So, guess what I'm figuring out? Freelance writing is hard work. Ok, I see you all seasoned freelancers slapping your foreheads and groaning. Of course it's hard work, you say! Nevertheless, I admit I initially subscribed to the "I Can Write Fast So I'll Make A Ton Of Money In No Time" school of thought.
Thankfully, the rainbow is gone and the dancing leprechaun at my feet revealed himself to be a Reality Gnome. I've got it now. This career choice is danged hard.
My Freelance Experience
I've been working as a freelance writer for about a year now. I started out writing articles (for dirt cheap) on a website called Textbroker. Textbroker was a great place for me to start because it provided me with simple articles to write and didn't require any sort of bid process. It's just first come, first served. Eventually, I graduated to Elance. And that's where I've parked my derriere for the time being. Elance is great, and for now, it is providing me with most of the work I need. There is still room for growth, of course, and I've got other plans for developing my own personal brand... but that's going to take time.
Wanna Know A Secret?
I spend about an hour each day reading some great blogs about writing, freelance writing, marketing, social media, and SEO principles. One thing I've noticed, there doesn't seem to be a lot of blogs about getting your foot IN THE DOOR of the freelance community. I'm going to add a few posts for the next few weeks about my experiences with Elance and Textbroker, and offer some tips to those who are considering the industry.
To my readers: if you have been considering pursuing some ventures that will provide you with a little extra income each month, I encourage you to try Elance. Keep checking back for my insider secrets about how I found jobs, wrote successful bids, and kept my clients coming back for more!
Sign up for ELANCE today: it's easy and free!
3 comments:
I hear ya! I'm in the same boat...been doing this for about a year. Honestly, I've found my best gigs have come from cold calling. Yup...cold calling. Target big, multi-national companies generating lots of output, who likely don't have the scalability internally to write their own copy. It's worked for me!
Thanks, Ruth! I actually have considered cold calling because I've heard that so many people have success with it. Do you use a sales pitch format when you call, or do you adjust your pitch for each company?
Proud of you, Trav! The hard work will pay off.
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