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meriraja
Community Member

Tips for new freelance writers

Hi!

 

I'm new in Upwork, and would like to get started as a freelance creative writer through this website (I've previously done creative writing as a hobby). Do any of you have tips on how to get higher-quality jobs?

 

I've seen many very small assignments here such as writing a few hundred words for 5$ or something. With the 20% reduction Upwork takes, I don't think that's very feasible, but the more substantial assignments often seem to require experience.

 

Also, is 3 cents per word a reasonable rate in your opinion? I wouldn't want to take something as low as 1 cent per word, since that will just push down prices for everyone and will not help the situation. 

 

I'd also like to ask the more experienced writers here what kind of jobs they usually take on, and which kinds are the most satisfactory. And of course, something of how you yourselves got started in here, if you care to share!

 

Cheers,

 

Meri

 

17 REPLIES 17
datasciencewonk
Community Member

Hi Meri,

 

I'm going to be straight up with you.

 

Creative writers are a dime a dozen on Upwork. Now, if you're just here to maybe make small amounts of money, then perhaps that doesn't matter. Everyone has a different goal or set of objectives for their efforts.

 

Most of the creative writing is .01 per word -- and sometimes not even that "high." (I'm being cheeky here.)

 

It appears that every human being who can string a simple sentence together in English believes they can write to make money (I'm *not* referring to you, I'm emphasizing the size of the competition on this platform). 

 

If creative writing is your niche, I'd still narrow that down. SciFi? Romances? SciFi Romance? Screenplays? Place this in your title. 

 

Should earning a decent amount of money be your focus ("decent" is an individual definition), then you're probably far better off writing and publishing your own material on Kindle and garnering a FanFiction following. 

 

I'm an all-purpose writer. I've penned fiction, screenplays, creative non-fiction, non-fiction, etc. But, I have an in-depth technical background, and writing has never been a hobby; it's always been my profession (including having taught composition/English at all educational and academic levels). So, I'm here to pay my bills. Such are the reasons that I don't offer creative fiction on Upwork. That's just me, though.  

 

Now, if you want clients to notice you, I'd remove the part of your overview saying you "have a lot of free time to write." Clients aren't going to take you seriously. They don't care if you have "free time." Their concern is what you are specifically offering them. As such, I'd move that bottom section about your particular creative writing genres to the top of your profile overview as that's the first snippet the clients see. 

 

Buona Fortuna!


@Kat C wrote:

 

It appears that every human being who can string a simple sentence together in English believes they can write to make money (I'm *not* referring to you, I'm emphasizing the size of the competition on this platform).


 I think the same thing goes for editing. People always seem to think they can read so they should be able to edit.


@David G wrote:

@Kat C wrote:

 

It appears that every human being who can string a simple sentence together in English believes they can write to make money (I'm *not* referring to you, I'm emphasizing the size of the competition on this platform).


 I think the same thing goes for editing. People always seem to think they can read so they should be able to edit.


 Yesssssssssss!

 

100% Agree!


@David G wrote:

@Kat C wrote:

 

It appears that every human being who can string a simple sentence together in English believes they can write to make money (I'm *not* referring to you, I'm emphasizing the size of the competition on this platform).


 I think the same thing goes for editing. People always seem to think they can read so they should be able to edit.


Indeed, copyeditors are a special breed.

 

They ferret out errors effortlessly.

 

For example, in a string of dialogues, they can effortlessly spot all of these: the extra comma, the missing comma, the misplaced comma, or even the comma that deserves to be a period. Smiley Happy

"Certa bonum certamen"


@Ravindra B wrote:

@David G wrote:

@Kat C wrote:

 

It appears that every human being who can string a simple sentence together in English believes they can write to make money (I'm *not* referring to you, I'm emphasizing the size of the competition on this platform).


 I think the same thing goes for editing. People always seem to think they can read so they should be able to edit.


Indeed, copyeditors are a special breed.

