Evaluating Freelance Writing Opportunities

I just reluctantly walked away from what seemed like a dream opportunity for a freelance writer: → Huge byline → Decent pay → Consistent work → Interesting topics → Kind, responsive editor Why? There was a catch— Same-to-next-day turnarounds on multiple articles per week… …with a strict no-AI policy. Content teams at media outlets: Your readers deserve content that isn’t rushed. Great content is… → Thoroughly researched and well-organized → Creatively composed with time for reflection → Infused with original insights from 2-3 industry pros → Carefully fact-checked and search-engine-optimized → Proofread/edited with fresh eyes after a brief step away And the reality is, it takes TIME to craft. There's so much more to it than putting words on paper. Even as a senior freelance writer who outstrips deadlines, I find these expectations unrealistic. Here's why ↓ 1️⃣ Quality work often begins with finding and interviewing 2-3 experts, bringing depth and credibility to the piece. Most need *at least* 2 days to get back to writers with thoughtful, non-AI-generated responses. 2️⃣ After gathering expert insights, great writing needs "simmering time" — allowing ideas to develop and refine. 3️⃣ Ensuring accuracy through research and fact-checking requires careful attention to detail. 4️⃣ SEO, internal linking, proofreading, editing, and finishing touches need their moment too. Now, let's talk about AI. I fully appreciate the desire for excellent human-written content. It’s crucial for maintaining quality and trust. But strict no-AI policies coupled with lightning-fast turnarounds create a near-impossible situation. It's like asking for handmade artisanal bread at fast-food speeds. Here are 5 ways to ensure top-notch freelance content ↓ 1️⃣ Give realistic deadlines Allow time for research, interviews, creative thinking, and... well, breathing. A 1-week turnaround is more realistic (my favorite editors give 2+ weeks). 2️⃣ Be mindful of freelancer realities Senior freelancers and experienced contractors juggle several clients and projects. We're not in-house staff with a single focus… …so flexibility goes a long way. 3️⃣ Hire in-house for time-sensitive pieces I get it, some content needs quick turnarounds— In-house teams are often better equipped for these assignments. 4️⃣ Align AI policies with timelines If AI use is off-limits, make sure deadlines reflect the extra time needed for purely human effort. 5️⃣ Value your freelance partners We thrive when treated as valuable collaborators— Quality work comes naturally when there’s mutual respect. You can have it fast, or you can have it good. But you can't have both without burning out your best talent. PS: If your media outlet needs (reasonably) fast and exceptional content, I’m your girl ;) → sharewrites.com

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐧 𝐔𝐩𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? Blindly sending proposals rarely helps anyone. With most jobs requiring a significant number of Connects, it's better to do some due diligence before deciding to send a proposal. By analyzing all aspects of a job before applying, we can potentially save ourselves from wasting Connects on opportunities where we are unlikely to get hired. Here’s what I would do before applying for a job: 1. 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐝𝐮𝐡!): Is it something I can do? 2. 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐞.𝐠., 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞): Do I meet these requirements? 3. 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭: - 𝟑𝐚. 𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭, I make sure the client has viewed the job after posting it and that they are from my preferred country. - 3b. 𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭, I ensure their hiring rate is above 70%, and that they have a decent rating and a reasonable number of jobs posted (e.g., at least 5 jobs and a 4.5+ rating). In this case, the client's location is less important. 4. 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬: - 4a. 𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫, I tend to avoid the job. Chances are, the client has already decided to hire that freelancer. - 4b. 𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫, I consider applying. 5. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲: - If the job has been posted for a while, the client has interviewed no or multiple candidates, viewed the job in the last 12 hours, and the work aligns with my experience (particularly if it’s a small job and I am confident I can do it flawlessly), I decide to take a chance. I don't look at the number of proposals submitted. 6. 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐳𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: - 6a. 𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭, I check their history to see if they have hired freelancers from my country before. Let’s admit it: we all have our biases. - 6b. 𝐈 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲. For example, if I’m a new freelancer and the client has consistently hired only top-rated freelancers, I am unlikely to be selected. - 6c. 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲, 𝐈 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭. If they have, I look at the names of the freelancers they hired. If they were all different, I would take a chance, but if the client has repeatedly hired the same freelancer for the same niche, I avoid applying, as it’s likely they will hire the same person again. #upworktips

I just received Chris Bibey's fabulous newsletter of freelance writing jobs. Due to a last-minute client cancellation and a few articles going more quickly than I expected, I have some bandwidth for April. And even if my schedule was full -- I know that in this market, I need to always keep marketing. I'll figure it out. I'm no stranger to long days and willing to put in the time. I saw an opportunity that looked really good and right in one of my wheelhouses. (Commercial Real Estate.) The number was enticing. But I pulled out my calculator. It was a great ad as they shared the pay and the exact content they expected. I guesstimated how long each would take me. And worked backward to figure out if it met my minimum hourly rate. It didn't. It was close, but it didn't. I know a lot of freelancers recommend value-based billing. How VALUABLE is the content you are providing, what's the ROI for your client? And that's very valid. It's super important to know your value. (As the saying goes, it's not the 1 hour it took me to write that email, it's the 20 years of marketing knowledge, experience and study before it that you're paying for!) But (especially in a tight market) you also want to know your minimum hourly. If a job doesn't meet that, walk away. You have to meet that minimum before you can even start to think about the value you're providing. If the offer meets your minimum, consider: What's your writing worth? Should you ask for more because of the value you deliver? BTW - I highly recommend subscribing to Chris' newsletter. And while this job didn't quite meet my hourly, it came pretty close! I'm sure it can meet the hourly of someone with 2 to 5 years experience. Two months ago, when everything was DOWN, I would have applied. Writers may not always be the best at math, but it's so important when you're negotiating rates!

