The Almighty Buyer

As freelancers, we spend most of our time looking at our own performance and asking ourselves the hard questions – how can we improve our output, land more contracts, up our skill level, attract more buyers - all with the goal of expanding and upgrading our business, increasing client satisfaction, and luring in more work. But today, let’s take a moment to look outside ourselves and concentrate on the one key component that is out of our control – the buyer.

What is the ideal buyer? In a nutshell, the perfect buyer would provide clear job expectations, answer questions promptly, expect to pay decent rates for quality services, have frequent communication throughout the project, and pay with lightening fast speed at agreed upon intervals.

Sounds like a dream, right? Anyone who has spent any time in the freelancing trenches knows that more often than not, buyers are far from the ideal, and a few are really the stuff of nightmares.

Unfortunately, after you’ve been stung once or twice by less than ideal buyers, you learn very quickly how to ask the right questions in order to weed out the duds. But no matter how good you get, a few of those duds always slip through your good business sense and rear their ugly head. And when that happens, you end up spending way too much time tracking down deadbeat buyers, or waiting for communication at a key project point, or deciphering crazy-talk expectations that resemble ancient hieroglyphics more than clear instructions. And all this time is wasted time that could have been spent working.

Definitely not ideal. So what is the solution? How can you constantly attract high caliber buyers and steer clear of the duds? That’s where Elance comes in.

There is no 100% guarantee, but Elance is by far the best way to increase your odds. It’s that simple. I’ve covered many of their features and how they work to protect the freelancer from less than ideal buyers, like Escrow jobs that guarantee you’ll get paid for quality work. But what I haven’t talked about is how Elance goes out of their way to attract and keep the high quality buyers while weeding out the duds.

Their Terms of Service spell out minimum payment rates, restrict inappropriate job posts, and set out clear expectations that buyers must adhere to. All job listings that do not conform to these standards are removed. They also identify buyers who have a low award rate so that freelancers can make informed decisions when bidding.

And they have a secret weapon – you. Your continued high performance is what ultimately attracts high quality buyers to Elance. A quick look at their track record reveals that Elance attracts every type of buyer from corporate giants to mid-level businesses to small start-ups to sole owners, all looking for providers for projects ranging from fifty dollars to over one hundred thousand. That’s something ever freelancer wants a part of.

But is Elance’s business model successful at weeding out those buyers that litter the net with ads looking for the next freelance sucker?

From my own experience, I can say with absolute certainty that they are successful. I joined Elance, having already freelanced for quite some time, and the difference was immediately visible. Finding decent jobs to bid on was no longer a needle in a haystack ordeal. Sure there was the occasional questionable job post, but it wasn’t the norm. And when I would happen to stumble on something very questionable, I’d report it to Elance, and the job was removed. It was literally a whole new freelancing world.

And the buyers I’ve worked with? Dream buyers. I kid you not. I’ve worked with universities, airlines, rock bands, small start-ups, PR firms – the list goes on and on, but the list of problems I’ve encountered? Zero. Now those are the freelancing stats you want.

And Elance is the place to get them.


Great pic by Llima

Say Yes To Escrow

Why Escrow?

Escrow jobs take the stress out of freelancing. No more having to ask for ridiculously high up-front payments to reduce the risk of buyers disappearing into the night never to be seen again. Hunting down payments is now a thing of the past. Getting paid no longer requires more time and effort than the actual job itself, and buyers no longer have to worry about paying for work that won’t get done. Sounds like an unattainable freelancing marketplace dream, right? It’s not. It’s very real, and available on all Elance Fixed Priced Jobs.

But what the heck is Escrow?

Freelancers, both new and experienced, always ask about Escrow with great hesitation. It’s a foreign concept compared to the high risks assumed to be normal with freelancing gigs, so it’s hard to believe it can possibly be simple, safe, and effective. What’s the catch?

No catch – and it is THAT simple. The client pays before work is done, the funds are held in Elance Escrow until the work is completed, and voila! The client is guaranteed that his money is safe until the work is done and the provider knows that payment is already there. A safe and secure win-win situation for both parties.

Still hesitant to embrace escrow jobs? Okay, here’s a breakdown to show you how easy it truly is.

The first step, once you’re awarded a fixed price job, is to set out job milestones with the client, and agree on funded amounts for each milestone. The buyer then funds the first milestone into Elance Escrow, and you begin work. The client has already paid. There is no doubt that you will receive payment if you complete the milestone, making it 100% safe. And here’s the kicker – you do not begin work until the milestone is funded!

