The Freelance Creative

25 Twitter Accounts Every Freelancer Should Follow

Jillian Richardson

Social media is a huge distraction for anyone who works on a computer. That’s especially true for freelancers, who often use sites like Twitter to keep up with current affairs. Oh, what’s that you say? Your feed is filled with cat GIFs and links to YouTube videos of puppies in bowls? Don’t worry, fellow freelancer; we’re here to bring a little more professionalism to your Twitter feed.

1. @WriteThisMoment

One of the best parts of Write This Moment is how frequently it posts motivational quotes. As if that’s not enough, this account also posts job opportunities and advice for freelancers on a regular basis. How can you not be inspired after a tweet like this?

2. @FreelanceWJ

This account is great for writers who are looking for new clients. Freelance Writing Jobs, as you would imagine, posts a link to a ton of job openings every day. But if you’re already set with clients, the account also sends out interesting blog posts about freelancer productivity that can help out creatives of all skill levels.

https://twitter.com/WriteThisMoment/status/601298885307473920

3. @freelancersu

Freelancers Union is a quintessential resource for writers. Both its Twitter page and website have important information about health benefits for freelancers, financial tips, and specific action freelancers can take to learn more about their rights. If you haven’t signed up to join the union yet, click here to find out more.

4. @Sara_Horowitz

As the founder of Freelancers Union, Sara is chock full of advice for all types of freelancers—not just writers and other creatives. She often tweets out her own articles, which are usually of direct interest to people in the gig economy. For example, she recently posted links about how freelancers can determine the next presidential election and free pop-up coworking spaces for Freelance Union members.

5. @WritersDigest

The Writer’s Digest Twitter is updated constantly, often more than a dozen times per day. The tweets range from advice on how to create a great author website to reminders about the organization’s annual pitch fest. Side note: for those of you who are in the NYC area, make sure to check out the Writer’s Digest Pitch Slam.

6. @WritersRelief

This is another account that’s updated at least 10 times a day. AKA, no matter how much you’re using Twitter to procrastinate, you’re always going to see a dose of helpful work advice. Some of Writer’s Relief’s most recent tweets include info about how to write a great book blurb, encouragement to enter The London Mag poetry competition, and this gem:

https://twitter.com/WritersRelief/status/600757426434879488

7. @problogger

Darren Rowse, AKA ProBlogger, provides a wealth of information for people who have their own websites. Plus, he tweets like a beast—if a beast tweeted 20 times per day and liked to post the stockiest of stock images. Darren frequently writes about boosting your online business, the best tools to build a website, and even throws in links to new blogger openings. You can check out his website and learn more about him here.

8. @freelanceadvice

This Twitter page is connected to Crunch Accounting, which is an online account firm that caters to freelancers. Consequently, Freelancer Advice dives deep into the financial topics that affect the freelance workforce. Some example tweets include info about VAT registration, how to stay on top of your cashflow, and what expenses freelancers can claim. Sure, it’s not the most viral material, but Crunch makes important, complex concepts easy to understand.

9. @kirstythewriter

Kirsty Stuart’s account is a lifesaver for new freelancers. She is a true hustler and updates her blog very consistently, so her Twitter account is full of links to her useful posts. She has tweeted about her initial struggles to make a living on her writing, facing your fears as a freelancer, and awesome tools for content writers. If the freelance lifestyle is still intimidating, definitely give this account a follow.

10. @writetodone

This account is unique because it includes a lot of creative writing exercises. Posts link to articles that teach you how to write funny scenes, brainstorm ideas, and journal to improve your writing. If you’re stuck in a rut, Write to Done is worth a look.

https://twitter.com/WritetoDone/status/603133360035262464

11. @thewritelife

The Write Life is updated constantly with the latest news from the writing world. Even better, the topics and perspectives vary quite a bit. For example, a week ago, the genius behind this account posted about tracking changes in Google Docs, the basic rules for web writing, and a new publishing platform for journalists. There are a lot of productivity tips here, but there’s also a good number of personal essays that approach writing from creative perspectives.

12. @khoi

Khoi Vinh’s design-themed advice has helped him build up almost 350,000 followers. In addition to posting links to interesting articles about the culture of design, Vinh’s big-picture UX insights are mixed in with job postings and simple design tips that will help you upgrade your visuals.

https://twitter.com/khoi/status/603293791383068673

13. @samarowais

Samar Owais’s account is especially valuable for freelancers who are based outside of the U.S. She lives in Dubai and has managed to build a following on Twitter as a writer for Freelance Flyer. Some of her most recent Tweets include an open letter to new freelancers and a piece about how to set your writing rates.

