Freelance Writing for a Living - Active Income
75FREELANCE WRITING FOR A LIVING – ACTIVE INCOME
In the last hub, you asked yourself a few questions to determine if you have the attitude and skill required to be a freelance writer. In this Hub, the tone will be a little more positive, with some advice on how to get started on your new career path. There are a few pitfalls and obstacles to be aware of, when forging ahead as a writer, but these are easy to overcome. All that is needed is perseverance and a little attention to detail.
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE INCOME
Many of you will have seen the adverts boasting that you can make good money writing, usually based upon setting up blogs and posting articles for Adsense revenue. This is more closely affiliated to marketing than writing, and the process of submitting articles, finding keywords and generating links is a full-time job in itself. There is nothing wrong with writing for Adsense, or even writing e-books, but it is important to start generating freelance writing income quickly.
Making money through e-books and Adsense is called passive income, and can be a useful stream. Despite the vast numbers of adverts claiming the opposite, it takes a while to kick in, and you need to make money now. I will return to the idea in a future hub but, for now, we are going to concentrate upon active income. These are the bread and butter jobs that pay the bills and keep the bank manager off your back. Active income is more akin to having a job in the ‘non-virtual’ universe; you work, produce a product and then get paid. Ideally, you want to work towards working privately, for a few trusted clients, but the best places to start are the freelance writing sites.
THE ADVANTAGES OF FREELANCE WRITING SITES
I generally use ODesk, and have been generally happy with things. I made a little money and gained the all important reputation. Elance and Guru appear to be very similar, and so the following tips should apply to all of these sites. There may be other freelance writing sites online, but I have heard nothing about them, so do not know if they are good, bad or ugly.
There is one small problem with the freelance sites at the moment, namely that they have suffered a lot of fallout from the economic crisis. As a result, tens of thousands of writers saw features about these companies on daytime TV and applied to be writers. Unlike programming, freelance writing and graphic design require little specialist knowledge, so these fields are heavily oversubscribed.
Unfortunately, this can make it very difficult to be noticed, and every job seems to have 40 people applying, most of whom are singularly useless. Often, I pity the poor buyer forced to work through that list, and many give up after wading through a mountain of mediocrity. The outlook is not all bleak, and most of the newbies will soon realize that they are not good enough, or will become disillusioned that they do not make 20 dollars an hour.
It is still worth applying on freelance sites, putting your name in the ring for jobs. This is only my personal opinion, but try to avoid the sites that charge fees – you have to make some money to cover your costs first. Personally, I refuse to pay fees at all, but some experienced writers are happy with that and feel that they get a good return on their outlay. It is a matter of personal choice, but it is best to stay away until you know how to navigate the waters a little better.
JOINING A FREELANCE WRITING SITE
When I say join a freelance writing site, I mean join. It is not enough to put your name there and wait for the work to roll in. You must fill out your profile completely and avoid leaving unfinished or untidy areas. You need to attach a resume and portfolio, as well as take any applicable tests. Be serious about the process and set aside an entire day for writing profiles and tidying up your resume. The site will ask you for an introductory statement, so sell yourself, stating why a buyer should pick you instead of the competition.
Freelance writing is a very competitive field, so do not give the buyer an excuse to press the reject button. Get into the right frame of mind and treat then process of filling out your profile like completing an application form for a job. In fact, a lot of writing online mirrors real life work, with the advantage that you can sit through a job interview whilst wearing your pink bunny slippers.
On the profile, most sites have an avatar slot, and you must put something there; most clients want to see who they are working with. It is preferable to upload a photograph, and you should try to keep the image reasonably professional. This does not mean that you have to wear a shirt and tie, but try to avoid ‘party’ pictures. Use an image that projects your personality and appeals to your target freelance writing niche. For example, if you intend writing business proposals, a suit is useful: For blog posting, you can project a fun persona.
For some people, privacy is an issue, and they do not want their face to appear online. This is not a problem, and there are a few ways around this. Many successful freelancers have a logo, or a nifty piece of graphic design, and suffer no harm. ‘Hubpages Style’ cats, children and holidays snaps are out – a professional logo shows that you mean business.
