Want Editorial Work? Get Specific

LinkedIn is the only social media I’m on these days because I enjoy the professional connections I make there and there’s far less drama than on other social media platforms.

But because LI is about getting work (among other things), it’s very common to see freelancers posting that they’re looking for projects. And that’s fine; it’s perfectly fair to say you’ve got openings in your schedule!

Yet all too often I see posts like this: “I’m looking for freelance editor, freelance proofreader, curriculum developer, and administrative roles.”

But these are all very different things, and some seem to be staff jobs, not freelance.

You don’t get freelance work by saying, “I’m looking for freelance work.”

If you’re going to make a post like that, you need to be specific: “I’m an editor who specializes in working with how-to and self-help authors.”

See the difference? Now if I’m scrolling through my feed and I see that and I happen to have written a self-help book, I’m intrigued and I’ll look further.

I won’t look further at “looking for freelance editor roles.” You know how many types of freelance editing there are, all requiring specific skills and subject matter knowledge? Let’s just leave it at a lot. If your post is too generic, I have no idea if you’d be a good fit for my needs and there’s nothing that makes me want to investigate further.

I understand why people make general posts like this. They want to land some projects, any projects. They’re afraid of being specific because they’re afraid someone who needs a different kind of help than they’ve listed won’t come to them.

But you have to stop worrying about all the work you could do in the universe and try to connect with someone who is looking specifically for the type of work that you do perform.