When you reach the milestone, the client funds the next, and the job continues. You never have to work without funding, knowing that the money is being held for you in Escrow. It’s so safe that Elance even has a Fixed Price Work Guarantee.

Saying yes to Escrow for fixed price jobs greatly reduces the risk to both buyers and providers, which translates into less time spent soothing buyer fears or tracking down payments for completed work, and more time spent working.

Disputes and issues between clients and providers drop to almost nothing when you choose to go with fixed price escrow jobs. This is a far cry from the freelance payment russian roulette risks of yesterday. But even if the occasional dispute pops up, Elance Escrow still has you covered.

With the Fixed Price Work Guarantee, Elance Dispute Assistance acts as a neutral third party to help resolve problems by using the milestones agreed upon by both parties, all messages exchanged in the workroom, and the final deliverables. Bottom line is, if you provide solid, professional work, you’ll get paid. Guaranteed.

The buisness landscape has changed. The freelance marketplace has exploded in size over the past few years creating an overwhelming need for a safe, secure payment platform for clients and providers to operate within. Elance Escrow is Elance’s response to this need, and the perfect solution for this new way to work.

Jump on board the Escrow Payment train, and discover a whole new stress-free way to get paid. It IS that easy.

For more information, check out the Elance FAQ’s: What is Escrow and As A Provider, How Do I Use Elance Escrow?

Still have questions? Post them in the comments section and I’ll do my best to answer them.


Great photo by Stephen K. Willi

Elance's New Profile Pages Put The Focus On You

Elance’s profile pages have a brand new look, and with it, brand new features that work hard to put you in the spotlight.

A potential client now sees the most important information they need in order to say yes to awarding their project to you. Front and center in the new profile pages are: Percent of Client Recommendations, Number of Repeat Clients, Number of Hours, Milestones Completed, and Earnings per Client. The information you want the client to know.

A new Identity section highlights your important information like verifications and member history, and potential clients can now easily tell if you’re a company or an individual. Elance has removed the guess work for the client and put you, the provider, front and center.

Elance has also introduced a new Level System. Gone are the days where earnings were the only thing differentiating providers. Now qualifications, quality of work, client relationships and earnings all work together to determine a provider’s Elance Level.

The new Levels System gives potential clients a clear picture of a provider’s quality of work and their track record, so they know exactly what to expect when they contract you. It’s based on points that providers build up with each job they do, and ranks them based on Service Delivery, Client Relationship, and Marketing. Outstanding providers finally stand out from the crowd, and now hard earned reputations can easily be the deciding factor in winning jobs.

Levels also determine a provider’s position in search results, so top providers get more exposure. And more exposure means more work.

Elance has also made positive changes to the Feedback System. Providers no longer have a positive percentage number to attract clients that was easily affected by one review. It has been replaced by a five star rating system that better represents actual feedback. Bigger jobs are weighted more heavily, and neutral feedback is much more realistically represented.

And Elance knows that privacy matters. When earnings were the only visible thing separating experienced providers from new ones, it was important that the client was able to view this information, but with all the new changes, that information no longer needs to be made public. New profile settings now give providers the option to keep their earnings private without fear that it will discourage buyers. Buyers now have all the information then need to see that you stand out from the freelance pack. Additionally, details of invite-only jobs are not displayed on either the client’s or provider’s page, so you can confidently display only the information you want out there.

All these changes mean good things for the committed provider. The new Levels System and changes to Feedback translates to clients now having many more search options, and with a good Feedback Rating and a solid Level, you’ll place high in the search rankings. A higher search ranking means more business for you and more satisfied clients, and that is good for everybody.

Take a look at the new profile changes and see what all the buzz is about, and see for yourself why it’s about to take freelancing to a whole new level.

For more information, check out the Elance Profile Frequently Asked Questions Page at http://help.elance.com/entries/156540-profile-and-level-faqs





Great image by visualogist

The Freelance Life: Getting Paid Doesn't Have to be a Nightmare

After a long absence, I'm back with more insights on living the freelance dream, and all the need-to-know information to make your freelancing career a success.

And to set this welcome back off with a bang, I'm going to tackle the BIG QUESTION on every freelancer's mind: How do I ensure that I get paid?