PORTFOLIO, PORTFOLIO, PORTFOLIO
One of the most important things for any freelance writer to have is a strong portfolio, showing a potential client exactly what you can do. Writing ability is very difficult to judge by test scores, so a buyer will want to see some concrete evidence. They do not really care that you wrote for a newspaper for eight years, or have a Masters in English, because they only have your word for it. These things are no harm, and look great on your bio, but examples are better than a list of qualifications.
I have lost count of the number of people claiming to have years of experience but, upon looking at some of their work, the English is poor and riddled with spelling mistakes. Put as many examples of your work up there as you can, ensuring that it is proof-read and grammatically perfect. You only get one chance, and a stupid typo can cost you a nice freelance writing assignment. If you do not have any previous examples of paid work, write some articles for your portfolio, and add them as pdf’s. You can also put a few links to Hubpages and your blogs on there, but do not rely on this. Buyers generally cannot be bothered chasing links, and want to see written evidence without putting in too much effort.
YOU ARE READY TO APPLY FOR THAT FREELANCE WRITING GIG.
Now, the fun starts, and you can begin to apply for your first freelance writing assignment. This is always the most difficult job to find, and can take weeks, so do not be too disheartened. Like in the real world, it is easy to fall into that Catch-22 of, 'Cannot get a job without experience, but cannot get experience without a job.' This takes a while to overcome, but patience will be rewarded.
The obvious temptation is to send of twenty or thirty applications per week, and hope that enough mud sticks. In my experience, it is better to adopt a minimalist style, and apply to less than ten jobs per week on each freelance site. By restricting yourself, you ensure that you dedicate enough time to each application, and craft a great and outstanding cover letter. Many freelancers recycle the same letter for each job, which really does not work. You irritate buyers and, even if you do find a job, it is generally for one of the article mills.
Browse through the freelance writing job listings and make a note or shortlist any interesting jobs. There are a few postings to avoid at all costs, so take a little time reading the help pages and forums on the site. If the job description is vague, then avoid applying, because working for people like that can be a nightmare. Most sites carry a little history about the buyer, so you can judge and evaluate their reputation and payment history. If they paid peanuts in the past, they will continue to do so, and you are probably wasting your time.
Try to pick up assignments when they first appear. After a couple of days, there will be a huge glut of applications so, by getting in first, you have pushed yourself to the front of the freelance writing queue. The next stage is to make that all-important first impression.
WRITING THE KILLER COVER LETTER
Read the details for the assignment very carefully. To filter out spam applications, many buyers ask you to attach certain articles or follow specific instructions. If their name is included use it, instead of the generic ‘Dear Sir or Madam,’ because you will be automatically binned as a spam application.
This information will form the basis of your cover letter, hopefully pushing you to the front of the list. The key to writing a killer cover letter is to tell the customer what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. Try to pick the right tone for the letter. If their posting was very businesslike, keep the same tone. If it was casual and friendly, respond in kind.
Your main problem is going to be your lack of freelance writing experience, and this is always the most difficult obstacle to overcome. If you have a great portfolio and resume, this will help, but you will have to resign yourself to the fact that you are going to have to go for the low price option. If a writer with great feedback puts in a bid for ten dollars, you need to aim lower. To put it in perspective, my first gig on ODesk was for two dollars per 500 word article. Once I gained the all important feedback, I could slowly increase my rate, and now charge at least five times that.
For specialist freelance writing articles, I charge even more. In the next Hub we will look at developing a niche, where you can really stand out and charge a higher rate. I charge at least twenty dollars for academic writing, and I know one lady on ODesk who knows a lot about search engine optimisation. She charges $44 per hour and has no problem in finding work, so making good money is possible, with a little application and patience.
A FEW TIPS TO GET AHEAD ON THE FREELANCE WRITING SITES
There are a few tricks for protecting yourself from the inevitable fraudsters, always looking for something for nothing. Quite often, a buyer will ask you to send in a sample article, so that they can judge your work. The standard is to send them a sample from your online portfolio, but some buyers will insist that you write an article about a specific topic. This should set a few alarm bells ringing. Potentially, they may have approached forty writers, asking for slightly different samples and will run off into the night, with a stack of free work.