 

They ferret out errors effortlessly.

 

For example, in a string of dialogues, they can effortlessly spot all of these: the extra comma, the missing comma, the misplaced comma, or even the comma that deserves to be a period. Smiley Happy



 Not all editors are copyeditors.

 

Just had to point that out -- though it's a good idea to have a copyediting background. 


@Kat C wrote:

@Ravindra B wrote:

@David G wrote:

@Kat C wrote:

 

It appears that every human being who can string a simple sentence together in English believes they can write to make money (I'm *not* referring to you, I'm emphasizing the size of the competition on this platform).


 I think the same thing goes for editing. People always seem to think they can read so they should be able to edit.


Indeed, copyeditors are a special breed.

 

They ferret out errors effortlessly.

 

For example, in a string of dialogues, they can effortlessly spot all of these: the extra comma, the missing comma, the misplaced comma, or even the comma that deserves to be a period. Smiley Happy



 Not all editors are copyeditors.

 

Just had to point that out -- though it's a good idea to have a copyediting background. 


Editor is a broad term.

 

We have copyeditors, line editors, and developmental editors.

 

Some are all-in-one (though different skills are required).

"Certa bonum certamen"
datasciencewonk
Community Member

Yes. I know. I've been trained in each 🙂 And I'm not sure which one is my favorite...


@Kat C wrote:
Yes. I know. I've been trained in each 😀 And I'm not sure which one is my favorite...

 Good for you. Smiley Happy

"Certa bonum certamen"

I have only been on Upwork a short time myself, but I've actually had alot of success so far and am happy to share my observations.

 

1. Research your own personal market on Upwork. See what the jobs are you think you can do and want to do; find the freelancers getting those jobs and examine their histories and profiles. also examine the client histories as far as their jobs and what they are paying.  I further found the upwork pro plan, which gave me the ability to see bid range, very helpful in kind of pricing out the market and how I fit into it.

 

2. Just start applying and writing proposals. I found I naturally started to hone in on how to make my profile and proposals stronger, and the type of jobs that would both make financial sense to me, but would also be acheivable (in terms of me doing a good job).

 

3. There's a TON of information on the Internet as far as writing good proposals, strengthing your profile, gaining clients. Some of it is for a fee, but a lot isn't (I just stuck with the "free" myself. google away...

 

a final note-- i found plenty of people to say why its impossible or a saturated market -- or even why it was lame to be asking basic questions (at least that's how it seemed)-- just don't listen. there's lots of opportunity if you put your mind to it.

 

Good luck!

 

i'm writing kind of quickly, so please forgive grammer/spelling/etc. hopefully still useful

Antonette, I'm glad you're seeing success here, but you seem to have completely misinterpreted the other advice that was given in this thread, and that's a real disservice to a newcomer trying to get a foothold. While most of your advice is great, you badly mischaracterized what others have said about the saturated market--no one said it was impossible. Everyone said that it required focus (which you have ratified in your own list).

 

You're also comparing apples to antique cars when you talk about success in copywriting (likely the highest-demand area of freelance writing) versus fiction (which hundreds of thousands of people want to do, and for which the market largely, though not entirely, consists of mills regularly getting people to write full length books for $70-200).

 

 

please let me clarify:

i am only responding to the advice/comments i was given in the answers  to my own similar newbie questions (both here and elsewhere), when I was going through the same process as the OP; i'm not referring to the comments in this thread specifically (saturated market comment I was referring to wasn't from here for instance, but one that can be found many places--which i guess is in this thread too).

with regard to your comments about apples to oranges--i think we are probably in agreement. my point is that you you llook at what's out there and you'll see trends in pricing (for apples, oranges and many other things) and this is how you can get a sense of a) the jobs that appeal to you most, for whatever reason and b) the best way to price your bid.


