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andy-hill
Community Member

PDF | How to Succeed as a Content Writer

Good morning, folks.

 

I’ve created a PDF guide on how to succeed as a content writer (link below). It’s completely free and doesn’t have any affiliate links or other offers embedded into the content.

 

All I ask in return is a little feedback or constructive criticism from those who read it.

 

Thank you in advance,

 

Andy H

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
wlyonsatl
Community Member

Try it and see, Andy.

 

If there's a prohibition one of the moderators will remove it. Or they might recommend you post it on a different board, such as here:

 

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Coffee-Break/bd-p/break_room

View solution in original post

48 REPLIES 48
andy-hill
Community Member

Bump


Andy H wrote:

Bump


I would not add a PDF (may not even be possible), just copy and paste it into a post if you like. People come to the forum to read posts, not open PDFs.

I just want to know if it's permissible, Petra, that's all.

If it is, then I'll upload the file if the system lets me. I don't like to assume with stuff I'm unsure about, hence the message.

Best regards,

Andy H

wlyonsatl
Community Member

Try it and see, Andy.

 

If there's a prohibition one of the moderators will remove it. Or they might recommend you post it on a different board, such as here:

 

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Coffee-Break/bd-p/break_room

Okay, thank you, Will 😉

Hi Andy,

 

There is some useful advice in here. I like the discussion of the trap of charging middle-range rates. However, I don't agree with the following: 

 

"Set the minimum you’re willing to write for as a new freelancer. Aim for $10-15+ per
1000 words for straightforward projects, and $15–20+ for research writing. It’s
ultimately up to you, but don’t jump in too low, or you may end up stuck in a rut."

 

I realise that this might be a reasonable rate in countries with a very low cost-of-living. However, this is far too low, even as an entry rate, to recommend for writers in higher-cost countries. This would result in a pro-rata wage far lower than the minimum wage. 

 

In addition, no matter where you live, there is a major risk to starting that low: Your earnings per job send a signal that you are a low-cost freelancer, which can make it hard to transition into higher-paid jobs.  

 

 

I now see why you wanted to attach the PDF, clearly you made a ral effort and the content is beautifully presented. It looks like something I would enjoy reading.

 

I don't have time to read it properly right now, but look forward to reading it when my deadline is (hopefully) met

 

I fully agree with Drew about the prices you suggest. Too low for native speakers.

 

The whole "$10 to $15 for 1000 words" thing is likely why some clients faint when I tell them I'd charge them $100 to translate their stuff... lol.

Thanks immensely Drew D. for this tip. I am new to Upwork platform, though I have been writing elsewhere. That has been a bugging question in my mind.
Pls, if you don't mind, 'What are the chances one have in landing his/her first Upwork job considering one have no testimonials yet?
Thanks

Hi Jerry, 

 

Unfortunately, due to the current economic crisis, there is a lot of competition for jobs right now.  However, all of us started with zero reviews at one point in time, so it's perfectly doable. 

 

Having a brief look at your profile, I would say: 

-get verifiable testimonials relating to your writing from outside Upwork and put them on your profile; 

-add portfolio pieces from other writing you have done; 

-optimise your profile. You have excellent experience in risk and quality management, but this is a bit lost in your profile as you are advertising your ability to write everything. I would make your profile more targeted to a few areas (e.g. science and risk management). 

 

Once that is done, focus on applying for jobs specific to your area and where you have demonstrable experience. I work on similar topics to you, and not many writers have first-hand experience in risk and financial management, so you could be a good candidate. Make your expertise very clear in your proposal. 

 

Last, but not least, proofread your profile and all your proposals very carefully. There are mistakes in your profile, even in the first sentence (for example "with focus at detecting errors and expunging ambiguities" should be "with focus on detecting errors and expunging ambiguities"). This is especially important as you advertise yourself as an expert proofreader.

Hi, Jerry.

There’s still plenty of work on offer. My advice would be to choose jobs with care and promote yourself without too much waffle. The most attractive jobs get a lot of attention, so I find that a short, well-written bid works better than a page full of selling oneself. Yes, I’ve experimented with both.

I agree with all the points Drew mentions too. And whatever you do, don’t have spelling or grammatical errors on your profile page or in your bids. That might be okay for some professions, but not as a writer 😉

Andy H

Hi, Drew, thanks so much for your feedback.

 

What to Charge

 

It’s an interesting perspective, and I did wonder about adding fee suggestions in the guide. I do have other copies circulating outside of Upwork, too. I decided to add some recommendations based on the feedback I got from those.

 

This particular file is Upwork-focused, so I wrote it with that in mind. Work at these prices tends to dominate job feeds and many others below my suggestions, as you know. I may neutralize the ‘what to charge’ tips, but I’ll wait for a couple of weeks to see what other feedback I get.

 

Petra and Drew

 

I do agree with your warnings about starting too low. The raw novice, though, is not usually qualified to bid for challenging jobs for a while or ask too much as an entry-level writer. These tasks should be short-term and only taken on to build some feedback and get a few ratings. The writer can then go on to bid for higher-paying work with renewed confidence and displayed experience.

I did think about saying, “What you charge is entirely up to you,” and leave it at that. But then it doesn’t answer the question most wannabe writers want an answer to. Maybe that approach is better suited for this Upwork-focussed guide.

It’s an interesting one, and you may be right, so I’ll keep my eye on other feedback over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks once again for your response, Drew and Petra, I appreciate it 😉

Andy H

Thank you very much Andy for your very helpful tips! I have learned so much
from it and wanted to express my deep appreciation.
rachel_usha
Community Member

Hello, Andy, I hope you're well.

