Writers Work Review – A Bizarre Marketing Strategy

What is Writers Work, is it legit, and is it worth it? We will discuss this and more in our honest Writers Work review.

In short: Writers Work is a platform for freelance writers to find writing jobs online.

Although Writers Work uses a bizarre marketing strategy, the company is legit and not a scam. But with so many scams masquerading on the web, you can never be too careful.

In 2019, Writers Work was a controversial online service. Many people had bad experiences with the signup and refund policy. The company received complaints and was rated with an F by BBB rating (Better Business Bureau).

Here is what happened and what happened:

Refund Issues

The company advertises a special offer signup fee of just USD 47.00. However, after signing up, some users struggled to get a refund. After some time and many bad reviews, the company finally responded to its complaints and solved the refund issue. Since then, the company’s customer service has improved.

A Bizarre Marketing Strategy

Another reason why people are still concerned is the signup fee itself. It seems as if the discounted signup fee never changes. Writers Work offers a 50% discount or a (never-ending) early bird pricing. Either way, the Writers Work fee is always a one-off payment of USD 47.00 to get access to a lifelong membership.

What Is Writers Work?

Before you sign up, you should understand that Writers Work is not a company that hires writers directly. Instead, it is a resource for writers to find jobs advertised by other companies.

You will find multiple types of freelance writing jobs available on Writers Work, including writing for content agencies, blogging, copywriting, and social media posts.

The platform allows writers to work from the comfort of their homes and manages all aspects of the writing job, including communication with clients and payments. Once the job is done, the writers get paid.

Writers Work claims to be a one-stop shop for freelance writers. I couldn’t agree more. I could find everything I was looking for with the job listing feature, writing tools, and training modules.

Fee Structure

The platform offers a lot for $47.00, but it can take some time to get your head around it. So don’t give up quickly. Give it a chance and find out what they have to offer.

If it is not for you, don’t worry. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee, with fewer complaints about refund issues. You can also pay per month, which I would not recommend as it does not match the lifetime payment fee.

Features

Writers Work has various features to offer subscribers, including a list of publications seeking pitches, a web-based text editor, an online portfolio area, and a Writers Work “University.”

Job Listings

The best feature for a full-time freelance writer is the job listing. Writers Work develops a list of freelance writing jobs from various sources. This unified list is great because all the jobs are in one location. The user can filter the type of job, source, and pay.

The keyword search filter allows the writer to search for specific words when looking for a listing.  You can save searches and get notified regularly for upcoming freelance writing jobs. You can be notified instantly, daily, or weekly if posted jobs meet your filter requirements.

Although I am impressed by how the functionality of the job listings feature works, my colleague said that she does not like how the filtering system only shows a few and not a full range of job offers. This is because Writers Work pulls job listings only from a few sites like Indeed and Problogger. If you use too many filters, you will not find many offers in the job search.

It would be handy to filter the newest job postings. With such a filter, users can filter out old posts. Nevertheless, this is no deal-breaker. Writers can subscribe to get notifications whenever new jobs are posted, which is a great feature.

Submissions Section

The Submissions Section is a handy way for freelancers to get paid for their work. This section describes what publications are looking for and what their publication entails. It is a place for writers to pitch themselves to publications.

Users find a variety of positions, from entry-level to big publications looking for writers. The salary varies depending on the job. Some writers are paid per word, and some are paid per article.

Like the Jobs Listing Section, you can search for topics that meet your interests. From there, you can add the listing to your projects. You can also email some publications directly to send your pitch. Another way to submit work for these publications is to visit their website. If you click on the submission entry, it will take you to the publication’s website.

When I tested the submission page on the Writers Work website, I received many freelance writing opportunities to submit my payment articles. I got the instructions on what the publications were looking for, how much I would get paid per hour, per article, for 100 words, and how to submit my work. For my first 2000-word article, I got paid 80 dollars.

It is a handy feature for freelancers to eventually build a regular income and find work from regular clients.

Job Listings vs. Submission Section

While researching the job listings and submission sections, I got a little confused, so I dug deeper to figure out the difference between these two sections. The Job Listings will help you find jobs from companies actively seeking writers. These specific writing jobs can be done by freelancers, part-time writers, and even full-time writers. You apply for these jobs with your resume and an application.

The Submission Section will help you pitch ideas to publications. Instead of applying with an application, you respond with a short pitch about how you can fulfill their needs and why they should publish your writing.

Project Management System

Writers Work offers a personal project management system to help freelancers organize tasks, which I find very helpful. This is a great place for writers to manage all of their writing. If you are new to writing, the project management system could benefit you. If you are already an established freelance writer with a specific way of staying organized, the Project Management System is probably a feature you won’t use.

