Why UPWORK is NOT an IDEAL choice for FREELANCE (COPY)WRITERS?
First things first. I need to stress out a couple of points so this thread does not move into the unwanted direction of pointless discussions.
1) Initially, I planned to comment on one of the threads discussing possibilities for freelance copywriters to promote themselves and find work. Among other things this warrior mentioned Upwork. While writing my comment, after a few minutes, I realized that it is going to be much longer than I planned. I am not sure that you can actually "hijack" the thread, but I did not want to find out. So, an independent thread seemed like a better solution.
2) I am not endorsing or criticizing any particular platform for freelancers. I am merely presenting my personal experiences and findings based on simple numbers and facts that can be checked at any given moment in a few seconds.
3) I do not represent any organization of freelance copywriters nor do I claim that my troubles are unavoidable for all people trying to work on Upwork as writers. Actually, I would like to hear how it is possible to overcome these problems. So, let me begin.
Problem #1 - The number of bids/connections.
The overwhelming majority of my clients/projects are "one-timers." I deliver the content for a website, and I am done with the work. I submit a series of 10 or 20 blogs. Done again. A script for a marketing video, etc. After five years and a thousand projects, give it or take, less than a handful of clients stick around for a couple of months. And, I think, only two or three, for a period of few years. That was the nature of my work. So, I do not complain. On the other side, I think that the developers are in a much better position. This is not a rule, but I have witnessed some cases first-hand, which convinced me that is sometimes better to be a developer rather than a writer. There is a guy who introduced me the world of freelancing. I believe that he still works with the client from South Africa. Some development and maintenance a year after a year. He gave up freelancing and now he owns his independent company.
Upwork welcomes you with 60 bids or connections. Having in mind that you need 2 bids per project, you can bid only per one project over a single month. Right? 30 projects for 30 days. Now, if you find a long-term client, you do not have to worry. Obviously, it is much better to be a developer on Upwork, than a writer. Rest assured that I have submitted a dozen emails to Upwork support. I also attended, I do not know how many Upwork events. All the same. We cannot give more bids because we want to prevent spam bids. OK. I get it. So, I asked what I can do to change my situation and improve my chances of winning project? The answer was, pay for a $10 membership fee. Great. What can I get in return. Ten more bids, that was the answer. By the way, you can buy as many bids as you like on Upwork as long as you are willing to pay a dollar per bid/connection. So, you need to pay $2 to bid on a single project, once you run out of your initial free bids package.
Now, let me do the math. Let us say, I want to bid on 10 projects daily. That is like $20 per day. Right? That is $600 per month. Here is a good news. I already have 60 free bids. So, I only need to pay $540. So, how much I need to earn to make this investment be worth it, in the first place? That is my point. If I find a long term client who needs blogs for the indefinite period of time, then I have nothing to worry about. But, let us be real about this one. What are the chances that you will find enough clients to survive as a full-time professional freelancer copywriter on Upwork? I am not even going to mention other freelance platforms. See for yourself. This thread is only about Upwork and my personal experiences and numbers you can easily check, as I promised at the very beginning. There are much better options for me to invest $540 than to see them gone with the wind on Upwork.
Problem #2 - Project prices.
I know this is an individual thing. In addition, when you work as a freelancer you expect the low prices. Yet, what I saw on Upwork was extremely questionable, not to use some other word. Before the famous merging, Elance could be qualified as bearable and acceptable working place in this sense. It seems to me that oDesk brought all the negative rock-bottom-prices with it into the new marriage with Elance. You really need to cry your eyes out to find a project with a decent price expectation. This can actually serve as an introduction to the next problem.
Problem #3 - Closed and privileged circles.
I believe in freelancing as much as I believe in meritocracy. More experienced, dedicated, and eventually affordable freelancers should be given an advantage. Even when they are favored, I am pretty much sure this is something they had to earn with their hard work. There are several promising categories on Upwork for freelancers. You can be a "rising talent" or a "top rated" freelancer. Both categories are perfectly reasonable and justifiable for any freelance platform. Yet, it takes some time for you to get there. I cannot prove it, but I strongly believe that the top clients and projects are out of the reach for the "general population." I was a "rising talent." Then, I got my "top rated" status. Yet, I got nothing special in return. I had to do a lot of sacrifice in both work and unfavorable prices just to get there. All I got was a shiny badge. So, I wrote an open letter to Upwork support. I asked if there were projects you can only bid with an invitation. It turns out that this was true. So, even if you have this "sheriff" badge, there are no guarantees that you will have access to the top paying customers and top quality projects. It is in Upwork's discretion to decide whether or not you are going to be invited. That is OK because Upwork "owns" these clients and projects. It can do with them whatever it likes. Yet, what happened with the principle of transparency and meritocracy? All projects should be open, and then clients should be left with a free choice to choose the most suitable freelancers to work on them. Right?
And the moral of my story is?
You should definitely give Upwork a try. Actually, you should give any freelancer platform a try. Do you know what is the name of the best platform in the world? Well, it is the one with your username on it. It is the one that allows you to make money with fair and decent chances. I gave you 3 reasons why Upwork let me down. Yet, I am still there fighting and trying to find long term working opportunities. Why? Because it is my personal choice, just like it is my right to present figures and facts that prevents Upwork of becoming my ideal place for work.
If you have different experiences, but as a (copy)writer on Upwork, then share it. If you have found a way to overcome these obstacles, then please let me know. Until then, you should think twice before recommending Upwork as an ideal place for writers. I am not saying Upwork is bad, I am just saying it is far from ideal.
