Yeah, you’ve made the decision to pursue a career in the field of freelance writing!

Now, what?

The first task is to find a job that actually pays. But finding quality work online can be a daunting task. A lot of sites are flashy and try to lure you in with promises of guaranteed work. The sad fact remains that most of these places are downright scammy.

While starting out, a lot of writers grab any opportunity that comes by. Let me offer you a word of advice. It does not matter if you’re writing novels or blog posts, don’t underestimate your work. These sites offer only pennies per word. It is tempting to join the ranks and sign up but try to resist. It would be more beneficial to focus on building your portfolio. Avoid throwing work away on the scam sites. Think about the type of clientele that these sites attract. You don’t want to be pulling your hair out over a $25 post. This leads to tons of frustration for the new freelance writer.

Working for cheap leads to cheap work… you are so much better than that!

The good news is that there are real sites that will pay you a quality wage for work (they do exist!). Some do offer a membership fee but I try to stay away from them since I don’t believe in paying to work. Plus those job boards usually do not offer anything special that you could not get from a free site.

Are there any sites that offer legitimate, quality PAID writing jobs?

One of the best job boards is ProBlogger Job Board. Darren Rowse is THE authority on blogging. I love that he does not sugar coat anything about this field. Yes, you will have to put in the hard work to see results. Along with that, his job board is one of the most trusted online. There are tons of quality jobs posted often by the big time players in the blogosphere.

BloggingPro Job Board is another site that offers great opportunities for writers. I often see the same jobs posted on here that I do on ProBlogger. So you know that they are from legitimate sources. There are plenty of assignments available for anyone’s blogging niche. Writing gigs range from travel, sports, politics and more. Aside from blogger jobs, there are a ton of copywriting jobs as well.

Fancy yourself as the next Anderson Cooper? Well, Journalism Jobs might be for you. The majority of the listings are for “media professionals.”  But have no fear, there are opportunities for copywriters and editors too. Most are location-based but there is a random remote job posting every now and then. This might not be the site for those just starting out, but you never know when you can strike gold. So put aside your fear and give it a try!

MediaBistro is another site in the vein of Journalism Jobs.  Their assignments range from television gigs to marketing fields. If you are dead set for working in the professional media field then this job board is definitely for you.

LinkedIn Jobs has rarely worked for me in landing a job. But I’m including it here because of the networking opportunities. LinkedIn is one the best ways to reach out to others in the field. You would be amiss if you do not have an account on there. You never know when a friend of a friend of a contact may have something in the pipeline. Who knows? Maybe you can be the lucky one to actually score a job off here.

Don’t want to scour the internet and job boards for writing opportunities?  Then sign up for the Morning Coffee Newsletter. They have done all the hard work and compiled a list of jobs from across all the popular boards. That includes most of the sites I have already mentioned. Some of their featured gigs are exclusive to the newsletter. MCN is an arm of FreelanceWriting.com, who have been around since 1998. So you know they are not a flash in the pan scammy site.

Now here’s the ugly…

As anyone starting out, it is easy to get lured into a website that offers a plethora of freelance writing jobs. When you don’t have many pieces in your portfolio, it is very tempting to take anything that comes by. But do not fall into the cycle of content mills or project bidding wars. It not only hurts you but our industry as well. Some dubious clients only want the lowest price possible on a job. Even when you score the job, they will continue to negotiate for the lowest price possible. That leads to more writers working for less pay than standards in the field. You should always shoot for at least 10 cents per word. Unfortunately, a lot of writers desperate for work will fall into the low pay black hole.

Remember the scam sites that like to cheat their workers? Run far away from them! Avoid places like Upwork (formerly oDesk and Elance) and Fiverr.  You are competing with hundreds of other writers for the cheapest price possible. My first inclination was to sign up for these websites almost a year ago. Guess what? I have won zero jobs. I either am undercut on price or refuse to edit 50,000 words for $5.00.

Bidding for work is fine but don’t sell your grandma for a job that pays a penny per word. It is not worth it. Do not sell yourself short. I found from my experience the customers who pay less are usually the most hassle for you. They want the world for a bargain price. This can lead to aggravation and a reluctance from taking on new clients. Avoid the vicious cycle by just not falling into the easy trap.

Anyone who wants quality works knows that comes at a cost. Keep writing and looking for those customers. There may be slim pickings at first, but I would rather have 2 fantastic customers than 10 terrible ones. The great clients will be happy to share your work with others who are looking for a freelance writer. That is the beauty of finding customers who appreciate your work.

So what are your favorite sites to find writing jobs online?