Auction sites can be a great way to break into freelance writing. They provide a good chance at landing some work, even if you’re a beginner, as long as you’re skilled and competitive.
Auction sites provide something else of value to the new freelance writer – a chance to learn by example. By taking the time to browse through available projects and bids from other writers, you can read a good deal of information on what makes effective bids.
Watch what other writers indicate in their proposals to have an idea of what to write in yours. What seems to be the average rate for the type of project? What sort of details do your competitors’ proposals contain? Do other writers ask for deposits? Do the writers give exact confirmation of what they’ll provide for the rate they charge? What turnaround do most indicate for the project?
Project descriptions may not offer many guidelines or information. By observing what details other writers include in their proposals, you’ll have a better idea of what you should offer and how you should bid. This can save you problems down the line, such as scrambling to meet a deadline because you forgot to specify your turnaround. You can fine-tune your own proposals based on what you observe in other writers’ proposals. Of course, always try to make your proposal more attractive to potential clients.
Some auction sites for beginning freelance writers to try include Elance.com, iFreelance.com, and RentACoder.com. There are other auction sites for freelance writing projects you can bid on, but international competition is steep. You may find yourself bidding against writers who charge only $1 per 1000 words.
Watch out for fees or commissions raked back off your earnings, though, and factor these expenses into your rates. iFreelance charges for yearly membership, RentACoder keeps an average of %15 of earnings, and Elance is in the middle, charging a yearly membership as well as taking a percentage of the money you make.
Good stuff James. Coincidentally wrote a post on this very topic yesterday, called Top 10 Tips to Writing Winning Proposals.
One of the main issues I see with proposals is people tend to start off with boring details, like their education or how long their company’s been in operation.
The crux of a great proposal or bid is to catch the attention of the buyer immediately, with your very first paragraph (or first sentence preferably). Start strong with your USP as it relates to the project you’re bidding on – a buyer can always look up background info in a resume or profile page.
Looking through the proposals of others is a great idea and how I learnt to do it in the beginning!
Salma.