Something to Consider Before Accepting Freelance Work (Article Writing)

Hit the nail on the head. Think professional and act professional not matter what you are doing or charging for you services. That will give you repeat customers and repeat buyers, and in this day and age, and in the sour economy you need all you can get.

Hi PipinScott;

Honestly, I'm just starting out at the Freelance end of things, I do that to supplement my income while I work on my other online endeavours. I had one other client who paid me great fees for article writing. He was fair, asked for a few revisions and that was it, he gave me a great testimonial and I thought I was paid well....but the topics (fitness bootcamps) were in my niche and the content came easily for me.

I'm afraid I lowered my standards and that is what I've learned here. That is why I wanted to let other new Freelancers to be sure to factor in the prep time needed when you are writing articles that are not within your expertise, or basic knowledge. Researching and making sure your content is unique takes time.

This was a complete waste of time, but now I know what NOT TO DO


Terri

The first thing that comes to my mind is, "Why in the world are you accepting assignments that pay $1 per 500-word article?" That's insane, especially if you're aiming to be a professional freelance writer. It's a waste of time, effort and skills to work for such a lowly amount.

As far as the training, did he not tell you how long it would be? If not, you should have asked.

One of my Elance clients gave me specific details about the length of training which basically talked about how their automated system worked for submitting articles I write for them. That client paid me $15 per 500-word article which, to me, is still low for a pro. But at the time, I had to take what I could get. $1 per article would not even fit that consideration.

Getting freelance work requires thorough investigation into those potential clients. Check them out just as they will be checking your claims and references. Check any feedback they've given to previous writers. Check those writers and see what feedback they gave to those clients. That's one of the great things about Elance. You can get that important background information before taking on assignments.

When I go through Elance clients, I check all of these details. I check any sites they provide. I look specifically to see if there have been any problems with these clients. I look at their rating and how many times they have re-hired the same writers.

You must do your homework, and it sounds like you didn't.

Beyond that, you absolutely must decide how much you are willing to charge and stick to it. Don't devalue your skills by taking on those cheap jobs from demanding clients who want more for their money. Study what other writers are charging for similar work and set your scale accordingly.

Be professional. Get what you're worth. Accept nothing less. Clients like that who think they can get great work for measly pay make it that much more difficult for the rest of us to ask what we're really worth. While searching Elance myself, I had a hard time finding any clients who were willing to pay more than $12 per article.

Sylvia

Interesting that you feel "scolded" when people respond to you. I was merely pointing out that there are ways to avoid in future what you went through this time. If you are so sensitive to criticism and instruction, maybe freelance writing is not for you. Believe me, clients can be much harsher than you perceive me to be.

Sylvia

Here's another piece of advice: capitalize on the journalism courses, especially if you have a degree.

Nope, CC pays out to other countries too. I'm Canadian and I've made a good chunk of cash there. Associated Content is the "American only" site (for revenue sharing, etc).

Perhaps, but her post covered only one small aspect of the problem she experienced, namely that she didn't factor in the research. My intent was simply to provide even more insight so she'd have a more comprehensive and successful method of seeking freelance work in the future.

Plus, she admitted that she previously made $250 for 11 articles in a topic that required no research - so I question why she'd take such a drastic drop in pay for work in an unfamiliar niche?

It appeared to me that despite her lesson learned, she also missed a few things. Not that I claim to be perfect, you understand.

Sylvia

Hi Julie.

Thank you, I definately will check out Constant Content.

Terri

I think you and Ken both make great points and with quality content being what Google looks for, research is important.

Thanks again.

I think you were way too polite after the first 30 minutes went by....sounds like $1 articles requester was on a real power trip.