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Question for Writers

by nursewriter
15 replies
Have you used Craigslist to get writing jobs? Have you been successful?

I have applied for several writing jobs on CL but never seem to have any success getting the job or even getting the author of the ad to answer any of my emails.

Are all of these ads scams?

Is Craigslist an option for writers or should it be avoided?
#question #writers
  • Profile picture of the author The Content King
    Nursewriter,

    I sometimes use a job board called Online-Writing-Jobs, which oftentimes links to Craigslist ads. I've received many great clients just by responding to those ads. The thing is, you have to separate yourself from everyone else. If the ad asks for specific criteria, give the potential clients what they want, but also try to separate yourself from the rest of the pack. You know those ads get inundated with responses.

    What's worked for me is sending out a welcome packet, which includes more about me, my pricing and a few samples. Most people are just going to send a sample or maybe a resume and a sample. My welcome packet sells myself and my services, and it forces the clients to take a look at me.

    I've received many great clients from those Craigslist ads, and many referrals from those original clients. I hope that helps.

    Jason
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  • Profile picture of the author Kecia
    I have responded to a few ads on Craigslist but was unsuccessful in getting clients from the site. I wouldn't say all of them are scams but it's important to be cautious when giving personal information to any job listing. I have heard that other writers have been successful with Craigslist so it could prove helpful in getting new clients.
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  • Profile picture of the author nursewriter
    Thanks Jason

    Just what I needed to hear. One more question...do you get good pay from jobs acquired through Craigslist?
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    • Profile picture of the author The Content King
      Originally Posted by nursewriter View Post

      Thanks Jason

      Just what I needed to hear. One more question...do you get good pay from jobs acquired through Craigslist?
      Yes, in fact I found some of my highest paying clients on Craigslist. I just keep submitting, raising my rates bit by bit, and eventually clients respond. It's free and it takes only a few minutes to send six or seven emails.

      It's all a numbers game. Just imagine how fast the ad poster's inbox must fill up the moment the ad goes live. You just have to keep submitting and you must set yourself apart, and eventually someone will respond. As long as you provide quality, you'll get referrals from those Craig's List clients and your business will expand.

      At least that's been my experience.

      Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author Marketing Cheetah
    I started writing business around 3-4 years ago and in the start I used to post my article writing threads in different webmaster forums. After some time I decided to expand the business. Currently, I am getting traffic from search engines and WF. Never tried craigslist or anything similar though.
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  • Profile picture of the author nursewriter
    Thanks Jason

    I have tons of experience under my writing belt and I am looking for the higher paying client. I will get to work on my welcome packet and start trolling the CL writing boards.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Content King
      Originally Posted by nursewriter View Post

      Thanks Jason

      I have tons of experience under my writing belt and I am looking for the higher paying client. I will get to work on my welcome packet and start trolling the CL writing boards.
      I'm sure you'll succeed. Like I said, CL has worked just fine for me. I just hope this thread doesn't saturate the market. Haha. Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author The Simpleton
    @nursewriter: Craigslist is indeed a great place to find writing jobs, but I've noticed that a lot depends on the timing of your ad as well. On some days there seems to be a dearth of new clients looking for writers while on some days they all seem to arrive in a rush! So I guess it wouldn't be bad to research a bit about a good time to post your ad; I wish you the best in finding a good client soon
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    • Profile picture of the author The Content King
      Originally Posted by cosmokid View Post

      About ten years ago Craigslist was an excellent source for finding writing jobs that paid ACTUAL money. I approached clients who ended up averaging me about $6500 a month total in ongoing work, and this lasted several years. But that was during the dot.com "boom." What was happening was that there were TONS of startup magazines, newspapers, and websites that had been given huge budgets from angel investors and banks - so they were in a very generous mood when they'd find a good and talented writer.

      About 2003 I stopped responding to any ads on Craigslist because they had all changed over to "rates negotiable" and other vague payment terms in the ad - and 99.9% of the time that meant "We're not going to pay you," "You'll write for us in exchange for a byline," "You'll write for us in exchange for 'credit," etc. I used to tell them -- "Credit don't pay my rent, bub."

