Imagine eating, breathing, and sleeping sports for a living. Does it sounds like a dream job come true? Freelance sports writing may be for you!
You may know a lot about sports, but not every sports fan should become a sports writer. Freelance sports writing requires great writing skills, including how to tell a story that helps the reader experience the moment with you. It's also better if you know a lot of history and trivia about many sports; the more versatile you are, the easier it will be to get a job.
Freelance sports writers write about games and tournaments; they follow the careers of players and do historical pieces on players or sports. Freelance sports writers often have the freedom to write about whatever they like, within the context of what's going on in a given season.
Who offers freelance sports writing jobs?
Big companies like CNN, NBC, and ESPN are always looking for great sports writers, but you need sports writing experience to work for them.
To get that experience, check out listings on Online-Writing-Jobs.com. At any given time, this website has a couple of dozen sports writing jobs available in smaller markets. Some are local newspapers, some are people looking for coverage of tournaments, and some are for online sports news sites.
Another idea is to sign up with Suite101.com, Webook.com, and/or Collegesports-fans.com. You won't make money from them at first (well, maybe a little, but we're talking less than $10 a month), but these sites strive to publish quality material online, which will help you develop your sports writing portfolio.
The idea is to get as many clips as possible so you can arm yourself with a healthy portfolio of published material and apply at the bigger companies. Be patient - you will eventually get the experience you need to get the high paying jobs.
What pay rate can I expect as a freelance sports writer?
Once you have that all-important experience, you could be in reasonably high demand. Beginner sports writers earn about $30 per article. Sports writing veterans make far more than that - around $60-$75 per hour, plus occasional perks like game tickets and travel expenses.
What's the best way to respond to an ad?
I can't stress this enough: you need experience before you can vie for well-paying jobs. Once you have some clips to showcase your writing talent, you must show potentials clients that you're the right writer for the job.
How do you do that? Let's dissect a sample ad to see what we can come up with:
A new California sports website is about to launch and we need writers! We want articles about professional and college sports news. If you're opinionated, good with words, and of course, a die-hard California sports fan, we need you! Contact us ASAP at (address).
Decoding what an employer's needs are will help you to respond to the ad. The ad tells us what kind of writer they need. For example, you should know about California sports and you should know how to write articles that incorporate good keywords to attract the attention of the web surfers. The overall tone of the ad tells us that you should be energetic and capable to express opinions that engage people in debate; in other words, they want writers with an "edge."
Your response to the ad might be something like this:
Dear name,
I think it's amazing you're starting this new website - it's just what California needs! I am an experienced sports writer with a real soft spot for California teams (go Lakers!).
For a new website, it's important to have writers who can help you generate web traffic. My articles are entertaining and thought-provoking. I also love to write about controversial topics that get a real web discussion going. I think my combination of experience, skill, and love of sports would be a major asset to your website.
Attached to this email, please find several clips of my previously published work in sports writing. Thanks so much for considering me as one of your new sports writers. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Your name
As you can see, writing a reply can be straightforward once you know how to spot clues from a potential employer. Make every reply concise and compelling, and you will find your next freelance sports writing gig just around the corner!
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- All About Freelance Food Writing Jobs
- All About Freelance Travel Writing Jobs
- All About Freelance Magazine Writing Jobs
- All About Freelance Grant Writing Jobs
- All About Freelance Sports Writing Jobs
- What Is Freelance Speech Writing?
- All About Freelance SEO Writing Jobs
- All About Freelance Resume Writing Jobs




Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Interpretation
By: Rockwell Anyoha | 22/11/2009This article basically argues a thesis based on Mary Shelly's Frankenstein: that man ought to stay withing his bounds.
How To Use Commas: A Quick And Handy Guide
By: Mary Simmers | 22/11/2009Too many intermediate writers (and some professionals I know), commas remain a tricky punctuation to use. As they affect both the way a piece is read and its overall effect, they are crucial to get right, lest risk dampening what could be particularly strong points of your material. Using a comma...
How To Make A Letter Of Apology
By: Mary Simmers | 22/11/2009There may be a time in your life when you and your loved one had a misunderstanding with each other. You both argued endlessly and may have ended saying hurtful things that both of you don't really mean. Those words that can hurt you both are cause by the strong...
What Is The Difference Between Rewriting And Spinning?
