If you take a look around the Internet you are going to find a ton of commentary about freelance writing. You can find numerous blogs about freelance writing ranging from those writers who specialize in online writing, those who are highly educated journalists and from those who are still trying to get their feet wet. Chances are that you are going to find a lot of talk about what online writing does and does not entail as well as numerous suggestions about how to make more money from freelance writing. Here are some of the myths about online freelance writing.
Freelance sites only have cheap buyers
This is one of the most popular myths that many freelancers talk about. There is no doubt that there are numerous clients who go to these sites in order to score the lowest possible price for high-quality work. There’s an answer to this: Don’t accept the work! You will run across many assignment postings that will be offering outrageously crazy rates (like this one I wrote about under Cheap and Ignorant). There is no doubt you’ll run across these people if you are bidding on any freelance site. Ignore them! There are plenty of people who are willing to pay for higher quality work than these idiots.
I can bill as much as I want
Don’t cut your nose off to spite your face! Personally I’ve seen writers charging anywhere between $10 and $500 for 500 word documents. If you are writing online, you are far from alone. Keep your rates reasonable (but not cheap!) for the best possible outcome. Always keep in mind that in most cases, you and the client start off at odds with each other: The client is looking for the best quality work at the best possible price and you are looking for a great paying gig. Automatically, the odds are going to be stacked against you since in a lot of cases, if you over-bid the client is going to look someplace else.
Too much competition from low-paying countries
This is a false argument in many cases. While it is true that writers from other countries can afford to bid lower than US writers, that does not mean that US freelance writers are going to suffer all that much from the competition. You can find plenty of times when I’ve railed about writing at reasonable rates and NOT falling into the trap of bidding based on the competition. US freelance writers will seldom be able to compete on rates, they can only compete on quality.
The online freelance writing market is tough, there is no doubt about it. Writers who have an extensive journalism background and those who specialize in online writing are two different beasts. Journalists and online writers are NOT the same thing, even if you want to think that they are. In most cases, journalists work for publications that may have an online presence but this is not their primary market. If you are an online writer exclusively, you need to find your “ceiling” and your “floor” with rates. Be realistic, don’t bid on assignments that are going to wind up bumping your rate down to incredibly low rates and keep your wits about you. There are plenty of opportunities to make reasonable money at online writing. Just do not expect to make a million dollars!
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The work is out there, sometimes just a matter of shuffling through the mess. there are a lot of myths in regards to freelance writing and the pay. Sure there are plenty of low-ballers, but there are just as many decent paying clients as well. Just as an example, not one I’m particularly proud of LOL, but I was turned down by RonHazelton.com for a position. The ad was on Craigslist of all places. Just goes to show, you never know who is looking for writers and when.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom.