Freelance writing can earn you a living. But that`s when you know where to find legit clients.
Though many websites provide freelance writing jobs, not all are trustworthy. Some provide jobs but don`t pay. Meanwhile, not all legit freelance websites work in every country.
However, that should not dishearten you. There are reliable freelance writing websites you can work with despite your location.
In this article, we go over deeply researched, reliable freelance writing websites through which you can find jobs that pay.
Freelance (bidding) Writing Websites
These are websites where clients post jobs for freelancers to apply.
Some of these freelance writing websites include:
Upwork
Upwork is one of the largest and most secure freelance writing websites. It offers a wide range of freelance jobs for both established and beginner writers.
Some of the jobs offered include
- Graphics and design
- Web Development
- Transcription
- Video Editing
What makes it reliable is that clients pay through the platform, and jobs can`t be delivered without payment being completed.
This is because it uses escrow, software in which money is held and only released after the job is finished.
In case of a dispute between a freelancer and a client, customer support kicks in to give a quick solution.
Here is how to get started on this site:
How to Get Started on Upwork
To find jobs on Upwork, you are required to sign up for an account and create an appealing profile.
For your profile to attract clients, you should have a clear, photo. There shouldn`t be disturbing material such as pens, phones, or trees, in the background—it should only be you.
Then, write a simple title explaining your services, e.g. A Skilled SEO writer, Expert Real Estate Graphics Designer, etc.
Later, list five to ten of your strongest skills.
When it comes to setting your rates, you can start with $30–$50 per hour or per article and increase later as you gain more experience.
There is the overview section, which allows you to describe your skills, personality, and experience. Use it to list your strongest skills to attract clients, but ensure it doesn't match others` overviews.
Moreover, ensure to add calls to action to your overview to encourage people to hire you. That can be a statement like “Hire me for converting content that drives sales.”
Afterward, set your language and availability settings to let clients know when and through which language to contact you.
Then fill in the education and other experiences sections to complete your profile. A complete profile builds trust in clients and increases chances of getting jobs. After that, submit your profile for review and wait to be approved.
Approvals happen instantly most of the time but sometimes take up to one day.
If you are accepted, add your best writing samples to build your portfolio.
A portfolio is proof of the services you offer. This enables clients to confirm the services your profile shows.
How to Apply for Freelance Writing Jobs on Upwork
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| Freelancer by Daniel Thomas: Pexels |
Don`t select any job that you come across on the platform. Choose only the ones you are capable of doing. This will enable you to deliver high-quality content.
Also, ensure that a client has a verified payment method and good ratings, preferably, 4–5-star ratings, before applying. This assures you that you work with genuine clients.
Moreover, strive to find jobs that are newly posted and be among the first ones to apply. This increases the chances of your proposal being seen.
In the proposal, be straight to the point. Do not tell clients about your academic accomplishments; rather, tell them how you will help them solve the problem stated in the job.
Also, include a relevant sample of the job you are applying for in your proposal.
For example, if you are applying for a health and fitness job, don`t attach a technology sample: use a health and fitness sample. That could be how you did work relevant to it for another client or something that you did on your blog or social media.
When you are hired, deliver quality work that may get the client to give you good ratings and rehire you.
Payments in Upwork are made through online payment methods such as
Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the beginner-friendly writing platforms. You only need to set up a profile stating your expertise and employers will find you.
What`s better, you can advertise your Fiverr services on your website or social media and make it easy to get clients.
Even so, do not accept customers who ask you to work outside the platform. Such customers may fail to pay you. Plus, that`s against Fiverr`s working regulations and can cause you to be removed from the platform.
If you work on the platform, you are guaranteed to be paid since the work is only delivered to the clients they pay.
How to Get Started on Fiverr
You are required to sign up and describe how you can meet clients` needs.
Note: do not say more than you can deliver in your profile. Doing so will destroy your reputation if you are hired and fail to deliver.
On this site, services are sold through gigs. A gig is a description of the services one can offer.
So, you`ll need to set up your gig and upload a relevant photo. You can get photos for free on Unsplash, Pexels, or Pixabay.
