Question / Discussion Freelance Writing Work

Karonher

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I’m going to give it a go thanks Jon.

Still would appreciate some help with Appen. Don’t know if it’s normal to be waiting this long to hear anything once you’ve applied.


I have just started with them and cant remember how long ago I registered but there are loads of problems at the moment so they may be holding back bringing in more new people.
 
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Jon

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Just to come back to this topic. I've been looking at UpWork this weekend and their business model is criminal!

Making people pay to buy CONNECTS to then bid on jobs they more than likely aren't going to get is nuts!

The site must make a bloody fortune from people who are desperate to work since they've made a model that gets money out of people who are applying for jobs and then not getting them!
 

Jon

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The site is also full of this sort of stuff

The budget (50$) is for the whole project.

The project is 20 x 500 word articles!
 
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EdibleDormouse

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Upwork is an absolute hellhole. I've got a clone of my PPH profile there but don't use it at all - I had one job (the first one I bid for, so I suppose that's good), but the client still managed to stiff me for £50, then had *their* profile removed for inappropriate use of the site.

I recommend Fiverr and People Per Hour. Many jobs are a race to the bottom, but bid on anything you can do and build your profile up. It's then easier to tailor your work to what you actually want to do.
 

Jon

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Upwork is an absolute hellhole. I've got a clone of my PPH profile there but don't use it at all - I had one job (the first one I bid for, so I suppose that's good), but the client still managed to stiff me for £50, then had *their* profile removed for inappropriate use of the site.

I recommend Fiverr and People Per Hour. Many jobs are a race to the bottom, but bid on anything you can do and build your profile up. It's then easier to tailor your work to what you actually want to do.
How did they manage to stiff you for £50?
 

EdibleDormouse

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How did they manage to stiff you for £50?
Two crypto articles for £100 (£50 was on deposit). Unfortunately, the way Upwork operated then, I had to deliver both to even get my hands on the £50, even though it appeared that the client had already vanished. Fun times.
 

Jon

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Two crypto articles for £100 (£50 was on deposit). Unfortunately, the way Upwork operated then, I had to deliver both to even get my hands on the £50, even though it appeared that the client had already vanished. Fun times.
ugggh, that's bloody awful!
 

EdibleDormouse

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Googling shows me neither has ever been used. I'm tempted to recycle them both at this point - this was about three years ago.
 

Jon

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Googling shows me neither has ever been used. I'm tempted to recycle them both at this point - this was about three years ago.
Might as well. If it's been 3 years and they haven't even had the content indexed by google it sure as hell isn't going to suddenly be used now!

I've been battling with trying to get a few 'unique' gigs on PPH, Fiverr, Fivesquid and the endless back and forth of them taking the gig/offer down and wanting things changed in terms of image or description has been doing my head in over the last 48hrs

Just reminds me endlessly I am playing in someone else's sandbox the whole time!
 
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EdibleDormouse

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Entirely unique gigs is a tough one. I tend to base a gig off something that's already there, and offer something a bit extra or different on it. If it's going to take you all of five minutes extra on top to do and it means you're going to get chosen over someone else offering the same service, it's worth doing.
 

Jon

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Entirely unique gigs is a tough one. I tend to base a gig off something that's already there, and offer something a bit extra or different on it. If it's going to take you all of five minutes extra on top to do and it means you're going to get chosen over someone else offering the same service, it's worth doing.
Interesting - how many days does it generally take for those gigs you are making that are slight alternations of the ones already in existence to start bringing in paid work for you?
 

EdibleDormouse

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Interesting - how many days does it generally take for those gigs you are making that are slight alternations of the ones already in existence to start bringing in paid work for you?
To be honest, a while, but I've found you only need to sell a gig once for it to move right up the rankings and sell and sell and sell.

For example:

I will write you 500 words for £25

Or

I will write you 500 words plus one royalty free image for £25

If you're running a busy blog it saves you finding an image, you're going to go for the latter one aren't you? Make sure your description is nicely optimised too, as that will boost you up if someone's searching on "500 word blog PPH" through Google.