 

I finished reading your guide 5 minutes ago (it's a 30-minute read) and found it very helpful. It is my fourth week as a freelance content writer, so there is a lot to learn. Thank you for sharing your experience with newbies like me. I will consider your suggestions the next time I apply for a job.

 

Best wishes,

Rachel U.

Hello, Rachel, thanks so much for your feedback.

 

As a "newbie," please let me know if anything in the guide is unclear or missing. My focus was to add all the stuff I didn't know—but wished I had—when I started out.

 

This is the first draft, so I might update it if necessary. If it proves popular, I may also follow it up with a series of guides that are more targeted than general.

 

Best regards,

 

Andy

Thank you for your response, Andy, here are my suggestions for you:

Many clients ask freelancers to have discussions over Skype or Whatsapp. I don't apply for those jobs because I don't want to risk my account. It would be great if you address this topic.

 

Moreover, I often fail to negotiate the payment terms with prospective clients, so I would highly appreciate if you could share some useful insights about successful negotiations. By the way, I followed your guide and managed to convince a client to change an hourly job to a fixed-price milestone, so thank you very much! 🙂

 

Best wishes and regards,

Rachel 

Hi Rachel, thank you for your feedback.

 

CLIENT COMMUNICATION


Unfortunately, I can't write about the issues you raise with any authority. I always use Upwork Chat for communicating with new and existing clients. I don't see why it would be necessary to communicate in any other way. The question to the client would be, what can we discuss outside of Upwork that we can't discuss within it? It's a bit of a red flag if you ask me.

I also have clients outside of Upwork, and my preferred method of communication with them is email. I only ever had one conversation by phone and two on Skype in 10 years. Moreover, it's impossible to forget or overlook something that's set down in writing. The same can't be said for a voice or video conversation unless you take notes. But then it's up to the client to provide written descriptions for their job.

 

NEGOTIATION

 

Negotiating for jobs that ask for rates per X number of words is easy. All you do is put in your bid and move on if they don't accept it. Or, come back with a reduced proposal if you have room for a little flexibility. Don't waste time negotiating further if the client doesn't accept your minimum offer, though.

Sorry, I can't be of more help. Hopefully, someone with more knowledge of these things can contribute.

Best regards,

Andy H

Thank you, Andy, your response is quite helpful. 🙂

 

Best wishes and regards,

Rachel U.

c26fd10e
Community Member

Andy,

 

Thank you for sharing. As a new member, I found it helpful. I have to work on my profile, I find writing about myself difficult. I have unpublished works and wonder if I should post some to my profile. Would a personal essay/political opinion peice be inappropriate as an example of my writing?

 

Thanks again,

Adrianne

Hi, Adrianne.

 

I'm so sorry for the late response. I checked the notifications box but didn't get any email updates, hence the delay.  

 

The best advice for your profile on Upwork is from Upwork resources. I'm sure it's okay to promote work to highlight your talent not done for clients through this platform. Don't forget, you can go in and tweak and retweak your profile, so it doesn't matter if it's not perfect right off the bat. 

 

Here's a link to a recent article on this very topic 😉

 

https://www.upwork.com/resources/9-tips-create-freelancer-profile-stands-out

 

Good luck, Adrianne.

 

Andy H

asadullahkhan39
Community Member

thanks you sir

Hope you found the guide useful, Asadullah 😉

cecilysorensenpr
Community Member

Thank you! This was very helpful. 

Thank you, Cecily S 😉

sparkesusan
Community Member

I like this!  I'm not a writer, but there's still information here that's interesting and useful.  Thank you!

Thank you for reading it, Susan 😉

deborah-ponzio
Community Member

Thanks for putting this quick guide together, I have been through it and it helps. Well done!

Thank you for your feedback and kind words, Deborah 😉

majormoore
Community Member

I know I'm a few years late but thanks for sharing that!

My response is even later, sorry, Adrian, and thank you for your feedback.

 

 I select 'Email me when someone replies', but I've never been notified, hence the delayed response.

 

 Andy H

315b8b9e
Community Member

A very rich guide to read. A thumb up.

 

Sorry but I didn’t write this compilation of content writing. I just posted
a question....


#- Please type your reply above this line -##
--
—————————
Marissa S. **Edited for Community Guidelines**
**Edited for Community Guidelines**

This very helpful excellent post was made by Mikko R of VR/AR consultancy.  Pls direct your reactions or questions to him as he is the author of this post.  Thank you and have a nice day!

petra_r
Community Member


Marissa Cecille S T wrote:

Pls direct your reactions or questions to him


They **ARE** "directing" their responses to the discussion thread on a public forum. Nobody is responding to you specifically. 

 

If you get emails that's because you subscribed to the topic.

m-tionko
Community Member

Ok thank you for that information. I didn’t want to grab credit for
somebody else’s hard work.

Cheers to everyone!

Thank you, Samuel 😉

Please kindly send me details on how to trained as a virtual assistant.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Thanks 

 

lindsaymoussa
Community Member

I have recently begun freelancing on Upwork, and came across this resource. It is excellent. Thank you!

Thank you, Lindsay.
 
I've since updated the guide and removed suggestions on how much to charge. It was something bought up in earlier replies.
 
It's the only change, but if anyone wants an updated copy, please let me know.
 
Best regards,
 
Andy
hanitriniony
Community Member

Thank you for your initiative

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