To make your gig more effective, create a short video describing your services. That will enable people to see your face, which builds trust more that they are working with a real person.
Regarding pricing, you can begin with 5 dollars for 500 words. If you become more skilled and get more clients, increase your price and make it 5 dollars for 100 words or more.
After creating the gig, you will get a link that you can use in marketing.
On the platform, there is a buyer request section where you can also submit your gig and pitch potential clients.
Alternatively, you can market it on your blog, forums, social media, or any other platform to get more clients.
The payment methods used on Fiverr are PayPal, Payoneer, and Bank Transfer.
To set up your payment information, click on your username, go to manage sales, and then click on revenue and set up your information.
Here is more about how to use Fiverr to market your online services.
Flex Jobs
Just like Upwork, Flexjobs allows signing up for an account and sending proposals for jobs posted. The only difference is that to apply for jobs, you have to pay a monthly or weekly subscription fee.
The subscription fee allows the site to screen jobs and deliver scam-free jobs.
Since one has to pay to apply for jobs, there aren`t many freelancers on this site. This reduces the number of job applicants, which increases the chances of landing jobs.
As proof of trustworthiness, Flex Jobs has positive online reviews. Here is what people say about it on Trust pilot where it has 4.5-star ratings:
“The site truly has thousands of job options and the search process is easy to follow. Besides, it often showed me new job suggestions that I couldn't find by myself”— Gustavo Nacho
The payment methods used in this site are
- Visa
- American Express
- Mastercard
- Discover
- PayPal
- Corporate Check
Legiit
This is an alternative to Fiverr.
You are required to set up your profile and post gigs and clients will search for you.
To increase your chances of getting jobs, create many gigs, optimize them, and learn how to market them.
Optimizing requires using the keywords clients use when searching for freelancers. For example, if you are an SEO article writer, you can incorporate keywords like the following in your content:
- Long-tail Keywords
- Short-tail Keywords
- Semantic Keywords
- Informational Keywords
- Commercial Keywords
This increases the chances of your gig appearing anytime clients use these keywords when searching for jobs.
To withdraw money from Legiit, you can use PayPal, Payoneer, and Skrill.
Some of the other sites that work the same as the above-stated companies include
Content Mills
You don`t have to create gigs and market them or apply for jobs on these platforms. All you need to do is create your profile and state your skills. Then you will be given a test to determine your expertise.
When clients post jobs, you will get an email with the jobs matching your skills so you can pick the one that suits you.
The content mill companies act as employers to the freelancers, which helps avoid scammers.
On these sites, you can do as many jobs as you want as long as they match your skill level.
These websites include:
Job Boards
The difference between job boards and the other sites is that you are free to work with the clients outside of the platforms. Plus, there is no commission deducted from your earnings.
What you have to do to opt in is to create your profile, browse through the jobs posted, choose the one that fits you, and apply.
Some job boards require paying a subscription fee to be able to apply for jobs while others are free.
The best thing about the paid ones is that they screen jobs and list only legit ones. Some of these job boards are
Nevertheless, if you can't afford to pay to apply for jobs, you can use the free ones.
The only thing to consider when working with free job boards is to
- Ask for an upfront fee through escrow before starting any job
- Avoid jobs with poor descriptions and grammar
- Avoid sending any registration money to be able to do a job
- Avoid submitting sensitive details such as e-wallet passwords
Abiding by these elements will help you avoid scammers and work with only legitimate clients.
Here are some of the free job boards:
Bottom Line
You can find a freelance writing website fitting you despite your location, and hopefully, on this list, you can find your best suit.
However, ensure to apply only for jobs from clients with good ratings to have a better chance of being hired.
Besides, start with a few freelance writing websites to avoid being overwhelmed in navigating from one platform to the other.
For example, you can start with five sites. Create gigs, and apply for jobs persistently.
Then learn how to market your gigs and when you get hired, deliver high-quality content. Quality content helps build trust with clients and increases your chances of being rehired.
Don`t forget to share this content to help others find reliable freelance writing websites to find jobs.
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