I get that sometimes starting out people don't know. What astounds me is the number of people who take advice and then won't act on it.

I agree – finding the job boards isn't tough. There's more to it, but if a writer can't manage the simple job board search, there's a much more serious issue.

I have several posts on my blog blasting Freelance Work Exchange and GoFreelance.com, so I often get people commenting or writing to me, asking where they can get real leads. It never ceases to amaze me. How do you NOT know how to find online job boards, at the very least, in this day and age? Craigslist might not be your best source for jobs, but still, you'd have to be living under a rock not to know about it.

Joseph, may I adopt you? Seriously, the "You suck as a writer, you know. Quit!" is just hilarious! I don't know that I could tell someone that, but I would suggest to the less "adept" ones that they take basic writing and grammar courses. I have. I'm sure I've insulted, but they did ask.

Diana, good point. You can build a career in some very creative ways, and some ways that are just plain easy and smart.

Anne, I'd hire you in a heartbeat. 🙂 Sounds to me like you've had one smart person who valued the career enough to get appropriate help. Good for that person!

Ashley, she WOULD be – heck, she IS fantastic. 🙂

Thanks for your inquiry. "I charge $125 an hour to coach with a 3 hour minimum – would you prefer to pay via Paypal or a check?"

I've had one person pay 😉 The rest are off harassing someone else.

This ain't a list of ready-to-go big-paying assignments. It tells you exactly what to do to get assignments.

I call the process telephoning. Google calls it cold calling.

Whatever you call it, it works. And it is not sleezy or unpleasant if you do it right.

Diana