You are a professional and deserve better treatment than this, so try to protect yourself. If you really like the sound of the job, and want to risk it, there a little workaround that you can try. Write the article and post it as a Hub, preferably with no comment box – some of the comedians here could seriously harm your chances of employment! Send the interviewer the link and invite them to look. If they are not happy with this procedure then trust me – you really do not want to work for them. At least this way, you still have the article and can try to sell it, or use it to attract Adsense.
On some freelance writing sites, and for private work, you charge the buyer a fixed fee and trust that they will pay. Once you are experienced, you will be able to charge an upfront fee but, when you are starting out, this is a little more difficult. If the assignment is for a job less than $100 dollars, it is probably worth the risk – you lose a few, but most people are honest.
If your work is of the highest quality, and you have gone the extra mile, the client will be back for more. For amounts larger than that, such as ebooks or bulk jobs, insist upon staged payments and, if the buyer refuses, walk away. I have lost nearly $1000 over the last year, and there is not much that I can do except keep on working. That is the harsh reality, but try not to lose heart – you will also find some great long term clients, and they will keep putting your rate up!
BEYOND THE FREELANCE WRITING SITES
Don’t forget your local area, too. Often, it is easy to become fixed upon working online without realising that there are people in your local area that need your services. Proof reading, resumes, filling in forms – there are lots of little jobs that you can find. In a future hub, we will talk about developing your business identity, and this will include designing business cards as well as developing a website and logos. This all sounds a little professional, and so it should. A skilled writer IS a professional, and deserves to be treated as such.
Think about it this way; when people ask you about your profession, instead of saying that you are a manager, or a call centre worker, you can say that you are a writer, and give them your business card. People automatically think that writers are interesting people, and you can make a lot of friends this way, an added bonus of freelance writing!
If you want to read a hilarious take on some of the problems faced by freelance writers, visit PGrundy's superb hub. A tin hat may be useful to protect you from Pam's sharp wit! AEvans has a hub with a nice little starting job if anybody is interested.
- Guide to Grammar and Writing
A great resource site with some excellent guides to developing language skills and writing good copy. - Scientific Method - A Research Guide About Experiments and Science
A guide explaining different terms and concepts of the scientific method. Helping you understand what research is all about. - Job Skills Checklist - The OWL at Purdue
An excellent resource site with few tips for writing cover letters and resumes, as well as improving grammar skills. - Guru.com – Find freelancers at the world’s largest online service marketplace.
The last of the 'big three' freelancing sites. I know very little about it, but the overall process seems to be the same. - Elance | Connect with Qualified Professionals
I have little experience of this site, but I have heard some good things about it. It does charge a monthly fee, so make sure that you can afford this. - The On Demand Global Workforce - oDesk
Join ODesk and start working as a freelance writer. Follow the above advice, and you should be able to start finding work.
- Freelance Writing for a Living
FREELANCE WRITING FOR A LIVING: The first Hub in the series, allowing you to judge whether you are cut out for the competitive world of freelance writing. - OpenOffice.org - The Free and Open Productivity Suite
OpenOffice.org: Free word processing software which will also convert your documents into pdf files. - Amethyst Freelance Writing
My personal site for those wishing to employ my services as a freelance writer and graphic designer. - Main Page - Gutenberg
My favourite site on the internet, with downloadable copies of antiquarian texts.
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Comments
best of luck in your career.
I love OpenOffice, that you linked to, it's great.
Nice hub! It's so thorough. Thanks.
I got an invitation to bid on a project that involved writing reviews of twelve luxury hotels in Costa Rica for a travel agency. They were looking for someone who could bring a fresh perspective, someone who had been to all these hotels and had something new to say about them. Their budget? Under $500, meaning they were looking to pay $10 or less per review, because the "under $500" category is the lowest option at Elance.
Now, is it just me, or does it strike you as kinda weird to ask for direct experience staying in 12 separate luxury hotels as a prerequisite for writing a $10 review? If someone could afford to visit twelve different luxury hotels in Costa Rica and had personally stayed in enough luxury hotels to have strong opinions about luxury hotels in general, what would that person be doing trolling internet job boards for freelance work?