If you've been in the freelancing game for any length of time at all, you've probably been burned by a buyer or two and have learned the hard way to steer clear of the many shady freelancing sites and message boards on the net. Reputable sites that attract reputable buyers are the only way to go. Thankfully, there are some good ones out there, but unfortunately, they don't offer any real payment security for freelancers, and you can easily wind up in a payment nightmare.

Then there is Elance.

Elance goes beyond attracting reputable buyers and quality jobs, by setting themselves apart from the other sites when it comes to helping freelancers get their hard earned money. How? It's simple. They really watch out for freelancers and want to make sure you get paid. They offer payment guarantees for quality work done, and huge flexibility on how you get paid. You can choose between an hourly rate and a fixed price per job, both with protection guarantees. And with guarantees, you can concentrate on the work and leave the worry behind.

For fixed price jobs, Elance has an escrow service that ensures you, the provider, get paid for work done, taking the worry out of it, especially for big projects. The buyer funds the job before any work commences, so you know the money is there. All you have to do is complete the required work and it is released to you. Simple. Safe. Secure. No more wondering if your buyer has fallen off the face of the earth, and no more chasing down dead-beat buyers.

Elance also has a milestone system that allows you to set out in great detail the exact project requirements, due dates, and payment schedule so there is never any confusion about when payment is due.

On Elance, you're not just an independent contractor with nowhere to turn if a payment problem arises. You've got Elance watching your back.

But what if you prefer hourly jobs or the project requires it? Elance is there for you too. They now offer a really amazing feature called Work View, which guarantees payment for hourly work if you opt to use it. They also have automated invoicing through Timesheets and the use of Tracker to track your hours.

All of these features are optional, so you can choose what works best for you for each individual project. Both hourly and fixed price projects also have auto-pay and auto-release features, which means you get paid when you should.

Whatever way you choose to set up your projects on Elance, they've got you covered.

Why spend all that extra unpaid time chasing down buyers and pulling your hair out because you don't know when you're going to get paid? The Elance Fixed Price Work Guarantee and the Elance Hourly Work Guarantee protect you, so you can relax and focus on work.

Take it from me, Elance escrow has been around for a long time, and I've used it for many projects with 100% success. It works, and for someone new to Elance, it may be a little intimidating, but I promise, it's very easy to set up - and it's worth it.

And Work View for hourly projects works like a dream! It's very new, but I was lucky enough to beta test it, and for hourly projects, I highly recommend going with it. Not only does it have the payment guarantee, but it also makes project organization and communication with the buyer a breeze.

Elance wins hands down as the only choice for freelancers who want to leave payment frustrations behind and get guaranteed payment for work.

Ahhhh.... the freelance life just got easier.

Amazing photo by Steve Wampler

Big Elance Myths Debunked

I've been surfing the net and am blown away by the large amount of misinformation floating around about Elance. Most of the stuff has been posted by providers frustrated in their attempts to find work, and that's a shame because misinformation helps no one and does all freelancers harm.

If you're thinking about Elance and you've come across some of this stuff, then I'm glad you found your way here.

It's time to clear up those big Elance Myths. And not just because I'm an Elance Ambassador. First and foremost, I'm a provider just like you, and have used many freelance sites to get gigs. I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly of the freelance world, and can tell you without a doubt that Elance is by far the best place to land freelance gigs.

Myth no. 1 - You have to wade through tons of crap jobs to find good ones.

Wrong. Elance takes great steps to make sure that the quality of jobs is high. That's not to say that every job is amazing. That would be asking for the impossible. But the ratio of good to not-so-good jobs on Elance is comparable to any classified section of any paper, and much better than other online freelance sites. Elance removes jobs that don't meet their terms of service, and allows providers to file complaints about shady job postings.
And to the people spreading this myth, I say - I'm sorry that your job hunting experience was so terrible. Please contact me, and maybe I can help you find better hunting strategies.

Myth no. 2 - Most jobs never get awarded
Wrong. I have no idea what the percentages are, but from an experienced provider perspective, this is dead wrong. Sure there are some that go unawarded, like every other job place on the planet, and I remember being frustrated as a new provider seeing these, but once I learned to pick only the best jobs to focus on, the number of jobs I saw go unawarded dropped to maybe one in twenty.
Elance helps providers steer clear of low awarding buyers by identifying them in the job search listings, and a little time and experience will find you bidding on jobs most likely to award.
And to the people spreading this myth - Stick with this blog or contact me. I can help you learn to target the jobs that get awarded.

