12/20 Freelance Writing Jobs Newsletter

✏️ 26 new freelance content writing, copywriting, and editing gigs

December 20, 2024

Hey there

We’ve arrived at the last jobs email of 2024!

What a year it’s been.

I’d love to hear from you…

What’s one thing you’re proud of accomplishing in your freelance writing business this year?

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A big focus for me this year was being more proactive about enforcing boundaries around things like scope creep and unqualified discovery calls. It was challenging at times, but has led to noticeable improvements—and for that, I’m grateful.

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26 freelance writing/editing opportunities…

Freelance Content Writing Gigs

  1. The 19th in the US is looking for a US-based freelance economy reporter — $50 per hour

  2. The Worcester Guardian in the US is looking for freelance journalists to tell Worcester’s stories

  3. Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce in the US is looking for freelance writers who are passionate about community development, government relations, or the Eugene region for its 2025 Open For Business magazine issue

  4. Tech Radar in the US is looking for US-based freelance news and feature writers to cover a range of tech-related topics

  5. Culture and Quill in the US is looking for freelance writers to craft stories that connect with audiences and stakeholders

  6. bem in the US is looking for a freelance technical content writer who is opinionated and funky

  7. Electric Kite in the US is looking for a freelance technical writer with a strong science background, preferably a PhD, with expertise in molecular diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance, and biodefense

  8. DDB Remedy in the UK is looking for UK-based freelance writers with a science background and healthcare advertising experience 

  9. Last Word on Sports in Canada is looking for freelance writers to cover various NFL teams

  10. Unmtchd in Germany is looking for a freelance content writer and community manager

Freelance Copywriting Gigs

  1. Fat Earth Media in the US is looking for a freelance writer with experience writing ads and email

  2. Get Online NOLA in the US is looking for a US-based copywriter for upcoming website projects

  3. Healthy Wild Free in the US is looking for a freelance health copywriter for a health supplement offer

  4. Detroit Zoological Society in the US is looking for a freelance copywriter to create copy for email campaigns, social media posts, landing pages, video scripts, and more (10 hours per week)

  5. MP&Co in the UK is looking for an experienced freelance financial services copywriter who understands regulatory constraints and can adapt their style to various audiences

  6. Behaviour in Canada is looking for a freelance junior sports copywriter in the Greater Toronto Area or Vancouver with agency experience

  7. Teachers Writers in London is looking for freelance copywriters for a wide range of work (preferably teachers and ex-teachers)

  8. Full Fact in the UK is looking for a freelance copywriter/editor to work with them on their 2025 report on the state of misinformation — £5,000 - £6,000 for 15 days of work

  9. Bobbie and Beastie in Denmark is looking for creative, business-savvy freelance copywriters, one English and one Danish

Freelance Editing Gigs

Accepting Pitches from Freelance Writers

Q & A on Freelance Writing

Q: What’s going on with the site reputation abuse policy updates? Is content written by freelance writers getting penalized now?

A: Google says, “No, while freelance content is third-party content, freelance content alone is not a violation of the site reputation abuse policy. It is only a violation if there is ALSO an attempt to abuse search rankings by taking advantage of the host site's ranking signals.”

Google says, “This [site reputation abuse] is when third-party content is being placed on an established site to take advantage of that site's ranking signals — which the site has earned primarily from its first-party content — rather than placing the content on a separate site that lacks the same signals.”

Here’s a hypothetical example: An educational site hosting a page about reviews of payday loans written by a third party that distributes the same page to other sites across the web, with the main purpose of manipulating search rankings. (see more examples from Google)

Here are examples of companies that have recently received manual penalties: Major organizations, including CNN, USA Today, and LA Times, were among the first to receive manual penalties, primarily for hosting third-party coupons and promotional content. (source: Search Engine Journal)

What does it all mean for freelance writers?

First, some companies completely shut down their operations, laying off entire in-house and freelance teams. And second, some of the companies that have been issued manual site reputation abuse penalties are pulling back on using freelance writers.

Examples:

  • “In recent days, Forbes has said it will stop hiring freelancers to produce content for its product review section Forbes Vetted, according to a journalist who has written for the site. In a note shared with The Verge, an editor at Forbes cited Google’s ‘site reputation abuse’ policy for the change.”

  • “Some sites that were able to get manual actions lifted appear to be slowly climbing back with content written by their own in-house staff” Source: Lili Ray

While we are seeing some of the biggest players in SEO take highly publicized falls, freelance content alone is not currently the target. It is still in demand and helping a vast amount of companies to rank.

My take? It’s important to keep an eye on how things progress and always think about how to reduce our risk as freelance writers, but it’s equally important to be aware of the fearmongering and exaggerations going on that drive unnecessary panic.

Some tips:

  • Limit client dependency by not letting clients consume more than 20% of your income.

  • Consider targeting clients that don’t rely solely on Google for their audience (e.g. they have large engaged email lists, active online communities, app-based interactions, etc.).

  • Consider targeting clients that monetize off their own products or services (not just ads and affiliate revenue) and use a blog to truly nurture their audience through the buying cycle.

  • Look for direct clients with a very specific niche that they stick to.

  • Consider diversifying the types of writing you’re offering (e.g. not just SEO content).

Related reading:

That’s a wrap for this week!

Jessica at ATFW

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