The company looking for a writer was in Dubai. I didn't bid. I'm thinking of joining a convent or something and just contemplating my navel for the rest of my life.
Here's the other thing that's been happening to me--- an email or two each day to the effect of "How can I know if I'm ready to write for money? How can I become a writer? How can I know if I'm any good?"
Aaarrrrggghhhhh! If you wanna be a writer, then write something! If you can get somebody to pay you, then guess what?Congratulations! You're ready to have someone pay you!
Now I think I have to do a hub...
Thanks Buddy: Glad that the Hub helped! You should have no problem making a living as a writer!
London Girl: Thanks - I love my job, and hope to be a writer for the rest of my life. I am 9 months into a two year plan, and everything is progressing nicely. Hope that you are not suffering too much with the snow!
Hi Pam - I understand what you are going through - as a freelance writer, you do meet some strange people. The travel review thing does seem to be a little weird - buyers ask for the most ridiculous things, sometimes. Mind you, you could always lie your arse off - internet research can cover a multitude of sins.
I wrote content for a health tourism site, and used a little 'creativity' to make it seem as though I had been there. A little 'bending of the rules' never goes astray ;)
Don't you dare join a convent - I will have nobody else to moan to!
Sadly, I am not surprised that you get the odd e-mail - not only are you one of the elite writers, but you have a 'motherly' air (No offence meant!). I think that young writers look up to you for guidance. We should get together with JimmytheJock, Lissie and a few others and try to arrange some sort of mentoring hub - help each other.
I look forward to your hub, and will insert a link once it is finished.
You have some great tips that are really useful. I have come across the sites that ask you to bid for a job but have never bothered with them. Nice article.
Thanks, Amreen.
There are some good sites out there, but there are many more scam sites, keen to steal a writer's work.
Very good tips - freelancing can be a dream job, but it's not easy, and it's not for everyone.
Thanks, Angie.
I would rather freelance than work in a shop again, but it is not an easy life.
Hi Sufi,
As usual, a great hub with great insights!
I have also enrolled on Elance and Guru, and managed to land some work also. Still, sometimes it gets frustrating that someone can bid for a 25 article project at $50. And these are not new writers, trying to get a foothold. They have been there for months, and years, and have some earnings to show, too! I wonder how they can do that.
Also, sometimes what the buyers demand can be really excruciating! I remember a guy who wanted perfect grammar, with the caveat that the writer should be able to "EXCEPT" payments through Paypal. Of course, I lost the bid! Ahh, I think I should remember the lessons from your previous hub!
Thanks for visiting, Sidd.
Glad that you managed to find some work through the freelance sites. There are a lot of people working for those rates, but I suspect that they are not much good. If they were, they would put up their rate a little. The whole system is weighted against freelancers. I have worked with many talented Filipino writers, and buyers take advantage of them.
Unreasonable buyers expecting native English at a dollar an article make me laugh. Most native English speakers live in expensive countries, so they ask for the impossible.
Good luck with the freelancing, and feel free to PM if you need any advice.
I'm highly successful on some of these sites and don't use others at all. I figured I'd rather be no 1 or as near as possible on one or two than spread myself thin. I charge exactly what I want. I get a lot of rejections for "bid is too high" (it isn't - I'm NOT expensive at all - quite the reverse). It's just the way it works. I also get over 30% of my business from clients who had work screwed up by amateurs or unreliable writers, so I've just decided to ignore the other bidders and do my own thing.
Agreed - I stuck with one, although I generally work privately now. Must agree about the fixing poor work - so many buyers go for the cheap option and then end up paying more money getting a proper writer to redo the articles. The quality of assignments seems to have dropped recently, but I feel that quality will eventually prevail. Google is changing the Adsense rules, hopefully towards quality rather than quantity.
I put in higher bids, too - if a client is only interested in price, then I cannot compete with two dollars an hour, so do not bother. The next Hub will be about developing a niche, essential for making a reasonable living.
Great resource Sufi.
I'm kinda fortunate in that I am obsessed with things like grammar and spelling (borders on OCD). Seeing commas in my dreams isn't such a blessing, though.
Thanks for visitng, EYE.
Not a bad OCD to have. Dreaming about commas is not too bad - it is the exclamation marks that worry me.
