17 Best Job Boards for a New Freelance Writer

Ready to check out the best writing job boards filled with good paying freelance writing jobs?

Making consistent money is probably the number one goal all new freelance writers strive for, right?

You just want to learn how to make money with your words (hint: it’s using job boards as a freelance writer!).

17 Best Job Boards for a New Freelance Writer

I get you. That’s exactly how I started as a freelance writer. No training. No experience.

I had to learn the hard way, make many mistakes and try and try again before I finally figured it out. And while I have a couple of courses that can help you land some consistent work, for today, let’s just focus on where to find a freelance writing work using job boards.

Baby steps, right?

And to make it easier, I’m not going to bother on ALL the ways to land a writing gig; I’m just going to focus on one.

Because one way is so much easier to focus on, take action on and actually get out there and DO IT.

Job Boards for Freelance Writers

  1. Contena
  2. Problogger Job Board
  3. Freelance Writing
  4. BloggingPro
  5. All Freelance Writing
  6. Craigslist Jobs
  7. Specific Job Boards (sports, medical, copywriting etc.)

So, what’s the quickest way to land a freelance writing job? Yes.

Some of the big freelance writers don’t recommend using freelance writing job sites. Why? Well, they feel the quality of projects are low and the pay is low too.

But, I disagree. I’ve told my story numerous times that I got my break with online job boards. It was the BEST thing that happened to me.

Why?

I gained confidence. Before I landed my first freelance writing job, I had an incident that almost made me quit entirely.

At that time I kept thinking that, I’m NOT a writer. I didn’t have a journalism degree. Heck, I’m not even the best writer out there either.

So, when I finally landed my first writing job, boy oh boy, did my confidence shoot through the roof.

From that time, I kept landing more jobs, collaborated with more bloggers and found my profitable niche finally! Writer’s job boards are perfect for new freelancers. They:

  • Have fresh jobs daily, even hourly
  • Usually have a low entry point. In other words, a lot of ads stipulate you don’t need a lot of experience to land that gig
  • You can apply to numerous ads using only one job board

Here are my top picks.

1. Contena

Contena is a job board that curates all jobs online – and not only from other job boards. While this is a paid job board, I like the fact that I have the option to sort through jobs by category, or by niche.

I just don’t have the time to go through all the job boards out there and for a lot of freelance writers, you should spend the bulk of your time on tasks that will result in a positive outcome (landing work). With Contena you can do that.

Another nice feature of using this paid job board over others is Contena Alerts.

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These are alerts that come to you inbox daily. You set the alerts with the criteria you want – like rate or category – and Contena will only give you only those matches.

So, instead of using their platform, they notify you instead! Contena also has Pro Rates which shows you the average rates within an industry (travel writing for instance). This data is taken from actual freelance writers and from company information. So, if you’re new and want to see how much you could make in your niche, Contena Pro Rate can help you figure our your rate.

If you’re interested in signing up to Contena, make sure to check out my review!

2. ProBlogger Job Board

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ProBlogger is one of the free job boards and for a lot of writers, this job board is considered one of the best out there for free job boards.

I used ProBlogger a lot when I first started, but it can be a bit competitive since many bloggers and freelancers know about this job board.

They recently updated it and now you can search by keyword – your niche – to help make it easier to comb through the ads.

If you’re new to freelance writing, definitely go here to see what’s available.

A lot of these writer jobs aren’t high paying, but if all you want is to finally land a job, consider using this freelance writing job board.

Pitching is all in the numbers, so be prepared to pitch multiple times a day on this job board (or any job board) to land a gig.

My suggestion is to try to pitch 10 times a day for 10 days. If this doesn’t result in writing gig jobs, then repeat the process until it does!

3. Freelance Writing

Freelance Writing job board was the writer job board I used to land my first gig. What’s great about this free job board is that they have many job sources all in one place (Craigslist, Indeed etc…)

With freelance writer job boards you can click on a job source and only look at jobs on that platform. Or, you can just see what the listings are for the day from the Freelance Writing platform. You’ll find part time content writer jobs easily on this platform.

