What I Have Learned as a Freelance Writer - Tip #1

I have been freelance writing for about 3 months. The journey has been interesting... at times frustrating... but ultimately rewarding. I am constantly learning new things about this business and plan to share them here - both as a reminder to myself and to help others.

Tip #1

Find a reputable freelance site.

I currently receive most of my work through Elance.com. I scour the freelance listings online, but Elance provides tons of perks. Most jobs there have reasonable budgets. You have the ability to review the buyers' award ratio, thereby deciding whether to spend the time bidding on a job listed by someone who has listed 10 and awarded only 1. There are downsides: paying for 'connects' to bid on jobs and backend fees, but the benefits to new freelancers are worth it.

Elance offers escrow so that you know that the money has been allocated for your job and will be available upon completion. The Water Cooler forum is frequented by experienced freelancers who are willing to help out with advice as well as Elance personnel who try to respond to issues.

Elance has tons of positives and is well worth the few negatives, especially for freelancers who are new and looking for a way to learn the business.

Looking for me? I'm on Elance.