Myth no. 3 - Elance is a clearinghouse for cheap labor. A provider can't make decent money.
Wrong. If you have the skills and the experience to back you up, you will make decent money. If you're new to Elance, and therefore have no feedback, you may have to cut your rates on the first few projects just until you get a few solid feedbacks. Once you do, buyers will not only trust you, they will seek you out. And, as I said, if your skills and experience match your rates, you will make what you ask for.
I've known providers with hourly rates of 70 to 100 dollars, and they're working regularly. They're damn good, and they have earned their rates.
If you're expecting to make that kind of money and you're not landing contracts, why not take a look at these highly paid providers and compare your skills and experience to theirs. Either yours don't yet measure up, or you need to revamp your profile and bidding skills. I can help you with that.

Myth no. 4 - Elance doesn't listen to the providers needs and concerns.
Wrong. Every upgrade and every change is specifically made to make freelancing a better experience. They offer Elance University for new providers, they offer Escrow projects that make sure you get paid for completed work, and a whole range of other stuff. This was all brought in because of needs expressed by providers just like you. And I know they've got some great new stuff on the horizon. This myth is just plain false.
When I see all this misinformation out there, it makes my blood boil. I hope I've cleared up some of the myths, and I'm always open to answering questions and concerns.
Yes, I'm an Elance cheerleader, but I've played for a lot of freelancing teams in my time, and I only cheer for the best.

image by Monica's Dad

Bidding on Elance: When in Doubt, Ask!

One big question that keeps coming up is how to bid on jobs with very little in the way of job description.

You see them all the time. You know, the ones like:

Need five articles on the life cycle of lice.

That's it. Nothing more. But inevitably, they attract bids.

Normally I say, "Don't waste your time." But sometimes that's hard. The allure is too great.

Perhaps you did your doctoral thesis on the life cycle of lice, or maybe your kids have brought lice into your house twenty times now and all your knowledge was learned with blood, sweat, tears and lots of cleaning supplies. You could do this contract in your sleep while juggling steak knives.

So do the current bidders have information that you don't? It's possible. They could have asked a pre-bid question and have a better idea of the scope of the project. But more likely, they are the wild bidders who bid on anything and everything in hopes of winning something.

I say, don't worry about either type. Concentrate on you.

Don't be afraid to ask the buyer for the answers you need in order to put together a winning proposal. If it takes five or six back and fourths with the buyer, all the better. You'll be in a better position to craft a proposal that gives them exactly what they want, you'll have already established a working relationship with the buyer before the contract is awarded, and you'll come across as very interested, knowledgeable and professional. That may just be enough to rocket you to the top of the list of choices.

But what is it exactly that you need to know in order to bid intelligently?

In the case of the above example, you would need to know the length of the articles, the target market (parents of school aged children versus the scientific community), the intended use (marketing articles to sell a new lice treatment - SEO articles to drive traffic to a site - informational articles to educate - humor articles, etc.), but these need-to-know nuggets translate to most types of projects.

If the job description doesn't spell out specifically what you are required to produce, ask. It's much better to ask than to write 500 words on lice only to find out that they expected 5000. And that's not the worst-case scenario. Imagine writing 5000 words only to find out that they expected 50 thousand.

Save yourself the potential negative feedback, remember as always that time is money, and when in doubt - ask.

image by Marco Bellucci

All Freelancers Welcome

Yes, I'm a writer. And yes, this blog happens to be biased in favor of freelance writers. But that doesn't mean other freelancers can't get anything out of a visit. Freelancers of all shapes and sizes are welcome. Pull up a chair and warm yourself by my virtual fire, and I'll put on a pot of virtual coffee.

Hey, we're all freelancers, or on the path to becoming freelancers, so who cares if my tools are commas and a thesaurus, while yours is techno-babble I have no hope of ever understanding, or a foreign language I have even less hope of ever understanding. We all face the same challenges, go through the same bidding processes, and have the same goals in mind - to carve out one heck of a good freelance career. We're not so very different after all.

We can learn much from one another. And hey, we might actually team up on a project or two.

Most of what I write for the benefit of my fellow writers, applies just as well to every other freelance specialty. In fact, taking some tips on crafting great Elance proposals and profiles from a writing blog, may give freelancers with other areas of expertise a leg up on their competition. Writers are online image specialists, and what field can't use a great image?!

