If you’ve been a salaried employee all your life the allure of a home-based self employment gig can be awfully compelling. And it seems that there are several economic and cultural shifts occurring today that are opening up the freelance market to people in many industries. It’s an open secret that corporations have taken to hiring “consultants” or contractors both for specific projects and for an indeterminate period of employment.
Software engineers and network experts often hire out on a contract basis. Case managers and clinical study professionals for pharmaceutical firms, even executives with backgrounds in finance or operations management are to be found today working under contract. But this article is about people who are interested in starting a freelance writing business in partnership solely with a computer and high speed online service. One of the cultural phenomena that are driving the freelance writing business today is the remarkable range of online commercial enterprises. Those that are depending on using the internet for marketing purposes need quality content, and a lot of it, to establish their presence.
Beware the Bidding Wars
Some freelancers read everything they can about blogging and set out to develop a site with sufficient quality to build a following that in internet terms, translates into a revenue stream from advertising dollars. Others who are casting about for a starting point in the business gravitate to one of the bidding sites for freelance services such as Guru, Elance, oDesk, ScriptLance, and many other lesser sites offer the freelance writer an opportunity to sign on and bid on posted writing jobs.
Most of these have a premium subscription level that provides full access to listed jobs, so you’ll be paying a monthly stipend. In addition, once you land a job with one of these services payment is handled through their site and they take a cut of up to 10% of your earnings. If you’re being paid through PayPal, that’s another deduction from your earnings.
But the real high wire act with these services is the bidding. You can count on some ridiculously low bids, usually from offshore writers; it’s a phenomenon that has skewed the entire pay structure in the business (see the comments on the article How Much Should You Pay a Freelancer, for example). The best you can do in these situations is to develop your profile on the site with a focus on quality work. You can’t sell yourself out for jobs that end up paying $4 or $5 an hour; you’ll just have to wait until a potential employer comes along who is looking for quality along with price and hope that you get the job. Once you’ve established contact with an employer and made a favorable impression with your work, you may have your first steady client.
The Craigslist Carnival
I turned to Craigslist when I was first starting out in this business. There are postings for legitimate writing jobs to be found there, interspersed with a remarkable variety of hustles. You’ll learn to recognize the frauds fairly quickly; the most obvious being those that promise instant income of thousands a month while working from home. Don’t even think about responding. Then there’s the “paid internship” opportunity and the listings that are looking for bloggers or content writers for unspecified topics, work available instantly wherever you are. Those sorts of open ended ads are usually a waste of time. There are also ample placements for non-profit organizations involved in social activism; generally they are counting on your dedication to the cause as justification for starvation wages.
There are also listings for legitimate positions at various seniority levels, but many of those are for office jobs. Occasionally you’ll find one that will consider telecommuting but often those are for technical writing or specialized work that doesn’t require interacting with a team. Most of them want some sort of background: could be SEO, could be medical writing, and could be finance. If you meet the qualifications for experience it is sometimes worth submitting your resume and bona fides with an inquiry about at least part time telecommuting.
Sometimes the best legitimate gigs on Craigslist are the most boring but they can mean steady work. Commercial websites that need a paragraph of written material to accompany every picture for the hundreds of items that they are selling are in need of a ton of content. It’s assembly line work but it’s steady – and if the proprietor has a list of keywords then you can raise the pay scale a bit. The best way to find these and other legitimate telecommuting jobs is to check the twenty five largest cities in the country every couple of days. Listings do vary from market to market although you will see the same listing in each of the cities; usually those are listings to avoid.
Building a Client Base
If you explore the writer profiles on Guru or Elance you’ll read about writers that have earned a handsome living working with the one-off proposals put out to bid by employers. That’s one way to do well in the freelance writing business but it requires a lot of personal marketing through the site, and the ability to write on many topics knowledgeably without much time for research. The job bid sites and Craigslist all have listings from employers who need quality product and will continue to need it, but you’ll have to search through a lot of writing opportunities to find them.
Those are the people that you want to connect with and stay connected with, if you don’t wish to spend endless hours bidding on jobs. Once you’ve proven your worth as a writer, employers are going to stick with you because if they’ve been in the business for a while, they’ve encountered lots of inexpensive writers for whom English is a second language. You’ll also find that the entrepreneurs building out commercial websites tend to know one another and are not averse to recommending a writer who has given them good service.
