As a freelance writing veteran, I know first-hand how much this business can ebb and flow.
One month, you are juggling so much work you can barely fit it all in, and the next, you’re struggling to pay the light bill.
Sadly, this type of movement comes with the territory of freelancing. Projects complete, clients move on and work comes and goes. It’s during these times that we need to pull out our freelance writer “bag of tricks” and make something happen…and fast.
What I Do In a Freelance Writing Job Drought
Over the years I’ve experienced this ebb and flow countless times, and while at first, it stressed me out and made me question my entire livelihood, now I see it as just a part of the job.
It’s expected. It’s sometimes even welcomed.
During the slow times, I take a few days to update my portfolio, I make my resume current, and I start pounding the pavement looking for new clients, new jobs, and you got it, higher-paying prospects.
Next time you’re in a freelance writing job drought, don’t let it get you down. I’ve gathered up all of my favorite desperate-moment job boards and resources below. Use these to find jobs to pay the bills and get you by, or browse them with the eye for a longer-term, higher-paying prize.
Either way, I promise they’ll help get you out of that rut in no time. You may also want to check out my previous post where I included my Top Tips to Securing Freelance Writing Work.
1. Upwork
Upwork is one of the best places on the web to find quick-fix freelancing jobs. Though it caters 
to more than just writers, you can find jobs that run the whole gamut – from academic and technical writing to blogging, web content creation and a slew of different tasks and assignments. To get started, create a profile and pass the “Upwork ready” test. It only takes a few minutes, and you can bid on thousands of jobs from all over the world.
2. Craigslist
Craigslist gets a bad rap, but for freelancers, it can be a great way to connect with people in need of your services.
Post your resume, offer creative services or search hundreds of job listings and what CL deems “gigs.” You can choose to stick with Craigslisters in your area, or you can expand your search into other cities and metros across the world.
The main key with Craigslist is to stay on guard. There are lots of scammers on there, and many will try to get a “sample” piece from you before hiring you. Then, when the piece is turned in, you’ll never hear from them again. This doesn’t happen all the time, but vet the Craigslisters you connect with, and always require a deposit up front if you’re feeling wary.
I talk a lot about how to secure jobs on Craigslist in this blog post: How I Used Craigslist to Land Multiple Writing Jobs
3. Journalism Jobs
Years ago, this site was great for finding full-time writing jobs and internships across the country – ones at newspapers, magazines, TV stations and more. But as the industry and state of journalism shifted, allowing for more virtual and remote writers, so did Journalism Jobs. Now, there’s an entire section dedicated to telecommute and remote jobs, some full-time and some one-off gigs. Whatever you’re looking for, check it out. You can sometimes find some pretty amazing gems in there.
If you want a long list of even more places to find freelance writing jobs visit The Ultimate List of Freelance Writing Jobs and 100+ Paying Websites.
4. Freelance Profit Academy
The Freelance Profit Academy is my membership site for freelance writers. If you become a member ($1 7-day free trial and $29.95 / month), you get instant access to my job board – one that’s been fully vetted and managed by real-life freelance writers. You won’t find any scams or traps in here, just legit, well-paying jobs for those who qualify.
5. Indeed
You might think of Indeed as a place for full-time, 9-to-5ers, but all it takes is a quick search to see how many telecommute opportunities are available. Type in “freelance writer,” “freelance writing job,” or “remote writer,” and leave the location field blank and you’ll find some remote writing jobs that may be perfect for filling in your slow time. You can even apply right on Indeed.com, making the whole process convenient.
6. BloggingPro
A great resource for any writer – even one who doesn’t just blog – BloggingPro has a comprehensive freelance writing job board. You can find some pretty cool gigs in there for various magazines, well-known blogs, celebrity news providers and other interesting stuff.
7. FreelanceWritingGigs.com
This freelance writing job resource aggregates jobs from across the web. Every day, the site is updated with the latest (and best) freelance writing gigs and listings from all over – Craigslist, Indeed, BloggingPro, etc. It’s also broken down into categories like blogging, content writing, journalism, grant writing and more, so you can find the perfect ones for your skillset. These jobs are not vetted, however, so watch out for scams.
8. FreelanceWriting.com
This is another aggregator that pulls job listings from all over, but this is is broken down into even more categories than FWG. Here, you’ll find up-to-date feeds of online writing jobs, calls for submissions and even site-specific gigs for Upwork, Craigslist, SimplyHired and more. If you want a comprehensive list of potential freelance writing jobs, this is the place to head. Sign up for its Morning Coffee Newsletter, too. It will send freelance writing gigs directly to your inbox every morning.
9. MediaBistro
A hub for jobs from all walks of media – TV, blogs, magazines and even book publishing – you’ll find a little bit of everything on MediaBistro. There’s even a devoted freelance section, and you can easily filter by industry, geographic location, duration, company and more.
10. ProBlogger
ProBlogger is a paid job listing site just for 
bloggers and freelance writers. The coolest part is that it charges for its job listings, so there’s less of a likelihood for scams. It’s only legitimate blogging and freelance writing jobs from real, verified employers across the country. The bulk of its jobs are more corporate and business-oriented, though you may find a few lifestyle blogging gigs in there, too. One of the best things about this platform is it displays the employers, so if they don’t interest you or they’re not well-known enough, you can keep scrolling.
11. Guru and iFreelance
Similar to Upwork, Guru and iFreelance are two other freelance bidding platforms where you can promote your services and look for gigs. These aren’t nearly as comprehensive as Upwork is, but that could work in your favor. With less competition, you have a better shot at securing a freelance writing job – maybe even a higher paying one. After all, with a bigshot like Upwork, you’re often competing with providers overseas who charge bargain-basement prices you just can’t match. Maybe being the bigger fish in the smaller pond is the way to go?
If you want the cliffnotes version of how to find and land MORE freelance writing jobs and clients, check out my Ultimate Client-Getting Masterclass. It’s a short video training where I show you my EXACT steps to attracting, finding and contacting clients who will want to work with you.
And, if you have any questions or you have any advice for my readers, please let me know in the comments! I’m here to help…
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I knew about a couple of these, but there were several I was unaware of. Thanks!
Wow Maggie!
This post is an awesome resource!Thanks for laying out so
extremely viable options and choices!
I literally had no idea there were so many choices!