid fiction writing job shortly after I reunited with Upwork just as I was about to begin finals. After I completed those finals I didn’t return back because I had started landing jobs on Upwork regularly.

It takes dedication to start a career as a writer–there is no getting around that. But by building a great portfolio and earning good reviews from my clients, my chance at gaining a respectable spot as a freelancer on the platform was well underway. 

What it offers

• Tons of jobs for freelance writers to sift through: articles, fiction, short stories, novels, screen plays, editing–you name it and it’s there. 
• “Top Rated” Program. This program showcases freelancers who meet particular requirements. A 90% or above job success score and great private client feedback allow writers to earn their Top Rated Badge, giving them access to exclusive jobs and handy perks. 
• Continuing education. Periodically, Upwork will invite freelancers to join free webinars on various subjects like how to do taxes as an independent contractor. 

What to watch out for

• Getting stuck. Upwork is a great way to get started, but make sure that once you gain some experience you start raising your prices so you don’t get caught up in the 1c per word grind for longer than necessary. It often gets labeled as a ‘content mill’ and it can turn into exactly that if you let it. However, as long as you take matters into your own hands, you can get paid more on this platform than 1c per word, trust me.
• Scammers. There are very few around here, but there will be some prowling on every platform. Upwork has implemented a lot of great safeguards that are helpful in keeping the work of freelancers here safe though.

The short of it is, Upwork is the best job board out there in my opinion and can be a fantastic tool for freelance and ghostwriters when utilized to it’s full capacity.

Learning the Ropes

Can I say one more thing? You’re really going to want to hear this last bit. I did okay on Upwork for a couple of years, but then I met someone who caused my success on this platform to literally skyrocket. His name is Matthew Thrush and he is a Six-Figure Ghostwriter. 

We found each other on LinkedIn and he was kind enough to give me some pointers when he realized that I was a freelancer on Upwork. 

I’m telling you, the advice he gave me about what I could do in order to improve my success on Upwork just when I thought that I’d have to settle for jobs that paid 3c per word forever, was a game-changer. 

When we connected, I was at a point where I was thinking it might be time to actually leave Upwork and try to find jobs somewhere else. However, Matthew showed me how to maximize my results and I couldn’t believe what a difference a few tweaks to my profile and the implementation of a few new strategies could make. I started seeing results almost immediately after taking Matthew’s advice. 

The resources Matthew has available are, in my opinion, must-haves for every writer who wants to make a living freelancing. But, don’t just take my word for it. Take a look for yourself at Six Figure Ghostwriter.

Seriously, get ready to accelerate the potential of your Upwork profile in a way you hadn’t even thought possible. 

5 Signs of a Great Writing Client: Navigating Online Jobs as a Ghost Writer

Guru.com: Nay

Do you know what one of my favorite things about owning a cell phone is? Scam calls….said no one ever. Those fishy phone calls and the kinds of clients I’ve found on Guru.com, sadly, have a lot in common. 

When I first found Guru I thought “Yay! Another platform like Upwork that has tons of jobs for freelance writers! Score!”

I got one thing right: it is another platform. And it does have a lot of jobs. But I was quick to find that the quality of the jobs found there left much to be desired. Furthermore, it wasn’t like Upwork.

Just to give you an idea of what I mean by “scam calls,” more than 90% of the invitations I’ve received to interview from this site have resulted in an email from Guru stating that the job was phony and had therefore been removed from the site. Truth be told, I was pretty sure that the jobs weren’t legit even before receiving these warnings. 

After finding one great client on here and being ripped off by another (partly due to my own mistakes, but also because it’s scammer haven), I abandoned this platform. I decided that my time was too valuable to spend it dodging sketchy clients and sifting through low-priced projects without an end in sight.

What it offers

• A variety of jobs. Low-quality ones though, to be sure.
• Payment protection similar to Upwork.

What to watch out for

• Scammy clients. Posts with unclear guidelines and excessive vagueness run rampant and are oftentimes phony.
• Low paying jobs. With Upwork there are ways to tap into the gold mine of high-quality clients dwelling within. I have yet to find that gold mine within Guru, leading me to believe it might not exist. With Upwork you encounter many great-paying jobs. With Guru you really don’t. 

Guru.com is a nay for me unless you like scam city.

Pro-blogger: Yay

To be completely honest with you, I have only gotten one job through Pro-blogger. This is largely because they have a more limited number of job postings and I spend most of my time on Upwork since it works extremely well for me.

However, I firmly believe that it’s a great platform that offers many excellent jobs for freelance writers.

The one job I did work on through this platform was a great experience. The clients who post the jobs seem to be high-quality as I was allowed to name my price and payment was prompt and professional. This client provided me with a part-time gig for a number of consecutive months. In addition, the other jobs I discussed but did not end up accepting were just as professional.

This site is definitely worth browsing every week or so as there are definite gems to be found when you keep an eye out.

What it offers

• Access to jobs from reputable sources. The employers are generally verifiable and pay well. 
• No cost. You don’t need to pay for connects in order to apply to these jobs.

What to watch out for

• Scammers. Yup, here too. Though I’ve never encountered any sketchy listings on this platform, it’s still good to be cautious. This isn’t a platform in the same way Upwork is meaning there is no payment protection so it’s something you need to agree upon with your client. Just be careful and smart which I know you already are. 

Have you had success with any of these platforms? Feel free to share your experiences so that we can continue to help out our fellow ghostwriters!