Sufi,
Good, good hub. Although I don't ever really plan to make a living as a freelancer, (I've done it in the past and thank the Lord I didn't have to pay the rent on MY income!) I still have my little "writer ego" that wants to sell an article now and then. I realize that I'm a good writer, and people like Pam are out there and they are AMAZING, TALENTED writers. I'm not competitive. I wish us all the best; I'm just very honest about how I rate!
Good hub and some new sites that I hadn't known about before.
Thanks, Madison.
lol - it sounds like you are only too aware of the 'joys' of freelance writing! You are right about Pam - she is one of the elite, and I hope that she receives the acclamations and money that she deserves.
Not too sure about the article selling - I thought about Helium but never followed up. If you have any good tips, I am all ears. I agree about the competitive thing - I prefer to help other writers, and I am always open to useful and constructive advice. There are enough people out to steal from us and abuse us - no need to fight amongst ourselves.
Thanks for dropping by - always a pleasure.
Hey Sufi,
You are aware of Constant Content (http://www.constant-content.com/?aref=22329) aren't you? I pretty much assumed anyone on HubPages knew about them too, but they are a pretty good source for selling articles. Basically, you submit your material, the editors review it, and then people can buy it through the site. You set your own prices and there are three levels which you can sell the rights to the articles. You can sell the publishing rights alone, exclusive rights, so it can only be published by the person who buys it, or total rights, which means that whoever buys it owns the rights and they can edit it however they want and even publish it under their own name. As I said, you can set your on prices, so you can ask a relatively low price for publishing rights alone and a high price for full rights or you can choose not to offer one or more of the three rights options.
Another similar site is Associated Content (http://www.associatedcontent.com/join.html?refer=4 ), although I wouldn't really suggest them for someone who is actually working as a freelancer. They do pay you upfront money, but it's only about $5/article and then they only pay you $1.50 per 1,000 page views. Might be a good dumping ground if you have a bunch of articles that are outdated laying around that you want to make a quick buck with though.
Wow, you are getting great comments here. I really appreciate you writing this series--it's so helpful.
I have thought many times I would be better off financially to write more at Associated Content than HP because I do think the upfront payment helps and the ad revenue seems similar--but HP is so much comfier. It's "sticky" or something. The other sites don't feel as friendly somehow.
Helium was the first online writing site I ever used, but I never go there anymore because it's such a different atmosphere. They have this weird peer rating system that is interesting at first but gets irritating really fast. It just makes the site feel very pendantic and critical and not much fun to write for, IMO.
But AC is a good site.
Thanks, EYEAM - that is really useful information. So far, most of my writing has been on freelance sites, in a specialist niche. I am looking to try a few new things, so the constant-content site seems to be well worth looking at. I am a little pushed for time at the moment, but I have a back-catalogue of articles that I could rewrite and try to sell - I owe you a beer ;)
I think that most of us are finding that we have to Diversify or Die - it is certainly a new option to explore. If you fancy writing a Hub about it, let me know and I will bang a link in here.
Pam - Thanks for the lovely comment!
I tried Helium, but I do not like giving up copyright unless somebody pays - I am not a prolific writer, so I like to be in control of my work. Helium does appear to attract some of your beloved art-snobs! I really do not care what some snooty academic thinks of my work - dollars are the only critic worth listening to. If I wrote just for the art, I would starve.
I like Hubpages too - whilst Adsense is nice, I have ulterior motives for Hubpages (as well as occasionally writing for pleasure!). The local area is really trying to attract tourists, so a few more 'Greece' hubs are planned for publicity purposes. I already have two top-ranked articles on Google for certain search terms, so HP seems to be a good vehicle for luring tourists.
I love the community spirit, too!
Great article and excellent tips and advice. Very thorough and straight-forward. I've seen several pieces like this on Hub Pages now.
Great hub with lots of useful info. Thanks.
Thanks, CW - There are quite a few of us producing guides and 'realistic' advice.
We are fighting back against all of the scams that lure people in with promises of making big bucks as a writer. The reality is different - it is possible to make a living writing, but it is like any other business. You need to spend a long time building up a reputation and developing a network of clients. No easy money here!
