How To Find The Right Freelance Websites
Finding good freelance websites can sometimes be as difficult as trying to find a needle in a haystack. The problem with these websites is many of them feature repeat writing job offers, meaning you get the same stuff over and over again.
But many new writers who just start out in the industry are thinking about nothing else than finding paid freelance writing jobs. And so it should be. I can’t recount how many people keep asking for my help in regards to starting out as a freelancer and pretty much every time I answer with the same reply.
I also can’t stress enough how easy it really is to get started as a freelance writer. Seriously! But unfortunately most people (including myself) are afraid of the unknown and end up over-analyzing their situation which quickly leads to procrastination.
The trouble for most people is their unwillingness to reduce their income in return for a steady income. I know because when I put out my call for a freelance writer on this blog not so long ago, most of the applicants refused to work for a lower rate – what they failed to see is that they were actually given a chance at earning some income. I think in today’s economy we can’t look a horse in the mouth. We should be thankful for every penny we make.
Therefore finding the best freelance writing jobs shouldn’t be the most pressing question to ask yourself if you are just starting out. Instead, ask where can I find a freelance writing gig?
The rest will happen by design!
Plus the writers who were willing to work for the advertised rate have already made a few hundred dollars and guess where I will be outsourcing to when the pace increases? Right!
This business is ALL about who you know and having trust into each others abilities. A lot of it is also based on referrals. I didn’t build up my online profile to the level it is now by sheer chance. It is the result of a long term marketing plan and still continues to be.
I’d like to call this success by design.
To get to those levels you need to start out somewhere and to get earning money fast. Freelance websites are places where you can do this within the next week. Plus the sooner you start earning money, the quicker your confidence levels will soar.
Freelance websites action plan
Getting noticed on those freelance writing job sites is all about standing out from the pack by creating your own persona. You can do this by following these tips:
- Do pay particular attention to writing good, strong copy. This means no spelling mistakes and shoddy replies to potential clients.
- Do employ a sense of authority. What I mean by this is not to show people that you are a total noob.
- Do watch other people’s bids and check them out if you can, then bid along the top third with better, more irresistible communication.
- Do persist. Bidding on the one job and then giving up is a big no. Bid on as many jobs as you can comfortably handle if you were to get them all.
- Do be prepared to send samples, even better, upload them to your portfolio site (you have one don’t you???).
- Do enjoy the learning curve and aim to do better after every time you get a rejection.
Finding the right freelance websites is not about them (the sites), it is all about you and how you apply yourself to these job offers.
Monika
About the Author: I'm a passionate freelance writer and problogger. To further build my business I'm also in the process of building my own niche empire which pays me residual income.
Tumblemoose | Mar 1, 2009 | Reply
Monika,
True words. Folks want instant gratification and high bucks. It will be there, one day. It will come. Have some patience and do what you love to do, everything else will fall into place. Understand you will not achieve “stardom” overnight.
It’s kind of funny. My writing services business is one week shy of six months old. Common wisdom says six months is kind of a milestone mark when things will start picking up. And the last three days has been remarkable for that. I don’t think I’m doing anything different – just pluggin’ away as usual.
Thanks for the gentle reminder. Sage advice.
George
Monika | Mar 1, 2009 | Reply
@ George: You’re doing exactly what I did when I started out and within 7 months I was going full time. No doubt you will too at the rate you are going and it just shows that “plugging away” does work. Keep up the great work, you are doing the right thing – one step at the time.
Cath Lawson | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
Hi Monika – this is sound advice. I don’t understand why people have such a huge problem with a drop in pay for a while, if it’s going to get them where they want.
In my early twenties, I took a massive drop in pay to become a student nurse – I only received a bursary of £360 a month. that was in the early nineties, but it was still crappy pay, in comparison to what I’d received before.
Almost any job would have made me a heap more money. And although I’m not a nurse now – the experience I need from nursing has contributed a whole heap to any successes I’ve had since.
Yes I could have continued in my low paid office job and still been there now – getting reasonable pay but getting nowhere. Or I could have become a high class hooker (and it was tempting sometimes, when I was getting only £360 a month). But that wouldn’t have got me anywhere either – nobody pays hookers much, once they’re knocking on a bit.
Kathy | Virtual Impax | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
Monika,
Great advice – success by design!!!
I’m sure many aspiring writers come here – see your blog and think this is “effortless”. What they don’t see is all the behind the scenes work and most importantly PLANNING!!!
Think swans gliding across the lake. Above the surface – poetry in motion. Below the surface, furious paddling!
“it is all about you and how you apply yourself to these job offers.” No truer words were EVER spoken!!!
Monika | Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
@ Cath: In the end it boils down to how much we want a certain lifestyle I think. Many people dream of a career in writing but when push comes to shove they choose to stay in their miserable lives because they don’t want to experience a drop in income for the time being. Anything that is hard always scares people off.
Monika | Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
@ Kathy: Thank you! You are right though, life isn’t always as easy as it seems and we all have to work hard for our success. To me, the whole effort is well worth it and every day when my hubby gears up for work – to be gone for 10 hours and more – I thank my lucky stars for having made the transition. My life is certainly success by my own design and I’m damn proud for having managed to get to this level.