Technology’s Impact on Freelance Writing
The world of freelancing is a much different place than it was when I began freelance writing and editing in 2011. In many ways technology has been a double-edge sword. Without technology, freelancing as a viable job would not be possible. But in recent years, technology has made freelancing more complicated. Let me explain using six ways freelancing has changed over the course of my career.
First, some background. I have a degree in English, a worthless degree I discourage anyone from pursuing. My first job out of college was with the local newspaper. I worked three times as a temporary copy editor and did two stints as a freelance reporter. The managing editor told me he would not hire me full time because I didn’t have a journalism degree or the right college experience. I cut ties at that point and went on to do a series of temporary clerical jobs and two permanent inside sales jobs. It’s all I could get with my educational background. They paid the bills, but were emotionally unsatisfying and all were dead-end jobs.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, freelance writing consisted of mailing out pitches for story ideas to magazines and waiting several months to get a response from editors. If the idea was accepted, the writer was invited to write and submit the story. Hearing back and receiving payment took several more months. In order to make a living, a writer would need to mail multiple pitches a week. This type of writing did not appeal to me, and paying for ink, paper, envelopes and stamps could cost a small fortune. By the 2010s, magazines had begun to accept submissions electronically, significantly shortening the process, and companies and small-business owners had begun advertising for freelancers for short-term projects or long-term work.
With my husband’s blessing and with a toddler in the house, I gave up seeking a full-time 9-5 position for a chance to truly follow my dream of becoming a writer. I had modest success before cutting back to one client in 2017 to focus on fiction writing. Now that I am ready again to take on more clients, I’m shocked by how much freelancing has changed over the past decade.
Writing has Merged with Marketing
When I acquired my current client, there was a clear difference between a writer and copywriter. A writer wrote informative text while a copywriter wrote advertising copy. Now, nearly every writing job I see is a marketing position. The following requirements are from real job postings for freelance writers:
Social media platforms and forums including Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, Reddit, etc.
Familiarity with Photoshop or photo-editing software.
Develop strong hooks, CTAs, and caption structures that drive engagement and retention.
Copy aligns with funnel strategy and brand messaging.
Hit client SEO traffic goals month over month by creating content that ranks and/or generates organic links.
There are plenty of other examples, but these give you a good idea of what employers are seeking. I don’t have copywriting or SEO experience which means that I no longer qualify for writing positions and have stopped seeking them out.
Oh, and on a side note, content writer is the same thing as a copywriter.
Everyone Wants Something I Am Not
In 2011, all potential clients cared about was whether you were a skilled writer. Today, clients want skilled writing plus experience in their specific industries. Others want agency experience. Some don’t consider any work you did for your own business as experience. So once again, I’m at a disadvantage. I’m a generalist in a world of specialists. I’ve written news articles, blog posts and newsletter articles on a variety of topics including health and fitness, real estate, the auto industry, business news and transportation. What I didn’t know when I started the job, I learned. I’ve been running my own business, Sun Up Press, since 2013 and, once again, whatever skills I didn’t have when I started, I learned.
In addition to writing and editing, I also have experience in graphic design, social media and publishing. I have basic public relations skills. I’m willing to use these skills to make a job change. I’m willing to start at the bottom to gain more experience, but there’s a problem there as well. Ageism. The entry-level jobs that don’t require five to seven years experience, state they are perfect for a “college student or recent graduate.” Clearly, that’s not me. I graduated last century.
They Make You Pay
When I starting out, there were websites where you could bid on freelancing jobs. A few have merged. The remainder now make you pay to use their sites. There also are job boards that make you pay, which makes me question their credibility. Are they a real job board, or a scammer taking advantage of freelancers?
I did attempt to set up a Fiverr account, but the site made it so unnecessarily complicated to put a service on the site that I left in frustration.
The bidding sites were how I had started my career in 2011, and I was willing to return there temporarily to take on more clients. I am not willing, however, to pay to use the sites. The return on investment is simply too low. Most jobs posted don’t pay well. They’re valuable for the experience, but that’s it. They aren’t reliable, steady income.
Scams Galore
Scam jobs have always existed online, but today it opens you up to spam emails and text messages. I’ve noticed when I’m applying to positions, my spam increases. When I’m not applying, spam email decreases and spam texts stop altogether.
Some scams are more difficult to spot than others. Here are some red flags:
The communication doesn’t refer to you by name. However, the clever scams will refer to you by name, making it sound as if they are responding to your job application.
You’re asked to join a platform or portal where you can work on as many, or as few, gigs as you want.
You’re asked to contact someone on Microsoft Teams to set up an interview.
The company will provide you with a computer, or some other equipment, but you must buy it from an authorized supplier and be reimbursed.
You need to verify your identity when you apply.
Free test jobs.
Any request for bank or tax information.
Harasses you. See example below.
Earlier this year, I applied to a social media position. In the span of 48 hours, I was sent five text messages and four emails. All but the last one asked me to take an interview with their AI program when it was convenient. The program asks questions verbally and applicants respond as if speaking to a real person. The first message came through on a Friday late afternoon. I was ill and had laryngitis so I planned to deal with it on Monday. That is until constant reminders came through, asking me if it was convenient now. How about now? Finally, on Sunday evening, they said I must not be interested so they wouldn’t contact me again. There were two red flags with this position: the persistent messages and interviews are usually conducted during business hours.
The Jobs That Only Exist on Job Boards
Many job postings aren’t real. They’re ghost jobs. A ghost job is defined as a position that either does not exist or the employer does not intend to fill. The purpose of these postings is usually to
collect resumes for hiring at a later time
demonstrate a diverse pool of applicants when the plan is to hire an internal candidate
make the company appear as if it’s growing
There are no official statistics on the number of ghost jobs, according to the federal government.
Ghost jobs are sometimes easy to spot. The postings often are vague or generic. If a company is always hiring, either it has a high turnover rate or those are ghost jobs.
Did a Robot Write That?
Artificial intelligence gets a bad rap for replacing writers, but a good portion of freelance writer, journalistic and editor positions involve neither writing, editing or journalism. They involve:
Training, testing and refining AI-generated content to align with established creative guidelines
Giving AI chatbots writing and editing tasks and evaluating their outputs
Those descriptions came from LinkedIn job postings. Many of these companies, while legitimate, have questionable business practices.
The moral of the story is that while I’ve been at this for 15 years, in many ways, I feel I’m back at the beginning. If you’re searching for a news writer, copy editor, proofreader, or social media content creator, let’s talk. You can contact me via LinkedIn.