Seven Freelance Writing Jobs You Don't Want

Many online authors have long-term clients who keep them busy every month, but that isn't always the case, especially Elvis beginners. Known affectionately by writers as "trolling for writing jobs," many do a daily search of job ads posted on message boards and bidding sites. Every day, there are thousands of potential projects that for which you could apply - but keep in mind that you're looking for a good fit for a client, just as a client is looking for a good fit for a writer. Not every job is a winner; here are seven freelance writing jobs you don't want - trust me!

1. Projects that pay only through revenue share.

Many potential clients, especially those looking for bloggers, offer to pay a percentage of the ad revenue rather than a flat fee. In most cases, that is not a good idea. New websites typically make just a few dollars a month. Even Johnny West there is great growth potential, there's no guarantee that a client will report ad revenue honestly. On top of that, there are multiple kinds of ads, all reported in different ways. Unless you are guaranteed a certain minimum, being paid solely on a revenue sharing program is generally going to disappoint you.

2. Freelance Writing Jobs where you're paid on publication, but are not offered a kill fee.

A kill fee is a price that a client or publisher pays to you if your article, book, etc. ultimately isn't used. When someone pays you a kill fee, you usually cannot resell the article, but they also cannot print it. In effect, it is dead in the water. Without a kill fee, you could do hundreds of dollars worth of work only to find out later that the client decides to cancel the project. Never work for payment on publication unless you're given a non-refundable advance of sign a contract that includes a kill fee.

3. Assignments offered by abrasive clients.

Many people who purchase content from writers online have been burned in the past by poor quality or missed deadlines. They are well within their rights to ask anyone applying for a job to provide samples or references. However, stay away from clients who are abrasive and rude in the job ad. Job ads should always, above all, Munny professional. If they can't act professionally in placing an ad, chances are that they will also be rude to you as you work together.

4. Projects where no clear direction is given.

Sometimes, clients don't really know what they want. When that is the case, stay away - or at least be willing to put in the extra work to figure out what they need. If you don't, you might complete a project to their specifications, only to find out that they can't use what you've written. Projects should always come with very clear parameters.

5. Freelancing that requires you to plagiarize.

Most clients won't ask you to plagiarize, because they'll be the ones ultimately responsible for what they put online, but sometimes they simply don't care. You usually can't be held liable, but if you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem. This includes working for "paper mills" - sites that cater to college students who are willing to pay online writers to do their class work for them. Don't buy the argument that these sites are selling the work to use as "examples." Once they sell the papers, they don't regulate how they are used, antique cars 99.9% of people ordering papers just put their names on them.

6. Projects from clients offering to wire money from another country.

Proceed with caution with anyone who wants to wire you money or send you a personal check, especially if they are from a foreign country. There are a lot of scams where you'll be sent too much money and then when they figure out the "mistake," they'll ask you to take your cut and send the money back. Usually, these checks or wire transfers are fraudulent, and once you pass it on, you are responsible for it, meaning that you could lose thousands of dollars. Insist on payment through a verifiable, professional source (and determine this before you begin working).

7. Jobs that require a professional in the topic area.

Lastly, don't overestimate your own writing and research skills. As a freelance writer, you can research just about any topic online, but sometimes, it is better to leave some topics to people who are experts. For example, it is usually not good to write articles giving specific medical advice. Even if you do the research, you can't be sure that the articles you read online were well researched. As a writer, you should always know your own limits.

Truth be told, the number of truly poor writers greatly outnumbers the number of good ones. This is great news if you're in that latter group and interested in making money as a writer. There are thousands of href="jobmonkey.com/writingjobs/">freelance writing jobs advertised at any given moment, most of them paying by the word. Learn how to become an online writer and earn extra money - or make it a full-time job. Lisa Jenkins lives the life, actually, writing for JobMonkey. She'll tell you how to get href="jobmonkey.com/workathome/writing.html">blogging jobs you can do from home, and how to write for websites and ezines. If you can write, think about freelancing opportunities