What is your ODesk / eLance Hourly rate and rating, and how did you get there?

Hello, gang,

I have been reading a lot on the forum of late about getting high paying clients, etc. so I was wondering - what is your current ODesk or eLance (both the same site now, I guess) rate and rating, and how did you get there.

I've just finished writing a course for writers on how to actually make money as a writer. The site isn't quite ready yet, but will be soon. In this book, I outline and exact plan on how to get ahead on the freelance sites, focusing on ODesk and eLance especially.

That's hardly the whole eBook, it also instructs writers on how to find their own clients independently. But for newer copywriters or even seasoned ones, these two freelance sites can be a great way to earn a side or full time income.

I know thee are a lot of differing opinions on the forum and I'm curious to see what you guys have to say. It might be good furn and may help some people focus their efforts and get some real value from their abilities.

 

Your book looks interesting. I may buy it shortly to see what it is.

To be perfectly honest, I've been avoiding ODesk and eLance because I've heard that they're full of people who want to pay only the cheapest prices people are willing to write for.

 

Yes, I hear a lot of that on this forums. And there is some truth to it. However, like every fine garden, there are weeds to pull, and ODesk is no different. There are good clients out there, it's a matter of knowing how to find them and how to prepare yourself to be found.

 

In fact, they are full of different folks with different demands. There's lot's of freelancers at Odesk and Elance ready to do any kind of work for smallest money to build some authority and get experience in the system. And there's lots of people ready to use, misuse, and overuse them. To get to upper level you need to pass somehow the initial tough period of competing with hundreds no-experience writers from India, but if you have enough patience, you can go for an upper price segment, build relations with the clients (best if you show yourself good at some particular niche) and find yourself more or less confident with orders. At some point happy clients begin recommending you to their friends, and all of a sudden you find yourself a wanted writer, who can go for upper hourly rate. The initial stage is the most difficult.
Needless to say, every piece of work you do there should strive for perfection. That's the key.