You put the projects you are currently working on in the system. You can add sub-tasks to help you stay organized and add attachments you may need to complete the task. The Project Management System will also track your time on each project.

I’ve tried a few different management systems on different sites, and I have to say that I still prefer the old system that I am used to. The Writers Work project-management system feature is probably the best for people who have never used it before, but it distracts from the actual writing work.

The interface is simple and straightforward but only useful if the writer regularly uses the system. It depends on the writer whether the system can be helpful or stressful. However, I like that this feature is cloud-based to work from anywhere.

Text Editor

My first thought when using the text editor was, why? Why would anyone use this when they can use Microsoft Word, Pages, or Google Docs?

Here is the difference:

The Writers Work editor updates the work in real-time. It’s a bit like Google Docs and comes with a readability score level and score that automatically updates as you write. The readability score is a great feature that can help you focus on your audience. The score is also a reading grade level that helps keep your writing from being too easy or too difficult to read. Other features I found helpful were the character, word, and sentence counter.

Like other text editors, it has a spell checker. It is a basic formatting feature and a way to hyperlink within your document. The Text Editor works seamlessly with other features of Writers Work, such as the Project Management System. You can track the time you spend on the document you are writing. You can then link it to a particular project.

Unlike other text editors, you get a light bulb feature that illuminates whenever you highlight a word that links to synonyms or dictionary definitions. Users can activate background sounds that mimic the Hogwarts library and outdoor serenity.

Again, for new freelance writers, the Text Editor feature might be a great feature for you; however, more experienced writers already have a word processor they love or use Grammarly.

Portfolio

Even for entry-level freelancers, creating a portfolio of your work can be significant. The portfolio feature on Writers Work is fundamental and probably my favorite feature. This is where you can present your writing skills, add a profile image, a cover image, a title, and a description, plus the freedom to include as many portfolio clips as you like. This feature saves users much time and teaches starters how to build a good portfolio.

Much like the Text Editor, the Portfolio feature is pretty basic, but basic is all you need. If you want to create a portfolio that will get you more work, utilize this feature. The process is pretty simple but will showcase your work effectively. Writers Work will allow you to link your work without relying on other portfolio websites. Writers Work continually updates this feature to make it more and more user-friendly. One of the newest updates is the ability to link your social media platforms.

Once your portfolio is complete, you can enroll in the Writers Marketplace, where freelancers can advertise their expertise to be hired for writing positions, showcase their portfolios, and list their services. You can decide if you want your portfolio visible, and you can turn it off or on at any time.

I’ve spent a little bit of time on this feature since I was always too lazy to build a proper portfolio, and I loved it! It was so much fun putting together all my work.

“University” Feature

The Writers Work University is a place for writers to receive training materials to become better writers and learn how to be freelance writers. This could be done in the comfort of your home and pajamas if you wanted—no need to go to the local university for a writing class.

You can find video lessons and a blog. The videos are nicely done and well presented.  It is almost like an online writing class you can watch at your own pace. Writers Work will keep track of the modules you’ve completed.  You can keep notes and download supplemental materials to learn more.

Although the blog is not technically part of the University Feature, helpful information is posted monthly. You can filter the blog posts by the intended audience. Blog writers write for both writers and employers. Some of the writing topics for employers include “How to Hire a Grant Writer” and “Top Benefits of Guest Blogging.”

My Opinion of the University Feature

I like getting insight into what employers may be looking for, making me a better freelance writer. Topics written for writers include “From 9-5 to Freelance: Making a Smooth Transition” and “What Exactly is a White Paper.”.

The University feature is something different and quite interesting. It is a service that offers materials on subjects such as pitching and copywriting. Other topics include how to use Writers Work features like “Time Tracking and Project Management” or “Publishing Your First Article.”

If you’re planning to do writing for your main income, this can come in handy to help. You will get a small but structured course on what you’ve covered and how you are progressing. And though there isn’t a lot of content here, you will get all you need to get started if you’re a greenhorn. As a more advanced freelance writer, you could scroll through and only compete for the modules that interest you.

Other courses out there are more in-depth and offer more content, but it is a nice addition to this being an additional feature on an already packed platform.

My Conclusion

In my experience, I think that USD 47.00 is not a bad price for what you get. Lifetime membership gives users many resources to kick-start or advance their freelance writing career, and it’s worth a try. And should you not like it, get your money back within 30 days.

None of the Writers Work features are new or in any way too different from other writing sites, but it’s a compelling package for freelance writers who are dipping their toes into a new arena.

All in all, I am not sure if I use Writers Work lifelong, but I do like the job listing feature.  And finding freelance writing jobs this way saves me a lot of time, which I can spend doing my actual work, writing.

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