Be Wise When Looking for Freelance Work

I have stressed many time before that when you are looking for freelance work, you need to set a reasonable price for yourself. Everyone's time is valuable. When you apply via websites such as oDesk or elance, many of the clients are only looking for the cheapest price and unfortunately there are many, many freelancers out there who will gladly work for pennies. I've made it a point to tell some clients that the cheapest is not always the best. 

There have been times that I have been desperate for work but I will not work for mere pennies. I can find better things to do than bust my butt to get work done just to earn a little bit of change. I try to make my fees reasonable for me and the client purchasing the work. 

Many potential clients will try to get free work out of people. I can't stress this enough. If someone asks you to write a "test" article for them based on a keyword or phrase that they have chosen or any kind of "test" run for whatever service you are offering for free, don't do it!! You don't know what they are going to do with the work that you have given to them. They may be using it for profit of their own. Regardless of what they are doing, that is still free work that you spent your time doing. I've had quite a few clients ask me to do test runs for them. Some of them offer to pay me, while others understand that I can't work for free. Then you run across people like this:

Suzanne Glathar to Deanna3 days ago

Hi Deanna,

Thank you for responding to my job application. Please complete the pre-interview questionnaire and return to me.

I would also like for you to write 2 articles, 200 words each. The first article is “what is Copywriting”? And the second is your choice related multi-level marketing lead generation strategies. I am looking for articles that connect with the reader and captivate them in to read more. The articles are designed to build a relationship with my readers, so keep that in mind when you write the mini article. I do not pay for the articles, they are your articles, I will not keep them to use for my own personal gain (unethical).

Once that is completed and all is good, I will set up a time for an interview on Skype.

Best regards, 

Suzanne Glathar

me to Suzanne Glathar 2 days ago:

I'm sorry but my time is very important to me and I don't have time to spare to write articles that I won't get paid for.

Suzanne Glathar to Deanna 2 days ago:

No problem I probably wouldn't like your work anyway.

me to Suzanne Glatharabout an hour ago:

Wow, that was rude. Glad I found out now.

Mind you, this woman contacted ME first asking me to "interview" for this position. There was no reason for her to be rude about it and I'm glad I found out how she was before I did any work for her!

When applying for freelance jobs, make sure that you have a full portfolio for potential clients to look at. I have numerous writing samples in all of my freelance profiles and this woman could plainly see if I was capable of handling her job. I understand that some people may want to see a test run before starting a contract but it should not be expected to be done for free, and YOU should not do it for free!

When I first began bidding on freelance jobs, I did become discouraged because it took awhile for me to get actual work. Once I began getting paid jobs, I received great feedback and began getting invitations to interview for other jobs. Don't give up!

Anyone else ever had problems like this?

Some Great Resources for Freelancers

I've found some great websites that are specifically here to help you find freelancing work whether it be article writing, editing, proofreading, ghost writing, customer service, graphic designing, or virtual assistants. No matter what sort of online work you are looking for, these websites may be able to help you in your quest for work!

Rat Race Rebellion - This website has work at home jobs for almost anyone! Some of their job listings include: accountants, bloggers, mystery shoppers, medical transcriptionists, call centers, courthouse researchers, and more.

Freelance Writing Gigs - This is for the writers out there. Each day, they post listings of various job leads for journalists, bloggers, article writers, and proofreaders. The majority of the job leads are found on Craigslist but are for anyone wanting to work from home.

Fancy Hands - This is a job listing for virtual assistants. Jobs are posted and it may be something as simple as setting up reservations for someone or researching a product online. It's typically some very simple tasks that busy people just don't have time to do.


Remember, even when websites say that the job leads are legit, you should always make sure that you protect yourself. Always get prices and terms in writing and keep copies of your emails just in case you need them to prove that an agreement was made. Trust your instincts and research the company if you have to.  Don't accept any job that you are not comfortable with or that you feel does not pay enough. It is your time and your hard work at stake, make it worth it and make it count!

More Opportunities for Freelance Workers of All Trades

As I said in a previous post, I have been diligently searching for more ways to make money from home especially after the demise of Demand Studios who was my main source of income. This is one reason why it is a good idea to have more than one egg in your basket. With freelance work, you never know when a company may either go under, or change things completely, leaving you out in the cold.

 oDesk offers many projects for freelancers. oDesk is not just for freelance writers, it is for freelancers of all sorts. They have job postings available for all kinds of writers, web designers, virtual assistants, researchers, customer service reps., and more. You read through the job listings and apply for the ones that you are interested in. You also bid on the price that you are willing to work for. When you first sign up, you are limited to 3 application submissions per week. Once you take the oDesk readiness test and pass it, that number goes up to 15 per week. They have other skills tests available such as English tests, office skills tests, helpdesk tests..etc., which will then showcase your skill level on your profile.

Guru.com works in much the same way. You make a profile and bid on jobs. If you win the bid, you will then be paid to do the job that you applied for. Guru also offers skills tests to go on your profile. Guru even offers jobs for interior and fashion design, photography, and videography. So again, these freelancing websites are not limited to just writing projects. You may easily be able to find something that you can do!

eCopywriters. My question is simple, has anyone worked for them? I ask because they request a writing sample when applying, and say that they will review your sample and let you know within 2 weeks (I believe) if you have been approved or not. I applied 3-4 weeks ago and have heard nothing. Even a rejection letter would be better than nothing! Anyone have any information on these guys?

I'm working with some other freelance writing websites and will post about those in the future.  Good luck to anyone looking for freelance work. Feel free to leave a comment letting me know who you are having the best luck with or if you have experience with any of these places!