17 replies to this topic

[k_nitin_r]

As a freelancer online, you have to build contacts. Bidding on freelancer.com or similar websites is tough. At times, people just pick something that is neither the cheapest nor the quickest, either because they have worked with someone else in the past or because they see a portfolio that they like better. If you could post a link to your portfolio, perhaps we can get a chance to post some feedback - I'm not saying that your portfolio isn't good, but it would provide another perspective to analyze why you haven't been able to get any responses on freelancer.com. It may have even been an employer who decided to back out of going the freelancer route.

To get jobs, you have to do a lot of networking. You have to meet people, go out there and hand people your business card and hope they will call back. You can get a truck load of Twitter followers and get your FaceBook wall buzzing with activity about the services you offer and the designs from your portfolio. If all else fails, you could just begin a job hunt because the market that you are in just does not have enough firms looking around for freelancers because of legal issues involved with hiring freelancers instead of hiring contractors or employees.

[web_designer]

thanks you all aboutyour responses i am very appricated. and i think i should add some more few words in here since i was working to be an online freelancer. but as many as you said it is something hard to do in these days. and even i didn't get anything yet after working on it the few past months but i should say i tried freelance.com and it wasn't very encouraging there because just as k_nitin_r said. most of the contests holders either pick the cheapest, the quikest or someone they worked with in the past. but later i tried 99design.com and it is a whole new different world for me. the contest older pick the best design and they offer a certain amount of money and they give it to the best design that suits their requirements. so things there are so competing. and only the best get the prize. in general, the best designer sould be not only the best in designing but the best in understanding what the contest holder needs and how to give it to him/her. and this itself is an art you know and how to know what they need and give it to him/her is as hard as designing.

till now, i am still trying and hope to win a contest soon wish e luck guys and i will post frequently here to tell you any further informations. thanks again and wait for my update.

[iAssistant]

How much is your rate per hour or per job done?

[zainab783]

you buddies suggest some great ideas here

[Ananya]

Can anyone suggest me how to start as Freelance writer in English?

[rpgsearcherz]

Ananya, on 03 May 2012 - 05:08 AM, said:

Can anyone suggest me how to start as Freelance writer in English?

Generally, you can just Google for freelance writing jobs. The best way to get jobs though would be via word-of-mouth. If you're good at what you do, people will talk, and that is your biggest sales pitch by itself.

You can also start your own site and use that (or other writing of yours) to help show people what you've done in the past. Many people, like myself, require multiple written pieces before we'll even consider taking someone on. This is because it helps ensure we're not wasting each other's time.

[midnightvamp]

One thing I think I'll mention about freelance work - it can be hard to find, but when you do find some, it can be both good and bad.

Here's some of my story...

There's been a couple freelance jobs that sort of fell in my lap.

Both times I had been doing some work for people on a volunteer basis, which I do sometimes to help out if I come to like/respect people that I meet online. Both eventually turned into a paying jobs, but in the end, both of them stopped paying on time and I lost out on money that should have been paid to me for work that I had done.

I hate charging people in advance, because it just feels wrong to me (I'm probably too trusting of people) but people have used me to their advantage and then left me out to dry.

So it's just a warning, if you are going to start freelancing for yourself and are handling your own money collection, then be aware that it's not always that easy to get people to pay you what was agreed on, contract or no contract. Even though I have it in writing that these people owe me money, it's not like I can afford to fight them in court when they live on the other side of the world. It's just not worth it, so I have to cut my losses and move on.

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As for how to start being a freelance writer, I can also tell you a bit about that, because I've been doing that for years. I've had some success with it. At first I started writing for Constant Content, and sold around $1500 or so from there... but with their cut, you only get to keep 65% of the money, so that's like $975. That's a big loss in my books, so I decided I'd try and go at it myself and see how I do.

It's been slow going from my own site, because I've been having to build traffic and clients while writing the articles, but I have made about $150 sales so far (Not a huge amount by no means, but my site is only one year old now) and things are finally starting to pick up. I'm expecting it to get better soon And I only have to give up the 3% or so that PayPal charges, so I'm very happy about that.

I think like anything, as long as you stick with something long enough and give it enough effort, that you can make anything work out Some things are just a lot harder to get started than others.

Good luck on your freelancing!

[Ananya]

Thanks rpgsearcherz for this valuable piece of information.