Basically, creating a freelance writing business requires a startup period when you get your first jobs and in so doing, establish some experience in the business. From there if you keep up your trolling for new clients eventually you will find a few that are a good fit for you, that pay a decent sum for your work, and that have constant needs for additional content.
It is simply a matter of working the odds: connect with lots of people who need content, stick with those who don’t haggle over price, and develop a group of clients that keep you working full time. Good writers are not that easy to find, even though the competition is fierce. Employers who connect with a quality writer will often take steps to maintain those writing services – it’s not always the employer that holds all the cards.
Thank you for outlining these 3 pitfalls in the freelancing business. I’m sure a lot of headaches will be saved by this article – though I can’t say that Advil will thank you!
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I know what you mean, i used to do some freelance writing back in the day, and as i slowly started to distance myself from that, people would keep calling me to offer jobs. At first i took them because they were old clients and i was grateful, but then it started interfering with my new activities and i was forced to cut them off.
Just shows that a solid client base can bring you work for a very long time.
Stan recently posted..Frigidaire FGBD2431KF Stainless Dishwasher Review
At first glance. It seems to me that one of the best ways of getting the top rates of pay. For your work is to write on your own blog or website first. Or offer some free examples of your work. To other website owners.
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It’s also important to create a professional image – you can do that by asking reviews from every client and build up a portfolio. I know it takes time, but once you do it, it should be easier to find good clients.
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So true. I totally agree to what u have to say. When it comes to online – freelancing one should be careful in trusting a website which promise to pay them high and don’t pay them at all after the work is done.
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I’ve actually used Craigslist to find a few gigs instead of trying to use listings and applying for them. I do rewriting for Chinese nationals looking to apply for grad school in the US and sometimes rewrite papers for Chinese professors submitting to journals. I get some income from this, but not much.
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These pitfalls are very accurate. What about professional editing jobs that are becoming workable through online means?
Great article- I’ve been blogging for nearly a year now and have been able to build some successful ventures from it and have considered getting into freelancing now that I’m done with the bulk of my schooling. I know how easy it is to be undercut by offshore writers, but hope that there’s still a market for savvy writing and companies that are looking for a long term collaboration with writers they jive with!
Thanks for posting, it’s truly helping me get better prepared for my next move!
great post, wish i found this when i first started out,your 3 pitfalls in the freelancing business are excellent
Content makes the web go round – the very reason why writing is such a profitable skill online. The bidding system, however, is a very unsettling thing that you have to deal with as some employers haggle over price to save money. But once you get to establish your name and online presence, your chance of making a decent income is pretty much certain that clients will constantly come to you instead of you looking for them.
Very good article. It made me think about my initial career years, as freelance musician. Very similar situation, considering also that there were artists working for just nothing or really… nothing! ruining the professional image of freelance musicians.
now I’ve got my studio, but anyway, it was hard.
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great post, i think that with on-line freelancing, you need to be careful,trusting a website which promises to pay heally well can suggest that they dont pay you after youve done the work, your dealing with a website and not face to face with a real person
Thanks for the great post! I love your suggestion to try checking the twenty-five largest cities in the country every couple of days for telecommuting opportunities. I never thought to look outside of my state, but it make sense for telecommunication jobs!
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In freelancing business we must be very careful in trusting those websites who are offering such services whom we do not familiar with. There are a lot of freelance opportunities in the internet but we cannot put them easily a trust, we must seek and know first before everything comes to regrets.
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Ya, these are three common pitfalls many newbies in freelance writing may fall prey to. Thanks for the enlightening post.
I never considered craigs list as legitimate for this
I am a freelance writer but still a newbie. I am finding it hard to find good freelance writing jobs. Some of my friends are suggesting sites to search on and one of it is craigslist. I think there are a lot of fake posts there already. I Hope i could find a good and authentic job posting and get hired.
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I had another idea, about freelance writing. I think the best is to focus on different services at the same time.
I mean, there are freelancers writing articles, selling their technical skills, and creating 3d graphics and coding all at the same time.
Because the single activity can’t give you enough for a living, while working on different sides can be a successful solution.
