If you’ve been keeping up with the Quick and Dirty Guide to Landing Freelance Writing Jobs, Parts 1 and 2 you’ll remember that part 2 was so big I decided to split it in half. Here are the rest of the tips for finding and landing freelance writing jobs.

Make Friends

Are you going to industry events in your specialty? Or, if you chose the hard road (like I have) and decided to remain a generalist, do you at least attend local networking mixers? Do you use social networking sites? Well, my friend, if you don’t do these things, it’s time to get started.

Create accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and, just like with your portfolio website, show a little personality but keep them classy. Feel free to promote that snazzy new post on your blog or that website content you just rewrote, but keep self promotion in proportion to your other posts.

A good rule of thumb is to have 10 non-promotional posts to every self-promotional post. This may work out differently on websites like LinkedIn which seem to want you to focus more on your career goals than what you had for dinner, so it’s worth it to get to know the site before you start participating at full steam.

Remember, just like in life, with networking and social networking, you get back what you give. My favorite activity in face-to-face networking is helping others make connections. For some reason, I always meet people who need graphic design at networking events. I know a fabulous design team so I send those people their way. It may not seem like I’ve helped myself very much, but I’ve sent the design team business and I’ve helped a new acquaintance get something she needs. Who do you think she’s going to think of the next time she does need a writer? The same rules apply to social networking.

Also, choose a few key people or role models in your industry and make sure you read their blogs religiously. If you have something valuable to add to the conversation, go right ahead. Just because you are a new freelancer doesn’t mean you are a newborn baby.

Though this should not be your primary motivation in networking with other writers, your fellow freelancers can also be a wonderful source of new jobs. Again, this means making them aware of your skills or specialty and the type of work you are actively pursuing.

Finally, don’t just hang around other writers, go to the blogs and forums where the clients hang out. Establish yourself as an expert at what you do, and get ready for people to ask you about your services!

Create Your Own Job

Have you ever stumbled on a website and found the content outdated or riddled with typos? Or perhaps you have looked up an interesting business only to find they have an abandoned blog on their website. Can you rectify these sad scenarios? If so, ready your portfolio and send an email or (gulp!) make a call to the owner of the business or site. They may have no idea that their untrustworthy website is costing them business or that there are writers available to take over the blog they simply had no time to maintain.

Make Extra Money Writing for Sites like Demand Studios

Sites like Demand Studios, Constant Content and Textbroker offer writers money for articles. Content sites like these have lower barriers to entry than freelance writing jobs with individual or business clients, but they also make up for that with lower pay. Your income should not rely on sites like Demand Studios, but you can make extra money or make up for a dry spell by writing content there. If possible, try to write within your specialty and build your platform while writing for content sites like the ones listed above.

If All Else Fails, Try Bid Sites

Even though I got my start on a bid site, I do not recommend them for new freelance writers unless all else fails. I do not think that professionals should have to pay money to find work. Plus, a system that often rewards the lowest bidder is stacked in favor of the buyer and not the seller. Think of using bid sites as going to a casino. Sure, you will rake in enough chips (i.e. small jobs) to keep you at the table, but the House always wins in the end.

If you decide to use bid sites like eLance, oDesk or Bizreef, make sure you are sticking to your guns on pricing and don’t be led down the rabbit hole of low bidding. Many clients on bid sites really do want the best freelancer they can find, so keep your unique selling proposition (USP) in mind when you bid and make sure you show that potential client why you stand out above all the low bidders.