You can filter results by using a keyword or you can see what’s available by date. I like this job board because it does grab sources from Craigslist and other job sites, saving you time when you are pitching.

4. BloggingPro

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BloggingPro is a one of the free freelancer job boards that sorts jobs via type – Freelance, Internship, Contract, Part Time or Temporary – so when looking through the listings, make sure it says “freelance”or the location says “anywhere”.

I personally haven’t landed a gig on this platform, but I know other established writers have sworn by this site. As the name implies, you’ll probably find a lot of blogging type gigs, but that’s not to say you won’t find other types like blog management or copywriting.

5. All Freelance Writers

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All Freelance Writers (this was originally called All Indi Writers Job Board) is a great blog for freelance writing tips and good gig writing jobs. There’s a freelance marketplace to see what publications pay as well as a freelance writing job board (a remote job board) that curates writing job listings from multiple places including Craigslist.

There are even part time writing job ads too!

Jennifer, the owner, offers the pay range in the short description. This saves a lot of time and helps you sort through jobs based on price. This job board is free and you can even sign up to the RSS feed to be alerted of when new postings occur.

Are There Specific Free Freelance Job Boards?

What about Craigslist’s job board?

You can use Craiglist to find writing gigs. I suggest you look at the San Francisco Craigslist and the New York City (NYC) Craigslist to find legit writing jobs.

You may not find the BEST writing gigs here but it’s worth a look!

You might be wondering if there are job boards for freelance sports writing or creative writing job boards for copywriting or editing writing and more.

Let’s look at some best freelance writing job websites you can start using today that are easy to use.

Job Boards for Freelance Sports Writing

If you love sports, why not write about them? There are plenty of sports writing jobs for you.

Here are some freelance writing resources and other places you can use for sports writing:

Creative Writing Gig Job Boards

For copywriters, check out these copywriting job boards:

Writing Editing Job Boards

If freelance editing is your thing, check out these freelance job sites and writers job boards:

Medical Writing Job Boards for Freelancing

If you want to do health writing or medical writing, check out these great writing job boards and places out.

  • Contena – Is Contena free? No, it’s not but this writing job board has a large section for health and medical writing jobs and is worth it
  • Healthy Place
  • Discover

Best Freelance Writing Job Boards for The New Writer

There are a lot of job boards for writers out there. Some of them are paid, like Contena, while others are free, like ProBlogger. As a new writer, spend most of your time trying to land work. This means pitching to job boards every day. Good luck!

If you’re not new, tell me which job board helped you land your first gig 🙂

Hi I'm Elna and I'm a freelance writer and mom blogger. I help people just like you become a profitable freelance writer. Within 6 months of starting my freelance writing business from scratch I was able to earn a full-time living as a part-time freelance writer while taking care of my twin toddlers. Check out my free email course Get Paid to Write Online and learn the steps you need to take to be a freelance writer.