      About every year I stop by there again and it seems the same scams are sucking in newbie wannabe writers there - get tons of submissions from writers, cull through those submissions, find the ones who are willing to work for free (or at insulting rates) and "hire" those folks.

      Your mileage may be different, but in my experience, none of my professional writer friends (or I) have found any real job postings for writers on Craigslist for about eight years.
      For what it's worth, my experience has indeed been different. While I have yet to experience the kind of generosity afforded to you in the 'dot com' days, I have found very professional and high-paying clients on Craigs List. Not once have I been offered to write for free or for credit. Of course, I'm also picky about the ads I respond to.

      I just wanted to add that not all clients on Craig's List are out to steal your wallet. Some just need a writer and hope that Craig's List will bring a good one.
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    • Profile picture of the author nursewriter
      Originally Posted by cosmokid View Post

      About ten years ago Craigslist was an excellent source for finding writing jobs that paid ACTUAL money. I approached clients who ended up averaging me about $6500 a month total in ongoing work, and this lasted several years. But that was during the dot.com "boom." What was happening was that there were TONS of startup magazines, newspapers, and websites that had been given huge budgets from angel investors and banks - so they were in a very generous mood when they'd find a good and talented writer.

      About 2003 I stopped responding to any ads on Craigslist because they had all changed over to "rates negotiable" and other vague payment terms in the ad - and 99.9% of the time that meant "We're not going to pay you," "You'll write for us in exchange for a byline," "You'll write for us in exchange for 'credit," etc. I used to tell them -- "Credit don't pay my rent, bub."

      About every year I stop by there again and it seems the same scams are sucking in newbie wannabe writers there - get tons of submissions from writers, cull through those submissions, find the ones who are willing to work for free (or at insulting rates) and "hire" those folks.

      Your mileage may be different, but in my experience, none of my professional writer friends (or I) have found any real job postings for writers on Craigslist for about eight years.
      I usually only apply to the ads that have a definite pay scale mentioned. I don't write for bylines and I hate competing with others for a writing job because I will always be underbid by someone crazy enough to write 500 words for $1.

      Now are these folks that specify they will pay xxx amount of money for 500 words of content getting writers responding saying they will do it cheaper? Probably.... Why anyone would be fool enough to do that is beyond me.
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    Craigslist is like any other marketplace these days, crowded. I've gotten plenty of good gigs there but have had to answer lots of ads to get them. Most are looking for bargain basement writers and are only willing to pay very little. Then there are ads looking for "interns" willing to write for resume fodder.

    I did snag a client one time looking for quality articles. He was a high rolling Internet Marketing consultant. He had his own online stuff going and consulted to offline businesses looking to establish a presence on the Web. I told him the price was 10 cents per word and we negotiated down to 7.5 cents per word for 10 or more articles at a time. The length was always in the 500 to 700 word range.

    This guy understood the value of well written material and would actually throw me a nice bonus every so often. He was posting the stuff on EZA, getting lots of conversions to his various landing pages, and selling some of them for twice the money to brick and mortar businesses just starting to market online.

    So there are opportunities on CL but it takes a lot of persistent effort to uncover one. When I was looking for steady work I used to scan each of the major cities two or three times a day replying to ads. Sift enough gravel and you'll occasionally find a nugget.

    One thing I noticed when I did this were lots of people looking for business plans. To me that kind of writing is boring. But if you're interested in that type of work you can find people willing to pay fairly well for a good plan. Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author bnwebm
    I'm a professional writer, formerly of printed research studies but now exclusively online content. In my experience, Craigslist is an "okay" stepping stone for getting high-end clients but in and of itself, you'll be hard pressed to find credible clients. Networking through writing organizations and yes, doing pro-bono (or close to it) work for clients through sites like Craigslist can boost your network. Do your research with Craigslist clients, as with any client and be sure to use an escrow service to hold payment until the work is completed. This protects both you and your clients.
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