Welcome to Freelance Writing Jobs, the UK’s best resource for freelance writers.
Freelance Writing Jobs launched on Valentine’s Day 2018. It’s edited by me – Sian Meades-Williams – and every week I curate the best paying calls for pitches, and freelance writing gigs, as well as short contract and part-time roles. FWJ was the first newsletter of its kind and now it helps writers earn over £1 million every year in commissions and writing gigs.
What’s included?
All of the roles in Freelance Writing Jobs are aimed at writers in the UK – you can subscribe from anywhere in the world but you’re more likely to find a nature writing gig in the Scottish Highlands than you are a call for fashion pitches from the NYT. In fact, if I can go hyperlocal and niche, I will.
I don’t just cover calls for pitches, I list journalism and copywriting gigs, part-time roles, submissions for poems and short stories, as well as potential book and screenwriting opportunities.
I share details of bursaries, residencies and funding - basically anything that will have a positive impact on your finances as a freelance writer. Not all freelance writing jobs are created equal, so of course I don’t share everything I find – only the good stuff.
Every role I feature is paid, and I have a payment threshold that I won’t go below. If you’re a company getting in touch about a freelance gig, I will push back if it’s not paying enough.
I cover a huge amount of ground and my list is wonderfully varied, but I don’t feature technical, UX or medical writing roles – they’re just not my beat and I don’t know enough about them to ensure I’m sharing the best that’s out there. I also don’t feature internships.
Paid Membership
There will always be a free version of Freelance Writing Jobs! However, the newsletter is only made possible by its paying members. Paid membership is just £5 a month (or £55 yearly). It’s tax deductible, too.
The paid version of the weekly newsletter allows subscribers access to the email 24 hours in advance, so you get early access to editors looking for pitches and the pick of the jobs you want.
Paying subscribers will also receive the Monthly Round-up – a curated list of creative opportunities with upcoming deadlines that month. It includes prizes, residencies, bursaries and financial awards – all the good stuff that can transform writing careers. This lands on the third Sunday of each month, so you have time to write, edit and apply for the things you want before the approaching deadlines. Please note that I don’t send this issue in December, there’s just not enough wrapping up at this time and by then everyone is distracted by hot apple cider and tinsel.
I also send monthly interviews with commissioning editors and industry leaders who regularly hire freelancers.
You’ll also get recordings of my most recent online events and workshops, and first dibs on tickets for future sessions.
Pay it forward
If you want to offer your support to underrepresent writers and freelancers on a low income, you can pay it forward by taking out a Founding Membership. This option costs £100 and as well as giving you newsletter membership for one year, you’ll also pay for an annual subscription for another writer who needs it.
Schedule
The weekly newsletter usually gets sent on Wednesdays (paying subscribers) and Thursdays (free subscribers). There’s some leeway either side of these days - usually around travel plans when I sometimes send earlier, or after a bank holiday weekend when there’s less time to compile everything. (I remain convinced that bank holidays should be on Fridays.)
The monthly round-up is usually sent on the third Sunday of every month. Most of the deadlines in this issue are month end, so this allows to time to finish editing before submission. The monthly interview usually lands on the first Monday of each month.
I have a copywriter to help cover illness/busy periods and try and give advance notice when I can’t send an issue, but life happens sometimes. Still, allowing for Christmas and a few holidays throughout the year, your subscription covers between 46 and 48 issues per year, depending on which days Christmas falls.
More about me
I’m Sian Meades-Williams, I’m an award-winning freelance writer, writing about travel, food and lifestyle for National Geographic, The Simple Things and Ocado magazine. I was co-founder of the Freelance Writing Awards – the first freelance writing awards in the UK. I write a column in women’s writing magazine Mslexia called The Happy Freelancer.
Alongside feature writing, I’m also a poet and author. My novel-in-progress won the Yeovil Literary Prize. My latest book – The Pyjama Myth: the Freelance Writer’s Survival Guide is out now.
A note about cancelling paid memberships
Please ensure that you have cancelled your payments, not just unsubscribed from the email newsletter – the newsletter can still be read on the app, and you have access to the archive, so it is your responsibility to ensure you cancel fully. I won’t issue refunds in this instance but I am happy to help if there are any issues at all with your subscription.
Get in touch
Got a question that isn’t covered here? Need me to list your call for pitches or freelance gig? Want to advertise in the newsletter? I’d love to hear from you.
