I have updated and moved this article to my other blog. Read my article, "The Best Crowdsourcing Job Sites Used by Professional Freelance Writers in 2017."
The Internet has made finding freelance writing work much easier. You can visit a job site in one or two clicks of the mouse, and then review current jobs that need writers immediately. In this special post, I will reveal the best, most-referred "crowdsourcing" sites that supply new writing jobs each day.
Because each job site can attract 50-100 new writing jobs each day, I recommend you stick to just one. It makes no sense to register at multiple sites. The reality is you can only handle one or two (maybe three) projects at any given time—unless you have superhero powers or you are a freak of nature! :)
In the "old days" companies placed classified ads in newspapers and publications to find freelancers. These type of classified ads still exist in both print and digital form. Browse through job listings at Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, or CraigsList.org, and you will encounter the so-called "traditional job ad" in which the company posts a static ad and invites applicants to submit a resume.
The Internet has created a phenomenon for finding freelance work...
We now have technologically-evolved, "crowdsourcing" sites that let businesses post projects and allow writers to bid on them. The job poster can view all bids at one location. Each bid includes the writer's: 1) written bid proposal; 2) proposed rate to complete the project; 3) a visual portfolio and bio.; 4) a resume; and 5) reviews from past clients. The job poster can then select the writer or writers to work on the project. These sites handle all transactions and projects securely, from start to completion.
A few of these sites may require a membership fee, which I will disclose in each review. You can sign up and register at each site for free, but the site might restrict certain functions and features.
Of course, you can still scour the free (classified) job sites for freelance jobs, but these sites don't provide the advantages (or abundance of jobs) that the following crowdsourcing sites do.
When you sign up with one of these sites, you can:
1) Access hundreds of freelance writing jobs to bid on;
2) Create a personal portfolio of samples that employers can review;
3) Receive secure payment in escrow, and then receive final payment upon completing a project;
4) Communicate with the client privately and securely via project management tools;
5) Build a reputable, steady freelance writing business directly at the job site;
6) Generate—effortlessly—repeat clients and referrals (the bread and butter of all successful writing careers).
1) Access hundreds of freelance writing jobs to bid on;
2) Create a personal portfolio of samples that employers can review;
3) Receive secure payment in escrow, and then receive final payment upon completing a project;
4) Communicate with the client privately and securely via project management tools;
5) Build a reputable, steady freelance writing business directly at the job site;
6) Generate—effortlessly—repeat clients and referrals (the bread and butter of all successful writing careers).
The low monthly price of a membership (if any) is definitely worth it—you will earn it back anyway.
The following sites are the "best of the best"; they are the most popular, widely-referred, and proven to benefit both the freelancer and the employer. Large companies like McDonald's, General Electric, and Boeing use them to hire freelance talent; so do thousands of entrepreneurs, ad agencies, book and magazine publishers, and media companies. So let's get started!
Freelance Job Site # 1: Freelancer.com
Many freelance writers prefer to find work at Freelancer.com, the world's largest job site for both outsourcing and crowdsourcing. The site connects over 4 million employers with freelancers from over 230+ countries. The site has created the perfect platform to match employers with freelancers.
Freelancer.com's Writing Jobs (Categories)
The site offers from 500 to 1,000 freelance writing jobs ranging from article writing, copywriting, ghostwriting, and academic writing. I estimate that employers post from 50-100 new writing jobs daily. Because Freelacer.com is highly-competitive, many new jobs are fulfilled within 24-48 hours.
You can view all niche categories for writers at http://www.freelancer.com/sellers/. Just scroll down to the category called "Writing & Content" and you can view the subcategories.
You can join for free and bid on writing projects. Eventually, you might want to upgrade to a low-cost monthly membership to reap all of the site's benefits. A basic membership costs $4.95 a month.
My advice is to visit the site daily, browse open jobs, and research how freelancers bid on them. Once you become familiar with how the site works, sign up for a free membership and start bidding. When you have landed and completed 2-3 jobs, then consider upgrading to a basic membership. Many writers use Freelancer.com to land most of their writing gigs and build a successful online business directly at the site.
Freelance Job Site # 2: Elance.com
Elance.com is equally as popular as Freelancer.com—it is the world's most popular crowdsourcing job site to find freelance writing jobs. The site helps businesses hire and manage freelancers and virtual workers globally (but mainly in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.). You can sign up with Elance for free at https://www.elance.com/php/reg/main/createProviderAccount.php. The site also provides: 1) an easy way to find authorized, reputable clients; 2) a digital workplace of your own; and 3) exceptional portfolio-building tools.
Elance.com's Writing Jobs (Categories)
Elance boasts about 3,000 total writing jobs in several different niche categories. To browse current jobs, go to https://www.elance.com/r/jobs/cat-writing-translation/. On the left side of the page you will see the total number of active jobs, along with subcategories and niches.
