Sports writer

Copywriter for company newsletters, website, etc.

Writer for B2B construction mag

Copywriting agency seeking freelance writers

Writers to join writing services company

Magazine article writers

Writers for website

Football writers

iPhone blogger

Write online content

Write ebook on sales techniques

Press release writers

Write real estate articles

Automotive content writers

Green blogger

Write pop culture scripts

Writers for lawinfo.com

Wine and technology blogger

About.com actively recruiting for guides

Online entrepreneur blogger

Short bio writing

Celebrity gossip blogger

Press release writer

PR article blog writer

Write sports posts

Quick turnaround articles

Write an artist bio

ScriptLance jobs:

Cell phone blogger

Winning lottery tips blogger

Interior design articles

32 keyword articles

Write product reviews

I do my best to weed out the obvious scams before posting job links, but I don't contact or research every employer before including them in the daily job listings. I would love to be able to do that for my readers, but I simply don't have the time. For that reason, there are some questionable jobs that slip through -- like one I posted yesterday, titled "Web copywriters" that linked to a Raleigh Cragslist posting.

I sent a short email response to the ad simply asking for more information. This morning I received a lengthy email asking for a lot of information. As I glanced through the email, it raised several red flags for me, so I visited the website it contained. The claims made on the site seemed over-the-top, so I googled the first company name, "Internet Illuminations." Nothing but job listings. I searched "Google news" and came up with nothing. Then I tried searching the name of the owner along with the company, "Internet Illuminations" James Mitchell. Still nothing but job listings. Finally, I tried searching the owner's name and city "James Mitchell" Boston.

Bingo! There is a lot of interesting information out there on "James Mitchell" Boston, not the least of which is this article in Boston Magazine.

Now it's possible that this new company is legitimate and that James Mitchell has started a legitimate business, but are you willing to bet at least 20 hours of your workweek, every week on that?

I write all this so that freelance writers, especially those just starting out who are very hungry for their first jobs, will always be on the lookout for scams. There's no point in getting a gig if you're only going to be taken advantage of.

So how do you know if what looks like a good gig is really a scam? In most cases there's no way to be 100% sure until you've been taken for a ride. But there are some good ways to protect yourself. If you start getting even a slight inkling that not everything is on the up-and-up, it's time to either take a closer look, or walk away. Ten minutes of research can save you hours of unpaid work.

To help protect yourself, watch for these red flags:

• Overly high pay rates (You aren't going to make $50,000 a year writing 10 hours a week for a single company.)
  
• Vague descriptions of work
• Requiring substantial amounts of work completed before payment will be made
• Payment by check (unless it is a large company that you are sure is legitimate, and even then be careful. I did a lot of work for a well-known large company two years ago and to this day haven't received a cent. Even though I faxed and snail-mailed the payment documents they asked for five different times, they continued to claim they never received them, so I couldn't be paid. Strangely, they received the fax containing the work product on the first try.)
  
• Demanding a lot of personal information
• Refusing to use an escrow service for large jobs
• Asking for custom-written "samples" before hiring (100-200 word samples may be ok, but usually those asking for an entire article are just looking to take your work and run)
• Being overly demanding and picky (some clients are picky, but some are looking for an excuse to deny payment, as you become more experienced, you will be able to spot the difference. Typically, the scammer looking to avoid payment makes unreasonable demands and asks for contradicting re-writes.)
• Asking you to complete more work than agreed upon, but at the same price
• Asking you to invest significant time into a project without guarantee of payment
• Promises of "write for free now and you'll make money later"

If you see any red flags, or get that "is this a scam?" inkling, take a moment to research the person or company you are considering working for. You might be surprised what turns up when you search terms like "superduperpayingemployer complaints" or "superduperpayingemployer scam."

There are also several sites where you can check out potential employers to see if other writers have had complaints. My favorite of these is Writer Beware, maintained by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America organization. The site also has a fairly new blog that lets writers comment about scams.

Another good resource is the Protect Yourself page at Writer's Digest.

Have fun writing, but protect your work! It's ok to write for free -- if you know in advance that you're writing for free. :)

It's wonderful Wednesday because there's lots of wonderful opportunities today:

Home editor for Stylehive.com

Write about the TV industry for b5 media

Write about teen TV dramas for b5 media

Write about Nickelodeon TV shows for b5 media

Ghostwrite promotional book for accounting biz

Financial writer

Business news editor

Green electronics blogger
(If you get this gig and let them know I referred you, I'll split the referral fee with you)

Online game guide writers

Biographer needed

Press release writer

Direct mail copywriter

Parenting editor

Write RFPs for construction firm

Articles on healthy pet food

Home remodeling and furnishing writer

Press release writer

Marketing writer

Tech blogger

Edit copy for book

Technology reporter

I hoped things would pick up after the holiday weekend and it looks like they have. Here are some great job listings:

-- In addition to the job listings here, I'm also looking for some guest bloggers to make occasional posts on my new travel blog. I want guest bloggers from different areas around the country to post about their area and to answer traveler's questions about that area. If you're interested, send a brief paragraph about your writing experience and the area where you're located. Use the "Click Here" to contact me button located on the upper right-hand section of this page to submit your information. Please don't submit any attachments.--

Bright Hub seeking writers

Clement Communications looking for freelance writers for assignments

Web site copywriters wanted

Freelance writer to cover books and authors

Press release writer

Writers and bloggers for tech website

Writers for various assignments

Write magazine articles

Write and design newsletter

Write technology reviews

Business news editor

Fitness blogger

Sports bloggers

Contributors for online parenting magazine

Write kids wiki posts

Write a bio

I cleaned out my beading closet today, since I no longer have time (or really the interest) for beading anymore and posted them in one gigantic lot on ebay with a $1 starting bid and no reserve. If you're a writer who loves beads or jewelry, or know someone who does, get a great deal and help me get these out of my house (so I can have room for other junk. :) )

Here's the auction:
Super Huge Lot Gemstone Beads, Sterling Findings & Jewelry

My recent post, "Writers Who Are Also Photographers" was honored as a top 5 post of the week on Plotdog.com's WOOF (Writers Offering Our Finest) weekly contest.

Thank you so much Plotdog!!!

Here's the post of the top 5 winners:

Presenting the finest of the writer’s blogs by the bloggers who write them.

Top 5 Picks

About Writing
Miss Write - "Rethink These Writing Myths"
Gargantua Stormcaller - "Ten Pitfalls of Fanfiction”
Tammy Searles - "Writers who are also photographers"

Fiction
Jenn - "An Unexpected Independence Day Celebration"

Poetry
Matthew S. Urdan - "Circles"


BROUGHT TO YOU BY PLOTDOG PRESS FEATURING:
A Novel Approach Series - DRAFT NOVEL - Intervention Chapter 1

It looks like it's going to take a day or two for employers to catch up from the holiday weekend. The job pickings are scarce this Monday morning, but here are the freelance writing jobs that are out there:

Web copywriters for many projects

Prevention magazine looking for online contributors

Stock market blogging

Help finish writing a proposal

Write summaries

Medical writing

Financial newsletter writer

Articles on writing

Write/edit travel articles

Newsletter writer

Musician's bio

Write articles (not much info provided)

MexicoXpatz mag call for content

Writer for marketing company

Science and technology reporter

Medical bloggers

Write short summaries

ScriptLance jobs:

Articles on losing weight

Write resume

Weight loss e-book

Weekly articles on sleep disorders