Be a Freelance Writer: Jobs and Benefits of Working Online

Freelance writing is a viable option for home-based workers.

Many freelancers, particularly self-employed writers, use information and communication technologies (ICTs) like the Internet and mobile phones to look for online work that they can do at home. What jobs are available online and what benefits does working online have? 

Options for Freelance and Virtual Writers

Finding a writing job in cyberspace may seem an easy feat. Yet, real and professional writers do recognize that it takes a lot of hard work, patience, and perseverance to secure a good online writing gig. 

According to Julia Derby of my-home-business-ideas.com, freelance writers can work in the following fields:

• Business Writing (e.g., corporate newsletters, manuals, reports, and other marketing materials)
• Web Writing (e.g., site contents in the form of articles, e-zines, and the like)
• Copy Writing (e.g., advertisements, sales paraphernalia, and press releases)
• Critical Writing (e.g., product, book, and film reviews published either online or offline)
•  Journalistic Writing (e.g., print and Internet publication in “magazines, journals and newspapers”)
•  Technical Writing – (e.g., data entry of field-specific “manuals, instructions and documentation”)

Another field is creative writing like poems, fictive stories, slogan making, and song composition. There are also academic writing sites that cater to busy, if not lazy, students. 

Benefits of Doing Freelance Online Jobs at Home

Notwithstanding economic instability and other issues, having an online job is cost-effective and provides freelancers flexibility with the use of their time, according to PRLog.org (2010). It reduces fare expenses, resulting in some saved money. This amount can be used to pay for utilities and other expenses.

Likewise, depending on the nature of their online job, freelancers are given the privilege to choose what time they want to work. This situation allows them to deal with other personal concerns, including running errands and pursuing other interests.

In “Work at Home Jobs for Moms – Are There Benefits?”, Karl Dieterich (n.d.) cites “control and growth” as advantages that home-based online freelancers enjoy: “Being your own boss really pays off in this regard since you get to make the decisions about your company. If you have new ideas or items to carry, there is no one to stop you.” Furthermore, as graphic designer Mark Hillman shares, being self-employed or having a freelance online job leads to a politics-free environment that makes working less stressful.

PRLog.org also notes the wide range of opportunities that awaits both freelancers and those who would like to augment their income through doing Internet-based jobs. These possibilities include creating a social network with those who have similar interests or who offer useful services and programs.