Freelance Job Site # 3: oDesk.com
oDesk's Writing Jobs (Categories)
To browse current jobs, go to https://odesk.com/o/jobs/browse/c/writing-translation/.
Similar to Elance, if you look on the left side of the job listings page you will see sub-categories under "Writing and Translation" which include jobs for copywriting, blog and article writing, technical writing, and creative writing.
You can sign up for free to bid on jobs. If you land a job and the client pays you for the completed project, the site charges a fee equal to 10% of the total amount billed to the client.
Freelance Job Site # 4: Guru.com
To sign up for a free account, go to https://www.guru.com/registeraccount.aspx. You can bid on up to 10 jobs a month; if you decide to bid on more jobs, you can upgrade to a low-cost monthly membership. Based on other crowd sourcing job sites, Guru seems to charge more in transaction fees. You can review all membership fees before you register.
Guru.com's Writing Jobs (Categories)
After signing up, build a profile to showcase your skills and writing samples. You can include your primary writing specialty, along with 5 skill-set subcategories. Furthermore, I recommend you take Guru's online "tests" to prove your skills and increase your "worth" on the job site. You can also show a link to your website (a feature that none of the other job sites let you do). When seeking work, you can browse through open writing projects and/or receive e-mails summarizing projects that match your talents. Then you can submit a bid proposal for a project that excites you. The employer will assess your bid to determine if you have the qualified skills and the price is right.
Freelance Job Site # 5: GetACoder.com
Freelance writers will appreciate the large selection of projects for different skill-sets. Unlike the other sites, GetACoder focuses more on the field of Information Technology and computer programming.
GetACoder.com's Writing Jobs (Categories)
You can find around 3,000 writing gigs broken into subcategories. The site has been around since the birth of the Internet. Don't let the site's "bare bones" look fool you into thinking that it lacks professionalism. Thousands of reputable employers and freelancers trust in GetACoder and have been transacting business at the site for many years.
There are no membership fees; however, like the other sites, it subtracts a percentage from transactions between you and the employer after you have finished a project and the employer pays you.
You can browse open jobs at http://www.getacoder.com/requests/writing_139.htm. Near the top of the screen you can find subcategories for content writing, technical writing, creative writing, etc. Sign up for free at http://www.getacoder.com/buyers/signup.php.
Freelance Job Site # 6: iFreelance.com
iFreelance.com [ website ] is one of the lesser-known, smaller outsourcing marketplaces for freelancers, even though it has been around for many years. On any given day you may only find between 5 and 10 new projects in the "Writing/Editing/Translation" category.
iFreelance.com works the same way as the others. You can sign up for an account, create a profile and portfolio, and bid on projects. The main difference is that the site charges a $6.95 (basic) monthly membership fee in lieu of taking a commission or a percent of the project fee when the client pays you. Depending on how many projects are awarded to you, this type of fee structure can work in your favor, saving you money in the long-term.
Additionally, the monthly membership fee allows you to: 1) create an impressive portfolio; 2) advertise directly to employers; and 3) promote an external website. You can post multiple profiles under one membership to promote different members of your team (if you have one).
iFreelance.com's Job Categories
Freelance Job Site # 7: PeoplePerHour.com (U.K.)
PeoplePerHour.com [ website ] is a London-based outsourcing marketplace that matches freelancers with employers. Although freelancers in any country can use the site, freelancers in the United Kingdom will benefit the most. The site's currency is the pound sterling symbol (GBP) with the U.S. dollar conversion rate listed below it in parenthesis. If you live in the United States like I do, use one of the other job sites like Freelancer.com or Elance.com.
PeoplePerHour.com was founded in 2007 by two Cambridge graduates: Xenios Thrasyvoulou and Simos Kitiris to help freelancers connect with businesses for contract work. The site gives you three ways to land freelance work: You can: 1) create a profile and portfolio to sell your services; 2) search for jobs according to skill, category, search term, etc.; and 3) submit up to 15 bid proposals a month. If you use your 15 bids, you will need to buy more "credits."
PeoplePerHour.com Job Categories
The site offers around 3,000 projects to freelancers of all skills, and about 300 projects for freelance writers. You can find projects for blogging, writing SEO content, writing articles, copywriting, guest posting, and so on. I was able to register as a freelancer with my Facebook account and start building a portfolio and bidding on projects within minutes. More than 16,000 freelancers offer writing services at this site. Like all job sites, PeoplePerHour.com uses a secure escrow system to ensure freelancers get paid after completing the work.
Disclosure
All logos from these job sites are trademarked and used with permission. Screen shots that contain information are used with permission. I am not affiliated or employed with any of these job sites. I am an independent freelancer who uses these job sites to find freelance work. :)
Related links:
Search for All Freelance Writing Jobs at CraigsList.org (My Hub)
Freelance Writing Jobs at Ad Agencies (My Hub)
Writer's Guidelines Database (FreelanceWriting,com)
I welcome your comments, thoughts, or corrections.
Sincerely,
Brian Scott
