Let’s be honest: A 9 to 5 kind of career isn’t for everyone. More and more, people are turning away from the traditional cubical-to-office connection to their employers and seeking out stay-at-home opportunities to make money on their own schedule from the comfort of, well, anywhere with Wi-Fi. This includes those looking for part-time content writing jobs.
Part-Time Content Writing Jobs FAQs
If you’ve got grammar skills and an itch to write, landing some stellar work-from-home writing jobs could be the perfect fit for your lifestyle and schedule. All you have to do is know what to look for. Here are some frequently asked questions when it comes to finding real writing jobs you can do from home.
1. There are lots of part-time content writing jobs online. How do I know a company is legit?
It’s OK to be on guard when you’re job hunting. In this age of all-too-prevalent internet scams, it’s probably good to approach online freelance writing gigs with a careful click. Not everyone offering a job opportunity out there has a clean conscience to back it up.
However, with a little education, you can steer clear of the creepy sites and land yourself a really great place with a company that’s trying to do it right.
Signs A Work-From-Home Writing Job Is Not a Scam
- The freelance writing company seems well-established. The content writing company has a real website, and the people involved (like the CEO) can be found on major social media networks like LinkedIn or Twitter. You can also Google the company and find reviews, blogs, or articles that point to the legitimacy of the business.
- The job posting is well-written and free from grammatical errors. If you’re looking for stay-at-home writing jobs, the company you work with to find clients should be a poster child for high-quality written content on their site! The hiring manager in contact with you should also possess a clear understanding of spelling and grammar rules.
- Freelance writing pay is clearly outlined upfront — and doesn’t seem too good to be true. If you’re finding yourself feeling lost in the labyrinth of applications without any clue as to what kind of pay you’ll expect in the end, it might be time to peace out and try something else.
- The writing company does not ask for personal or financial information upfront. If someone is asking for a social security number and a bank account early on in the application or interview process, that’s a red flag you don’t want to ignore.
2. Life is pretty hectic for me. Can I make money writing articles part-time on my own schedule?
Flexibility in schedule and workload may be the number one motivation for someone to seek out part-time content writing jobs. Maybe you’re a stay-at-home parent juggling work around family responsibilities. Perhaps your other streams of income have changed recently, or leave something to be desired when it comes to making ends meet. Your mental or physical health might require a non-traditional job to allow for the unknown.
Whatever the push behind your decision to do freelance writing from home, you’re probably not alone.
Reasons To Invest in Stay-at-Home Writing Jobs
According to a survey of 7,300 respondents by FlexJobs, there are significant reasons behind looking for flexible writing work from home. Here are the top four:
- Finding a good work-life balance (75%)
- Catering to family needs (especially caregiving) (45%)
- Saving time—or using time more efficiently (42%)
- Reducing the stress (and cost) of commuting (41%)
Do any of these reasons hit close to home for you? If so, freelance writing jobs might be a great solution. However, not all content writing companies are equal. Make sure you vet the writing company to see if you’re able to pick up work on your own time, and if you have the option of increasing or decreasing your article writing workload as needed.
3. What about writing pay? How do I know they won’t leave me high and dry?
This one’s especially important. You may have read about part-time content writing jobs that take a writer’s submitted work (which has taken significant amounts of time and effort to complete) and then leave them wanting or uncertain when it comes to payday. Hopefully, by vetting the company you’re looking at using the pointers we outlined above, you’ll be able to avoid any glaring scams. However, it may not be a bad idea to find out in advance what you can expect when it comes to freelance writing pay.
Make sure to choose a stay-at-home writing job that is upfront about when they’ll pay you and that operates on a regular pay schedule you can count on.
Part-Time Content Writing Jobs Can Help You Kick Off Your Career
Wouldn’t it be more lucrative for me to seek out my own clients, rather than work with a freelance content writing company?
While working with a content company may mean that some of your payout rates are lower than if you were to be hired directly by a client, the truth is that, early on, a lot of time and money spent in marketing to potential clients could be saved on your end by going with the content company. They will have the infrastructure needed to onboard new clients, gather the style guide information needed for their projects, and get the work to you in a consistent flow you can depend on.
If you’re already out there gathering clients on your own, you may want to consider having a foot in as a freelancer at a high-quality content company anyway. This would ensure that, during periods of slowness in your personal business, you can still have access to writing work.
We know you’re counting on every penny you earn, which is why we pay our freelance writers and editors promptly every two weeks.
4. How can I still feel “connected” when I work alone all the time?
Stay-at-home writing jobs are nice in so many ways, but they can leave you feeling isolated socially. Granted, most of us freelance writers probably lean towards introversion anyway, but any human being still needs to feel some kind of connection, and work is often the way this is accomplished throughout the week.
Find an Online Writing Job that Offers Community
As you look for freelance writing gigs online, see if you can get a feel for the culture as far as connection is concerned. Look for the following things in the company structure:
- Is there any sort of platform for communication between yourself and other writers?
- Are freelance writing managers or editors readily available to answer questions and provide support?
- Does the company engage in incentives or company-wide programs that allow you to feel a part of a greater whole while simultaneously working on your own?
If you can say “yes” to any (or all) of these, you may have stumbled onto a part time content writing job from home that’s pretty special.
Our company culture is very important to us. Hear what some of our writers have to say about it:
5. I’d like to grow my freelance writing skills. Will part-time content writing jobs help me do that?
The answer depends. Each work-from-home writing job is unique, and some are completely hands-off while others could try to micro-manage you. If you’re looking for help in advancing your freelance writing career, you’ll want to work with a part-time content writing job where you have access to training, editors and skilled writing professionals who can offer feedback.
How to Improve Your Freelance Writing Skills When You Have a Stay at Home Writing Job
There are a few important things to look for if you’re hoping to improve your writing ability:
- Comprehensive training: You’ve already got talent, but having a clear idea of what is expected of you will contribute to your success and satisfaction. A good freelance content writing company will offer hands-on training, including constructive feedback, as you get started.
- Style guides and examples: Different clients require different things to be included in their content. If your freelance content agency provides style guides specific to each project and examples to look at, you’ll be able to get it right every time, and learn things along the way.
- Feedback: While you likely can’t expect to have constructive feedback on every submission, having access to tips from professional editors who work with your company is an excellent way to make sure you’re expanding your freelance writer skill set.
- Range of topics: Are there opportunities to choose work from a wide span of topics? If so, you’ll have the chance to expand your knowledge of different industries and types of writing while on the job.
When It Comes to Part-Time Content Writing Jobs, Look for the Real Deal
Some low-level content mills are all about quantity, but a company focused on quality will help push you to be your best right out of the gate and encourage you to improve your freelance writing skills over time. Coupled with options such as focusing on one project until you master the details and receiving hands-on training, freelance writing jobs can be the perfect way to hone your writing skills.
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