Thanks, Benson - Hope that your dream is a little closer!
Yep, totally agree! HP has become an invaluable resource of information - of all kinds.
Hey, check this out, just found it. It's ancient (early 80's I think) but you might get a kick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpw_Hx-ABrM
Cockrocktastic - Pompous, overblown 'Big Hair Rock' at its best!
That is a real blast from the past - I admit to owning a few such albums in my time ;)
Good info, i don't think i'm ready to be a freelance writer. I still think i need a lots of improvement.
Thanks Coolbreezing - you are not far off.
Only one man's opinion, but you have the makings of a fine journalist - a powerful style of writing and your Hubs are always interesting!
Got the PM - will fix that in the morning - Cheers!
Thanks for writing this. It is a great article for anyone wishing to become a freelance writer. For the moment HubPages is about all I can handle with everything else I have going workwise at the moment. But I have bookmarked this Hub to refer to if I ever decide to take my writing to the next level and start making a living at it. Great Work and thanks for all the information.
Thanks for dropping in, Chuck. Glad to be of service.
I enjoy reading your Hubs, so hope that the next level is not far away! There should be a few additions, at some point, but I have a lot to do, too.
Thank you for giving us the tips !!:)
Thanks for dropping by, AEvans - glad to help!
I'm glad the "freelance writing" questions on the forums got me looking at your Hubs on this topic, they're very informative. I'm currently unemployed, so again considering whether writing might be a useful string to my bow.
I agree about Helium, by the way - in fact, I wrote a Hub about my reservations.
Thanks for this most valuable information sufi dreamer....cheers
Thanks Marissa - coming from you, that is praise indeed! Sorry to hear about the unemployment.
I am pretty sure that you should have no problem finding work on the freelance sites. They have been a little crowded with mediocrity recently, but the quality is starting to rise to the top.
I remember reading your article about Helium - I am a minimalist writer, so cannot afford to give up the rights to the few pieces I have in my portfolio!
Thanks for dropping by, ajcor - Glad to help!
Very nice hub Sufi, I will check out the sites recommended.
Thank you so much!
No worries, Alana - my pleasure!
Fabulous hub - thanks for the information! I'm just back to regular writing after an absence of much too long. I still have my day job but am hoping to transition out of it by the end of the year. I'm writing only on HP so I can stay focused for a while. Reading this I almost have hope! Great writing Sufi - i look forward to more!
Thanks, Susan. Glad to help!
Good luck with that - there is a gradual shift towards quality over quantity, so you should be just fine. It might take a year to establish a reputation, but you will get there.
This is something that I think about alot, writing for a living, just have to sort out my grammar issues as I think I was sick on the day they were teaching that at school, I quite prefer though to build up a content empire myself like hubpages and sponge off the advertising revenue for awhile.
Thanks, Wayne.
Nothing wrong with the content thing - not an expert myself, but if your articles are informative (as yours are), then the odd grammar error gets overlooked! Besides, my English is far from perfect - Shadesbreath or Teresa could tear my work apart if they wanted to!
Again, great article. Book marking it.
You've no doubt gained a healthy reputation for all the right reasons.
G|M
Thanks for commenting, G|M - praise is always good for a writer's fragile ego!
I must get around to writing the next couple of Hubs in the series :)
Can't wait. =)
Thanks - I should employ you as a full time motivational coach to say nice things.
Very busy at the moment, so it may be a little while :)
Sorry Magicstar - your comments are appreciated, but I do not want to promote any sites until I have checked them out personally.
If you remove the links, I will happily allow your comment.
Wow, the comments are almost as good and helpful as the hub! I appreciate the honesty that you and others here write with; you manage to encourage but not create false expectations. When I first started researching writing online it was really hard to see past the bullshit!
I love the tip where if someone asks for a writing sample on a topic of their choosing to publish it as a hub and give them the link! Great way to see if someone's really just trying to get something for free. And I disagree that your English isn't perfect, btw!
I look forward to you writing more articles on this topic! I'm still trying to figure out the exact focus for my own niches :-).
