Many people dream of making it as a freelance writer.
And it’s easy to see why. The perks are pretty amazing.
Being able to work from your laptop by the beach. Not having to wake up early and sit in traffic, or deal with annoying customers.
It all sounds pretty great, but unfortunately, a lot of scammers like to take advantage of that by preying on these dreamers.
These are some red flags to watch out for, so you can stay safe out there.
Random emails
Many newbie freelancers dream of the day when clients will reach out to them.
But you should always be cautious when it comes to random emails.
That doesn’t mean every random email is going to be a scam though. Here’s how you can tell which ones are legitimate.
Check who the sender is. Did they find you through your online portfolio or a mutual friend? If not, then that’s a bit suspicious.
Check what time they sent it too. If the email was sent outside of standard 9-5 business hours, that’s another warning sign, unless they live in a different time zone.
Lastly, check for any spelling or grammar errors and look for a professional email footer, with a company name or logo and contact info.
A legitimate email will have a professional footer and be free of errors.
Money matters
This could potentially go one of two ways.
If someone’s offering you a crazy huge paycheck, then it’s probably too good to be true.
Although it is true that top freelancers can earn six figures a year or more, it’s unlikely to happen with gigs obtained through random emails or ads.
On the other hand, though, be wary of any client that acts shady when it comes to rates.
If they’re refusing to discuss rates until after you’ve submitted your first assignment, or saying that your paycheck will depend on how many views or likes your article gets, then that’s a bad sign.
Their website and online presence
Any legitimate client is going to have a fully-functioning website and a strong social media presence.
They should be on LinkedIn and have either a Twitter account or a Facebook page, at the bare minimum.
Make sure to Google them to see if the company has a physical address.
Navigating requests for samples
Lastly, no one should ever be asking you to write articles on spec (i.e., for free) as part of the application process.
This can be tricky to navigate. Though you may provide a portfolio and previous work as part of your application, a potential client may still want to gauge your raw talent (i.e., copy that hasn't been published/potentially touched by an editor).
You'll need to decide for yourself what you're willing to do, but a request for anything over 200 words should be treated with suspicion. If the client insists, you can attempt to negotiate a payout for a sample article, or propose an alternative demonstration of your raw abilities.
Both new and established freelance writers can fall victim to scams at some point, unfortunately.
There's no need to feel ashamed, but with some of the pointers above, hopefully you feel more confident in spotting and avoiding illegitimate writing gigs in the future.
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Dave Polykoff
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