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82 Comments

I appreciate you creating this post! Wish me luck as I try some of these suggestions out!Reply to Chynna
Thank you Elna, for such a wonderful helpful blog. I’m fortunate to have seen your pin on Pinterest and not to just scroll right by it. I hadn’t expected a true wealth of helpful information that I can apply as a beginner copywriter.Reply to Pamela
Hi Pamela, Thanks so much! Glad you found me on Pinterest ๐Ÿ™‚Reply to Elna
Greetings Elna. Thank you so much for your very significant information about writing jobs. I am praying for your constant pieces of information and I am looking forward to your inspirational notes for writers. Wishing you the best of luck and prayers for your family and your little guard, Sucks.Reply to Lilia
This was super helpful! I landed my first freelance writing gig (that I am still doing monthly) via Twitter. But I have been using ProBlogger and Freelancer.com to try and find more jobs! I cannot afford to do Contena (yet). But I am also trying to ultize Twitter and Linkedin more too! ๐Ÿ™‚Reply to Aaron
Hi Elna, I just finished setting up my writing portfolio, so this information will be extremely helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this information!Reply to Rodney
Hey Rodney, That’s wonderful to hear! Good luck finding writing jobs!Reply to Elna
Love, Love this! And how on earth did you make all of this with two toddlers? I have one and between housework and her I am struggling to find time to write. Kudos to you for figuring it out. I’m your new biggest fan. Oh, and my first job was actually on Upwork, someone I knew had been on there and told me to try. BUT I actually now work on a few boards, so I try and keep steady work. I’m working on upping my game while writing quicker, I’m still a bit rusty, so these low-paying jobs are actually good practice for me. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the info! I’ll be exploring more on your site.Reply to Cecilia
Hello! Thank you so much for this! I’m a student in need of a job for survival! Thank youuuu! Hope you’re doing okay!Reply to Keren
Hi Keren, You’re welcome! Good luck in finding jobs on these best job boards!Reply to Elna
Hi Elna, Your site is fantastically helpful! I’ve been mulling over the idea of becoming a freelance writer. My niche being Nonduality, Consciousness and Spirituality. I’ve written 1 article so far (lol) but I have a whole bunch of ideas. I think I’ll submit some as a guest writer and see what reaction I get, as I have no idea if I have any talent for this! I’ll also add a blog page to my website, as per your advice. Wonderful! Feeling inspired! Thank you!Reply to David
Hey David, Thanks for coming over and I’m happy that you enjoyed my blogs ๐Ÿ™‚ Yes, being a freelance writer is awesome and it can help you make money much more quickly than blogging! I should know since I have done both and I made money easily and quickly with freelance writing and it took almost a year to make that much as a freelance writer! Good luck!Reply to Elna
I found this article a while ago and discovered ProBlogger. Just coming back here now to say I’m grateful for this tip. It made me land a few valuable gigs ๐Ÿ™‚Reply to Giovanna
Hi Giovanna, Glad you enjoyed this post about job boards for freelance writers! Good luck finding some writing jobs!Reply to Elna
Hi Elna, Too many things bother me: I am a school teacher and also a musician. I have also done a course on social media marketing. I am confused about the niche to pick. I am not tech savvy and I wonder if I can be a good writer (though I have a flair for writing).Reply to Dominic
Hi Dominic, If you are interested in being a freelance writer you can leverage your job experience and your interests. So from your comment, you might do well with the music industry or education industry and even in digital marketing specializing in social media marketing. I hope this helps!Reply to Elna
Very helpful info Elna! I’ll definitely take your advice and hopefully land myself freelance jobs. Take care!Reply to Bernard
Hi Bernard, That’s great to hear! Good luck using job boards!Reply to Elna
Hi Elna, This article was super helpful! I’m a college student looking to start freelance writing to make some side change. I have several journalistic and academic writing samples, but no real experience with SEO writing. How would you recommend developing a portfolio, especially when many jobs require one to apply? Also, what are your feelings on sites like iWriter over more focused jobs?Reply to Annie
Hi Annie, I do dive into that topic in my paid courses but essentially you need writing samples and you can use your blog to host your samples (that’s your portfolio) or you can use a portfolio site. I do have a Youtube video on that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOmTsC8pkbkReply to Elna
Iโ€™m a new mom of twins so Iโ€™m SO glad that I found your blog. Iโ€™m so excited to try my hand at this so I can stay home with my littles and still contribute financially. ๐Ÿ’–Reply to Destiny
Hi Destiny, Congrats on your twins! How fun and what a blessing! That’s awesome you want to do some freelance writing on the side! It’s a great side hustle for moms! Enjoy learning about freelance writing!Reply to Elna