So stay a while and have a good look around. You'll find that most of my posts have something for you too. And I might just have the occasional gem outside of the writing arena to pass on. Like, for example, I hear through the Elance grapevine that there's a rapidly growing demand for SAP specialists. If that's your thing, run - don't walk - to Elance and make your mark now.

But before you go, let me wrap up this piece of virtual pie for you to snack on later.



image by bitzcelt

Quick Update

Exciting news! That amazing writer I wrote about Tuesday - the one I did a bidding walk-through with in order to get her over her mental hump...

She landed her first Elance contract today!

It took her all of 72 hours once she started bidding, and now there will be no stopping her!

I won't out her here without her permission, but I'm sending a hearty congrats her way!





image by photobunny

Just a Small Town Girl in a Big Online World

I just got back from spending the bulk of the afternoon with an amazing writer. She registered with Elance a few months ago, but until today she had done little with her account other than browse. So today, plied with coffee, I walked her through the Elance bidding process.

Very quickly, it became painfully clear that her reluctance had nothing to do with her skill level, and everything to do with not knowing the 'rules' in the strange new world of online freelancing.

When you've built a reputation doing business locally where face to face is the norm, the jump to doing business in a global online community can be quite unnerving. No longer do you worry about what shoes to wear. First impressions are now made and broken on a single word choice. A good smile and a winning personality no longer cut it. Your work really has to be good enough to sell itself.

That's a lot of pressure.

In the case of today's writer, I've seen her work. She has the chops to compete. She has a track record of experience to back her, and knows her writing is solid. All she had to do was make the mental switch to a new way of selling herself without the face to face.

What advice did I give her? Samples! Give the buyer kick-ass samples! Make sure your proposal meets the buyer's needs, and let your personality shine through in your writing. Take skill tests and list additional skills relevant to the types of writing jobs you plan to target, and by all means, list relevant past experience in your profile. Bid on smaller projects to build a reputation on the site, and encourage communication.

We spent some time crafting a proposal for one particular sweet job she had her eye on, and you know what? Her winning personality was there on the page. The same rules that apply in face to face transfer to the online job arena. They are all there, and they all matter just as much. They just don't wear pretty shoes.

And once her first proposal was in the bag, she was liberated. The rules are pretty much the same - the just need correct spelling and grammar. Now she's trading in her black leather pumps for bunny slippers and putting her first impression out there on the page.

And I give it a week tops, before she lands her first contract.



image bykharied

Social Networking: Spammers and Schemers and #%&*, Oh My!

Just a quick post today... or more appropriately, a quick rant.

I've been spending a good deal of time lately focused on social networking and digging around for good information sites for new freelancers, and I've noticed a disturbing trend. There are a vast amount of get-rich-quick and pyramid schemes everywhere you go.

It seems that there are more bots online than actual living breathing people, and unfortunately, places that offer good solid advice without a hidden (or sometimes not so hidden) price tag are hard to come by.

I hate to have to say it but if you're looking for advice on freelance writing work, beware the so-called gurus and the sites that claim to have all the secrets to success for one super low price!

There are no shortcuts to building a solid reputation. There is no program that will circumvent quality work and make up for lack of experience. It's a matter of just doing it.

I am a firm believer in the cream rising to the top and I'm appalled by how much sour milk people have to wade through to find it.

Hopefully in the coming weeks I can clear the path to solid information, and make it a little easier to navigate for the new writer. I promise that I will never ask for money or put conditions on accessing the information here.

And if you happen to come across some real information out there among the bots and the schemes, send me the link and I'll make sure it's available to all.



image by katiew

The Great Elance Job Hunt

So this morning, coffee in hand, I’m scanning the new job listings, as is my typical morning routine, and I realize that there are currently over 800 writing jobs listed on Elance. This isn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it dawns on me how intimidating this might be for a new freelancer.

How the heck do you figure out what to bid on with so many listed jobs?

I was going to write about crafting job winning proposals today, but my half-caffeinated morning epiphany made me realize that I was putting the cart before the horse. Before you can even begin to bid, you need a system to figure out exactly what to bid on.

I’m sure there isn’t one system that will work for everyone, and you’ll develop your own style over time, but until then, I’m offering up my system as a place to start.

