What employers look for when they hire freelance writers
Freelance writing is as much about selling yourself as it is
about writing. With this in mind, we asked some of the employers
who use our site, and others like it, just what it is that they
look for in a freelance writer. Here's what they told us:
1. Employers won't go looking for the information they need
"A lot of the freelancers who replied to my advert just sent me
their quote and nothing else," says Angel, who advertised for a
freelancer in July. "There was absolutely nothing to set them
apart from all of the other writers who responded, and I'd have
had to contact them with questions to try and get the
information I needed out of them. Needless to say, I didn't
bother. I employed one of the writers who took the time to tell
me a bit about herself, and why she was right for the job."
2. Employers won't ask the same question twice
If an employer asks a specific question: "what's your writing
experience?" say, or "who have you worked for before?" they
expect an answer. Strangely, not all freelancers give them that
answer.
"I advertised for a proofreader," says Jason. "One freelancer
responded with a huge spiel telling me what a wonderful writer
he was. That's great, but I wanted a proofreader. Rather than
emailing him back and asking about his proofreading
qualifications, I chose one of the people who'd answered my
question the first time."
3. Employers appreciate courtesy
"A few weeks ago I was looking for a freelance writer," says
Samantha. "I posted an advert on a number of different writing
sites, and said that I would send a written brief to anyone
interested in the project, to allow them to give me a quote. I
was shocked by the responses I got, particularly the number of
people who just emailed one line saying 'send me the brief'. I
mean, is it really so much effort to write a proper email,
giving your name and addressing me with mine? Does 'please' take
too long to type? Apparently so. Needless to say, those kind of
emails didn't get a response. I wasn't just looking for someone
who could write well: I wanted to hire someone who'd be easy to
work with. I don't want to work with someone with no manners."
4. Your writing matters - even in a query letter
"One freelancer proofreader asked me a question via email," says
Jason. "She ended the question with four question marks. She
didn't get the job."
5. Employers aren't always looking for the cheapest possible
quote
"Some of the quotes I received were really shockingly low,"
admits Angel. "I just thought that if someone is willing to
write an article for $10, they must really be struggling for
work. And if they're really struggling for work, they must not
be very good. I went with someone who charged what seemed to be
a reasonable rate: she wasn't the cheapest I found, but quality
was important to me."