Thanks for the kind words, Kelsey - Glad that you found the information useful. We do not try to put anybody off writing, but like to warn people that it is not easy. An old cliche, but if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
The tip came from the freelance site after a spate of buyers asking for free samples - you meet a lot of scammers working online, but can protect yourself a little!
The niche thing quite often happens by accident - you uncover an interest and a talent that you never knew you had.
Hopefully, there will be a few more articles sometime soon, although I am extremely busy at the moment. That is a good thing :)
Wonderful advice from you and many of the fellow hubbers who commented on this hub. Plan to save this for future reference. Thanks.
Thanks, Peggy - I am glad that you found it useful. Things have improved a little, since writing the Hub. Good luck for the future!
Thank you for the info. But I think I'm not yet ready to join a freelance site. For the mean time I'm happy being with hp. Wink*
Thanks for dropping in, Ladyvenus.
Glad that you are happy with HP - it certainly is a great place!
Excellent hub Sufi - thank you so much. Your thoroughness and suggestions are exactly what I've needed to decide whether or not to set a goal as a professional writer or not. I also appreciate connecting as mutual fans and very much look forward to hearing some of your feedback for my own writing skills - that too may help me decide.
Heading to recommend you on fan mail - does that help in gaining gigs? The fan mail left for me so far pretty much reflects appreciation for what I've said about them rather than anything that might help a potential employer decide to hire me, or inspire a person to read the book I intend to publish this year. Don't know yet if that makes a difference to anyone outside our community on hp. Until I do, I will continue to add recommendation fan mail as though a person's income depends on it for outstanding writers I find - such as yourself :)
Thanks, SEM - I am glad that the Hub helped!
I have left some fan mail, and had a look around your Hubs - expect some comments soon!
Certainly, Search Engine Optimization can be a lucrative field, and you can make decent money on the freelance sites once you build up a reputation.
What a refreshing article; no fluff or propaganda. Just straight to the point useful information. I’m a new writer and really appreciate this kind of honesty. Please keep it coming! Thanks.
Cheers for stopping by, Bryan - I am glad that you found the article useful. Good luck with the new writing career - you will do just fine! :)
Fantastic hub. I've never heard of ODesk, will have to check that out. Have tried a little on Elance, but you're right, it's flooded with competition right now. Anyway, great tips, many of which I will incorporate into my "tool bag".
Thanks, Wordscribe - glad that you found it useful! ODesk is not without its faults, but I do a little work on there.
You need to give it about 3 to 6 months to work - $15 to $20 per hour is acheivable, although the work can be sporadic. If you don't mind signing up through the link above, I get a referral fee once you earn $1000!
Thanks and Good Luck :)
Awesome hub sufidreamer. I tried sites like elance years ago and never really got the satisfaction out of it. They paid too little. I decided I would create my own website, which I did. I have written over 900 children's stories and have over 700 of them on my website. I have made a google payout about every three months or so, enough to pay for the hosting, domain name and any electronic equipment I need to keep going. I enjoy writing very much. I wish I had have found hubpages before now. Since joining hubpages my adsense earnings have increased a lot. April, my first month, I made 1 cent, May, I made almost $30 and so far for June that has almost doubled. I'm really pleased with hubpages and find it an awesome community to be a part of and there are a couple of really "special" hubbers that I love to death. It makes the whole writing experience worthwhile. I think I'll just continue on the way I'm going.
Hi again - 'Tis true - the freelance sites can be difficult, and need a lot of work to build a reputation. It looks like you are making a real go of the adsense - I noticed that, although you did 100 Hubs, they were of good quality. Hopefully, your earnings will continue to grow.
I like Hubpages, too - I have not really chased the adsense, but have had a little work through it. I may try to get a few more hubs up and running, but I have to find a little time!
Good luck with the writing - I look forward to reading more of your work :)
Hi. I'm new in HubPages (just joined 3 days ago). I like going through various hubs and your hub is one of those that really got my attention. I've been doing online writing for the past 7 months now, and I'm fairly satisfied with my earnings. My problem is that sometimes, I can't bid for the job because I am from Asia and they want somebody from the U. S. or Canada or U. K. Can't blame them because this is what they require. Other times, like when I went to Helium, they removed me from the list because I'm not in the U. S. *sigh* Oh well, tough luck. Maybe in HubPages I can make something. Or maybe I can try ODesk or Guru (I'm already in Elance). I signed up as one of your fans so that I can read more informative hubs from you in the future. Thanks for this very good hub!
