Remote Writing Jobs

The Wild Goose Chase of Finding a Decent-Paying Online Writing Job

If you’re a writer looking for a remote, decent-paying job, welcome to the ultimate Hunger Games. I’m part of this treacherous journey—armed with a degree in Arts and Psychology, six years of freelancing experience, six months of full-time LLM training and chatbot data work, and years of customer service expertise. And yet, finding a stable, contracted online writing job is about as likely as finding a unicorn that moonlights as a barista.

Job Search Platforms: The Not-So-Fantastic Four

Let’s start with the big players in the job-hunting world—LinkedIn, Indeed, TotalJobs, and Glassdoor. They’re supposed to be the gateways to opportunity, but more often than not, they’re portals to frustration. I’ve joined them all, optimized my profile to within an inch of its life, and applied to what feels like a million jobs. Let me break it down:

LinkedIn: The “professional” network where every other post is someone humblebragging about their dream job, while you’re stuck refreshing your inbox. Their job listings are either hyper-specific or frustratingly vague—"Entry-level writer needed, must have 10+ years of experience." Make it make sense.

Indeed: The Craigslist of job boards. You apply to ten jobs, hear back from two—one’s a scam, and the other ghosts you after an initial phone call. Thanks, Indeed, for providing me with such opportunities.

TotalJobs: This platform likes to dangle dream jobs in front of you only for you to find out later that the “job” was just a company testing their SEO. Very productive use of everyone’s time.

Glassdoor: Great for scoping out company reviews, not so great for finding actual job openings that align with your skills. The reviews are fun, though—it’s like Yelp for workplaces.

The Perpetual Catch-22

Here’s the kicker: I’m simultaneously overqualified and underqualified for everything. I have years of freelancing experience, yet companies don’t consider it “real” because it wasn’t under a formal contract. And for the jobs that do consider my freelance experience?

“We’re looking for someone with 5+ years of managerial experience in AI content generation.”

“You need to have written a bestselling novel and built a successful YouTube channel.”

Oh, okay, let me just jump in my time machine.

Even the jobs I’m perfectly qualified for seem to fall through. Applications vanish into the void; promises of callbacks never materialize. It’s like dating all over again—except instead of ghosting one person, you’re being ghosted by an entire industry.

The “Testing the Waters” Job Listings

And can we talk about these companies posting phantom jobs just to “test the waters”? They’ll post a position, leave it up for a week or two, and then delete it without ever hiring anyone. What was the point? Are they running a social experiment to see how many desperate writers will apply? If so, congratulations, you’ve succeeded.

The Ghosting Epidemic

“We’ll get back to you within a few days,” they say.

Spoiler alert: They won’t. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve eagerly waited for a response, only to be met with radio silence. It’s a special kind of heartbreak when you’ve invested hours crafting the perfect cover letter, tailoring your CV, and completing writing tests, only to hear… nothing. Not even a rejection email.

The Emotional Rollercoaster

Looking for a job is like being on a rollercoaster designed by a sadist:

1. Excitement: You find the perfect job posting.
2. Hope: You submit your application, confident this one’s the winner.
3. Anxiety: Days pass, and you compulsively check your email.
4. Disappointment: The job disappears, or worse, you get the dreaded “We regret to inform you…” email.
5. Rinse and Repeat.

This cycle can be soul-crushing. It’s hard not to take it personally—like, what’s wrong with me? Am I secretly emitting some kind of “Do Not Hire” pheromone?

Why Remote Writing Jobs Are a Unicorn

• Saturation: Everyone wants to work remotely. Thanks to the pandemic, remote jobs are the golden ticket, and the competition is fierce.
• Automation: With AI writing tools on the rise, companies are opting for cheaper, faster, and less creative alternatives.
• Budget Cuts: Many organizations are trimming costs, and writing—unfortunately—is often seen as expendable.
• Scams: For every legitimate job, there are three scams promising you thousands a week for doing practically nothing. Spoiler alert: It’s too good to be true.

A Ray of Hope?

Despite the uphill battle, there are ways to make the search slightly less maddening:

• Tailor Your Applications: It’s tedious, but customizing your CV and cover letter can make a difference.
• Leverage Your Network: Don’t underestimate the power of who you know. Reach out to former clients, colleagues, or professors.
• Freelance Platforms: Sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal aren’t perfect, but they can help you build a portfolio and gain visibility.
• Stay Persistent: It’s cliché, but persistence pays off. Keep applying, keep learning, and keep refining your craft.

Final Thoughts

Job hunting as a writer is not for the faint of heart. It’s a grind, a hustle, and sometimes a comedy of errors. But we keep going because writing is what we love to do. Sure, it’s frustrating, demoralizing, and downright absurd at times. But if there’s one thing writers are good at, it’s persistence—after all, we’ve been rejected more times than a spam email.

So here’s to the writers in the trenches, battling algorithms, ghosting employers, and impossible job descriptions. May your inbox be full of responses, your LinkedIn profile shine, and your coffee mug never run dry.

Thanks for sticking around! If you enjoyed this article, feel free to subscribe and tip to support my coffee (and sanity) fund—Kayleigh Taylor.