The Freelance Writers Mistakes on Freelance Sites

Often, freelance writers look at outsourcing sites like guru.com and elance.com and immediately run away in horror. As a buyer on freelance sites for technical support, web programming and writing, I can tell you for a fact that this is a mistake. Let me give you an example of what I mean. I have posted numerous projects where there was a massive disparity between submitted bids of 10 and in some cases even 20 to one. One project I posted had a high bid of $22,000 and a low bid was $500. Did I choose a low bid? No … and here’s the reason why.

In many cases, the people who bid ultralow are desperate for the work and that in itself is a bad sign. Experienced Freelance buyers understand that desperation is a good indication that quality is lacking. Freelance buyers often weed out the top and bottom bidders and look around the middle. In addition to desperation driving away buyers, an understanding of the project and its parameters is also key. Many people who hire writers on freelance sites automatically discount the two dollar bidders and narrow their search to bids which are around the middle of the pack. In addition, many of these buyers have previously been stung by $2 bidders who rarely do what they say they will do. Buyers understand the work they are offering costs more money to do well. This type of initial filtering by experienced buyers is typical.

Most freelance writers misunderstand the level of expertise the buyers have in recruiting for writers. These buyers generally understand how long it will take to do the job and how much someone living in the West who can speak English fluently needs to earn. More importantly than those two points, they understand that good writers are worth paying well. In many cases, they are doing test projects on freelance sites in order to grab a writer for the long term. They are looking around the middle of the pack in terms of price, but prices can easily be increased over the duration of the relationship.

Freelance writers should try and see past the $2 see the true nature of a large section of good buyers on these sites. Many of them will pay many times more over the long term than they will for an initial project. The freelance writers who understand this are filling their diary in record time at sites like elance.com and guru.com. The ones who don’t are continually under pressure for new business and for a way to increase your rates.

Freelance sites are a bit like a dating agency… you aren’t going to buy a big rock on a first date… but that doesn’t mean you never will.

This guest post was written by: Barry Walls of www.strategicoutsourcers.com/blog. Fellow freelance writers might be interested in Barry’s Strategic Outsourcers course. The course teaches how you can reach $60/hour with freelance writing within a short amount of time.