By David L. Brown, VP-Communications
One of the really great values from your membership in SPJ, especially in these tough times, is National’s Freelancer Directory. It’s free to members, accessible to all, and as I can testify it can actually pay off.
If you are a freelance, or even think you might be interested in taking the occasional assignment on the side, you need to register on the Freelancer Directory. It’s quick and easy. Just go to this link, sign in, and you’ll be presented with an interactive form on which you can enter information about who you are, what you do, and how you can be reached. Potential clients can search by state, specialty, state-plus-specialty, or city.
Where you are could be important if someone needs local coverage, but not all assignments are local so it’s especially important to list your areas of expertise. My advice: be thorough, but only list skills in areas where you know you can deliver a top professional job.
Here’s my personal testimonial: About a month ago I got a phone call from a man who was struggling to finish a book on deadline. He needed help, and especially someone with knowledge in one of the specialties I list on the SPJ Freelance Directory, where his assistant had found my entry. He called, we talked at length about his project, and I’ve been working with him ever since, doing research, re-write, and edits on the book manuscript.
It’s paying real money, too, because although there are many who will work for less, few have the particular background knowledge he needed. When we first spoke he was a bit bemused by the fact that I was in far-off New Mexico, but it was that specialty listing that did the trick, helping him find the person he needed, and allowing me to get the business.
It’s truly a win-win deal. By the time this project is done I’ll have recovered my SPJ dues for a lot more years than I’ve belonged, even at the reasonable current rate of only $72 a year. I joined in 1961, so you figure it out. What greater value can you get from a professional membership?
So, what’s keeping you? Go to the SPJ national site and sign up. Until you do, you’ll never know what might come your way. BTW, for convenience, I’m adding a link to the Freelancer Directory on our “Blogroll” at the lower right corner of this website.