Prepping and survival is an industry just like any other niche. Off-grid and homesteading is closely related. As a full-time freelance writer, I’ve written about survival, off-grid, homesteading, and prepping for nearly five years. It can be a lucrative niche if you know where to look to find clients. Below are some of the techniques I use to find paid writing jobs. If you enjoy prepping, survival, homesteading, or off-grid writing, you can use these techniques to find new writing clients. In the last section, I’ll also suggest some specific markets in this niche to consider pitching.

– Do a Google Search. The key to doing a Google search is formatting and phrasing your search to get the results you want. Ideally, you want to find clients who are both looking for writers, and willing to PAY those writers. Try phrases such as “seeking survival writers”, “hiring off-grid writers”, or “write for us prepping,” etc. Change the order and combination of the words until you find a combination that gives the kind of results you want.

– Advanced Twitter Search. Use Twitter’s advanced search filter to search for very specific words and phrases to identify potential companies or websites that are hiring, or might be hiring, an off-grid or prepping writer. Again, you’ll have to play with the wording until you get the type of results you want.

Aggregated Job Listings
There are several different websites you can subscribe to for free to get writing jobs and related listings sent right to your inbox. My favorite aggregated job listings are WritersWeekly, Freedom with Writing, and Freelance Writing Gigs. Although most of these will be mixed topics, it’s a great way to stay on top of which companies are hiring, and make sure you don’t overlook a lucrative off-grid or prepping client. Prepping, homesteading, and off-grid topics may sometimes be advertised as outdoors writer, environmental, agricultural, or alternative energy. You’ll also sometimes find these titled as content writer, copywriter, or freelance writer, with no hint of the topic until you click through and read the ad details.

Cold Emailing
It’s critical to know how to find potential clients even if they may not be directly advertising for a writer. If you have an interest in survival, prepping, homesteading, or off-grid topics, be active in those communities. Make a list of companies and websites in this niche. Optimize your LinkedIn and other profiles so you can be found. Join related Facebook or LinkedIn groups, subscribe to magazines or other prepping related websites, and check out their online presence. Research those companies, pay attention to what they are or aren’t publishing, find out who makes decisions about marketing, root out their marketing budget (annual report, if available online), and then pitch them your ideas.

Related Writers’ Markets
One source for writing gigs often overlooked is the more traditional writers markets. If you’re a survival or off grid writer, don’t ignore magazines, such as Mother Earth News, Backwoods Home, Backpacker Magazine, and other writers markets in the outdoors niche. Landing a writing gig with a magazine or more traditional publisher takes a little more work but it can really pay off, not just in dollars, but by boosting your niche authority, and providing demonstrated social proof you can use for your portfolio.

Search the “Who Pays Writers” Site
Who Pays Writers is a website which collects rates reported by writers into a searchable database. You can search by publication name in the alphabetical listing. Just because a site doesn’t list compensation in their writer’s guidelines doesn’t always mean they aren’t paying in some cases. This is also a great way to double check any markets you do find that are looking for writers to get an indication of whether they are a paying market.

4 Specific Markets to Consider

Cabin Life  – pay is approximately .20 cents/word according to  the Who Pays Writers reported rate. Use their contact page to query prior to submission.

SHTF Blog – pays approximately $50 for up to 1,000 words, with the possibility of a fee increase after you write 5 articles.

The Survival Mom Blog began hiring writers (men and women) in 2014. The website has expanded its topic focus. Writer’s guidelines do state they provide compensation but the rate is not publicized.

Insteading offers opportunities for paid and unpaid posts. If you love homesteading, or love writing about homesteading, you can be paid $50 per post. If you have a blog or items to sell of interest to homesteaders, this is also a site to consider.

RELATED

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• Paying Hunting and Fishing Markets By David Berlin

Meg Stewart is a freelance writer, ghostwriter, and software go to gal. Farm-girl at heart. Passionate about helping others. Mom of 4 and Grammi to 10! Founder of Freelance Filter. Editor for Freelance Filter and The Thing About Kids

Her website https://megstewartwrites.com
Her Medium profile: https://medium.com/@writewizard

 

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