Going freelance was a huge leap of faith. And I couldn't have done it alone. So fellow journalists/ writers, here are the resources I've found invaluable in flying solo and - in particular - figuring out my rates!: (All links in comments) 1. *The Inside the Newsroom substack* This is a pretty comprehensive list of journalism grants, fellowships, awards and webinars, sent out each week. It also includes a jobs board for new openings across Europe and the US, as well as pay bands. Even if you’re not looking for full-time roles, I like to keep tabs on where the newsroom gaps are. The complete version is paid, £5 a month 2. The Always Take Notes Podcast - Fantastic in-depth interviews with writers discussing their experience in the industry and the myriad ways they make a living. Crucially, it always includes an unusually frank segment about finances. Hosted by The Economist's dep culture editor Rachel Lloyd and writer Simon Akam, so... you're in good hands (thanks Charlie Walker for the tip!) 3. The *A-Mail* substack, by Anna Codrea-Rado There are too many brilliant journos on Substack (I follow dozens), but Anna is trailblazing with a FULL breakdown of her freelancing income - where it comes from, and her quarterly figures (Recent editions include: "I lost over $30,000 this year"). This sort of transparency is hard to come by, and I can't stress enough how fundamental this is in helping women (in particular) bridge the freelancing pay gap. The paid version is £4 a month. 4. The *Things we Don't Talk about, but I Do* Substack, by Isolde Waters Not strictly just about journalism, but includes lots of first-hand (hilarious) stories about freelance life. Essentially an intelligent home for musings on the industry (Inc recent edition: "Is journalism over?") and candid reflections on the space - a good substitute for water-cooler chatter, to celebrate the wins and commiserate the lows! 5. The *Freelance Writing Network* substack A round-up of pitch calls from across Twitter and the like (Particularly good if you've all but abandoned social media...). Also includes a round-up of freelance writing gigs. The free version doesn't get you very far - premium is £5 a month And finally, 6. *Open-source commissioning rates* spreadsheets. A sheet filled with freelance rates courtesy of other writers (naming and shaming some of the worst offenders!). It was only through resources like these that I gained the confidence to say "No, thank you" to an offer of £350 for a 2000-word investigation, for instance. ** Would love to hear other recommendations (I promise I do also work aside from endlessly reading substacks!)

Not every agency is a good client. And just because they have a steady stream of work doesn’t mean your chances of getting work is higher. You still have to be strategic in your outreach approach. 🧐 First, focus on agencies that are a bit more strategic with their positioning. 🎯 So rather than presenting themselves as a generalist content firm, they’re solely focused on healthcare, for example. Or maybe a more specific area of healthcare. 🏥 Or they have a different way of working with clients. Ideally, they don’t present themselves like every other agency does. They seem more selective and way more focused on strategic alignment with clients than on taking orders and cranking out content for them. 🌟 Essentially, you’re looking for an agency that seems to be more selective about their clients and how they partner with them. That’s important because how they work with their clients is often indicative of how they will treat you. It’s also a good indicator of how much they charge and how they perceive their own value. 💡 Second, once you’ve identified agencies that seem to be a good fit, make your outreach email about the alignment between how they present themselves and their value and YOUR own value proposition. Explain that this is your specialty and focus—and you have the background and experience to prove it. ✍️ Third, in your outreach email ask what it’d take to be considered for a future project. And let them know that if they already have a go-to writer or two, you’d love to be their backup. 💌 A key part of a creative director’s job is having an up-to-date file of backup resources they can tap if and when a staffer or their go-to freelancers are not available when they need them. 🔑 Bottom line: don’t present yourself as another warm body willing to take on overflow work. Agencies are not looking for warm bodies—at least not the ones you want to work with. ❌ They’re looking for focused writers (focused on their target markets, domain areas, and so on). Because those are the writers who need less handholding and who can bring more value to every project. 📈 #ContentMarketing #FreelanceWriting #StrategicPartnerships Photo by Kindel Media

4 areas where clients and freelance writers need to be a match for a successful long-term partnership: Lead time/Deadlines: Different companies have different operating procedures. Some need articles turned around the same day, some can provide 1 week of lead time, others can provide a month’s notice or longer. A freelancer’s schedule/workload needs to match up with the client’s notice timeline or it’ll create ongoing problems. Pay/Budget: The client’s budget also needs to be a match for the writer’s rates. While two parties can negotiate, if there's a fundamental mismatch, it’s not going to work long-term. Response times: If one party doesn’t provide the responsiveness the other needs, it will lead to a cascade of problems. Discuss response times upfront and see if they are a fit. Respect: If one party doesn’t treat the other with due respect, it will lead to a deteriorating situation. Note any red flags early. What else would you add? And do you take any steps in your vetting process to ensure a prospect is a good fit?