The offline writers market is the alternative to what a lot of the pages on this site talk about: how to win jobs and freelance writing assignments by bidding on the Internet. This section is all about landing freelance jobs without going through the bidding process.

Some people may find this is easier because you don’t have to worry about setting your prices too competitively. Others like to cut out the time it takes to place all those bids. Wherever you look, though, you are sure to find one thing: competition.

In fact the writers market is very competitive both on and offline, and it takes a good “hook” to get a potential client to use you for their writing needs. Here are a few things I have found that work really well when it comes to standing out among the crowd of wanna be writers, particularly on the Internet.

1. Spell checking!
   It should be common sense, but any time you approach a potential source of freelance writing work you need to be sure that you come across as an intelligent writer. I have had some ridiculous proposals float my way when looking to hire writers to help out when I am over loaded. Too many people rely on the spelling and grammar checks in their writing, and this can lead to some very embarrassing mistakes.
2. Good samples
   (If you are looking to land offline writing assignments, these are called “clips”.) Another important aspect of landing a freelance writing job is demonstrating that you can deliver the goods. Putting together a few good samples of articles which you have done in the past will do wonders for your presentation. The more relevant the samples, the better! I also like to include a bit of a summary of what the articles are about, and of course ALWAYS make sure that you proofread before you send those samples in!
3. References
   Even great samples can’t compare to some glowing references from clients with whom you have worked in the past. Make sure that every time you complete an assignment, you ask your client or the editor of the print publication for their name and contact information so you can use them as references when trying to land future jobs. When you approach a potential client, make sure to direct him or her to the website or publication that your reference had you work on; there are lots of ways to fake a reference, particularly on the Internet, and you want to make sure that a potential client knows you are 100% legitimate.
4. Meet all your obligations!
   It is a lot easier to keep an existing client than to look for a new one. For this reason, and of course for those handy references, it’s very important to fulfill all of the promises you make on every freelance writing assignment. This can be hard, particularly when you have a lot of work or when life plays one of its little mystery weeks (or months) when everything seems to fall wrong, but at least stay in communication and let your clients know what is going on.

Breaking into the writers market can be tough, because it is just so competitive. The way to succeed is to grab the attention of potential clients through your presentation, and then making sure that you keep that new client satisfied!

While I have gained the bulk of my freelance writing jobs through bidding, there are more avenues for writing projects out there, beyond just bidding sites. In fact, the whole purpose of this site is to help you to see the potential in that underused and under publicized marketplace.

If you are uncomfortable with the idea of bidding for jobs for whatever reason, then it’s useful to know about alternative freelance writing markets. In this section, we will take a look at other places where you can look for a freelance writing assignment; I break them down below to give you a brief overview of what other opportunities you can expect in the writers market.

Offline writing opportunities

The most well publicized, and therefore the most competitive, jobs in the freelance writing market are those in the print media. Trade magazines and newspapers are the places where most aspiring writers go to get their start, and this can be deadly competitive, and often the wages are not too great either! Still, there are a huge number of potential markets for your writing, and you do have the ability to apply for positions that cater to your strengths.

The person to get into contact with for these freelance writing jobs is the editor of the newspaper or magazine you want to write for. This is usually done by way of a query letter; we will go into those a bit more in a further article. The most important part of the process is patience; you will often hear nothing at all, and it might be some time before you can get your shot!

Becoming a web content writer

Wait a second; I bet you are thinking I said that we wouldn’t be talking about online writing jobs in this section, right? Well, not exactly. What we aren’t talking about is gaining a freelance job through a bidding site, but there are a lot more ways to get a job as a web content writer other than through winning a bid, and I have made some good money doing them.

The web content writer’s market is not yet so saturated that everyone who has developed a website can easily find a good writer. There are plenty of people out there who can’t write at all, and then there are those who prefer to cut and paste, who just disappear, and who can’t seem to keep a deadline.

For this reason, most web site developers are constantly watching for opportunities to hire web content writers in the freelance writing market, and in this section I will point out some ways you can get them to approach you without having to go through a bidding process.