Hello Friends, I recently just read the Internet Business Manifesto and found that I was actually focussing all my time on planning rather than actually doing the work. I was so stuck with doing it all my self that I had overloaded my self with lots of information about doing a task only this particular "perfect" way which is unrealistic. Hence, I have moved on. But the story does not end there.. it is just the beginning.. I have to make money through content writing and copywriting but the point is I need to know where to find the gigs that match the kind I am looking for. I am frustrated with finding so low paying gigs for say 1c a word. I cannot afford to work for so low. I want minimum 5c a word gigs on content writing. I want to build a marketing plan. In this forum, the person who really inspires me is JHMattern. She is impressive and has a lot of experience behind her. It's because of her that I could even think of charging high rates to clients. Jen, I will be glad if you had guide me. I am really feeling low. Finding great paying clients for web content writing is a "constraint" within this forum. I would really like you to show me ways I can find great paying clients consistently on a long term basis. Another thing, I require a weblog and a site to be developed. The point is I cannot afford to pay high amounts of money as whatever I will be paying would be through my credit card and my personal savings. I am looking forward to learning CSS but the point is learning CSS takes off the productive time that is spent in searching for gigs. I wish I had my site and blog ready so that I could straight away start working on the content, social media marketing and SEO part of it. I also do social media marketing apart from content writing for clients. I have no income right now and my credit card bill is piling on me. I have other dues above $5000 to repay which I am sure will be done once I have a clear idea of how to attract high paying clients who pay 5c-25c per word. I require to get going really quickly. I have joined elnace as a paying meber but do not know how to choose a gig for bidding effectively as I do not wish to waste my "connects" out there. I require tips about bidding there as well. Time Management is also an issue. I wish to create a cool marketing plan which will include all the sites that can offer me cool clients to work with. I would like the whole world to pour in their thoughts on getting great gigs. PLEASE POUR IN YOUR THOUGHTS... FROM THE BOTTOM OF YOUR HEART, MIND, BODY AND SOUL.This thread has to become the best thread ever on DP for all content writers. Thanks in advance. LOVE, OMSHANTI
Any of those places will net you higher paying clients, but only if you can market effectively. Get to know the areas and become a meaningful member of the community. Most importantly, don't wait for clients to come to you. This might be the case once you're well established and have repeat business and referrals, but starting out you need to approach others and sell yourself. Why do they need you? What makes you different or better than the rest. Once you know how to sell yourself in a handful of places, you'll be able to transfer the skills to almost any format.
$.05 per word is nothing unrealistic. If you have even just tolerable writing ability and some decent marketing skills, you can certainly get gigs at that level. I have clients here on DP who pay far more than that, so they do exist. Definitely don't count places like this out. However, looking just at this post of yours I see a few things: 1. You don't have a lot of posts yet. Keep on posting. That's really the only way to build basic visibility in this kind of environment. 2. You have no links in your sig. If someone wanted to hire you, where would they find out more? Having to PM you is a hassle for some. If you want rates above what the lower-fee writers are charging, you need to act differently than them. Get a professional website set up, get a portfolio online, and if you want to, get your rates posted publicly on that site (I've found it helps to drive more sales for me, but I know others have done better requiring people to contact them for quotes). That said, I'm seeing a common problem here - you're asking "where" do you find high-paying gigs? It's not about a location. It's about building a reputation. That's when the great gigs start coming to you. It's not an immediate process. Carve out a niche for yourself. Get a site up. Network. Don't stop looking in the places you mentioned - you may very well find decent gigs in all of them from time to time. Just understand that there's no magic place where the high-paying clients are hanging out, waiting for you to find them. I actually wrote an article / post about this very subject a while back. Maybe it will give you some ideas: How to Get High-Paying Freelance Writing Jobs Other than that, start looking at sites that list gigs for you. Deb Ng's blog does it - www.freelancewritinggigs.com Anne Wayman's site does it: http://aboutfreelancewriting.com/jobs/currentjobs.htm One of my own blogs does it: www.allfreelancewritingjobs.com And of course there are basic job search sites, which list a lot of gigs if you search: www.mediabistro.com www.journalismjobs.com www.craigslist.org www.indeed.com ... just to get you started. As for your websites, guess what - you don't need to build one from scratch. Use a template. I've gone both routes - template based business sites and completely custom. Guess what else - it made absolutely no difference in the amount of work that came in. Actually, I went back to using template-based sites, and every single one of my blogs is based on a free or paid template that I simply made a few edits to in order to customize the look a bit. And I can honestly say I'm pretty happy with what they've all earned me in the past, what they earn me now, and their upward trends overall. If you were selling design services, it would be a completely different story. But you're a writer. People care most about what you have to say. If you want a static site, lately I've liked some of the templates from www.templatekingdom.com (their paid ones). If you want a blog, just search - there are so many templates out there that it's just crazy these days. I never fail to find at least something that suits any blog project that comes to mind. I'm glad (and flattered) that I inspire you in any way, but believe me - there are plenty of amazing writers here doing great things (some far better than me) - marketjunction, deepower, webgal, internetauthor - just to name a few. Look at how various writers here at your goal level conduct themselves. What types of things are they posting? How active are they? What are their professional sites like if they list them? Can you tell what else they do to network? Observe, learn, and use those things to find your own path - it's going to be a little bit different for everyone. The most important part is sticking with it. It won't always be easy to reach your goals, but no one can let you down but you - so don't.