14. @ticewrites

Carol Tice’s cover photo says “Make A Living Writing… practical help for hungry writers.” Naturally, her account is filled with great advice for freelancers looking to maximize their income—which applies to just about everyone. Not everything is related to just writing; recently, Carol tweeted about how to win powerful friends online. If you’re struggling to make ends meet, or simply want some more cash, this Twitter account can be immensely helpful.

15. @suitcasepreneur

On her website’s author bio, Natalie Sisson, aka the Suitcase Entrepreneur, explains, “For the last 5 years I’ve traveled the world, living out of a suitcase and running my multiple six-figure online business from my laptop and smartphone.” Sounds a whole lot like freelancing, right? Except with way more money.

Needless to say, The Suitcase Entrepreneur can teach all freelancers a lesson or two about marketing our services. Some of her most recent tweets include links to valuable audio interviews with successful business owners.

16. @elizabethscraig

Elizabeth’s Twitter bio pretty much says it all: “Tweets writing links.” Isn’t that what you really want when you’re looking for freelance advice on Twitter? Last week, the mystery author tweeted and re-tweeted about everything from low-cost book marketing tactics to apps for proofreading. Get ready to learn some things.

17. @thecreativepenn

Who doesn’t want advice from a bestselling author? Joanna Penn tweets and re-tweets bits of writing gold like how to read a book in two hours and create the greatest book cover ever. Plus, if you want an example of a fantastic author website, check out The Creative Penn.

18. @ANNELAMOTT

Anne Lamott is a superstar author with 112,000 Twitter followers. With such a substantial social media presence, she has to be doing something right. Yet unlike the other Twitter accounts mentioned here, most of her tweets are random musings. For example:

https://twitter.com/ANNELAMOTT/status/600474387876188160

The lesson? If your tweets aren’t informative, they damn better well be entertaining. Anne Lamott has mastered that art.

19. @GrammarGirl

Not all of us are born grammar experts. Grammar Girl, aka Mignon Fogarty, is constantly teaching her audience how to fine-tune their writing. For instance, she recently tweeted about the difference between pet and petted, why people stopped saying thou, and the best SAT essay ever. Go get your grammar on.

https://twitter.com/GrammarGirl/status/599667977194110978

20. @AdviceToWriters

Advice to Writers is another account with an insane amount of followers—212,000, to be exact. And the man behind the feed, Jon Winokur, has accomplished that with an unusual strategy: He doesn’t post original content. Instead, he tweets out writing advice from the greatest minds in history, such as this quotation from Mark Twain:

21. @PasteBooks

A lot of these accounts are serious, which is why I couldn’t resist adding Paste Books to the list. This company looks at the publishing industry from a quirky angle, and its account tweets out material accordingly. Just recently the social media editor tweeted about a Kanye-related book release, which is something that I need in my life immediately. That may be the most valuable piece of information that you get from this list. You’re welcome.

22. @ScrivenerCoach

Joseph Michael, also known as the Scrivener Coach, is a godsend for anyone who uses the Scrivener software to format screenplays. He frequently tweets tips that help users up their storytelling game, which can be applied to any type of freelancer interested in creative narratives.

23. @brainpicker

The people of Twitter clearly like variety, which is one of the reasons why Maria Popova has over 555,000 followers. This MIT Fellow and founder of Brain Pickings has one of the most varied accounts I’ve ever seen. Her tweets range from topics like prayer in the Arab world to Lewis Carroll’s opinions on personhood. If you like this kind of diversity in your reading, make sure to follow the Brain Pickings weekly newsletter as well.

24. @NiemanLab

If you want to sound in the know when you’re with your journalism friends, make sure to casually mention that you follow the Nieman Lab. The lab is a Harvard-based organization “trying to figure out the future of news” that tweets think-pieces like this:

25. @OHnewsroom

I figured it would only be right to end with a little humor. Well, for those of you who are already familiar with the Overheard Newsroom Twitter account, it’s a lot of humor. Since journalists tend to take themselves way too seriously as they contextualize everything going on around them, this account—which has 100,000 followers, gives them a dose of their medicine with ridiculous tweets that come from the mouths of editors and journalists. Some of these posts are so ridiculous that they have to be true.

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