@Antonette G wrote:

please let me clarify:

i am only responding to the advice/comments i was given in the answers  to my own similar newbie questions (both here and elsewhere), when I was going through the same process as the OP; i'm not referring to the comments in this thread specifically (saturated market comment I was referring to wasn't from here for instance, but one that can be found many places--which i guess is in this thread too).

with regard to your comments about apples to oranges--i think we are probably in agreement. my point is that you you llook at what's out there and you'll see trends in pricing (for apples, oranges and many other things) and this is how you can get a sense of a) the jobs that appeal to you most, for whatever reason and b) the best way to price your bid.


 The reality is, the market is saturated with creative writers on Upwork.

 

But, that's why I ALWAYS tell would be Upwork writers to find their UVP and STP that.

 

In terms of creative writing, I've been a creative writer on Upwork. So, me, personally, I'm not just shooting off the cuff at Meri. It's crap pay. There is thread after thread about this from creative writers on Upwork.

 

Being a Data Scientist, I do my research and won't give someone false information.

 

As someone who works with the marketing department of a large tech company, you find your market share and work the hell out of your proposition.

 

Which is also why I told Meri to target a specific genre.

 

You A/B test. But, being a generalist writer on Upwork doesn't yield the same benefit as targeting your market. 

 

Which is why I told her to place that in her heading.

 

I've been on Upwork for over a year now and I've tested just about every writing genre heading and profile overview (except for translation, I don't do that). Creative writing yields the fiction .01 jobs. It is what it is.

 

By all means, Meri is welcome to give it a shot. No one said not to. We are merely frontloading the information based on our long term experience on the platform. 

 

And also after over a year of seeing writers run to the forums, "but whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy are they so cheap....they SCAMMED ME!!" and so forth.

 

 

+ 100000000 to Kat's comments.

Antonette: “Research your own personal market on Upwork …”

 

Kat: “ [F]ind [your] UVP and STP.”

 

Same great advice put slightly differently. Smiley Happy

"Certa bonum certamen"


@Ravindra B wrote:

Antonette: “Research your own personal market on Upwork …”

 

Kat: “ [F]ind [your] UVP and STP.”

 

Same great advice put slightly differently. Smiley Happy


 Exactly Ravindra!

 

I believe that's also the point that Tiffany was making as well.

bundie702
Community Member

Hello Meri,

 

As an inexperienced writer, I don't think you can command 3 cents a word. I recently wrote a 50k romance for a client at that rate, but I'm a published author of over 30 novels under pen names. There are plenty of experienced writers on Upwork, and those are the ones who will be paid the higher fees.

 

My advice to you would be to post excerpts of your best work on your profile. Look for ads that want relatively short stories of 5k words, no more than 10k. Address each clients' specifics in your cover letter; don't just have a stock introduction. When hired, negotiate a schedule that's comfortable for you (many writers make promises they can't keep, which annoys clients), then deliver a well-written story on time. The best way to get higher paying assignments is by amassing a résumé and positive feedback. I've noticed that some clients are now paying even less than 1 cent per word, so as a beginner try to get at least 1 cent per word. As someone who has screened manuscripts for a client, much of the writing out there is bad with a capital B. Clients will be thrilled to get high quality work, and you can raise you rates after building a profile.

 

Good luck to you!


@Bettye U wrote:

Hello Meri,

 

As an inexperienced writer, I don't think you can command 3 cents a word. I recently wrote a 50k romance for a client at that rate, but I'm a published author of over 30 novels under pen names. There are plenty of experienced writers on Upwork, and those are the ones who will be paid the higher fees.


 That's a sad story you're telling there. I often see writing jobs posted (outside of Upwork) that pay more than 3 cents/word to writers with no experience. 

 

I agree with you that the experienced writers are the ones who command "higher fees," but 3 cents per word is a bargain basement rate. My daughter was making three times that as a freelance writer before she was 16. There are writers on Upwork who are very obviously not native speakers and don't write proper English making 3 cents per word.