Experiences
Finding better freelance writing jobs
Feb 19th
When you have learned the basics about freelance writing and you have started winning the bids, you need to move on. If you are still unable to win any bids, then you need to read my article about freelance writing and bidding tips which talk about winning the bids and lets you understand the entire procedure with inside knowledge of the things.
Once you have mastered winning the low budget freelance writing projects, you should move on to the better jobs. If you have been working on the freelancer.com then it is the time to move on.
You should consider bidding for higher projects on freelancer.com now. Remember that freelancer.com is good for the new comers and all the high budgeted jobs are either present at elance.com or at odesk.com
oDesk is a great place to start hunting for good jobs. You will find plenty of fixed price and hourly priced projects there. You can win the bids on oDesk if you have done it on freelancer. But here are few things to remember:
- You are starting with a new website. That means you do not have any feedback.
- oDesk is a lot different from freelancer so you will have to spend some time understanding the things there
HOW TO BUILD A BETTER PORTFOLIO AT ODESK?
Now your first target should be to build a good portfolio on oDesk (have a look at my portfolio here). Once you have cleared their enterance test which is called odesk ready test, you will be able to start bidding. Don’t do it at this moment. Take some time and clear few more tests. The people at oDesk will hardly hire someone without feedback and qualifications. If you clear some tests there, you will be in a position to use that to overcome the feedback issue.
Start with some low budget freelance writing projects where the buyer does not ask for feedback. Try to complete the project quickly and get some positive feedback. Once you have 4 positive feedbacks and have achieved an overall feedback score of above 4, it time to start finding the freelance writing jobs here.
Bid for the freelance writing projects with better budget. You have feedback and tests to support your bid. Do tell the buyer what you have got. Mention that you have cleared the tests and also write down that you have a good feedback. This will make you bid even better.
You can also play a lot with your profile on oDesk. You can add previous projects there. You can also add a cover letter. Try to take advantage of these features.
Now if you have
- Positive feedback
- Relative tests cleared
- Good looking and complete profile (here is how to do build amazing portfolio for freelance writing jobs)
then you are all set to make big bucks from freelance writing!
Building a great portfolio for freelance writing jobs.
Feb 13th
When I initially started out as a freelance writer, the first thing I had to figure out was how to advertise myself. I knew that in order to establish myself I had to exhibit my work but for that to happen I needed to work on some actual jobs. I was already accustomed to the concept of blogging and other web related stuff but I knew I had to be innovative and clever to standout. I had a plan and I executed it in steps. I would advise beginners to follow these steps.
The first step is to work for yourself!! Yes it is correct there is no typo. Create a proper job, with requirements, delivery date, and specifications and then hire yourself to write the article. You will notice that you are far more professional in working for a paying job than a sample piece. You would be able to test yourself by meeting the job deadline and other essentials.
Once you are done writing the article move on to the review stage. Here you have to put yourself in clients’ shoes. Evaluate your work, identify any shortcomings in your article and look out for improvements. This can be used in your portfolio. With all this done you have entered the world of freelance writing.
Now you have finished your first assignment. Move on and try writing a new article with a different set of requirements. Include key words and try to fit them smoothly into the article. Repeat this again but with more challenging tasks. Test your skills as much as you can. Try to find out things that interest you and you are really good at and then look for work related to your interests.
Writing such articles would present you with a chance to show off your work. Potential buyers might be tempted by your writing skills and before you know it you might be hired. In addition you would have gained valuable experience. The next step would be to promote yourself and look for paying work.