How to choose a
freelance writing company

There are many freelance writing companies offering work to writers. What are the main considerations when choosing which companies to work for? Here's our best advice...

Great pay. Isn't this what you're doing it for? Look for companies that offer decent rates - remember, you're a professional and you shouldn't therefore agree to work for less than a decent wage. Be wary of unrealistic payment rates, however. If a company seems to be offering rates that are too good to be true, do some research. How long have they been established? Do they have a UK trading address? Be wary about completing more than one or two small pieces for them until you have seen some cash for your troubles (apply now).

A fair deal. Does the company you're looking at actually care about its writers? The best place to find out is in the contract. Do they expect you to carry out unfair amendments for no additional pay or do they give you the option of quoting for the extra work like we do? Do they offer bonuses for good work like we do? Do they give you extra money for doing extra research (like under our staff writer scheme)? Do they pay you extra if the customer requests you? We do. Some companies care only about their customers, ignoring the fact that without their writers, they would be nowhere. We try and balance the interests of our customers and writers as fairly as possible (apply now).

Plenty of work! We know we have many competitors - and we also know how much of the market share they have. How do we know this? Their accounts are available at Companies House for you to download, for a small fee. We can tell you that, of all legitimate UK research companies who are registered and trading in the UK, we have the greatest market share - and we therefore have the most work. So by all means, look at our competitors, and perhaps register yourself on their books too - but if you're looking for the greatest number and variety of projects, look no further - simply fill in our application form today.

Thinking of joining a research company? Remember to check...

• They have a UK trading address. This will make it easier to get your money, if they refuse to pay you (of course, if you're based in the USA, you might prefer to work for a US based company for the same reasons!)
• They have a UK phone number. We use an 0870 number (so that your call goes to the right person, first time) but we'll give you our UK landline number if you'd like to check it
• They answer your calls and/or emails. You need support as a writer. Don't work for a research company that doesn't offer this.
• They have a UK bank account. This is the best way to find out if they are UK based. Be sure that the account is genuine and belongs to the Company. Ask if you can deposit a small amount of money (a few pence) into their account and then ask them to tell you how much you sent. We can give you account details for you to do this if you like
• They are registered - if UK based, they should be registered at Companies House. Academic Knowledge is part of a limited company (Academic Answers Limited) registered at Companies House and VAT registered - Company Registration No: 4964706, VAT Registration No: 842417633.

Ready to join the best? Apply now.