Freelance Writers: Tips to Maximize Your Earnings on Craigslist

Are you a freelance writer who is looking to maximize your earnings? If so, you need to find more writing projects. While job boards and bidding websites are always a great place to get started, another good place to look is Craigslist.org. While Craigslist has gotten a bad reputation among many freelance writers due to the number of frauds that target the website, there are some legitimate well-paying writing projects that you can find in the mix.

To get started, visit Craigslist.org. Now, you can only search one location page at a time. You may want to get started with your local area; select your state and nearest city. At the search box on the left, enter in your search phrase. This can be anything related to freelance writing, like writing, writer, articles, press release, blogger, and more. Before starting your search, change the default search settings from "for sale" to "gigs."

Note: As previously stated, you can only search one location at a time on Craigslist.org. As a freelance writer, you have the opportunity to work from someone clear across the country or halfway around the world. For that reason, you want to search all of Craigslist. This can take time on the website, as you would need to perform independent searches for each location page. To save time, you may want to consider buying a Craigslist search tool. Although optional, consider it an investment that will pay for itself.

After you perform a search (whether it be with a search tool or right on Craigslist.org) you will see a list of search results. Since you searched the gigs section, this should be writing projects for pay. Now, it is time to start examining your options. When doing so, there are a number of factors you want to consider. They include:

Your Qualifications: Some writing projects are easier than others. A website owner needing health articles may request someone not only with writing experience, but experience in healthcare. If you do not feel like you are qualified, it is time to move onto the next project.

Your Pay: As you know, freelance writers work for varying levels of pay. You will also find that individuals and companies pay varying rates for similar projects too. All you need to do is read the Craigslist ad to determine what the pay is. If a pay rate isn't listed, you can send an email asking. If the rate is too little, all you need to do is move onto the next project listed.

Your risk: As mentioned above, lots of freelance writers are warned about using Craigslist to find writing projects. The biggest problem you will encounter is people who take your work and run without paying. You can reduce the risk by asking for a percentage up front, avoiding opportunities that are just too good to be true, and by starting with a client by only doing small batches of articles.

As you can see, Craigslist.org does have its risks when it comes to freelance writing projects. However, for every low-paying gig or fraud you see, you should find a legitimate one somewhere in the mix. The key is knowing what to look for and to always trust your best judgment.