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Picture in your mind an author. Do you see Hemingway dressed for a day on the ocean, Tolkien in his study with his vest and pipe or Robert Burns penning a poem?  Do you see a widow writing a swashbuckling novel about a sea captain? *

Are you old enough to envision a typewriter?

Imagine in your mind a screenplay for a movie, television show or a commercial. Do you see yourself writing these?

Have you ever written your resume? Some people hire freelancers to write theirs.

Do you read the newspaper or magazines (hard copy or online)? Have you ever read a company’s ads? All use freelancers.

Do you know what a blog is? You happen to be reading one.

Do you read the patient information insert that comes with your prescription? Freelancer!

Would you like your favorite charity to receive a grant? As a freelancer you can write it.

Do you use the search engine on your computer? Freelancers are hired to write S.E.O.

Novelist, Biographer, Short Story Writer, Screenplay Writer, Technical Writer, SEO Writer, News and Sports Writer, Television/Movie/Play Reviewer, Grant Writer, Curriculum Writer – these are all jobs that freelancers do.

Food, Fashion, Beauty, Travel, Tech, Health, Fitness, Money, Medicine (Traditional and Alternative), Faith, Causes, Parenting, Family – all of these and more are topics that freelancers write about.

Agriculture to Zoology – there is a trade magazine for every profession and you can write about it as a freelancer.

Freelancers are hired to write lesson plans for Pre-Kindergarten to High School.

Freelance Ghostwriters are hired for children’s books, novels and biographies.

Niche Writers – are you an expert on the local restaurants? Do you know the best places for family outings, dates, hikes, etc.?

Translator – Japanese to English, Farsi to French, etc. These and more are opportunities for a freelancer.

Other freelancing jobs recently called for:

Copywriter, Copy Editor.

Video game story writer. Video game reviewer.

Speech Writer.

App writer. App reviewer.

Interviewer.

Every job listed above has been advertised on websites that companies use to hire freelancers. Some of these jobs require a daily commute to an actual workplace, while many are telecommuting jobs. You can work from home in your sweats and t-shirt.

Some companies are looking for one article for a single issue, while others want you to write five to thirty articles per month. With some there is the potential for regular work.

The pay is across the board from less than one cent per word to over two dollars per word. The majority fall between five cents per word and twenty-five cents per word. Some pay different amounts for their online and hard copy issues. Some don’t pay in money but in free copies of the magazine. Some provide a byline, others do not. I will cover the details about compensation for freelancers in a future blog.

For those who want to prospect on their own see http://www.freelancewriting.com/freelance-writing-jobs.php

I suggest you concentrate on the top four sites listed plus the Craigslist site.

You can also check out http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/

You may see the same job posted on multiple sites.

There are thousands of jobs available. The freelancer has to decide which jobs are worth his or her time and energy. There are also thousands of writers competing for the jobs from all over the world.

As a writer, you can aim your career in any direction. Freelancing jobs offer an opportunity to earn an income while you steer your career towards your goal. The many job opportunities also provide a reason to write regularly and hone your craft.

Age and mileage is a plus for freelancing. The more successes and failures you’ve had provide an expertise to tap. As a freelancer you can put your hard earned knowledge to work for you.

* Free word doc file or PDF of my book, The Diaries of Joseph and Mary, to the first three people who correctly identify the book. E-mail me at Abbax8@hotmail.com

 

Editor’s Note:  We are excited to have Dennis doing this new feature on freelance writing.   Although this first piece appears on a Thursday,  Dennis’ regular column will be appearing every fourth Tuesday on the CWG Blog.  Thanks Dennis, knowledge is power!      KC

Dennis P. McGeehan is a husband, homeschooling Dad of eight, a Martial Artist, Freelance Writer, Author and Speaker. He is a member of the Catholic Writers Guild. His latest book is titled The Diaries of Joseph and Mary.