If you are trying to begin a career of freelance writing online, you will find a lot of places where you can make money. One of the best sites to help you earn enough to make a living is Upwork.com. There are quite a few people who make money writing for Upwork.com and it’s a great place for new freelance writers to get started. While the potential to earn a full-time income from just this one site is big, you do have to know what you’re doing or you could end up earning nothing.
What is Upwork.com?
Upwork.com is a bidding site for freelance writers and other professionals. The site is a merger of Elance and oDesk, two other bidding sites that joined as one company some time ago. Changes have been occurring on an ongoing basis, and Upwork.com is the culmination of the merger.
Clients in various industries go to Upwork.com to post job listings and look for freelancers. They list details about the job, including price and scope of work to be performed. Freelancers also use this site to post their profiles and let clients know what types of jobs they do. They can search the job listings and bid on jobs. The client will select one or more freelancers and award them the job. Once the work is completed, the freelancer is paid and the client and freelancer can leave each other feedback.
Why Use Upwork.com?
Freelance writers can use Upwork.com to find ongoing work to provide a steady income. The money from the client is held in escrow until the job is completed, providing security for the writer that he or she will get paid.
Another benefit of using this site is that you don’t have to hunt through numerous job boards or want ads to find writing jobs. Thousands of jobs are posted and it is possible to find clients who will offer you steady work. I’ve had some of the same clients from Upwork.com for over two years, and I get paid weekly from them.
How to Get Writing Jobs on Upwork.com
There are two ways to find jobs on Upwork.com. The first is by bidding on jobs that you are interested in. The second method is for clients to find you and invite you to their jobs. When you are starting out, you will have to spend time looking for the jobs. As you complete jobs and receive positive feedback, you will get better ratings and clients will begin to invite you to jobs. After more than three years on the bidding sites, I seldom have to look for jobs, but I regularly get invites for new work. In fact, I may get as many as 10-15 in just one week. Not all of them interest me, but it shows how much work is available once you earn a reputation on the site.
Bidding for Jobs on Upwork.com
To get work on the site when you are just starting out, you should focus on either subjects of which you have a background or choose projects where you can accept lower prices. Upwork.com and other bidding sites are often criticized for listing jobs that pay a low price. While this is true, there are also a lot of high-paying jobs on the site as well. It is quite easy to find work that pays $35 to $50 an hour or even higher once you have a reputation.
The client is hesitant to hire someone with no background in writing or no clips, which is why many newbies must start out with lower pay. If you can show where you have been published or other experience, you can command higher rates even if you are new on the site.
Once you have a few jobs completed, you may start getting offers to apply to jobs. This helps save you time because you don’t have to search through all of the listings and can choose which jobs to bid on or decline.
Tips to Help You Earn More
Thousands of writers sign up for accounts on Upwork.com, but only a small percentage of them become successful. Some give up even before they get their first job while others only make a small amount here and there because they aren’t consistent with the site. The following tips will help you stand out from the crowd and have the potential to be one of those writers who earns hundreds of dollars each week.
- Spend time on your profile. Many writers only fill out the basics and move on to searching for jobs. Before you ever submit a proposal for a job, make sure your profile is a solid representation of who you are and what you can do for the client.
- Choose one or two niche areas to focus your attention. While it is fine as a newbie to accept work on any topic that interests you, becoming an expert allows you to command higher rates. Some of these areas may be from your previous careers while others will just happen because of the writing you do. For instance, I began writing about automobiles for one client and then used that experience to write on the same topic for other clients even though I had no practical experience on the subject.
- Create a system while searching for new work. Choose one or two types of searches or set a certain time each day to look for work. This helps you become consistent. In the beginning, you should apply to any job you think you could do. Once you win a few jobs, you can be more selective.
- Periodically raise your rates after you have enough work. You will still get job offers, but they will be more in line with what you want to earn. You can still bid below that amount and accept jobs for a lower pay if you choose.
Earning a regular income with Upwork.com is not only possible, it is a proven fact for many writers, including myself. If you work hard to build a reputation on this site and follow these tips, you will become a full-time freelance writer, too.
