How to Identify a Bogus Writing Job on Craigslist
Craiglist is a popular source of job leads for writers. Many of the jobs are legitimate, but some lead to scams meant to take the writer's money or to get free work. Writers should follow a few basic steps to separate bogus jobs on Craiglist from real opportunities.
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Instructions
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Search for identifying information in the ad. If the description of the company is cryptic and its name, location, and contact information are not listed, it may be bogus. Legitimate companies are not afraid to list their names so writers can check them out before applying.
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Follow any links in the ad and see if they go to a company website or to a site that requires payment. Often, supposed writing jobs on Craigslist are really ads to sign up for a paid service. Writers should never pay to get a job. Any ad that asks for money is bogus and should be disregarded.
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Determine whether the ad requires you to submit a previously published sample or whether it asks you to prepare and submit an original piece. Some unscrupulous content sites will advertise for writers, requiring them to submit an original sample to which they give up all rights. The company never actually hires any writers because it uses the samples to populate its website.
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When you respond, ask specifically about compensation and whether there is a guaranteed amount. Some companies will be vague, promising to pay when they make money themselves and never committing to a specific amount. If you write for them, you are not likely to ever be paid for your work.
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Ask for a written contract that details what type of articles or other writing work you will provide, how much you will be paid, when you will be paid and how you will be given the money. If a company is reluctant to give you a contact, don't deal with it.
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Tips & Warnings
If you pursue a writing job ad on Craigslist and discover that it is bogus, go back into the ad and flag it. If Craiglist gets enough complaints, it will remove the ad. This will help protect your fellow writers.
