So you want to be a freelance writer. That is awesome. Something is rewarding about getting your thoughts out there. There is also a ton of opportunities available for freelance writing gigs, and there is a ton of sites available that will help you get started.
On the other hand, there are also many scams and scammers trying to hone in on new writers. Ironically the other day, as I was researching what I wanted to include in this article, I received a job offer on Freelancer, a fantastic site for finding freelance writing gigs. However, this offer came straight from a scammer, and I knew it as soon as the private message popped up.
How did I know it was a scam? Simple, he started the job offer by asking me to contact him via telegram. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you want to look at it, scammers like the use telegram to communicate. You can assume that all job offers with a request to communicate via telegram will be scams. Especially if you are looking for work on Freelancer or Upwork.
Below I will go into a few more examples of writing scams, how to avoid being scammed, and give you a list of helpful links to get your freelancing career off the ground—one quick plug for HubPages. I started my freelance writing career twelve years ago on HubPages and recently unpublished most of my articles. My writing skills have greatly improved over the last twelve years, and I am working on updating and editing all of my earlier work. However, I must say that of all the places I have written for, HubPages is my favorite.
What Are Writing Scams
Writing scams can be two different things. One is scammers going after writers. That is what the bulk of this article is going to be about; the other, and I will review it quickly, is when writers scam clients. Essentially if you are honest about wanting to start a freelance career, you need to avoid scams and also avoid techniques that essentially turn you into a scammer.
Some examples of writing scams are:
- Work for free
- Work-from-home scam emails
- Fake Writing Platforms
- Dirty Link Building Opportunities
- Fake Job Posts
- Low Paid Writing Samples
- No Experience Necessary
So let’s break it down for you. While these are all considered scams or scammy behavior, we can narrow it down to the first five being actual scams and the last two being scam-like or scam-lite. When starting, it might be tempting to take low-paying jobs, and if you have no experience and no portfolio, a low-paying job may be better than a non-paying job. That is something you will have to decide for yourself. The last one, no experience necessary, is what many Content Mills advertise. Write to them. No experience is required, and you are paid based on that fact, so we are talking a penny or less per word. If you are okay with that, you can consider it scam-lite instead of an actual scam. The low-paid writing samples are the same basic idea with a few exceptions.
If you negotiate to write for a company and they ask you to submit a sample of writing first for less than you negotiated or for free, it is likely a scam.
How to Avoid Being Scammed
The biggest scam I fell for was a short stint I did writing for the Guardian Liberty Voice in 2014. They offered extensive training and a pay rate that sounded amazing. However, after spending time doing their training and submitting several articles, it became apparent that the pay would never come in. When I approached the editorial board about payment, the Editors told me my writing wasn’t good enough. It was good enough for them to publish it on their site, which is still up today. However, I never received compensation for any of it.
Are Content Mills Scams
Content Mills are not, by definition, a scam. However, you get what you pay for; content mills pay very little, and can it can be discouraging. While I believe in always doing my best no matter what the job calls for, it is easy to see why some people would churn out poorly written documents, blogs, and other content because they are being paid a penny or less per word.
Content Mills do pay, though; most of the time, they are very upfront in how much they pay their authors. If a content mill doesn’t tell you how much they are willing to pay for the work, then they may fall into the category of a scam, and you should be leery of doing business with them.
If you are new to writing and want the practice, and you don’t mind the low pay, a content mill is better than working for free because it allows you to hone your craft and at least make some money.
What You Need to Know
I advise setting your minimum writing price at no less than ten cents per word. While working for a low-paying content mill for practice can seem like a good idea, it may burn you out faster and can be highly discouraging. Rather than taking a job with pay that is too low, consider spending that time writing for sites like HubPages for exposure. Knowing what you are getting into when you first start can help you avoid some of the scams.
Finally, I want you to know that we have all been there before, and even the most seasoned freelance writer has fallen for a scam when they first started writing.
