How I Find Staff Writing Jobs

The other week I received an email asking how I find and land staff writing jobs.

In general, my rule is that if one person is asking the question, there are a dozen more wondering the same thing. So I thought I would answer in a post!

Staff writing is one of my favorite kinds of freelance writing, and there’s so much of it out there. You can be hired as a weekly or monthly contributor. Some websites, online magazines, or blogs just want to have a pool of writers that they can tap for occasional articles.

Even if your business is not a writing business — for example, you’re a photographer or a WordPress developer — staff writing work can still be a great idea. Why? It’s gives you exposure, helps people find your website, and establishes you as an authority in your niche.

No matter what field you’re in or what type of business you’re growing, working as a staff writer can help increase your exposure and build your authority. But where do you find the work?

Where I Find Staff Writing Jobs

I’ve had good luck contacting editors or website owners directly. It’s best to pitch to websites that you already know and frequent because you’re more likely to understand the type of content they like.

To find new markets, I usually go through the following process:

Search “[niche] + write for us” online — for example, “photography + write for us.”
Pick out the results that look most reputable (and that offer good exposure)
Study the website to learn about their audience and the type of pieces they publish
Send the editor or owner a pitch. I include a brief introduction and offer two or three ideas that I’d like to write on.

Sometimes this results in just a post or two, but sometimes it turns into regular work.

If you’re still new to staff writing and nervous about going straight to the source, there are also plenty of job boards and websites out there. Try checking Freelance Writing Gigs, ProBlogger, and All Indie Writers. You can also look at my post on legit places to find freelance work for a few more ideas.

What about Craigslist? You can definitely find work there (I’ve done it before) but don’t just apply to everything. A lot of people posting job ads there are looking for someone they can pay $2 for 1000 words on an obscure website. If you use Craigslist to look for work, be very careful and selective about what you apply for.

Tips for Applying to Staff Writing Jobs

When I’m applying to jobs from job boards, there are a few things I always keep in mind:

If there’s a website to look at, look at it! Learning about about the company and showing them that you understand their audience is key to a successful pitch.
Include writing samples.
If there are specific instructions, such as who you are writing to, what to include, or what the subject line should be, FOLLOW THEM.
Link back to your website.
Be positive and friendly.
If you’re applying to a job post, apply the same day that you see it. Most writing jobs have tons of people apply, so an early application that is tailored to the company will really make you stand out.
Apply for things that fit your niche and skills. You’ll be able to position yourself as a much stronger candidate than you would if you applied to everything regardless of whether you’re a good fit or not.

Should You Write for Free?

My take on writing for free is that you should only do it when there’s some other compensation. That could be in the form of experience, links back to your website, authority-building, clips on a well-known platform, or portfolio-building. I did a few pieces for free when I first started out, and then I used them to apply for paying work.

But don’t get stuck writing for free for too long. Unless the website you’re writing for is driving other work your way, get a few samples for your portfolio or website and then put your efforts into finding paid work in your field.