Wise words Jenn. omshanti: A couple more things to remember... Knowledge and information is power... It doesn't matter how educated you are, keep learning more. Keep reading, and keep practicing. The more you do it, the more it will come second nature, and before you know it you'll be in an msn conversation with a friend asking you questions about something, and you'll be spitting out well written articles in your daily conversation, because you live and breathe your work. This is often what makes one stand out above the top.
Dear Omshanti, A splendid sounding before me on all of them gave advices, especially Jenn. I'm not so qualified as she, but I also would like to help you with several words. Don't get me wrong if I seems to be hard, you need to observe the real life. Let us be going to start. * frustration by low bid price: You can achive more if you have a nice qualitative portfolio what you can present to peoples who can judge on what kind of work do you able to serve. Ask it from yourself, the peoples why let you be choosen, which what you are better than some others? Answer it sincerely. * lack of plan: Every business claims that you need to take it seriously. If you take your business seriously then your business'll take you so manner. So you need to settle your objectives and make a plan based on them. And then follow this plan. * feeling yourself low: Flim-Flam! I understand your situation, I just like to say that this low feeling don't help you out. Try out something different, visit good friends, make a date, make an excursion to the Zoo, cooke a fine meal, etc. It doesn't help if you complain bitterly on your situation. Stop this, be set up and fight, the success is not given free! * developing your blog and site: Definitely these are good marketing devices and if you want to reach the market don't hide yourself. You need to stand out and say: Hey world, I'm the best in this! And pove it to them! * learning CSS: Do you think this is necessary to you right away? Then intend the proper time and effort and learn it. But if I were you I'd rather make a plan, a portfolio, the blog and the site. You want to make money now, right? Then you need to make those things what help to initiale the money making process. If you see some result then you can turn to CSS. * pressure of debt: It is a common problem, not so serious. You can to treat this by making agreement on the repay. But you need to back up that you are on your way, have a plan to earn money and create a possibility for the repay. * time management issue: It is manageable by making a schedule and stick yoursef to it. We are allotted only 24 hours a day so we need to make a good use of our time. You will notice it, how much of your free time will be if you use your day economically. * less posting: Why are there not more? If you want make money, you must to make more presence in the business world. Period. Omshanti, are you here with me yet? What do you think why I pointed out these factors? Because once upon a time... I also passed on these, so I say it from my experience. Right, then you have two choice. The one is the past and the present. The another is the FUTURE. Firstly you remain in the low feeling, lament on your situation and will arrive to nowhere. Secondly stop the grieving, take a paper and a pen and jot your plan. Which one do you choose? I wish you a smart decision, Sandor
Was wondeirng if anyone had advertised their serices through site point? What were your results like?
When I first started freelancing, I was exactly where you are. I was accepting jobs that paid a penny per word and sometimes less. Those jobs were the easiest to find and obtain. The easy to find jobs typically aren't the ones that pay the best. What's worked for me: * Increasing my rates. I stopped saying "I want to increase my rates" and just did it. When you work for yourself, you don't have to ask for a raise or undergo a performance review. I sent an email to my current clients letting them know I was increasing my rates and they could pay me the higher rate or knock rocks. (Ok, not in those words.) * Networking. In a sense, other freelance writers are your colleagues. You stand to gain a lot from building a relationship with other writers. Referrals is one of the obvious benefits. But I've learned a lot about successful freelancing since I've been posting on DP (and another forum that Jenn used to own), chatting with other writers, and visiting other writers' blogs. * Build your reputation. Be useful to this and any other forum you post on. Have something interesting and insightful to say and potential clients will begin to notice you. Having a link in your signature becomes very handy then - people want to read more of you. And when you're a writer, they want your writing on their sites.