I developed this system over time with a good deal of trial and error, with one main objective – money. I don’t mean making money. I mean not losing it. You see, as a freelancer, you have to value your time. And the time you spend on the job hunt is time not making money. So anything that streamlines the hunt means more time to work on actual paid assignments, and consequently more money in your pockets.

So in keeping with this goal, I’ve developed the following job hunt system:

Scan the New Listings

Do this very quickly. Don’t go into the job descriptions, just take a quick peak at the details. If it seems even remotely interesting, put it on your watch list. If you do this daily, this should only take a few minutes.

Delete the Duds

When you’re done your scan, quickly go through the possibilities now in your watch list and delete any obvious duds. Jobs with unrealistic budgets (ie: I want 500 articles and my budget is only fifty dollars), jobs that clearly don’t match your skills, or jobs that just give you a bad feeling for no apparent reason. (In this business, you really need to rely on those gut feelings, but that’s a whole different blog post…)

Put Out Some Feelers

With your possible job list now much smaller, it’s time to look at each of them more closely. If a buyer has a low award rate, they have never posted a job before, or their job description is vague, post a simple question about the job on the public message board, then forget about it. If they respond, it is worth pursuing, but if they don’t, you haven’t wasted valuable time crafting a solid bid proposal or pre-bid question. And if they do respond, chances are much higher that the job will be awarded.

All of the above, if done daily, should take less than thirty minutes once you get into your groove. Spend the remainder of the hour concentrating on the very small number of jobs that still remain on your list – those with reputable buyers and clear job descriptions. Those are the ones you bid on.

If you’re spending anything more than an hour a day job-hunting, you’re wasting precious and valuable time.

There is no guarantee that every job on your shortlist will be awarded, but the chances are much higher; meaning your investment of valuable time, energy, and resources won't be wasted chasing dead ends.

There is also no guarantee that every job you eliminate will be a dud. Many will actually get awarded. But personally, I'd rather spend my caffeine-fueled energy on paid work rather than trying to psychically deduce a buyer's intentions.

Anyone have any more good tips for picking jobs to bid on?



image by MayaEvening

Getting Started Part Two: Wild Bid Variations on Elance Explained

You've done your research. You're itching to toss your hat into the ring on a few sweet jobs, but...

The system still doesn't quite make sense.

When you're just starting out, it's hard to determine what bid amount to submit on a project when some jobs get awarded for peanuts while others seem to have a high rate of pay. What makes it even more confusing is watching one particular job you KNOW you're made for, and seeing that it gets bids that range from fifty dollars to three thousand.

How is a talented freelancer new to the Elance arena supposed to make any sense out of this?!

First, lets look at how two very similar jobs can be awarded for very different amounts. Lets say both jobs ask for five articles of the same length and one is awarded for fifty dollars while the other goes for five hundred. The explanation boils down to the buyer's needs and expectations.

Buyer one may be looking for quick filler pieces where quality isn't important while buyer two wants well researched, well written material. Or buyer one may want well written material but has no idea how much time and skill are required to produce a high level of content. In this case, buyer one will be disappointed in the results he gets.

Both styles (churning out article after article at breakneck speed, or spending serious time and energy on just one article) are valid choices. Figure out which one you're suited for and bid accordingly. Ask pointed pre-bid questions or questions on the job post's public board to determine exactly what the buyer wants, then only bid if their vision meets your skills. You'll save yourself a good deal of confusion and disappointment that way.

Now let's look at it from the other end - providers bidding all over the board on the same job. Partly the reason is the other side of the above coin. One provider may estimate five articles will take only thirty minutes of his/her time, while another will commit hours or research and writing to the project.

Additionally, they may have inside knowledge of the buyer's expectations because they asked a pre-bid question. Maybe they found out that the buyer wants five articles with citations from reputable journals, or perhaps they found out that the buyer wants filler SEO articles that drive traffic to a website with no concern for content. There is no way of knowing for sure.

And thinking about it is enough to drive even the most experienced of freelancers batty!

The best advice I can give is to NOT think about it. Set your rates and base your bid on what you can offer the buyer. Ask smart pre-bid questions if the project isn't 100% clear and don't worry about the wild variations.

Because who knows? The extreme bids may just be wild shots in the dark from other providers. It's best to focus on crafting an amazing proposal that shows the buyer exactly what YOU can do for them and why YOU are the person for the job.

