Hi there, I am thinking about starting work as a writer on DP. I don't have any previous samples, but I was hoping to start off by selling existing works. What are the most popular writing niches at the moment that people buy? I'm hoping that the gaming industry is doing well for this at the moment as I specialize in gaming and in WoW in particular. Thanks for your help.
If you have existing works, they are previous samples. How much are you charging? If I was you, I would contribute to the community a little more...let people know that you are legit, then post your ad in the services section. People on DP want review copies. When you post your ad, say that you will give fresh samples to one or two people with an itrader of 10 or something. Write short articles 250-300 words on WOW if you want. People just need to see how well you write. Also, don't limit yourself to DP. Once you have a few satisfied customers under your belt, offer your service on getafreelancer, scriptlance, odesk---any of the freelance writing sites. Good luck with this endeavor.
Have you thought about starting your own gaming site? If you start your own gaming site and build its popularity, you might have people coming to you to write about a niche you already love. In the meantime, I agree with figgity. Don't limit yourself to DP. Write some articles that you can use as samples and then start applying for gigs. Check out Craigslist. Jhmattern has a site that lists job ads for freelance writers and bloggers. You might also try submitting some of your samples to sits like Ezines and Associated Content just to build up clips that are published under your own name. Good luck!
Travel is always a popular subject, as is real estate. You can perhaps write a few articles to get you started with, and try selling them for about $4-10 on DP's Content marketplace
While you're at AllFreelanceWriting.com, you should check out her other freelance sources to learn more about offering writing services. It got me a good start in the field.
If YOU are passionate about gaming and WoW then it sounds like you should write about them. Be open to other topics because clients can come to you asking for other things. You'll want to set a per word (or per 100 words) rate. While some may say certain topics are "popular" - I bet there are lots that would love to have a great gaming or WoW writer. I know those are niches I don't have experience in..........so you've totally got ME beat for one! Ask yourself "why should someone hire me as a writer?" What makes you special? That's your USP (unique selling position) and helps you stand out. Jenn Mattern has a GREAT ebook about getting started as a web content writer - you could probably find it by Googling her name and "eBook." Write some articles and publish at Ezine Articles to create samples to show clients. Ezine Articles has rules you need to follow, but they aren't difficult. Actually many clients want Ezine Articles so learning how to write these articles can be very helpful to your writing gigs. Good luck! Abby
You might want to work on posting more then 1 post. Most people will want to look at your writing and when you don’t even have any posts there is nothing to see.
Get to know the community, be a little more forthcoming, be nice to people (I hope that works for you, personally, I'm kind of sassy), and don't limit yourself to just this forum. Establish yourself in the gaming niche on other writing forums, and Craigslist.
Well, you can start off writing a couple articles as a sample and give it away to anyone who wants to order for free. Or, you can give away a couple review copies for free, and let other members post reviews for you. Take it from there. Contribute a lil' to the community, that should help too.
And will be. Also making and saving money (anything money related), sex and dating methods. Especially the latter. Concentrate on those subjects, and your plate should be pretty full to keep you continously busy. You may not know anything about the above, but as long as you are a good writer and you do the research, you should be just fine.