Online Freelancing Is my New Career

No matter how little amount I have made working on my own, every opportunity to make more money, it provided for my family. Babysitting, cleaning houses and tutoring have been go-to sources for that needed extra revenue. As a single mom, working more than one job takes a toll on the family. The more hours I work outside of the home, the more my children suffer in my absence. I’ve always been the type of person to do whatever was needed to support the large family I choose to have. I reached out to a few friends and some online social media groups to find legitimate income sources that I can do from home. I was given several different ideas and places to follow-up with. My adventure began into making money online.

Working Online is Legit

As you can imagine there are so many different platforms that promise you’ll make money, but my first few attempts to generate money online were a bust. Many of the jobs I found needed to have the money upfront to cover the cost of equipment or training. I was uninterested in anything that would require me to have money without the guarantee of generating income. Other jobs made me feel uncomfortable. Finding the right online income source was full of dead ends in the beginning.

Surveys

At first, I tried surveys at the suggestion of a close friend. I gladly accepted her invitation, which provided her points for her efforts. However, I found that taking a survey was not as simple as it sounded. Practically every survey was time-consuming, with very little payout. Worse, the payments were often paid out in electronic gift cards. For the few I was awarded, I did not feel it was worth my effort. I never made much of anything, although that doesn’t mean that other people had more success than I did. After a few weeks of trying to earn money through surveys, I terminated my accounts and moved on to the next online money-making source.

Online Writing

My journey into freelance writing began in 2019 when my cousin told me about her work at home job. She wrote regularly for a jewelry website. She made good money and asked if I wanted to help her write and source some pictures. I figured this was the answer to help generate some extra income. I composed a few articles about moonstones. Through my writing, I convinced myself that I needed this piece of jewelry. When she ran out of writing content, she directed me to a few freelancing platforms to find work.

The very first platform I found was Freelancer. Signing up was simple, I was able to connect through Facebook. This is a worldwide writing network and jobs are posted from all over the world. From virtual assistants to book editors and everything in between, this site introduced me to the world of writing classifieds. In my experience through this site, it is vital to sort out legitimate writing gigs from the scams. Many of the jobs were paid in various types of currency, so it was important to keep that in mind when you were bidding for a job.

I signed up and quickly began seeking jobs. I used Freelancer for a few months with little success. The site was easy to navigate. Jobs were plentiful. Despite all that, I found myself regularly being recruited, not for my writing ability. One such instance on Freelancer was when I thought I had landed a dream writing gig. Everything seemed legit in the bidding and hiring process, complete with a website! I had a telephone interview and a writing test until they asked me to pay for an upfront cost. I was very disappointed, and I stop using the site altogether. Not only was it difficult to land writing gigs, I still am waiting for a payout! I didn’t find my huge success on Freelancer but did gain some practical experience.

The Best Writing Online Platform

After my writing flop on Freelancer, I began looking for other writing platforms and discovered Upwork. Upwork is the largest online source to find and post writing jobs. This was the turning point in finding a reliable and trustworthy online writing platform. I did not have the type of security issues that I found on Freelancer, and the jobs were more in line with the academic and research writing jobs I desired.

For several months, in the beginning, I mostly choose jobs that fit my skill set, academic, essay and research writing. From high school level to graduate level thesis papers, I have provided the research, editing, and feedback for so many students. I started to branch out from here and applied to different jobs with various skill requirements.

Making a Career from Writing

My largest contracts from Upwork have involved legal writing content. The pay per article is great and the writing comes easy. It has driven me to continue to pursue working at home writing or attorneys from home. I have goals to pursue my law degree due to the positive income I have received in this writing niche. Most of the income goes towards paying for my degree.

This platform also has jobs for beta testing, product testing, art projects and more! In the year that I have been an Upwork contractor, my writing skills have only continued to improve. Crash courses in tone, audience, point-of-view, and pace have all been provided through feedback. Each review I receive I turn around to learn better ways to improve my writing style.

Finding my Style

Learning how to write online content is more time consuming then you would believe. Getting paid as little as 0.01 cents a word makes it seem like it is not worth the amount of time it takes to construct, edit and proofread an article. In the beginning, much of my effort was uncompensated. On top of that, Upwork takes 20% off every job along with paying for connects that are required to bid on projects.

