Choosing freelance writing as a profession is the easy decision; the work begins when it comes to looking for freelance writing jobs and freelance writing gigs.
As many freelance writers know finding freelance work can be time consuming and require a lot of effort and heartache. Numerous rejection letters, continuous query letters, and at the end of it all nothing is guaranteed.
This is where ghost-writing and writers markets come into play. Ghost writing can allow you to earn money whilst searching for that career break at the same time. Ghost writing freelance writing jobs can be found all over the internet but your best place to start is with writers markets.
There are two main freelance writers markets that most are probably familiar with:
Both of these freelance writers markets are fee based and in order to bid on any of the freelance writing jobs listed you must be a member. With both you can choose your membership level so if you’re unsure as to whether this style of writing is for you, you need only pay the minimum members.
With Elance the minimum membership will allow you to place bids on three projects per month free of charge, after this any bids you placed will be charged at $1.50.
Working through Elance you will incur a fee on all projects you receive. For first time project the fee is 8.75%, and for repeat projects it’s 4.35%. All work should be done via Elance and all communication should be done via your private message board with your client. Payment can be made via paypal or via Elance and all transactions are recorded in your account.
Bidding On Freelance Writing Jobs
When it comes to bidding on freelance writing jobs the one point that I cannot stress enough is honesty. Your bidding process is your key to impressing that potential client and this is where honesty is vital. Never claim to be able to do something you can’t and always provide appropriate information.
If a client would like ten keyword related articles on the subject of weight loss, with a word count of between 600 and 800, then it is vital that your price reflects the work involved. This includes research, compiling research, writing the articles, formatting the articles, and finally proofreading the articles. A very important recommendation for getting your pricing right is this:
Create a sample, time yourself to see exactly how long it takes to research, write, edit, format, and proofread a 600 word article on any subject. If it takes one hour per article then base your rate per article around this information.
As previously stated, the bidding process on any freelance writer’s market place is your gateway to impress, why not research the subject the client is looking for and that way you can impress them by showing a little knowledge in your bid. Be polite and courteous in your bids and always offer samples, whether it means writing one or providing one of your already written articles.
The freelance writing job bidding process on Elance can be anywhere between 3 and 12 days and as many freelance writers will see many of the bids provided can be extremely low, some as low as $3 per 500 word article. Don’t let this put you off, remember clients get what they pay for any for many choosing the lowest bid can result in having to re-submit their freelance writing job. Be honest with your bid pricing, most clients are looking for quality not the lowest bid.
Feedback
Feedback is probably one of the most important aspects of any freelance writing marketplace. By viewing your feedback and the comments made by previous clients, potential clients can be swayed either way.
Your most important task is to keep your feedback as high as possible and this is where honest hard work will come into play. You have probably noticed the use of the word honesty again and this is because honesty will play a vital role in your success as a freelance writer.
False bidding and false information all lead to your destruction and no matter how hard you work it is virtually impossible to come back from this.
If you have misled a client during the freelance writing job bidding process and have been appointed to complete their project, this will show in your feedback. Clients can be brutally honest in their feedback reports and the score you receive could damage you for a long time.
The highest feedback on Elance is 5.0, and this also includes client’s comments. A client may award a feedback of 4.0 or 4.5 but the comments are where the truth lies and this is where potential clients will look before hiring you for any freelance writing job.
The key to achieving positive feedback is to complete all your freelance writing jobs as requested, maintain constant communication with your client, be it daily updates, or questioning anything you are unsure of; communication is vital. Ensure that all projects you accept are completed on or before the due date and ensure that all guidelines are followed correctly.
Doing all this will ensure that your feedback rating is a true reflection of your work and the key to your success.
Portfolio
Your freelance writer’s portfolio is your talent showcase, where you can store a variety of information about yourself and your work. Try to upload a series of samples pertaining to all aspects of writing and every time you complete a different writing assignment upload a new sample that potential clients may view. Some personal writing is always an excellent idea as this will allow clients to assess your personal writing style. If you have a website or have articles published on the web, make sure to include links so that clients may view them.
Remember a potential client will always do their best to assess your work and ensure that you are the right person for their project before hiring, so the more samples and information you can offer the more chance you have of securing the job.
Don’t Give Up
My last tip is this; never give up trying, never give up hoping, and never give up faith. The perfect assignment is always around the corner. If you seem to be bidding on projects but never seem to be getting picked then you need to assess your bidding style. Read what others are putting in their bids, personalize your bid, and promote yourself. Confidence shows and you ability to show this is in your bid. Sell yourself to that potential client; after all you are a writer aren’t you.
About the Author:
Discover how you can turn your writing skills into a fabulous ghostwriting career. Amanda Evans’s e book “Ghostwriting Uncovered: How I Quit My Day Job & You Can Too” at http://www.ghostwritinguncovered.com/sl.htm takes you from novice to pro ghostwriter in step by step format. Packed with information, the e book also tips and advice that will help you secure endless clients. You could be signing up your first clients within two days.