Stick with that, and you'll start landing jobs.




image by helgasms

Hot Job Picks Clarified

Before I move onto the nuts and bolts of getting started, I have to jump in and clear up a few important questions that have been tossed my way.

Question: How are your Twitter Hot Job Picks chosen?

Good question! My Hot Job Picks are perfect for people just finding their freelance writing sea legs because they have a well-written job description that sets out clear expectations for the writer. There is no guesswork. You know exactly what you’re getting into and can bid accordingly.

On top of this, the buyer has awarded previous contracts on Elance and seems to have a clear understanding of the value of a good writer.

This is all a judgment call based on experience, an educated guess, and an old fashioned gut feeling on my part, so there is no guarantee that the job will be awarded or that the buyer will be Buyer of the Year – but the odds are much greater.

When a buyer takes the time to craft a well thought out job description, it’s a good sign that they’re serious about hiring, and that they’ll take the time to communicate with you in order to make sure the project goes smoothly.

An ideal situation for a new provider.

Question: When I go to one of your Hot Jobs, I can only see part of the job description and I am required to sign up for an Elance account before I can view the whole thing. What’s the catch?


No catch. You’ll get no spam. You aren’t required to pay a dime. This is just one of Elance’s ways of weeding out buyers and providers who are not serious committed professionals.

Once you register, you have full access to all of the job postings AND you have the ability to bid. This is all with the basic account that doesn’t cost a cent. You can upgrade your account for a small monthly fee, which gives you the ability to bid on more jobs, but I highly recommend sticking with the free basic account, at least for the first month.

This allows you to do your research, which I talked about in the previous post, and get to know the site and the job market before leaping in with both feet.

I'll be blogging soon about how to create contract-winning proposals, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, follow my Hot Job Picks on Twitter, and keep the questions coming.


Image by Stefan Baudy

Your Freelance Writing Career: Getting Started

You're ready to take the plunge towards living your freelance writing dream, but what now? How do you turn your commitment into reality?

What you need is a workable plan.

Before any jobs searches are performed, before any proposals are drawn up, there is some serious prep work to be done.


Step One: Goals

Whether you're freelancing on the side for a little extra cash, or planning to support yourself solely on freelance contracts, you need clear goals. This will not only give you something to work towards, but also give you a way to measure your level of success at any given time.

Determine your bottom line - how much do you need to make (including overhead) in order to continue? Whatever that amount is, use that as your first goal.


Step Two: Set out a realistic time frame

There are no overnight successes in the freelance world, just committed, hard working individuals carving out decent careers for themselves. They started with nothing, and built a reputation with skill, perseverance, high quality product, and great communication skills.

And you can too.

Take your goal and give yourself a deadline to reach it. Six months is a realistic, workable number for a new freelancer just starting out. If you are looking for a high cash flow very quickly, freelancing probably isn't for you. To do it right, you need time to research the market, create a profile, learn the ins and outs of landing contracts, and build a reputation as an independent contractor. That will not happen overnight no matter how good you are or how long your resume happens to be.

I've seen some people reach their goal by the three month mark, and have known others who took over a year. But six months is a good working number. It gives you time to do your research, test out the market, adjust your strategy and put out some good solid work. And at the six month mark, you will have enough perspective to determine if the freelance life is working for you.


Step Three: Do Your Research

Jumping into the market and going for every job that looks good is a one-way ticket to frustration and disappointment. You need to invest some serious time into studying the market in order to compete and succeed.

The first thing to do is to look through current job postings and study the different types of writing that are in demand. Then hone in on writing jobs that meet your skills and watch them for a few days. See how many bidders they attract, the high and low bid amounts, and what amount each job closes for. This will give you a good idea of what other providers charge for similar work, and how much the award rate varies.

Now you have a good idea of the high and low end of what you can make.

Next you need to take a look at the providers who are successfully winning contracts in your field of expertise. Go through their profiles and see how they present themselves. What is it about their profiles that makes them stand out and screams 'you need to hire me!' What is their hourly rate? How much experience do they have?

Use this knowledge to gauge your own rates and get some insight into how to craft a winning profile.

Once you done this, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. But wait!

If you've done the research, you probably have more questions now than you had before! Things like, "Why do some jobs get awarded for peanuts while others seem to have a high rate of pay?" or, "How can one job get bids that range from fifty dollars to three thousand?"

Don't panic!

I'll take a look at these in my next blog, then we'll move on to signing up and taking the leap.

Image by TuTuWon