When I first began writing on Upwork I did not see myself making much money. It was difficult to land jobs that paid much money. When I first signed up for the site, it was free to bid on projects and you were given a monthly allotment of connects. The site also took a commission out on each project, including individual milestones. Despite the increase in their cost, I still find plenty of opportunities to make money.

One of the first writing assignments I had was for adult-themed content. Low words and minimal research required. The pay per article was amazing and work was steady but trying to find words to describe products become uncomfortable over time. Writing smut takes a finesse that I did not have. I completed my jobs and got out as soon as the opportunity came. You would not believe the myriad of products on the adult market! I was grateful when I was awarded other projects.

Mostly the writing projects I have won bids on are for landing and service pages. These writing jobs are so dull! Rarely require much research and are boring to write. A lot of the information is redundant. However, due to the nature of service pages as a writer, you must be very aware of how you word your articles to pass Copyscape. There are only so many ways to spin content. I took a crash course in SEO writing and how to incorporate keywords seamlessly into your articles. Understanding how keywords work has aided me to have successful bids. Content writing for services pages is the easiest entry-level job you can find on Upwork.

When your writing for service and landing pages, trying to get articles to pass plagiarism checks can be tedious. Not only does all your writing need to be original, but you also need to have a great eye to catch grammar errors. These pieces are often expected to be completed in 24 hours, coming up with a new way to spin the same information is not an easy task. If you want to pursue writing online, my advice is to invest in Copyscape and Grammarly to make sure all articles

The best job I have ever had from Upwork involved beta testing for a psychic app. My first thought downloading the app was this was another, “too good to be a true gig.” In the very first few weeks of working, I kept thinking this was too good to be true. I get paid to chit-chat and write reviews! To date, I have made close to 1k. The job is so easy. A few 5-minute phone calls a week and a detailed review! The great part about this project, I can call as many advisers or just a minimum of two a week.

Another great job I scored was to review products listed for sale on Amazon. The best part of these gigs, you get to keep the product! I have had the liberty of reviewing party supplies, supplements, clothing, and books. These jobs are easy to get, especially if you are already a Prime member or have made reviews in the past.

Beta reading is another great way to make money and be a first-time reader for a new novel. I have had the honor of reading a dozen new novels and a few children’s books. Whenever I get the assignment to read a children’s book, my kids participate in the process too! I have been able to find many jobs that only involved reading a book and providing feedback about the pace, setting, characters, and plot. It can’t get any easier to make money online and get free stuff!

Most of my articles written have been penned under a ghost name. That means I don’t get the credit, even know it is my work. I have only received credit for two articles. My very first published piece was for an Upwork client that was published through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and their product website. I am so proud of myself, officially a published online author! Even if my audience is small, it was the proof I needed to show I am a legit freelancer!

I struggled for the first 6 months in finding consistent work. Starting with no reviews or even a portfolio is a challenge to prove my skills to potential clients. In the beginning, any amount of money I would make would go towards something small, like gas in the car or a haircut. It didn’t’ take long for the money to start adding up. Starting, I could only make enough to pay for the little things. Now I currently make enough to pay my rent every month.

My current writing status is part-time. I am successful at creating a cover page and bidding on projects. When Upwork fees hiked, I didn’t hesitate to ask clients in proposals and interviews to have my Upwork fees covered. This extra money to cover the fees allows me to receive the money I worked hard for. Writing is fun, but it is a lot of work to edit and polish a completed piece! As I continue to work through Upwork, I am more cautious about the type of jobs I apply for. Nothing is worse than getting involved in a project that you should have NEVER bid on!

The Future is What I Write

Writing has always been a means to express myself when I couldn’t speak. I enjoyed English and every writing project I had the joy of being assigned. Writing is more than just a means to make money. My inner dialogue is clear and strong, writing allows me that extra protection to vent my emotional highs and lows of the day. Writing is simple, I can make everything perfect, I can edit and rewrite. It’s an escape from an imperfect world. Since my employment through Upwork, my career goals have evolved to now include the desire to find a full-time writing position, or maybe even one day write a book. My journey into writing has opened so many doors and opportunities that I wouldn’t have known.