allexia26  says:
3 weeks ago

This is a really informative hub

Midasfx  says:
3 weeks ago

I will be sure to try out some of these ! Thank you for your hub.

Kulsum Mehmood  says:
3 weeks ago

Hi earner. Thank you for sharing this valuable information with us. I was actually looking for this type of info and this hub is just the thing I needed. I have book-marked this hub. Thank you.

BlazeTheVampire  says:
3 weeks ago

I gave oDesk a shot, but it seemed like the pay rate was just too low for me. Living in America and attending college means that I can't afford to waste my time writing 3 articles for $10. I've sort of given up on the "finding a job online" thing because of it.

earner  says:
3 weeks ago

Not all freelance jobs advertised pay well, but I've made some small studies of the advertised rate versus the winning bid rate and in a lot of cases they are a lot higher than the initial advert indicated.

As a new freelancer you have to ignore the rate to some extent and put a rate you're prepared to work for and write a compelling application paragraph that sets you above the others. Remember your competition will often be people who simply write "I'll do it", which is hardly competition for a pro.

The benefit of freelance jobs is in the power of the introduction. Once you've done some work for somebody they quite often come back to you, at which point you can set your own rate. Using freelance sites simply as an introduction to clients proves a worthwhile exercise for many. Others treat it as free advertising as they're building a contact list and exposure.

I saw a study somebody else did over a period of time and their finding was that many freelancers have themselves a list of clients they can just work for full-time after just 11 bookings.

earner  says:
3 weeks ago

Good luck jaybojas

To break into freelancing so it provides you with a great income, you have to bite the bullet and commit regular time to bidding for projects and accepting that some will be duds, but you'll meet a lot of great people along the way who will give you higher paying freelance jobs - and introduce you to other people they know where you can really go to town on stating your required price :)

iplanes  says:
3 weeks ago

This looks worth a try

earner  says:
3 weeks ago

Hi knell63

Yes, there are a lot of cheapskates out there, but you can avoid the idiots. Again, like most things, it's a question of perseverence. If somebody thinks they can sign up right now and immediately spot a high paying job and win it in the next 10 minutes, they're mistaken. But, if somebody signs up and devotes 15 minutes twice a day to searching through the listings and applying, then they'll find success. Consistency and persistence win the day every time with freelance jobs.

Making approaches directly to magazines and websites might get you some better rates, but they are still likely to ask of your experience and having a wide experience of where you've obtained your freelance work - as well as a portfolio and some testimonials from satisfied customers will put you streets ahead of those that try to jump the queue.

upal19  says:
2 weeks ago

Of all the outsourcing freelance sites I've found rentacoder the topmost one. Everywhere there are people wanna get their job complete without spending reasonable amount of money. they are tricky too. So, a freelancer should always be cautious of those people.

emievil  says:
2 weeks ago

I'm 'celebrating' my first year as a freelance writer, mostly academic write-ups. I still can't quit my day - job over freelance writing but yes, it can be quite lucrative (especially since we have a high exchange rate here). Thanks for the hub earner.

notorious_HAI  says:
2 weeks ago

Awesome hub. I've been thinking about it for some time. Maybe I should stop thinking and start doing :)

terrowhite  says:
2 weeks ago

I would love to explore these things.. thanks for the info..

earner  says:
2 weeks ago

Hi Jawa

It can be hit and miss with some sites - and every site will go through good periods and bad periods. The key is to be tenacious and keep looking. Maybe you'll be lucky in your first few searches, maybe it will take a bit longer.

Everybody is in possession of a different set of skills and there's no telling what skills will pay the most in the long run.

Geographically, your language and location can be key too, in terms of reward versus local living costs.

However, the tenacious freelancer will win through in the end. If you're looking for a "real job", you'd buy every paper and apply for every job advertised - and, if you scan through any newspaper, you'll be able to spot the jobs which you aren't interested in ... with freelancing it takes a bit of time to learn to instantly recognise these in the online world, but you will find you can quickly scan through and evaluate them.

I found one freelance job paying £18,000/year just because I applied even though I expected it to be some "catch", well, it wasn't and I landed the job; I guess most others looking just didn't bother, or wrote a poor resnse to the bidding.

But, whatever your location, skills and expectations, there's something for everybody and those that continue to search the listings will always come out with some good contracts under their belt.