3 Reasons NOT to Bid for Freelance Writing Assignments

There are many sites where you can bid on freelance writing projects. But, most of the time, it's not worth your time - for the following reasons.

1. You are usually outbid (or underbid) by someone who is willing to write for mere pennies an hour. No thanks!

Good freelance writers KNOW what it takes to create a good press release, a hard-hitting sales letter, an effective brochure. You cannot simply fire it off.

It takes constant writing and rewriting to get it right. So, while some freelancers may be willing to tackle an assignment to build up their portfolio - many are already there. One thing I've learned about freelance writing bid sites is that rarely will you be paid what you're worth. That's why many freelance writers operate at extreme ends of the financial spectrum, ie, either making a very good living, or just eeking by.

But, you may be saying, "How else can I find work?" Solution: The good old-fashioned way - targeting a writing market and going after it via cold calls, email queries, postcard mailings, etc.

The best time as a freelancer to target a company is when they are NOT looking to hire. Why? Because then, there is no competition. When I ran my staffing agency, Inkwell Editorial, in New York City, I would often send resumes of qualified writers, editors, copy editors, graphic designers, etc. to clients even when they weren't hiring. If I knew that a particular company was always on the lookout for, say, medical writers with AMA knowlege, when I came across a candidate with that skill - even if no position was open - I would forward the resume.

Usually, one of two things would happen: a) the client would immediately want to interview the applicant; or b) they would keep the resume on file and call me in three, four or five months, saying something to the effect of, "Do you remember that applicant you sent over in April? Well, I know it's been a few months but our senior editor's husband is being transferred and we need to fill that position. Can we schedule an interview with that candidate? She was perfect."