How many times have you checked out a job board to that either it no longer exists or that there is one or two jobs listed. Out of the hundreds of job boards on the Web today, how do you find those containing projects that you are interested in and qualified for.

I have recently surveyed over 300 freelance web sites and these are the best boards for freelance writers. The benchmark that I used for judging the board was the number of legitimate projects (as opposed to "business opportunities" ) and requests for submission being posted every month. I have only included ones posting 30 projects or more a month

The very best

I picked Guru This huge all-inclusive board connects independent professionals (a.k.a. "gurus") with contract projects. If you are new to independent consulting, check out the Run Your Biz section, which includes a "Getting Started" column, where you can leave a question to be answered by experts. Lots of other useful information (e.g. tax and finance, legal, etc.) for contractors. Find a contracting job ("gig") searching by field (creative/media, finance and legal, etc.), keyword, and geography.. Recently, it acquired IT Moonlighter , another with lots of freelance jobs. Whatever, Guru is probably the largest freelance marketplace on the Web. Over 3,300 projects posted last month.

What makes Guru.com stand out from is the number and variety of projects listed and the easiness of accessing the job. Unlike the others, Guru sends daily email alerts of writing gigs that match your profile.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 207

Type of projects: Everything and anything, many articles, ghostwriting, editing, copyright, some onsite, some technical. Has the best all around listing of freelance writing gigs.

Other good freelance writing sites

AllFreelanceWork. Its sister site AllFreelance is my number one site for articles about freelancing and freelance resources.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 10

Type of projects: Technical and business writing

Contracted Work A freelance site that has grown in great leaps and bounds. You can do a search and find a great number of projects. There is a monthly fee in order to search for projects, but it might be worth checking out. I personally found that I was not finding enough leads for the type of writing I do to be worth the fee.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 50-74

Type of projects: Openings tends more to web content, copywriting, and sales and marketing

Elance. I was actively involved in bidding on this site for a year. However, I did not get my money's worth. It is geared towards business and technical writing.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 130+

Type of projects: little bit of everything: articles, ghostwriting, e-books, web content, technical. Lots of editing and proofreading jobs too

Freelance Work Exchange Non-Auction freelance site. The Freelance Work Exchange has listings for writers, designers, consultants, programmers. Yes ... it does cost to join; however, there is $3.00 7-day trial memberships so you can test it to see if it will get you work! Highly recommended. Freelance Work Exchange is a solid, reliable freelance site, but in order to search jobs it will cost you a monthly fee.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 30-40

Type of projects: little bit of everything: calls for articles, ghostwriting, e-books, web content, technical. Geared more towards general writing markets, as opposed to corporate-style stuff.

Freelance Writing This is the ultimate job board for freelance writers. Contest, blogs, forums, resources. Everything.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 40

Type of projects: Calls for articles, copywriting, E-books, research papers, ghostwriting,

Independent Homeworkers Alliance -- touts itself as the "largest provider of legitimate home-based jobs on the Internet." Offers a search engine for at-home jobs, as well as numerous resources. $29.95 a month Subscription

Number of writing projects posted every month: 70

Type of projects: calls for submissions of articles, scripts, e-books, some sales and marketing, not much technical writing.

Sologigs With over 20,000 projects for freelancers, Sologig has a lot to offer. You need to register to get access to all the projects, with the higher levels of membership securing you a higher profile in the exchange. Most of the freelance writing jobs were onsite technical/business writing.

Number of writing projects posted every month: Estimate 100+ projects posted every month. To see the exact number, you have to register. A Bronze membership with $78.75 prepaid for three months

Type of projects: geared heavily towards onsite technical writing gigs

Telecommuting Jobs -- where job seekers can view several hundred telecommuting/offsite jobs posted directly by employers, as well as thousands of jobs posted to other major job sites. Searching is free, but there is a small fee to post your resume. Telecommuting Jobs Telecommute jobs for Writers, Programmers, Artists, etc. Links to additional sites to continue the search for that which is so hard to find - a good paying, mid-term telecommute contract. Good deal for the $10/yr registration fee required.

Number of writing projects posted every month: 80

Type of projects: Wide variety of projects: article wanted, research papers, journalism, copywriting, not much technical

Workhome.com Welcome to Workhome.com a resource for work at home jobs for your small office or home business. We provide job posting for work at home jobs and advertising to work at home businesses. Posting on work home jobs is free and you may contact our work at home providers by visiting the profile page and clicking email professional

Number of writing projects posted every month: 20-30

Type of projects: Wide variety of projects: articles, web content, sales and marketing, technical

A word to the wise

Be selective about what types of projects that you bid for. There is a lot of competition out there, so do not waste your time with projects that you are not qualified for or do not interest you. If you are spending more than an hour a day responding to leads from the job boards, then you may need to redefine your niche. Don't try to be all things to all people. In addition, remember that, in order to be a successful freelance writer, you should not be using the boards as your only way of finding projects. You should also be out there networking with other writer, setting up your own website, and researching writing opportunities in your own community. In the end, these strategies will net your more work than limiting yourself to working the job boards.

About The Author Janet K. Ilacqua is a freelance writer based in Tracy, California. She specializes in academic writing and ghostwriting of books and manuals for individuals and small businesses. For more information about her services, check her website at http://www.writeupondemand.com. jilacqua@aol.com

This article was posted on October 03, 2004