If you don’t have the time–or don’t want to make the effort–to create your own ads to attract new clientele, there is another option: taking advantage of the site’s features to find clients already advertising writing work.

For writers, here comes a legitimate concern: how do you differentiate scammers from trusthworthy, real-paying clients?

Some writers use Craigslist to snag new writing gigs (writer Carly Schuna credits her freelance writing success to the site), and while there’s nothing wrong with that, not all writing job posts are legitimate. Some may be elaborate money scams, veiled attempts to promote websites that really don’t pay for content, or people trying to find “sample articles” to steal for their own unscrupulous purposes. It’s definitely not cool, but it’s a fact of life if you want to find writing jobs on Craigslist.
But how do you separate …

Using UGC websites to generate money is good for steady, supplemental income, but working for independent clients yields better income (not to mention an honorable addition to your writing resume).  You may make $5 to $15 per article on UGC websites, but you can easily earn $20 or more by providing articles to independent business owners, web site owners or even local celebrities.

Use these five places regularly to find new writing gigs and opportunities.

5 Places to Check For New Writing Gigs
1. Elance.com. Many website and business owners post ads (called …

About.com (about.com) is a content website featuring thousands of articles on nearly any topic, ranging from serious topics such as sexuality to the less serious, such as online freebies. Each writer provides content about his or her topic, much like Examiner.com—the big difference here is a higher quality standard and substantially better pay. They are currently ranked as one of the top 15 content websites on the Internet, making it a great place to gain some Internet recognition and great money.