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

Don't Forget Playtime in the Freelance Sandbox

One of the biggest problems facing freelancers is burnout. If you're new to the freelancing game, you probably don't believe me. Setting your own hours, being your own boss, working in your pajamas - sounds pretty sweet, right?

I kid you not. When business is good, it's very easy to get lost in work and forget about taking 'you' time. This is particularly true in the first few years, when you're afraid to set limits, or turn down work because who knows when the next contract will come along. No sense looking the proverbial gift horse in the mouth and pissing off the gods of freelance fate, right?

It's true. For the first few years, until your reputation is a rock solid monolith, and repeat customers are banging down your door, freelance work is pretty much feast or famine. So it's logical while at the feast to want to gorge 'til you burst because you have no way of judging how long the famine with last. This easily leads to over-extending yourself with long hours that stretch into days and weeks and months. But you're making money, so who cares, right?

That's a dangerous attitude. Downtime needs to be scheduled and treated with as much sanctity and respect as work time, or burnout is inevitable.

Stretch yourself too thin and stupid mistakes are made, the quality of work goes down, and you start feeling just plain miserable. And it's a vicious cycle. This impacts your reputation and forces you to have to work longer and harder before you're firmly established. And more stupid mistakes are made... and so on... and so on...

Burnout sucks.

It's okay to take on a big rush job and work like a maniac. Just know your limits. Know how far your can push yourself before the stupid mistake monster rears its ugly head, and bid on those rush jobs accordingly. Schedule down time and stick to it.

I'm one to talk. Here it is, Sunday, the traditional day of rest, and I'm typing away. But the thing is, we're back to one of the big selling points of freelancing in the first place. You set your own hours. Find your natural rhythm and stick to it. If your workweek is ten days straight, then do it. You choose the when and where of down time. Just don't underestimate its importance or you risk frustration, anger, depression - and ultimately burnout.

All work and no play makes for very miserable freelancers, and that's not good for anybody.

So go have some fun! It will make you more money in the long run.



image by bukutgirl

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

A Buyer's Guide Part One: How Much Does a Freelance Writer Cost?

You've decided to hire a writer. Maybe you want to beef up existing material, or to create something totally new. Maybe you want to increase sales or brand your product, or maybe you want to educate. You may need creative materials, or technical, general interest or very specialized. You may have a clear and specific idea of what you want, or no clue at all.

Whatever the reason, you've made the choice to get a writer on your team. You've heard good things about Elance, and you're ready to proceed. But one big question remains. How much will a good writer cost you?

This is impossible to answer directly without project details, but here are some general guidelines:

1 - Define your needs.
Are you looking for filler articles to drive traffic to another site so content or skill isn't important? Or are you looking for a high level of writing skill that projects your image or the image of your product and/or company?

The first won't cost you much at all. There are several providers who will meet your needs because it's cost effective for them. They can pump out low level material fast to seed your sites.

The second will run you quite a bit more. You're paying for skill, crafting, and research time, and a high level of quality. Cutting cost corners here will bring the quality of the project down.

2 - Be realistic about your budget.
If you need 500 pages and only have a budget of fifty dollars, you're not going to attract high quality work. Think of it this way - how many hours would it take you to write 500 pages?

If your budget is small, try to re-think your project. A great writer can do more for your business in two pages than 500 bad pages will ever accomplish.

3 - Look closely at samples.
Writers provide samples to show you the level of quality you can expect. Find a writer with a bid price that matches your budget and samples that meet your needs. Ignoring either will lead to disappointment.

4 - Finally, remember that you get what you pay for.
Writers base their bid price on their skill level, years of experience, and rate of success. That doesn't mean that the highest quote will be the best, but it does mean that you can and should expect higher quality from writers with higher rates. If quality is key, don't skimp on cost or you'll find yourself frustrated and disappointed.

It really does come down to quality or cost. What is most important to you? Like the saying goes, you can't have your cake and eat it too. If you want high quality, expect to pay for it.

That being said, there are ways to keep your costs down. Go for a writer with killer samples but who has very little feedback. They charge less because they lack the experience, and they're hungry for it so they work super hard. Or take it a step further. Take a chance on an absolute newbie. If they have amazing samples, it's worth the shot - and in six months, you may not be able to afford their rates.

This may seem risky, but it's not if you choose to go with payments through Elance Escrow. This is there specifically to protect both you and the provider, and takes the risk out of it.

Whatever your needs, you'll find a writer to match on Elance. Just remember, go in with clearly defined needs, and a realistic budget, and you'll walk away a happy customer.

image by Teb

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