oDesk to Get Your First Writing Gig?

You need to differentiate yourself and specialize before you can get the writing gigs you want on Odesk or indeed any other job auction site. I've worked with a client from Elance and he was paying me $20 per article - I wrote more than 50 for him over the course of a year.

He chose me because I specialized in health and had a good portfolio which he liked. To him, I wasn't a cheap content writer, but an SEO writer who was able to write informative and well researched articles rather than rehashed junk.

When you bid for jobs like this, you should really have a unique selling point - really set yourself apart in whatever area your expertise lies. And don't limit yourself to writing articles - ebooks and webcontent pay well. When submitting bids, be realistic.

There are always going to be writers who write for peanuts, but I recommend you get hold of Paul Hancox's 'Write to more money' guide - its fantastic and helped move me from 5 cents per 100 words to up to $25 per article. PM me if you want a discounted copy.

Arfasaira is right. Many people believe that clients on the freelance sites only pay a pittance for writing, but that's not the case. I too have picked up a very well paying gig on Odesk by differentiating myself from the other writers.

Don't compete on price, because unless you're willing to write for $2, you won't win those jobs. Compete on ability and experience. Work out what makes you the right person for the job, and sell yourself.

Don't forget to look on Elance, too. You can get a free account with 10 credits a month, and I've found some very good repeat clients there too.

Thank you guys.

I'm trying to find a good niche, but I did serve an editorial role on a national publication, I write for my own websites and I have been published in 3 different magazines. I believe I'm highly versatile but some of the more "salacious" themes seem to be my thing. Perhaps I can look into capitalizing on this, although my aim is to just improve on my skills in general.

Good luck on Elance, I too have found some nice repeat clients scattered under all the clutter. Just focus on your skills, and never sell yourself short

Danielle Lynn