Hi Elna, Iโ€™ve been working for a construction company in the office for over 5 years ,and recently Iโ€™ve started writing all their blogs for their site, and thatโ€™s probably going to become my niche since Iโ€™m knowledgeable in the subject but I have a question my blog is very personal about my hardships in life , itโ€™s definitely a story-teller and a life worth sharing in my short 30 years. I want to began writing though as a career. Iโ€™m new to all the freelance, copywriting etc. I have been going through your blogs and they are exceptional. One thing you mentioned is to share your blog on your page, your site, everywhere. Do you think it would help to connect my blog or should I hide it from all things work related even though shows a writing ability to capture different expressions?Reply to Jessica
Hi Jessica, That is a tough question. In the beginning it is a good idea to share your blog everywhere, but only if it’s relevant. If your blog is personal, it may not lend well to freelance writing. Business owners seem to have a hard time looking at story telling prose and transferring that to freelance writing or copywriting. So my suggestion is to have some samples that are in your niche (a portfolio page) and then it might be alright to share your blog at that time!Reply to Elna
Hi Elna, Ever since I met you online you’ve been a source inspiration to me. I’m a newbie who wants to go into freelance writing and a lot of your write-ups have dispelled my reservations considerably. But may I know one thing. When you started your freelance writing, did you have any niche you specialised in or did you start out nicheless until you found your focus?Reply to Asakilolote
Hi! Thanks for coming over and wanting to know the best job boards! As for your questions, I do talk about my story on how I figured out my writing niche here: https://elnacain.com/blog/figuring-out-writing-niche/Reply to Elna
Thank you so much for you continued information on freelance writing. I will check out the job boards.Reply to Sandra
This is a help for me as I am just starting to creating my own blog.Reply to Mary
Hi Mary Jane! So happy to hear this! Glad you enjoyed the best job boards to help you find your first client!Reply to Elna
Hi, Elna! I hope you’re safe and healthy during this time. I’ve been following your blog for a year now and really appreciate how you’ve got a post for any question that crosses my mind. This year, I’m aiming to make a solid income from freelancing as a science writer and I’m in the process of finding a gig. Do you happen to know if non-US/non-American citizens classify for jobs listed on the job boards you’ve mentioned? In your opinion, how reluctant are American employers when it comes to hiring writers from the other side of the world? Thank you so much for your insight!Reply to Mifrah
Hi! That’s cool you want to be a science writer! Make sure to look into medical writing topics too! As for finding writing jobs on job boards I’m not sure. I’m in Canada and I had no problem landing clients in Tel Aviv, UK, US and more!Reply to Elna
Dear Elna I’m interested in starting a blog but don’t know where to start . I have a background in Federal gov. but can’t talk about it , also I’m trying to supplement my disability income can you make any suggestions? Dean CollierReply to DEAN
Hey Dean, You can check out my blog post on how to start a blog and go from there! Once you start your blog, you can add affiliate marketing or sponsored posts on that blog or offer a service like do!Reply to Elna
Elna. Thanks for sharing. I am a retired communications professional who will follow your advice and start my freelance writing career. I will soon share my success with you! YolandaReply to Yolanda
Hi Yolanda! That’s great to hear! I can’t wait to hear about your success!Reply to Elna
Hi Elna, I had a look through your suggestions, I specified food in my search but the jobs on offer were not right for me. I am a retired international executive chef and I have written for many previous employers for their advertising sites and in house literature, However, I have no articles published in magazines etc. Any tips, advice on being a remote freelancer? I enjoyed your site and it was very easy to navigate, and I think the letters are an excellent idea so you may follow up. Thanks.Reply to Nick
Hi Nick, You might do better with finding food magazines to write for, epubs to write for and doing some cold pitching and finding businesses in the food industry. If you need more help, my course Write Your Way to Your First $1k can help you!Reply to Elna
Hey Elna, Coming across this is a blessing; thanks for the tips. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it ๐Ÿ™‚Reply to Uchenna
Hi Uchenna, You’re welcome! Glad you found the best job boards for you!Reply to Elna
The difficulty I have pitching is the number of sites that want a lot of information e.g. various links, a cover letter, resume, etc. It’s certainly time-consuming.Reply to Andy
Hey Andy! Personally, I wouldn’t pitch to job ads that want all of that. That, to me, looks like you are being hired as an employee! You’re not an employee; you’re a collaborator! So, look elsewhere!Reply to Elna
