Online Freelance Writing For Beginners: A Quick Guide
This can be either a great move full of lots of opportunities or it can be an absolute minefield. Before you even commit to writing as an online freelance writer, check out a several websites that offer work to freelancers.
- It is well worth the time making a comparison between a few of the websites. Focus on their reputation, support that is in place for both the writer and the client, and fees.
- Sign up with a few of the websites. This may take you a bit of time but you will soon find which of the online companies that suit you personally the best. Look at the types of writing jobs that are on offer. Is this work that you would be happy producing over a period of time? Or do they have clients that need writers for many different projects that will allow you to write confidently but also grow professionally.
- Some of the websites may ask you to ‘jump through a few hoops’ in order to sign up with them. This is actually a good move as again time invested initially will pay off in the long run. You may need to set up your profile and provide a portfolio. In real terms this is what you would be doing if you were looking for any job.
Things to watch out for.
- Competition. If you sign up to a website and are looking continually at jobs that already have 70 or so freelancers also bidding for the same job as you, this means that there is not much work available on this site. Try another site that has a better reputation that prospective clients trust.
- Types of writing. Some types of writing have more free lancers than others. Competition is very harsh if your skills are in editing and proofreading.
- Bids. When you are writing a proposal for a project/job, just like any other contractor you will have to put in your bid for the work. Be realistic. Do your homework and find out just how much your skills are worth. If you are out bid by someone who is offering to do the same job as you for $3 an hour, then you probably would not have got on well with that client. Also be realistic as to how long the job will actually take you.
At the end of the day, when you get hired for a job remember that politeness costs nothing. If things go wrong, always be polite and keep the lines of communication open. Remember that you client is also under pressure as well.
Good Luck.