By: Mary Simmers | 22/11/2009Time and again, I have been asked this question. Since I have been into rewriting and spinning articles, I feel I must do something to clear up the smoke of confusion. Most people think that rewriting is the same as spinning. No, they are not. Rewriting is different from spinning an...
How to Write Best Narrative Essays
By: Michele Jones | 22/11/2009A narrative essay is an ordinary personal experience in the form of a short story. It tells a story, usually in the author’s point of view. For that reason, the author’s experience becomes central in a narrative essay. Feelings and sensuous details are written vividly to grab the readers’ attention.
Online article writing help and free writing tips
By: NS RAO | 21/11/2009Online article writing help and free writing tips Be an expert. It takes over superb writing skills to excel at editorial writing. As your job includes giving your readers with useful information, it is also important that you are an expert on your selected topics.
Choosing Good Topics for Cause and Effect Essays
By: Mary Frederik | 21/11/2009The cause effect essay is one of the most common essays in academic writing. It is an essential area for all the students of all the levels. Though writing a cause and effect essay demands a keen attention, the procedure can be simplified by following a set of useful guidelines. A cause and effect essay concentrates on two questions; why things happen?
Essay Writing: The Right Format
By: Linda Nancy | 21/11/2009Like anything under writing skill, essay writing has its own space. There is no particular rule deciding how much should be written about a particular topic, but the thing should be in mind that repetition of ideas needs to be avoided. Each and every sentence has to be concentrated to the topic under consideration. Brevity is one of the dominant features of essay writing. It is better including as much ideas as possible in minimum sentences. Above all, the content needs to be relevant and useful
Is a Graphic Design Career For Me?
By: Brian Scott | 16/11/2009 | CareersMany people are seduced into purchasing a product or service by watching or reading an advertisement. This should tell you just how powerful imagery can influence a person's spending habits. Marketing and advertising are not just big business, but these industries are lucrative as well. If you want to tap...
How to Choose the Right Graphic Design School
By: Brian Scott | 16/11/2009 | CareersWhen you finally decide you want to become a graphic designer, you have literally hundreds, even thousands, of options available to you. If you wish, you could attend a technical or trade school, a community college or a state university. You may decide to attend a private art college or a...
How to Become a Certified Graphic Designer in Adobe Software Products
By: Brian Scott | 15/11/2009 | ComputersAre you looking to launch your graphic design career and smash your competition? If so, distinguish yourself from the competition and accentuate your design skills by becoming a certified expert in Adobe (tm) software products. Adobe manufactures the most widely-used and most accessible graphic design software programs -- no matter...
Two Degrees You Might Need to Become a Graphic Designer
By: Brian Scott | 11/11/2009 | CareersIf you want to attain a position as a graphic designer, then you should know most companies require you to have a Bachelor's degree; however, you can find many positions which require an Associate's degree or an alternative trade degree or certificate. Besides training yourself in graphic design, you also need...
The Job Functions of a Graphic Designer
By: Brian Scott | 11/11/2009 | CareersThe principal roles of a graphic designer (or graphic artist) are to: 1) plan; 2) analyze; and 3) design a visual answer to a communication problem. Clients rely on graphic designers to parlay a persuasive message; it can either be print, film or some form of electronic media using various different...
Do You Have What it Takes to Freelance As an Illustrator or Graphic Designer?
By: Brian Scott | 11/11/2009 | CareersMany part-time and full-time creative arts professionals seek freelancing at some point in their careers. Whether they are laid-off, downsized, or seek a career change, many graphic designers and illustrators choose freelancing rather than working for an employee. Aside from the flexibility and freedom from the chaotic office schedule, freelancing...
Pursuing a Career in Graphic Design
By: Brian Scott | 11/11/2009 | CareersA graphic designer -- sometimes also called graphic artist -- is a creative person who places together images or motion graphics (or both) with typography to produce an artistic and persuasive piece of work. Graphic designers create such work for printed, published or digital forms of media (newspapers, magazines, TV,...
Do I Really Need a Degree in Graphic Design to Start a Career?
By: Brian Scott | 11/11/2009 | CareersHigh school students who are interested in a graphic design career may wonder if it's essential to attend a college, university or design school to earn a degree or a certification in graphic design or liberal arts. Although you may excel at sketching or painting (or other forms of artwork), or...