Elna, As a new freelance copywriter, with not a paid gig to show for myself so far, I appreciate the effort and empathy you have put into these instructional blogs encouraging people like me to make like Nike and just do it. I have made it my goal for today to secure some -any – form of paid gig I can. There seems to be a lot of symbolism wrapped up in that act.Reply to Kelly
Hey Kelly! Don’t give up ๐Ÿ™‚ You have to show up to make it and that means hustling every day when you are a beginner freelance writer. Pitch every day, multiple times a day and you will succeed!Reply to Elna
Thanks for the great article, as always every article of you make me learn something I didn’t hear about before, for the last 3 weeks I’ve been reading your posts non-stop. what I most like about your blog is even though it contains a lot of information and value it doesn’t overwhelm beginners, each post give you a little something and actionable step without making you feeling stuck I want to add I saw some reddit groups that post jobs like HireaWriter I didn’t try them personally but it may help others ๐Ÿ™‚Reply to Nibel
Hi Nibel! Thanks so much! I’m so happy you are enjoying my freelance writing job posts! That’s a great tip about the reddit group! Thanks so much!Reply to Elna
Hi Elna, Great article as usual. Thank you for always making everything fairly easy to comprehend. I am new to freelance writing and I have jitters about submitting a pitch. When submitting a pitch will I need to use a source to write the article? I have some samples I am working on, but the company has a mandatory Article Reference section. I did not use any outside sources to write my pitches. Would you recommend that all pitches include sources? Thank youReply to Bonnetta
Hi Bonnetta! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my content and it’s helping you become a freelance writer. As for your pitch, not all samples need sources but they generally should have outside sources. You are providing a helpful article as a sample or helpful newsletter or white article. These have sources. So maybe take some time to add those in ๐Ÿ™‚Reply to Elna
Hi Elna I don’t know what it is, or what it wasn’t before, as I have looked at countless “how to” introductions to Freelance Writing, but this is the first time I feel the “YES” factor, and am excited to give this a try. I never trusted Job Boards from all the negative feedback I have come across, but it makes sense to cut your Freelance “writing teeth” on them, whilst learning how to pitch and market yourself as your grow in confidence. I am so glad I came across you (or you came across me) as this is exactly what I need to get me off and away. Thank you so much!Reply to Katharina
Hey Katharina! I’m so happy you found this post helpful and it resonated with you to take action! That’s what I strive every time I write a blog post to help freelance writers!Reply to Elna
Hi Elna! May I request? Can you suggest a the best part time job as a writer(the job that has no schedule).Because I am a student and I cannot estimate where is the time I should work. Thank you very much in advance Elna!.Reply to Jayson
Hi Jayson! Usually when you pick up a client you or they give you the piece (or you pitch topics) and then set a deadline. Most people chose 5-7 days for one post or one project. So you can work on it whenever you want and just make sure you submit it at or slightly before deadline ๐Ÿ™‚Reply to Elna
Hi Elna. I was checking out some of this boards and many of them where asking for a long resume. Since I am kind of new in the freelance arena I would like to know the easiest way of star getting a new portafolio. Maybe you can advice some tips or jobs stereotypes to beging with. Thanks in advance.Reply to Julian
Hi Julian, I typically don’t give out a resume to freelance gigs. Resume’s denotes employee and I’m NOT an employee; I’m a collaborator! So give them your portfolio page on your writer website instead! If you need help setting that out I have a great course called Writer Website in a Weekend! https://courses.profitablecreative.com/p/wwiwReply to Elna
Elna, This is really good advice! Iโ€™ve been considering creating a resume for myself lately because so many job board gigs are asking for them. Youโ€™re right, though. Iโ€™m not applying for a job, Iโ€™m proposing a collaboration. Thanks for this! Iโ€™d also like to know how many times do you recommend I should send out each day?Reply to Lyric
Hey Lyric, Yes, it’s all in the mindset! As for pitches, if possible send out 10 a day for a set time!Reply to Elna
Noted. Thank you!
Hi Elna! Thanks so much for providing such amazing advice and support for us frightened newcomers! Maybe this is common knowledge, maybe it isn’t, but do you recommend getting some business insurance in case something goes wrong? I’ve met a few ghostwriter bloggers who recommend this step, and I was wondering if you do too.Reply to Stephanie
Hi Stephanie, You can get liability and media insurance for your sole proprietorship too if you’re concerned which I hear is very affordable in the States. This is all just my opinion and experience, so it’s good to double check with your accountant too!Reply to Elna