1) Initially, I planned to comment on one of the threads discussing possibilities for freelance copywriters to promote themselves and find work. Among other things this warrior mentioned Upwork. While writing my comment, after a few minutes, I realized that it is going to be much longer than I planned. I am not sure that you can actually "hijack" the thread, but I did not want to find out. So, an independent thread seemed like a better solution.
2) I am not endorsing or criticizing any particular platform for freelancers. I am merely presenting my personal experiences and findings based on simple numbers and facts that can be checked at any given moment in a few seconds.
3) I do not represent any organization of freelance copywriters nor do I claim that my troubles are unavoidable for all people trying to work on Upwork as writers. Actually, I would like to hear how it is possible to overcome these problems. So, let me begin.
Problem #1 - The number of bids/connections.
The overwhelming majority of my clients/projects are "one-timers." I deliver the content for a website, and I am done with the work. I submit a series of 10 or 20 blogs. Done again. A script for a marketing video, etc. After five years and a thousand projects, give it or take, less than a handful of clients stick around for a couple of months. And, I think, only two or three, for a period of few years. That was the nature of my work. So, I do not complain. On the other side, I think that the developers are in a much better position. This is not a rule, but I have witnessed some cases first-hand, which convinced me that is sometimes better to be a developer rather than a writer. There is a guy who introduced me the world of freelancing. I believe that he still works with the client from South Africa. Some development and maintenance a year after a year. He gave up freelancing and now he owns his independent company.
Upwork welcomes you with 60 bids or connections. Having in mind that you need 2 bids per project, you can bid only per one project over a single month. Right? 30 projects for 30 days. Now, if you find a long-term client, you do not have to worry. Obviously, it is much better to be a developer on Upwork, than a writer. Rest assured that I have submitted a dozen emails to Upwork support. I also attended, I do not know how many Upwork events. All the same. We cannot give more bids because we want to prevent spam bids. OK. I get it. So, I asked what I can do to change my situation and improve my chances of winning project? The answer was, pay for a $10 membership fee. Great. What can I get in return. Ten more bids, that was the answer. By the way, you can buy as many bids as you like on Upwork as long as you are willing to pay a dollar per bid/connection. So, you need to pay $2 to bid on a single project, once you run out of your initial free bids package.
Now, let me do the math. Let us say, I want to bid on 10 projects daily. That is like $20 per day. Right? That is $600 per month. Here is a good news. I already have 60 free bids. So, I only need to pay $540. So, how much I need to earn to make this investment be worth it, in the first place? That is my point. If I find a long term client who needs blogs for the indefinite period of time, then I have nothing to worry about. But, let us be real about this one. What are the chances that you will find enough clients to survive as a full-time professional freelancer copywriter on Upwork? I am not even going to mention other freelance platforms. See for yourself. This thread is only about Upwork and my personal experiences and numbers you can easily check, as I promised at the very beginning. There are much better options for me to invest $540 than to see them gone with the wind on Upwork.
Problem #2 - Project prices.
I know this is an individual thing. In addition, when you work as a freelancer you expect the low prices. Yet, what I saw on Upwork was extremely questionable, not to use some other word. Before the famous merging, Elance could be qualified as bearable and acceptable working place in this sense. It seems to me that oDesk brought all the negative rock-bottom-prices with it into the new marriage with Elance. You really need to cry your eyes out to find a project with a decent price expectation. This can actually serve as an introduction to the next problem.
Problem #3 - Closed and privileged circles.
I believe in freelancing as much as I believe in meritocracy. More experienced, dedicated, and eventually affordable freelancers should be given an advantage. Even when they are favored, I am pretty much sure this is something they had to earn with their hard work. There are several promising categories on Upwork for freelancers. You can be a "rising talent" or a "top rated" freelancer. Both categories are perfectly reasonable and justifiable for any freelance platform. Yet, it takes some time for you to get there. I cannot prove it, but I strongly believe that the top clients and projects are out of the reach for the "general population." I was a "rising talent." Then, I got my "top rated" status. Yet, I got nothing special in return. I had to do a lot of sacrifice in both work and unfavorable prices just to get there. All I got was a shiny badge. So, I wrote an open letter to Upwork support. I asked if there were projects you can only bid with an invitation. It turns out that this was true. So, even if you have this "sheriff" badge, there are no guarantees that you will have access to the top paying customers and top quality projects. It is in Upwork's discretion to decide whether or not you are going to be invited. That is OK because Upwork "owns" these clients and projects. It can do with them whatever it likes. Yet, what happened with the principle of transparency and meritocracy? All projects should be open, and then clients should be left with a free choice to choose the most suitable freelancers to work on them. Right?
And the moral of my story is?
You should definitely give Upwork a try. Actually, you should give any freelancer platform a try. Do you know what is the name of the best platform in the world? Well, it is the one with your username on it. It is the one that allows you to make money with fair and decent chances. I gave you 3 reasons why Upwork let me down. Yet, I am still there fighting and trying to find long term working opportunities. Why? Because it is my personal choice, just like it is my right to present figures and facts that prevents Upwork of becoming my ideal place for work.
If you have different experiences, but as a (copy)writer on Upwork, then share it. If you have found a way to overcome these obstacles, then please let me know. Until then, you should think twice before recommending Upwork as an ideal place for writers. I am not saying Upwork is bad, I am just saying it is far from ideal.
Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.
Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.
Cheers, Laurence.
Writer/Editor/Proofreader.