Even if you’ve found great success in finding freelance writing work, you’ll know that finding the work is the most difficult part of the job. Whether you’re just starting out in your freelance career or you are looking for new techniques to secure these kinds of jobs, we encourage you to put these five practices to work and see where it leads you.

Cold Pitching

Job boards and online job postings may seem like the easiest way to apply and land a writing gig but when you look at how many people are applying for the same job, you start to realize your odds aren’t great. To correct these instances, we suggest cold pitching. Know certain outlets or sites you’d like to write for? Find the contact information for an editor and test your luck in sending them an email. This direct line of communication shows initiative and strengthens your chances of getting seen as you’re going directly to the source. Continue looking for job listings online while cold pitching for the best results.

Follow Job Boards on Twitter

Job boards are good for more than just finding open freelance positions. When you follow these job board sites on social media platforms like Twitter, you’ll be alerted to more listings than you may be seeing on their websites. Following these accounts and engaging with their social content can also bring about new relationships and quick access to the hiring managers. Here are a few job boards to follow on Twitter to get you started:

Creating A Website

If you don’t already have a website that advertises yourself and your abilities, it’s time to build one. As scary as that may sound, sites like Squarespace and Wix make building websites seamless and easy. These websites are a great place to display your past work, your skills, your resumé and bio. As writers, portfolios are often best shown off digitally so don’t be afraid to beef up your site with all of your writing achievements. If you’re new to the freelance game and don’t have a portfolio yet, create a blog on your site and show potential employers your writing skills in a real-life setting—it’s a great way to show off your writing voice and strengths.

Offer Free Guest Posts

Ultimately, you want to be paid for every article you write but when you’re trying to get onto sites with large viewerships, you have to start somewhere. Offering editors free guest posts is the best way to get your foot in the door as readers and other employers will now be seeing your name and your work on a highly-trafficked site, leading to future paid opportunities.

Let It Be Known That You Are Looking for Work

If you’re ever-present on social media already, there’s no harm in making it known that you are currently looking for work. If you’ve been on the radar of employers or editors, they’ll now be further inclined to work with you as they know you’re actively looking for work. Getting your writing feelers out into the world will attract other freelance writers as well who may know of open positions or know editors they can connect you with.