by Victoria Neely

Created on: September 30, 2007   Last Updated: October 01, 2007

There are many different ways to find writing jobs online, but Craigslist has worked well for me. Craigslist is a hugely popular online classifieds site where you can find anything from job listings to people trying to sell off their album collections. Sometimes you have to dig through dreck, but using Craigslist can be a great way to find writing jobs. You can do it by responding to want ads or by posting your own ads.

Before you get started, here are some tips to make your search a little easier:

HAVE YOUR PORTFOLIO READY
Unless the ad tells me otherwise, I always include links to articles I've already written when responding to an ad. If you can, put together a professional website or blog that showcases the best examples of your writing. Alternatively, you could refer to articles you've posted on sites such as Helium or Associated Content.

Whatever you do, you should have samples ready to show. There's really no excuse not to.

WRITE UNIQUE ADS FOR EACH CITY
It's good to advertise your writing services in multiple cities, but you need to be careful: Craigslist is aggressive about cracking down on spam. If you spread ads that all have the same title and description, odds are that they'll get flagged as spam. Worst of all, if you post too many ads, you risk being suspended or even banned from Craigslist.

To minimize this risk, each ad needs to be different. Give them unique descriptions and titles. Don't post more than 10 to 20 ads at a time, if that.

READ THE JOB ADS CAREFULLY
Some ads will request that you call a phone number. Others will tell you to attach a resume to your email. If you don't follow the instructions, you don't get the job. So don't just skim: Take your time and read it carefully.

CHECK SPELLING AND GRAMMAR
You should follow this rule no matter what kind of job you're applying for, but it's even more critical when you're trying to get a writing assignment. Whether you're writing an ad or responding to a job listing, double-check your writing. Although you want to be quick to respond to an ad, a single typo could ruin your chances. (I've done this, much to my embarrassment!)

No cutesy or l33t web-speak. I shouldn't have to say that, but I'm still surprised when I come across someone who wants to be a freelance writer and litters their online correspondences with Internet jargon and terrible grammar. In this context, it's like showing up to a job interview in raggedy jeans and a T-shirt.

SOUND ENTHUSIASTIC
You don't want to sound desperate when you respond

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