Of course you have to be proficient in all of these activities at the same time…
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I really do not think free lance writers make enough money at all. I believe that they are the live blood of a lot of blogs out there. Any thoughts? Happy New Year. John
great post, especially the suggestion to try checking the twenty-five largest cities in the country every couple of days for telecommuting opportunities. thanks for your help
The bidding system is indeed a very frustrating thing that freelancers have to deal with as some employers haggle over price to save money. But once you get to establish your name and reputation, your chance of making a decent income is pretty much certain that clients will constantly come to you instead of you looking for them.
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The bidding system becomes also hard when you’re competing against employees abroad who may be equally as competent but who’s cost of living is so low they can provide their service for much cheaper. This is why building an A-list clientele is very important as you said.
I tried freelance writing for a while to earn some extra money. I graduated with a degree in English and thought I might be able to make good money while working from home. It was much more difficult than I thought, and I was busy all day to barely make any money. It’s good to see that some people are having success with this.
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From my experience of working freelance it is true what you say about clients sticking with you if they like what you do. It can be tough getting your foot in the door but it’s worth it when you do.
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Nice post.
You just point out the three pitfalls in free lance business.In fact there are many.
But you can always avoid them to keeping things clear and simple.When every thing is communicated properly things really work in favor of you.
Breaking through the startup period in anything is tough. It’s good you listed down three barriers otherwise unknown to starting freelancers.
If you want to do something, you better be good at it or know how to talk and act to compensate and cover the fact that you don’t know something that good. If you want to be a copy-writter, you need to read a lot, write a lot, know a lot of things, have a lot of informations and know how to talk every single time. It’s also important to follow the client’s requirements, the way you write, the style you are asked to use, the language used, technical language or normal speaking; those are details that build up the big picture and are very important. Thanks for sharing!
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I’ve done all sorts of jobs as a newbie. I thought it was more important to anything than to do nothing. It didn’t pay off in money, but it paid off in good references and recommendations. Therefore, I guess I did it the hard way, but I’m pleased now.
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Freelance writing has really made it big. Running one’s own blog is better but those who do not have the time and patience to run a blog can always freelance for others. Those trying to enter the world of freelancing as writers should read such articles so that they can become more well informed about the some harsh realities.
That is so true. As an author and business man, I can relate to how you said “You can’t sell yourself out for jobs that end up paying $4 or $5 an hour; you’ll just have to wait until a potential employer comes along who is looking for quality along with price and hope that you get the job”. I hope more people discover your blog because you really know what you’re talking about. Can’t wait to read more from you!
I find freelance writing extraordinary: I have a flexible schedule, if I know how to search I can have multiple clients
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I am starting out on freelancing and this post really is a big help for me. I hope I can avoid all the pitfalls that you’ve mentioned. Thanks!
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The two good things about the cheap writing sites are:
1) It is almost sure money (The site I write on accepts 90% of what I write)
2)If you choose the sites where the first writer to click grabs the job, you eliminate marketing time and effort.
Bidding is kind a not sue income for me..freelancing has a flexible schedule that I have some time
for my business.
well, I am seeing that many of you write for cheap websites, and my site is not famous (unfortunately!!! haha), so if you want to help me. I am opening a section with featured guest posting, if you want to try
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Quality of work builds stronger business relationship with your employer. Although you have the liberty to take plenty of tasks from different people, you have to think first if you can deliver the best quality of work you can provide. You should enjoy what you are doing and not pressure you. Because once you screw your work, you will lose all your hard work just because of your greed.
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Thanks for the reminders. I’ll keep these thing in mind. I know it’s gonna be tough to work on freelance but I’m open to the challenges it might bring and hopefully new learning as well.
I agree to you, challenges and mistakes are part of the journey to success and being a freelance writer, it could be a path full of fun and learnings.
Interesting Information! These 3 things would be great for starters. This information is very helpful when starting to have a free lance writing career. Thanks! I have learned so much about it.
This is awesome!!! I Very informative! Yes, Fraud is always happening in this word, particularly in net world. I’m a beginner in this field and it’s a cautious for me not give my trust right away. Thank you very much!!! I hope to see you forward.
I have got a lot of work off Craigslist. Most of the people you find are not quality customers-will waste your time and not order,will order and not pay etc. However you only need a few new ones each month if you can get them to be repeat customers.
I would like to comment about the previous post on being a free lance author. Any business adventure requires time and effort. And most likly much more time and effort than you would have ever thought to start with. With who knows millions of wana be authors out their maybe theirs some other place where you could could put your writing skills to good use.