Helpful posts here. Let me chime in with regards to the putting up a website thing. Here are a few things you could do: 1. Find a free webhost, but this doesn't create a lot of credibility on your part. 2. Outsource your web design and development work, but it may cost a lot of money. 3. Take the DIY route. It takes time, but it's an investment so you don't lose anything in the process. Also about time management. When I started to work at home, I thought it was cool to have time for myself and work anytime that I pleased (as compared to when I was working in an office). However, this kind of set-up took its toll eventually as I found myself working at odd hours of the day and failing to keep track of what I'm doing. So come up with a schedule. It's going to help you a lot. Good luck! - CEd
Wow, all the good advice in this thread will take an hour to read. From the bottom of the body. I should leave before i say something kinky.
You all might be wondering where I was all these days.. I was busy working out and learning stuff that I got engrossed in it.. I'm back now and so glad that you all have poured in your thoughts. After all this I think I can write a report on the same and even sell it for $9.95 haha LOL . I am thankful to all of you who have poured in their thoughts in this thread and made the time worthwhile. Adding reps to all of you who have added their worthwhile posts on this forum. Meanwhile I want everyone and all to PLEASE POSTS YOUR THOUGHTS IN THIS THREAD. It will be helpful to all the writers here. PLEASE BE A PART OF THIS THREAD AND POSTS.
Congrats on writing a report. "Writing for yourself" is always a good thing to try your hand at. I actually have an e-book of my own coming out a week from today. Fun stuff, and a good income source. Keep at it.
I still have some questions and queries regarding: The do's and don'ts of effective writing for the web including for different forms of it and describe a variety of different forms of web content. The MOST EFFECTIVE writing guidelines for effective web content writing precisely in point-2-point format. Ways to improve writing for the web and a few techniques that helps improve one's writing for the web. Plugins for your wordpress blog and add-ons for your browser. Leveraging the power of web 2.0 for writers. Points to make sure your writing for the web is always error free. Effective proof reading. Marketing your writers blog or website effectively. Rules to adhere while marketing in forums like digitalpoint to avoid being banned. Ways to improve grammar and vocabulary that improves the lucidity in reading your articles for all readers. Effective ways to talk to prospective clients and making sure that your clients pay you advances all the time. Replying to queries of clients via email/IM/Phone effectively. Making sure you as a writer do not need to lower your prices or quote a lower price due to competition while answering client requirements. Proving your self as a really great writer to clients. Proving that the price is right and so is the work's worth. Getting back old clients. Managing clients effectively to make sure they stick along with you for a long long long time. Great ways of answering client queries. Ungreat ways to answering client requirements. Using the underground system of dp forums effectively. Keeping your self afresh for the whole day of work. Maximum hours a writer must work and not more than that. Managing writers block. Unblocking writers creativity. Building a great quality of clients who pay a great amount of money for the work you do as a writer. Choosing clients effectively. Do's and don'ts while choosing clients and assignments. Benefits of building a quality team for your self as a writer for the web and how to build it effectively. What kind of people as writers can a writer effectively choose to make them a part of one's team. Creating and effective writers business plan. A Variety of Games & Sports that improve a writers concentration, grammar, vocabulary and CREATIVITY. Developing Effective Research Skills For Writers. Great Tools that save on research for writers (FREE & Paid both). Writers site and forums worth a writers crucial time each day. Ebooks worth buying. Writers worth taking coaching from. Checking the reputation of a client before taking assignments. Knowing clients effectively. The normal pay scales for each of these service to be charged to most clients: Ebooks Ezines Press Releases Sales Letters Article Writing (A table describing charges based on Niches) SEO Copywriting Ad Copy Blog Writing Various other types of web content writing The benefits and ways of networking with clients and writers. Cold calling clients effectively and introducing your self as a well reputed writer. Increasing your reputation in front of clients and other writers. Time Management and Energy Management for Writers. Effective marketing tools and techniques for all writers on the web. Tools for writers for better productivity. Tools for Updating clients with the tasks pending/completed. Must read books for writers. why five figure and six figure writers make that much? And there is much much more.. I've found it hard to find a REAL guide that enlists all do's and don'ts of web writing guidelines. For instance, I didn't knew that "one must not repeat a keyword in a sentence again while writing content for the web." Also, one requires to precisely know and understand each style of writing for different forms of web content. I feel all of you who have written above can contribute with regards to what I've mentioned here in this thread and make everyone here understand how can one be a successful web writer. Please answer each of the above sentences as headings and then follow ':' to start sharing your experiences on each of them. You can even bold the sentences I've mentioned so everyone can differentiate the relationship between what I've asked and what you're writing. THANKS A LOT MY FRIENDS. KEEP SHARING