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WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A WRITING WEB SITE

By Lori Tate

Picture this. You're a great writer with lots of experience, but you can't seem to find any freelancing jobs. Have you considered the Internet? It's a great, fast way to eliminate many possibilities, and perhaps find many more. However, you need to be careful when cruising the Internet, because you might get scammed or waste time pursuing the wrong leads.

Starting out

Look at your goals.

Do you want paying work, or would you be willing to volunteer? Do you want exposure or huge amounts of money? Do you want your work displayed on Internet sites? Do you want to work as a freelancer in the area where you live, or are you willing to work anywhere?

Consider availability.

With the prominence of the Internet, faxes, phones and e-mail, it may be possible for you to accept a freelance assignment from anywhere in the world. Don't have a fax? Don't worry! Many grocery stores and facilities, such as Mailboxes, Etc., will let you fax documents for a small fee.

Use search engines. Search for "writing jobs" or "telecommuting jobs" through search engines

http://www.about.com, http://www.yahoo.com, http://www.askjeeves.com, and http://www.altavista.com. You may get quicker results.

Web site goodies

Free profiles.

Does the web site let you create a profile, which employers can see? The only web site that I have found that lets you create a profile for free is http://www.guru.com, which requires you to create a profile before viewing jobs. This service is free, and takes about 15 minutes. What information is required? You need a username and password, resume, at least two references, and at least one area of expertise. You select the areas you are willing to work in, and note the years of experience you have in each one. You can also note the years of experience you have in various types of computer software. When you are done with the profile, you can apply for any guru.com job with just a few clicks. The web site stores the information in your profile. Employers can contact guru.com about you, or contact you directly. You can check on your job status as often as you like.

Easy job search.

You want a job search that requires minimal effort for maximum results. For example, if you type "writing jobs," you want to get 20 results, not 200. You also probably want to get writing jobs that you could actually apply for, not jobs that require 20 years of experience in a specific field. Also, the great web sites will offer categories of writing jobs, so you can search for what you want more quickly.

Paying jobs.

You want a web site that caters to your needs. Note if the web site information states whether the jobs are paying, non-paying or both. You don't want to waste your time searching through jobs that don't fit your needs.

Answering questions promptly.

You don't have time to waste when you're looking for a job. When you click on the "Contact Us" icon on a web site, and ask them questions, you probably want a reply in the next few days. Not replying indicates that this may not be a web site you want to frequent again.

Updated job listings.

You can find the greatest job site in the world, but
how great will it be in two weeks, if the job listings haven't been updated?

Web site goofs

Paying for services.

There are so many job web sites - so many, in fact, that you shouldn't pay anyone to look through their job database. If a web site requires payment, skip it, and go on to the next one. Just for your information, one site that recently started charging for services is
http://www.freelanceworkexchange.com. Another web site that charges for displaying manuscripts on the site is http://www.authorlink.com.

Unrealistic promises.

Skip the web sites that say "You'll make $3,000 a week or more." Really? If that was true, wouldn't we all be sipping margaritas on a beach in Hawaii? Get real. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Not answering questions.

When you don't get answers to your web site
questions, move on. There's always another web site with people who are willing to discuss your concerns.

Good web sites

http://www.guru.com (Requires a free profile before searching for jobs.)http://www.wahm.com (Geared towards work-at-home moms, but anyone can search their database. Offers a free job search for telecommuting jobs. Also offers free work at home ideas, business opportunities, and newsletters.)http://www.freelancewriting.com (Offers a free job search for paying freelance writing jobs, and other writing jobs.) http://www.sunoasis.com (Offers a free job search for freelance and online jobs.)

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LORI TATE

Lori Tate has ten years of professional writing experience, including four as a journalist. She is looking for research, writing and editing work. You can contact her at onehappyperson30@yahoo.com.

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