Hi enievil - thanks for dropping by, and welcome to Hubpages. I heard that Helium was starting to discriminate - that is harsh. You could certainly give ODesk a try - there are many fine Filipino writers on there, and they manage to find work. If you can afford to bid a little lower than US and UK writers, you will be fine.
If you do decide to sign up, please use the link above - I get a $50 dollar referral fee once you earn your first $1000!
Thanks for the very kind words, and good luck!
One of my dreams, I'm just nervous about taking the plunge.
Thanks, karpouzian - that really is the most difficult part. Once you are over that hurdle, it becomes easier!
Hi Sufidreamer,
I really enjoyed your hubs. I just quite teaching to become a "full time" writer and spend half my time kicking myself, and yet, now I can't imagine doing anything else. You've inspired me to be more assertive on the bidding sites. I've only been approached twice and the offers just seemed really dubious. Thanks for the info.
Hi Celia
Thanks for the kind words, and I am glad that you enjoyed the Hub. Writing for a living is tough, but I am sure that you will get there. The freelance sites are competitive, but once you find that job and start bulding a reputation, it becomes easier. If your instincts tell you that something is wrong, trust them - there are too many people who want something for nothing, but you soon learn the warning signs!
Best of luck, and let me know if you need any help :)
Another Great hub Sufi. Thanks for sharing.
I am writing @ $1 per 500 words. Doesn't seem to be quite impressive but so are my articles.Trying to improve though, I have not yet reached a point where I could call myself competetive.
Looking forward to more blogs from you on freelance writing.
Well done, TicksProfessional - getting the first assignment is always the most difficult. Once you are over that hurdle, the fun begins.
$1 per 500 words is low but, if you do a great job, you will begin to develop that all important reputation and your earnings will creep up. I started on $2 per 500 words - now I earn considerably more (not a fortune, but enough!)
A couple of tips - every few months, look back at some of your old articles critically. You will find many mistakes and you will also see how much you have improved as a witer.
Set yourself some targets - maybe say that you will be earning $5 per 500 words in six months. This will focus your mind and give you something to work towards.
It may be a while before I have time for more freelance articles, but you are welcome to PM if you have any questions :)
Thanks.
Love the hub--thanks for the tips.
Hi Ticks - sorry about the late reply - the system unfairly marked your comment as spam, probably because it is only one word. All the best!
Thanks, tdarby - Very glad that you found the Hub useful :)
i think this is the hub i referred to ..... i will bookmark it now and inwardly digest
Thanks, Brenda - I remember our nice conversation! It is nice to see how you have grown and developed into a fine poet and writer :)
This hub is outstanding! I've done some freelance work in the past, but have all but given up on it. It seems that on most of the free sites if you're not willing to work for less than $5 an article, your bid is buried by the 50 people that will. I argee with you on the pay sites too. I can't justify paying for the chance to get a job when I'm not making any money on it to begin with.
You've given me new hope.
Thanks for dropping by, bloodnlatex - love the name :)
It can be exceptionally difficult to make headway on the free sites - it is possible, but you need to find a good niche and spend a long time building up a reputation.
The key is to be very selective in your applications - you can see that some posters just want a trained chimp to work for 50 cents per article. Others are prepared to pay more for quality - write the best cover letter that you can, beef up your portfolio and you will do just fine. I found a niche with academic and technical work - hopefully, you can find your own specialty :)
Never lose the hope - no shortcuts, sheer hard work makes hope become reality!
Thanks for you advice. I it started to make some quick cash in my spare time, but I didn't really put a whole lot of time into it. Like you said, I'm going to have to spend the time and really do it right this time. Thanks again...
No problem - it is not an easy job, but I would not go back to working in a shop!
You should also check out pgrundy (one of the earlier comments). She has some great Hubs about the trials and tribulations of a freelance writer :)
buddygallagher says:
10 months ago
wow sufidreamer you've outdone yourself here! this hub i can truly use, thanks a lot for the effort