A Writer’s Transition Guide from Cheap Gigs to Amazing Income
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Sick of the fees and competition of job-bidding sites like Upwork? It’s time to name your price and get your own clients.
Job-bidding sites like Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer can provide lots of jobs for writers, especially if you're new. After all, you create an online profile, benefit from secure payment systems… All good.
Plus, millions of clients post jobs looking for freelance writers. Plenty of fish!
Speaking of those jobs: You scroll through a long list of gigs and submit a proposal, but 50 other freelance writers are bidding on the same one…
Then, if you are even considered, the client isn’t happy with your rate and says that they can get it cheaper from someone else…
Then, with the next proposal you submit, you’re afraid to price what you’re worth. Low pay is better than no pay, right?
I was nervous about branching out and finding my own writing clients, but then I watched one webinar - and my mindset changed.
It was Filthy Rich Writer’s webinar: How to Land Freelance Copywriting Work Without Wasting Time on Frustrating Job-Bidding Sites
Yeah. It was exactly what I wanted and exactly how I felt.
To be honest, however, Filthy Rich Writer’s webinar was just a catalyst to the start of my high-income, fulfilling and flexible writing career.
Here is what I learned - in a format that you can read, understand and implement in minutes. Rather than the years it took me to figure out.
Once I Knew How to Find My Own Clients, Everything Changed
My monthly income increased 4-fold in 6 months.
My annual income increased 3-fold from 2020 to 2021.
My portfolio became way more interesting.
My confidence skyrocketed.
My mindset went from content-mill writer to sophisticated business owner.
My clients kept coming back to me.
My 5-figure months went from well - never - to my standard.
Now, I didn’t just wake up one day and start finding the success and confidence I needed to start pitching. I learned new professional and business skills from Filthy Rich Writer, the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and AWAI’s 6-Figure Course.
Writing Jobs Can Pay Way More than $0.05 per Word - You Just Need to Find Them
When I started freelance writing, I was working my ass off on blogs that were priced at $0.05 per word. Plus, the client was so demanding about turnaround times and super picky with my writing.
Side note: Isn’t it always like that? Your low-paying clients are the hardest to please. Like dude: This 1500-word affiliate product review cost you $75. One sale on the top treadmill product will net you 3x what you spent on me to write it.
I was a totally inexperienced writer. I thought I was at the mercy of low-paying writing jobs (and at the mercy of Upwork, which supplied them to me).
Read this: 11 Steps to Land Your Next Freelance Copywriting Job
What About the Steady Flow of Gigs on Job-Bidding Sites?
Luckily, Upwork and Fiverr will always be there… Right? But what if those companies go under? Or, what if new legislation changes the way freelancers work, just like what happened with AB5 in California?
Maybe having all your income tied up in job-bidding sites isn’t so secure after all.
Now, I’m not saying you should totally jump ship from Upwork. Heck, I still use it occasionally, but only if clients come to me and only if they’re willing to pay big bucks to work with me.
For content writing, for example: I don’t even consider it unless they’re willing to pay me $0.80 per word or higher. That means I can make at least $800 on 1000 words, which takes me about 4 hours from the start to the final product. For copywriting on Upwork: I’m calculating copywriting rates between $80 to $100+ an hour.
So, I do still use Upwork, but it’s on my terms - with well-paying clients from Fortune 1000 companies and others that look great on my resume. Upwork is a nice supplement to my own standalone income now.
Read this: Filthy Rich Writer’s “How to Break into Copywriting” Article
How to Finally Break Free from Job-Bidding Sites
Moving away from sites like Upwork or Fiverr can be really scary. You’re used to how they work, and you’ve made a little money off of them. Breaking free from job-bidding sites takes a little courage because you’ll be entering what seems to be an even bigger world of competition and uncertainty.
But luckily, finding freelance writing jobs in this big world can actually involve less competition, more money and steadier income.
Let’s talk about how to take income opportunities into your own hands, in areas with far less competition (if any at all).
You Have to Start Slow, or Jump Right in
If you’re nervous about leaving job-bidding sites to find your own writing work, the cautious take heed: You can slowly transition into finding your own jobs.
Keep some (or all) of your existing Upwork contracts while you search for new clients on the side. Yeah, that may mean extra hours at your computer, but it’s the first step to thinking like a boss writer.
You Have to Pitch, Pitch, Pitch - and Pitch Again
If you think about it: Just because job-bidding sites have millions of jobs, it doesn’t mean you’ll get hired for any of them. You’re still sending out pitches and probably getting rejected more than getting accepted. It’s just how it works, even for great writers.
When you decide to go out on your own to find writing work, you’ll have to start pitching - a ton. The difference between job-bidding pitches and pitching as a standalone writer is that you’re choosing the client and you’re not restricted to clients that use sites like Upwork.
And let me tell you this: The amount of potential clients in the big wide world outside of job-bidding sites is massive. If you’re wondering, “Isn’t the market simply flooded with other writers?” Senior copywriter Nicki Krawcyzk does a really good job of overriding such objections!
So yes, you should be pitching without fear.
Read this: A Not-So-Scary Guide to Email Cold Pitching
The key is to not stop after 20, 30, 70 failed attempts. Of course, re-analyze your strategy, but don’t give up on finding your own work after you’ve failed a few (many) times. Remember: Income on your terms is waiting!
You Have to Know Your Worth
Both novice and experienced writers struggle with pricing. But luckily, there are written guides, industry standards and freelance writing educators who can point you in the right direction. For more information, check out my post on how to price your services.
The biggest hurdle to getting high-paying writing jobs is actually you. When you’re so used to bidding against other writers, you’re used to slashing rates to get the job. Then you try to get more jobs from the same site - and it’s a vicious cycle of working for one low-paying writing mill after another.
The cycle ends when you’re ready for it to end.
You Have to Know How to Say It
Okay, maybe you know your blog writing is absolutely worth $1 per word, or your website copy is worth $500 per page… But you have to know how to relay that value to potential clients.
You will come across many clients who already know the value of hiring a professional writer. Whoo! It makes things much easier. However, for clients that are not totally sold on your services, it’s essential to tell them how your writing will benefit them. Will they get better email open rates? Will they get more traffic to their website from your SEO blog?
Communicate the value that you will provide in a simple and compelling way.
I know. Easier said than done, but check out my email cold pitching guide and learn what to say in your email pitches!
Read this: Should You Be a Direct Response Copywriter Instead?
You Have to Think Like a Business Owner
Needless to say, for 3 years I was simply too nervous to break free from Upwork. I didn’t know where to find clients, I didn’t know how to accept payments and I had no clue how to depict my value in a compelling and concise way. I tried Googling things but really didn’t have luck finding simple (and motivating) ways to start my own writing business.
If you want to make it as a profitable writer, you have to think of yourself as a business - a business that gets things done, even when you (the human) are tired or hesitant.
For me, I was empowered by education. I scraped around for online copywriting courses and wanted to learn from the best in the business. I started out with Filthy Rich Writer’s course and eventually fine-tuned my skills with AWAI’s copywriting course. Click the links to read my reviews about them.
With a little investment in knowledge and some courage, I started getting my own clients and growing my copywriting business into something I never even thought was possible for a writer. I’ve now become the breadwinner of my family, making 3x more than my husband (and he’s cool with it). Regardless, I’m proud to be in a position of reliable income and ever-increasing opportunities - and it all started once I broke free from job-bidding!
Resources to help make the transition easier and faster:
Heads Up, Writers!
(Read Below)
Heads Up, Writers! (Read Below)
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