Freelance Writers: 7 Tips For Getting Gigs On Job Boards

Freelance Writers: 7 Tips For Getting Gigs On Job Boards

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Here are seven tips for getting the biggest bang for your buck.

1. Pay a buck! (or several) If you go with the free level of membership, you're in competition with tons of writers. If you join at the lowest level of free membership, the herd thins considerably. You're not making a huge investment, but you'll set yourself apart. For about $30, you'll be on a whole different level. It's almost a guarantee that you'll make the fee back in the very first project you do. In my case, my first project was a $400 speech - not bad!

2. Work on your resume or member page. When you don't have any feedback yet, this is all potential clients have to go on about you. Make it look good. Take a look at how other writers do their pages, and follow their example. If possible, link to writing samples or at least offer them. As you get projects, remember to update your information.

3. Choose a pay range that makes sense. Most of these sites offer you several choices. Think long and hard about your hourly rate. (Did you read these articles about freelance writing rates?) Remember how important perception is, too. Would you expect better results from a haircut you paid $7 for or a $70 cut? Nevermind that the stylist at the $70 salon may have worked at Super Cuts last week!

4. Create excellent bidding templates. You don't send them as-is; you customize each one according to the projects' particulars. But you don't want to reinvent the wheel every time you place a bid. Tweak them. Test them. See which variations get you the most response. You want your bidding process to be as easy as possible. If the site offers a sample template, use it. But re-word it! This is how you make your first impression on these prospective clients. Proofread it. Read it out loud. Make it perfect.

5. Get to know the flow of the site. Figure all of this out before you start bidding. You'll find that many of your clients are newbies on the site, too - you'll make them feel a lot more comfortable if you can lead them through the process. It's not complicated, but it is new to you. Create a flow chart to help yourself visualize what happens after you're awarded a project. Who does what next? You want to know this process cold before you're in it.

6. Get busy bidding. You should set a goal for each work day about how many bids you'll place. Do them first thing when you start working. At first, it could take a while as you get used to the flow of the site. You'll have to sift through the projects to find some you're confident you can do. It's a good idea to start with about five different types of gigs you'll focus on at first. For example, you could specialize in keyword articles, website content, editing, ebooks, and press releases. Look for these first and place your bids. Then go back and look at the other projects to see if there's anything interesting. Keep track of what you've bid on, and what happens with the project. Did you get it? Did the client award it to someone else? Did the client bail on the project without choosing a writer? Keep your stats.

7. Do your best. On all of these sites, there's a built-in feedback system. Your feedback is like gold - protect it at all costs. Go the extra mile by beating the deadline, turning in excellent work, and being as courteous as an angel. You want nothing but perfect ratings. If you get anything less, make sure you pay attention to what went wrong and fix it. You'll choose better projects with practice, but you need to be prepared for the occasional dog. These are the projects that take longer than you expected, where the client wasn't clear, or where you had to do more revisions than you'd like. Take it in stride. Be a complete professional. Get your payment and good feedback, and learn from your mistakes.

Next time we'll take a look at marketing your business locally. In the meantime, let me know if you jump onto any boards, and what results you get.

About the Author:
Sue LaPointe is the owner of WorkingWriterHappyWriter.com, a successful freelance writer, and writing coach. Come for a visit, and be sure to ask for the freelance writers report - Top 5 Tactics to BOOST Your Writing Business.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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