Making someone else's sandpit pay does take a while, but it does give you a shop window. And yes, it's taken me YEARS to work this out for myself...
 
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Jon

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To be honest, a while, but I've found you only need to sell a gig once for it to move right up the rankings and sell and sell and sell.

For example:

I will write you 500 words for £25

Or

I will write you 500 words plus one royalty free image for £25

If you're running a busy blog it saves you finding an image, you're going to go for the latter one aren't you? Make sure your description is nicely optimised too, as that will boost you up if someone's searching on "500 word blog PPH" through Google.

Making someone else's sandpit pay does take a while, but it does give you a shop window. And yes, it's taken me YEARS to work this out for myself...
Interesting idea that! Taken it onboard and have driven myself mad re-doing about 20 of my off/gig images on Canva lol
 

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@EdibleDormouse, on PPH and Fiverr, is it best to start with general content writing jobs? And then specialise when you get feedback/a good reputation?
 

EdibleDormouse

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@EdibleDormouse, on PPH and Fiverr, is it best to start with general content writing jobs? And then specialise when you get feedback/a good reputation?
I specialised immediately on Fiverr because a) I was already established on PPH and b) I was really only tyre-kicking. I then ended up with just about the perfect client. I was VERY lucky.

My PPH experience goes back nearly 10 years now. At first, I applied for anything I thought I could do - my first job was internet research, as was my second - and I still don't specialise as a writer there now. I'm doing some cyber security writing at the moment and I don't have a clue without research. I have a couple of slightly specialised Offers there, but they've not had a bite yet (but then I haven't advertised them far either).
 
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Jon

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Well just provided my (Content Congas) first UpWork gig.

That 20% Fee is brutal however i have learned that if someone says their budget is $100 and it's taking the piss you can actually go in and offer them $200 or whatever and they can accept it, so you don't have to go along with these lowball offers.

The work was ok, they just wanted a 900 word article in about 12 hours as they sent me the brief at 10pm and then wanted it done by midday today so have had to go on a panic to find one of my spare writers to do the content for me but it seems to have worked out.

Upwork want me to do a video call for 'verification' - fun times
 
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BreeziOG

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Well just provided my (Content Congas) first UpWork gig.

That 20% Fee is brutal however i have learned that if someone says their budget is $100 and it's taking the piss you can actually go in and offer them $200 or whatever and they can accept it, so you don't have to go along with these lowball offers.

The work was ok, they just wanted a 900 word article in about 12 hours as they sent me the brief at 10pm and then wanted it done by midday today so have had to go on a panic to find one of my spare writers to do the content for me but it seems to have worked out.

Upwork want me to do a video call for 'verification' - fun times

The video call verification is so easy, literally 30 seconds where they can see you and ask a brief question about your profile to verify its you. I've done it twice (they ask you to reverify every so often for security), it's no bother.
 
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EdibleDormouse

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Well just provided my (Content Congas) first UpWork gig.

That 20% Fee is brutal however i have learned that if someone says their budget is $100 and it's taking the piss you can actually go in and offer them $200 or whatever and they can accept it, so you don't have to go along with these lowball offers.

The work was ok, they just wanted a 900 word article in about 12 hours as they sent me the brief at 10pm and then wanted it done by midday today so have had to go on a panic to find one of my spare writers to do the content for me but it seems to have worked out.

Upwork want me to do a video call for 'verification' - fun times
I always negotiate the 'budget' on every platform. I once told someone offering $10 for 4 x 500 words a month that what they really needed to be paying me was $200 because of all the things I'd offer them (research, links, one set of revisions etc.) and they went for it. Quite often it's because they don't grasp what 1000 words is in someone's time. Once you say a reasonable hourly rate, they go for it.

Video call? Bloody hell, I'd want a Fake Billy mask for that.
 

Jon

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The video call verification is so easy, literally 30 seconds where they can see you and ask a brief question about your profile to verify its you. I've done it twice (they ask you to reverify every so often for security), it's no bother.
My driving license has been accepted as ID today so I'll do the video call this week to keep them happy
 

Jon

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How long after you have given the person the work are you typically meant to wait for them to pay you?
 

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