6 Newsletters that are Essential Reading for Freelance Writers
This article is an excerpt from my list of 14 essential and important freelance writing newsletters.
Before I made the jump to freelancing, I spent a lot of time researching and quietly lurking in communities — learning and understanding the tricks of the trade.
Still, there’s no better teacher than experience. Three years in, going freelance is one of the best decisions of my life. Now, I want to help anyone else trying to break into the industry. So, here are 6 newsletters to follow if you’re interested in freelance writing. Copy, content, and pitches — everything’s covered.
Newsletters with opportunities
While cold email outreach might be a great way to get clients, there are plenty of newsletters that tell you when opportunities are open. Here are two you absolutely need to subscribe to:
- Opportunities of the Week, by Sonia Weiser
Sonia shares a whole host of writing-related and adjacent opportunities twice a week. Pitch calls, open roles, and more. It costs a suggested and very modest $3 a month, and if you’re unable to pay, that, you can pay what you afford. There are also sponsored slots if you can’t afford to pay anything.
2. Freelance Job Listings by Amber Petty
When you sign up for Amber’s newsletter, she shares a list of 240+ publications that you can pitch to — all of them pay, of course. I wouldn’t share anything that asks you to write for free. Her weekly newsletter shares a bunch of open writing jobs — both international and US-based. Once again, a lot of those opportunities are or could be remote, so it’s always worth applying without letting geographical boundaries stop you.
Newsletters at the nexus
These newsletters share good advice and insights about freelance writing — both as a craft and as a business. But, they also share opportunities and round up pitch calls.
Kat’s newsletter is just like her social media presence — fun and delightful while still being valuable. Every Friday, Kat explores something within freelancing — whether it’s from her own journey or about what’s happening in the industry. From learning how to tell your client you need a deadline extension to learning to say no to clients — her newsletter is valuable and a lovely read. Kat also curates a small selection of freelance writing jobs in every newsletter. As a bonus, she also curates some non-freelance writing jobs so you can even get your friends to subscribe because her freelancing advice can almost always be adapted universally.
4. Freelancing with Tim by Tim Herrera
Tim is an ex-NYT editor, so he’s been on the opposite side of those pitching emails. That’s why every newsletter edition is useful because it incorporates an editor’s perspective. Tim started hosting Zoom Panels with authors, journalists, and freelance writers during the pandemic lockdowns. These panels are an excellent way for new journalists and those wanting to explore specific areas within writing or journalism. The newsletter has a lot of guidance and advice, but Tim also includes a little section with current and open freelance writing jobs and pitch calls. As a free subscriber, you get four newsletters a month and double that if you’re a paid one. Plus, you can access the zoom panel playbacks. It costs either $60 for the whole year or $6 per month.
Newsletters that help your run your freelance writing business better
It’s not all about writing gigs and invoicing your clients — although that’s important too. Two newsletters that will help you write better, negotiate a higher rate, and generally scale your business without burning you out.
5. Kings of Conversion by Robert Allen
One of the few daily newsletters out there that consistently delivers value. Rob shares tips and tricks to help you become a better email marketer and copywriter — really finetune those persuasion skills. Plus, it’s not done in a boring way. He weaves in his insights with stories from his personal and professional life so you almost always ‘learn’ something useful. Also, he’s connected and works with some of the greatest copywriters in the ecommerce industry so he routinely shares interviews, podcasts, articles, and youtube videos you could check out to learn the craft better.
6. Not Controversial by me
Every Tuesday I’ll break down a topic that shouldn’t be controversial but for some reason, just is. From pay transparency to honest money talks and more. We also cover toxic productivity, the problems of Hustle culture, the future of work and culture, and so much more.
These are six newsletters from my list of 14 that need to be in your inbox. More newsletters that offer writing gigs, tips, advice, and information to make freelancing a sustainable business right here — Nia’s List of Essential Freelancing Newsletters.
ABOUT ME
I’m Nia, a freelance copy and content writer for books, tech, fintech, and more. I’ve written copy for Google, TikTok, YouTube, Penguin Random House UK, and more.
Most of my copy is ghostwritten or part of internal communication, so I launched Not Controversial to help showcase my skills and also to write about what’s important to me. If you found this useful, you can support me with a coffee!
