The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Bartleby_the_Scrivener on May 30, 2018, 08:45:31 PM
-
I'm thinking about offering my services as a writer and editor (who has dabbled some in design as well) as a side hustle. I have the professional experience from my day job, along with a diverse portfolio.
I've done writing, editing, and design from time to time for colleagues, neighbors, and acquaintances, so I know there's a market for my skills and know generally what the market rate in my area is.
I'm curious if anyone here uses Upwork, Fiverr, or a similar service. Any recommendations or experiences (good or bad)?
-
I use Upwork for writing (medical/veterinary niche). Most of the jobs posted on there are crappy and poorly-paid, but there are good ones if you take the time to look. I took a few low-paying jobs to build up a history and some positive reviews, then was able to get hired for some better opportunities. Once I had built up a decent history and a longer list of positive reviews, I started receiving more "invitations to interview" (where clients sought me out, instead of the other way around). Those opportunities have, in many cases, turned out to be very rewarding... it just took some time to build my history up to where I was receiving those offers.
-
For me, in my niche, it has been pretty steady. I've been averaging around $500-1000/mo there, though I have had a couple of slow months.
Several of my current contracts call for writing 1-2 articles weekly on a long-term basis, which I like. I also do occasional one-time projects, if the pay is right and it sounds interesting
-
I’m a full-time freelance writer. The bulk of my existing clients have come from the ProBlogger Jobs Board, or various subreddits (r/forhire and /hireawriter)
I have never used Upwork or anything similar because I don’t like fees - but there are certainly people that have found success with those platforms.