As a blanket DIY approach I would suggest getting a few examples of your work together, and using sites such as Craigslist.org and Backpage.com to scour through the available writing positions that specifically mention freelance technical writing.

Having no experience in this particular field, I think that you should avoid websites and services that serve up writing opportunities for career-minded writers. This isn’t to say that you cannot make a career out of technical writing services without experience, it’s just that I think you would have more success finding a small company or individual looking for technical writing services as opposed to a large or established company.

Large companies tend to look at resumes, training and such whereas individuals and small businesses tend to look at your writing ability and are more willing to give you a shot based on your writing samples alone.

I’m running a special on my writing website for 10+ articles (350+ words) at $15 each. In my first response to them I told them, verbatim, “We do not, however, accept requests at this price for articles that have minimum word count requirements beyond 350 words.” They then proceeded to email me back stating they would take the offer if I would provide a minimum of 450 words for that price…

These are the people to avoid. Maybe this person was nice and maybe there was no ill-intent on their end, but people who ask you for more than you’re offering, especially when you lay out your terms clearly – steer clear.

This is the reason I wrote this post today – while it’s not an everyday occurrence for freelance writers, there are freebie seekers out there, and new writers should know this beforehand.

Problematic clients for freelance writers can put a major crimp in your business….