Freelance Writing – Tools, Resources & Job Boards

I recently received my very first freelance writing contracted job, writing an iPhone App article for an upcoming iPhone Magazine App. The experience was very enjoyable, rewarding and I can’t wait for the next opportunity.

Freelance writing is dependent upon your previous work, level of experience and skill level. It can be a nice way to make a few bucks or an excellent source of income. It all depends on you and what you bring to the table. Of course, finding the right opportunity is just as important. I wanted to use this entry to provide a helpful listing of tools and resources to help you progress as a freelance writer.

Before highlighting a few sites and services below, I highly recommend taking a look at Mashable’s 85+ Tools & Resources for Freelancers and the Freelance Switch 101 Essential Freelance Resources.

Guru – Basic Membership = Free or $29.95 to $99.95 per quarter or 50% discount for annual membership

Guru provides a site to market your skills to a large audience. The site provides online video profiles, skills and experience highlights, and a quality score that identifies both your strengths and weaknesses. Find projects, submit bids on projects, manage and track all your projects.

Freelance Switch Jobs – $7 per month membership required to apply for most jobs

Freelance Switch is a community of expert freelance writers. It’s a great source to learn from other experienced freelancers. The Job board provides daily freelance jobs, many of which require a monthly membership to apply for.

Triond – Free Membership

Triond takes the tough work out of freelancing. All you do is write content on a topic of your choice. Triond then markets your work and publishes it on relevant websites. Once your work is published, it begins generating revenue from various income sources (i.e. contextual advertising). You received 50% of the revenue paid to you monthly.

iFreelance – Basic = $4.69 per month, Silver = $6.75 per month, Gold = $9 per month

iFreelance gives you two options to find freelance jobs. You can advertise your services directly to interested buyers or search the project database, submitting bides for available projects. You get online portfolio hosting, various personalized marketing tools and more.

In addition to the sites above, you can always find freelance gigs via job search engines like Simply Hired and Indeed.