7 (Legit) Places to Find Freelance Work Online

If you’re a freelancer, finding work can be daunting.

Let me rephrase that:

If you’re a freelancer, finding well-paying work where your skills are valued can seem impossible.

There are plenty of sites out there, with plenty of people willing to pay you pennies for your work. (And for those of us who write short fiction… it’s even worse…) Places like Fiverr, Craigslist, oDesk, and Elance are a race to the bottom. And you are so definitely worth more than that.

So where can you actually find clients who value you and their businesses enough to pay for your skills?

1. Freelance Writing Jobs – Okay, yes, a lot of the jobs consolidated on this site come from Craigslist, which I just warned you away from. But FWJ has two distinct benefits over just trawling Craigslist on your own. First, they pull job posts from all over the world, which provides you with great telecommuting opportunities. And second, they do a pretty good job of weeding out the definite scammers. Just be sure to approach each posting carefully and remember not to get suckered into working for $0.50 an hour.
2. People Per Hour – Similar in set-up to sites like oDesk, PPH lets freelancers bid on jobs. But most posters will include a budget, which allows you to easily figure out if the work is worth your time or not. Yes, some people will still try to lowball you. But a lot of them are looking for skilled freelancers and are willing to pay what it takes to get that.
3. 100+ Websites That Pay Writers – Carol Tice of Make a Living Writing put together this amazing list. Total, there are about 150 websites on it that pay writers $50 or more per post. They cover dozens of topics, so regardless of whether you’re a writer or not, consider checking some of them out. If one falls into the same niche as your business, writing for it can be a great way to promote your new business and create more of a web presence.
4. FlexJobs – You may have seen this site featured on CNN, The Today Show, and NBC. Some of the jobs they offer are genuinely freelance, some are salaried telecommuting positions. Just specify which type you want to look for when you search.
5. MediaBistro – The jobs listed here fall into the arts/media/PR/marketing niches. Check out the freelance section of their job board, or sign up for their MediaJobsDaily newsletter.
6. LinkedIn – If you’re not already using LinkedIn as a networking site, you should. Update your profile, join some relevant groups, and get involved in discussions, and you might just find potential clients approaching you instead of the other way around. You can also sign up for job alerts in your niche. Even if they say full-time, don’t be afraid to approach them and ask if they’ve considered hiring a freelancer. The worst anyone can say is no.
7. Google – Yes, Google. Not so you can search for “find a freelance job” and get stuck back at Demand Studios. Use it to find companies in your niche and see where they might benefit from your expertise. And this doesn’t even have to involve cold-calling; you can use social media to warm them up before approaching them to offer your freelance services.

What other places do you like to look for freelance work?

If you have any tips, share them in the comments!