Diana Kelly Levey

How to Find Freelance Writing Jobs for Beginners

Man working on his laptop computer.

March 3, 2024

When you first get started freelancing you want to know how to find freelance writing opportunities for beginners. That’s fair! It’s a great beginner topic to explore.

The question of “How Do Freelance Writers Find Writing Jobs” is one I often see asked of full-time freelance writers who are curious about freelance writing jobs for beginners on message boards like Quora and Reddit.

It’s an important question because if you start looking in the wrong places for freelance work, you might be underpaid and find yourself working on freelance projects that you aren’t passionate about.

Here are some freelance writing tips to get freelance jobs for beginners,  freelance writing jobs online, journalism jobs and find part-time freelance jobs, but not all of these result in higher-paying clients and writing assignments that pay well.

One of my top tips for beginner freelancers?

Pitch clients independently and don’t rely solely on content sites like Upwork and Fiverr to find freelance work.  Find out is fiverr worth it?  You’ll find more freelance writing opportunities for beginners by diversifying your efforts.

(Here are 9 Freelance Writing FAQs that freelancers like me get asked often.)

How to Find Remote Freelance Writing Jobs Online for Beginners

These freelance writing tips for beginners can help new freelancers, intermediate writers and experienced freelancers find freelance writing assignments and freelance writing opportunities for beginners.

1. Use your network to find freelance writing jobs online.

Many of my full-time freelance writer friends leveraged previous employers and coworkers who moved around in the industry in order to kick-start their first anchor client. I’d say about 60 percent of my freelance writing revenue has come from people I know, former colleagues, or referrals. You don’t have to know someone in the publishing and media business to find work. You could even post on social media that you’re open to freelance writing jobs and are willing to help people with their companies’ websites.  Every website and brand needs content!

2. Secure repeat freelance assignments.

This is a cost-effective move if you enjoyed working with an editor, their feedback, and their pay. It’s one of the secrets of successful freelancers who earn six figures working from home. (And if you’re wondering how many hours freelancers work, here’s what you need to know.) Once you have a freelance writing jobs for beginners under your belt, you’ll have these anchor clients to go to for more paid writing assignments.

3. Research content marketing agencies and freelance platforms.

The phrase “content mills” means different things to different people and can have negative connotations for freelancers–especially those who are searching for freelance writing jobs for beginners. Beware sites that only give an assignment to the lowest bidder and pay pennies. You ultimately won’t win when you only “win” the lowest-paying gigs all the time.

Personally, I enjoy working for higher-paying content marketing websites and reputable brands through platforms, like Contently, Skyword, ClearVoice, and a few others.

Search for freelance journalism jobs if you’re interested in doing more reporting with your freelance work. It’s a great way to build up quality clips (writing samples) as you complete more freelance writing opportunities for beginners.

4. Try cold-pitching editors to find freelance writing jobs.

This is the one many wannabe freelancers don’t always want to do because it can be tough, you can (and will often) get rejected or passed over, and it’s more time-consuming to research the perfect outlet for your idea and tailor your freelance editorial pitch for that client.

But, when you want to work with certain clients and don’t know anyone there, this is probably the best way to do this if you’re looking for a freelance writing job. (Searching for magazine article pitch examples? Find them here.)

Ready to find your first freelance clients and send a well-written pitch? Enroll in my freelance writing weekend jumpstart ecourse on Teachable.

You’ll also get a list of 30+ paying freelance writing job websites as a bonus!

5. Start a blog.

You could write your own blog on a topic you want to get paid to write about and share the links with potential clients, showing the type of work you could do for them. A blog is a great way for beginner freelancers to showcase their writing skills to potential clients in order to find their best freelance writing opportunities for beginners.

Think beyond basic magazine content: it could be about crafting with kids, healthy snacks, fishing, hiking, pet advice, or something else that interests you.

Some people make money this way through advertising dollars while others leverage it to show clients their writing style and experience. It’s a great way to showcase clips to potential clients while you’re still looking for freelance writing jobs for beginners.

I will admit that this is a slower freelance revenue stream because it takes a lot of effort and time to build up a great audience and following. If you want to find freelance writing jobs faster or make money working from home quickly, you’re better off looking for freelance clients and writing jobs. (Psst, here’s how to come up with article ideas)

6. Scour job boards.

There are a lot of freelance writing jobs out there…you need to spend time looking through the ones that interest you and would be worth your time. Look to freelance writing-specific job boards, sign up for bloggers who share this information in weekly posts, and look to standard job boards and LinkedIn for freelance writing jobs.

Here are the 10 things I did differently to earn a six-figure income working from home last year.

7. Post often on social media in order to find freelance writing jobs.

Freelancers should share social posts and write content for their website on the topic they would ideally like to get hired for. I’ve heard of freelancers having editors and brands follow them because of what they’re sharing on social, and some people get approached for assignments and paid freelance work by posting on social media. Here are more tips freelancers can follow in order to get ahead using social media.

8.  Read newsletters for freelancers.

I subscribe to a few of the best newsletters for freelance writers that feature freelance writing jobs from all over the internet. Look for freelancers who are compiling lists of jobs they found online for you so you don’t have to spend as much time looking for freelance clients and can spend more time earning money doing freelance work.

How do you find freelance clients and freelance writing jobs?

My freelance writing course Get Paid to Write, shows you how to find your first freelance client and more freelance work after that!

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Diana can help with:

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