Sometimes the best legitimate gigs on Craigslist are the most boring but they can mean steady work. Commercial websites that need a paragraph of written material to accompany every picture for the hundreds of items that they are selling are in need of a ton of content.
Thanks for this article Bob, I just recently signed up to freelancer and got my first writing job. I don’t pay freelancer a subsciption but they do take 10% of the fees, but I think when my employer sees I can be trusted he can just pay me via paypal.
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I’ve used Craigslist successfully to find clients but have only responded to one CL ad myself. Found out they wouldn’t allow telecommuting. One Gotcha is miscommunication. I now take 50% upfront for all freelance work I do. Mostly, I work with Chinese nationals and just an hour ago I found out that I rewrote a 17 page paper for a man who gave me the wrong paper, an outdated version. I am very frustrated about this. I will never allow this mistake to happen again. This was a big “gotcha” moment.
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I should have read this article, when I was in college, I would have made so much money. Love the way you have outlined freelance writing.
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You’re right, you’ll be making money if you’re aware with these 3 factors. But the idea of making money online is easy if you have the right knowledge in the latest trends in online marketing and you’re equipped with quality content posted consistently.
I am interested in applying for freelance writing. You are right about gathering a lot of experience. I don’t want to demand a high salary yet and I want to consider the work as a training as well. I am aware of the competition and applicants offering their service at the lowest price which is a bit ridiculous since freelance writing is not always easy, especially that we don’t usually choose the topic we want to write.
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Wow, this Craiglist is really something. It seems you can find anything there. I’ll try to search some writing opportunities. Thanks for sharing!
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My friend Jeff has started his freelance writing career two years ago, and he really finds hard to bid himself from the others. Freelancer and Elance are two of those sites that he usually started, which relies on bidding to get him hired by a possible client. Right now, he already has a couple of clients who paid him on a regular basis, and I’m proud of what he has accomplished to become a better writer for them.
Dan Lew
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Great post, I think that on-line freelancing is really a great way to promote your blog as well a great source of income but yes there are some points you need to take care of.
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Nice post, freelancing is really a great tool to promote your blog and get value able backlinks.But yes as said in the comments above there is a little risk.
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Thanks for this whistle blowing post. I believe the right path is to start freelancing while you are still doing a job and once you create a client base then you can rely on freelancing completely.
In My Opinion Creating a loyal Client base is one of the most important thing that every Freelancer have to perform! You have to give value to your client for establishing loyalty! Once you able to satisfy client through your quality work, you can build long term working relationship with your client!
Freelance writers were very informed and inspired with this post. I must agree that not everything is handled and decided by the company you are working with as a writer you need to find a good paying company that will give the right worth of your work. There are many fishes in the sea so you just need to look for company that will suit and give you your true worth in their company as a writer.
great ideas….. brilliant suggestion to try checking the twenty-five largest cities in the country every couple of days for telecommuting opportunities. widening your scope makes sense!!!! thanks for sharing
I tried one on Craigslist one time and after I didn’t get paid, I never tried another one. That’s when I started my websites and I am glad I did. There are however, legitimate sites that offer cool writing jobs.
Bidding wars is totally a serious problem of every freelancers because there are some people who are willing to work for the sake of getting even a small amount of money. On the part of the employers or entrepreneurs, of course they would love to spend money below their budget. Anyway, if you could actually offer a high quality of service, this wouldn’t be a problem. That’s for sure.
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Great opinions here, Bob. I’m sure this article will benefit freelance writers immensely, keep up the good work.
It certainly is not easy getting free lance online employment. And there is plenty of competition. Who wouldn’t want to work in their bedroom slippers–staying up late when you are on a roll, taking a break the next week when things slow down?
Knowing the roadblocks can save hundreds, yes thousands of dollars. Thanks for the heads up.
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Great post. I still do freelance writing and I’ve gotten to the point that I ask for 70% up front before I even start writing. There are way too many people out there that are looking for work for a cheap price. Once you find those that do pay, stick to them because you’ll probably get a lot of work down the road.
Excellent post. Initially, freelancing sounds easy, that is before you realize the fees involved and the amount of competition. But what I have found to be the biggest limiting factor is job understanding and customer service.
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This is a great article to read. People who are interested in working online have to be aware of these pitfalls that they might encounter as they start their online career.