by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: October 06, 2009   Last Updated: February 22, 2012

Freelance writing is a great career for anyone who loves to write. There are issues that you must be aware of though. There is no reason that a freelance writer can't avoid scams. Learning how to avoid scams will help you make certain that you aren't wasting your precious time on things that won't come to fruition.

Here are some of the ways in which freelance writers can avoid scammers:

Don't pay for anything- If you have to pay someone to do work for them, chances are that you won't earn much money at it. In fact, you will probably only lose the money that you put into it. Give yourself a break and don't fall into these type of scams. Only write for those people who are willing to pay you without any cost to you.

Do your research- It pays to find as much information as you can about the person or company that wants you to write for them. You can easily find information that you need to find out if that company or person is on the up and up. You may find out that the company or person is legitimate. You may also find out that it's a scam and that you should stay far away from them.

Get references- Places of business do reference checks on employees before they are hired. There is no reason we shouldn't be able to do the same to find out about them. Ask other writers where they write, who they write for and if they have had a bad or good experience with certain places. Most writers are willing to share their knowledge with you about their experiences. This will help avoid the dangers of getting caught up in a possible scam.

Don't grab the first thing- Taking the first thing you see can be a real danger point for being scammed. Find out as much as you can. Take your time with it. There is no need to rush into things. Feel the waters before jumping in head first. That is your best promise for freelancers to avoid scammers.

Trusted magazines and newspapers- If you want to do freelance work for a paper magazine or newspaper, seek out those places which are well trusted. Work only for companies that have been around for a long time. Make sure the company is in good financial standing. Decide what type of writing you want to do and go for it.

Trust your instinct- If it looks too good to be true, in most cases it is. It is no different for freelance writing. Trust your gut instinct to tell you what you want to know. If you have a bad feeling about it, stay far away from the job. It is not worth getting scammed.

Freelance writers can easily avoid getting scammed. You have to keep your eyes open and your mind sharp. Don't let anyone talk you into doing work for them unless you know for sure they are trustworthy. Once you have done the work and sent it, you can't take it back. If you don't get paid, you are out the time you invested plus the money that you should have made.

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