Getting hired
Pitch stories editors want
Where assignments come from, what a pitch needs, and how one client becomes a regular.
Read the guideA free, independent resource for freelance writers
The working writer's field guide.
National Writers helps freelance writers build sustainable careers with free, independent guides and tools to find work, write well, get paid fairly, and protect their rights.
Edited by Seth Eisenberg. No paid listings or referral fees. Sources, update dates, and corrections are available throughout the site. Our standards
What do you need help with today?
Whether you are seeking your first assignment or managing an established freelance business, start here.
- Find assignmentsDirectory of outside job boards and pitch calls
- Set your ratesYour floor, then market rates
- Understand a contractRed flags and fair terms
- Improve a draftFree analyzer, runs in your browser
Also: A client hasn't paid me · Someone used my work · Funding or emergency help · Browse all resources
Free tools
Do the math before the client does. No account, nothing uploaded.
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Rate calculator
Turn the income you need into hourly, per-word, per-article, and day rates.
Find your rate -
Pitch checklist
Twelve checks to run before you hit send, from the right editor to the right clips.
Check a pitch -
Draft analyzer
Sentence rhythm, adverbs, likely passives, and filler, flagged in plain language.
Analyze a draft
The guides
Get the work. Do the work. Get paid for it.
The craft
Turn drafts into finished work
Structure, voice, reporting, and revision in passes instead of panics.
Sharpen the work
Rates & business
Price, invoice, and get paid
Pricing models, invoicing, taxes, contracts, and the laws that back you up.
Run the business
Who's behind this
Edited by Seth Eisenberg
Seth founded National Writers in 2005. He's a published author and essayist, a former At-Large Chair of the National Writers Union, the author of Love That Grows With You, and a regular contributor to The Times of Israel's blogs. Every guide carries an update date, links to its sources, and a public corrections policy.
New this week
Week of
Opportunity
Investigative reporting grants up to $10,000
The Fund for Investigative Journalism's next regular deadline is January 29, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Freelancers are eligible.
FIJ grant guidelinesUpdated resource
The 1099-NEC threshold is now $2,000
For payments made in 2026, clients file a 1099-NEC at $2,000, up from $600. You still owe tax on every dollar. We corrected our glossary.
See the glossaryPractical lesson
Put the kill fee in writing
Do not leave cancellation payment uncertain. Agree in writing on what you will be paid if the assignment is cancelled, before you start reporting.
Contract red flagsAlso on National Writers
The Writer's Pledge
My words are my own
Five plain commitments about what you publish under your name. Free to take and free to share.
Read and signOrganizations & peer support
Seven organizations worth exploring
Unions, professional associations, and free networks, each described by the problem it helps with most.
Find your peopleKnow your rights
In some places, a written contract is the law
New York State and City, California, Illinois, and several cities require written contracts and timely payment for freelance work. Freelancers Union led the campaign for New York City's 2016 law, the first in the country.
Where the laws applyPress Pass Coming soon
A press credential for freelancers. Not yet available. Eligibility, verification, and pricing are still being settled.
What it will and won't do