How one writer makes $80 per hour bidding on Elance

  (Photo by Athena's Pix)

A trip to Ireland today. Working writer, Amanda Evans, talks about Elance where writers and other freelancers bid for jobs. There's an ongoing war in freelance forums about whether writers are trashing our industry by using bid-for-work web presences.

On sites like Elance,and there are many for freelance writers and freelancers of other businesses, you can end up bidding against automated participant groups from emerging third world nations. Not having to deal with Chicago or Dublin's cost of living, those bidders can work for almost nothing, but Amanda stays away from price wars and makes good money, $80 an hour, she says.

Amanda, may we have a  little biography please?

I'm from Ireland. I've been freelancing online since 2004. I primarily write keyword articles (SEO articles) for clients on a wide range of subjects. You name it, I've probably written an article on it. I have also written e-books, press releases, sales pages, and website content. I've done some editing and proofing, also.

What has your writing experience been like?

Overall, my writing experience has been great. I resigned from my day job in 2006 after the birth of my second child and took up freelancing from home as my means of income. I work for 2 to 3 hours a day. Many of my clients come via Elance, my website, or from recommendations. I have not had a bad experience with any of my clients, and my invoices are always paid on time, in full, which is great. I've had one or two slow paying clients but once I mention they can't use work I have completed until payment is received they cough up straight away.

Do you write for other publications?

I run my own website and have two blogs. My site, Ghostwriting Uncovered is where people find out more about what I do about the business of ghostwriting. My blog, The Hidden Writer, is part of GhostwritingUncovered - about ghostwriting, where to get freelance jobs, etc. My blog Ghostwriting For Your Business, is also attached to my website. It's for business owners who might outsource content. They can get information on how to work with freelancers, choose a freelancer, place a job on bidding websites. I write on Helium, more of a hobby.

How did you get involved with Elance?

I always loved writing and began joining writing forums and poetry groups and looking for ways to get paid for my writing. I didn't feel confident enough to go through the magazine rejection process. I wanted someone to tell me what to write and I wanted guaranteed payment. I found Elance. You joined. You bid on a job. You did the work. You got paid. Exactly what I was looking for. Then, Elance had a different membership scheme. The old system was better value for money -- you paid your annual membership and got either 80 or 120 bids per month, depending on the level you chose. Unused bids carried to the next month. I don't think I ever used them all.

What about now, how does Elance work?

Elance changed their fees in 2007. You pay per month. Instead of bids you get connects. I have an individual membership, $9.95 per month for 20 connects. If you bid on a job with a budget up to $500, that's one connect, $500 to $1,000 is two, and so forth. It's not a great system. You log in and select provide services and your category. A list of jobs appears and you ca bid. No guarantees of getting the work. I've had great success -- but in the last year there has been an influx of really low bidding freelancers. More buyers want content written for next to nothing. Most writers on this site won't bid on these $1 per 500 word articles.

How often do you score work?

In 2004 to 2006, Elance was my main source of income. I pulled in three to four jobs per week. I didn't use Elance that much in 2007 or 2008. I had a full client list that kept me busy. I've gone back this year and feel successful at getting work. Your experience ratings and feedback really count. I might place three bids in a day and usually get at least one job.

And the pay through Elance?

The dreaded rate question. The minimum you should bid for a 500 word article is $10. You'll get work bidding that. It might seem very little, but you can probably do eight or more keyword articles in an hour, or $80 per hour. Not too bad. Press releases rate higher. Ebook writing jobs are disappearing. I used to bid $10 per page for e-book, but now people expect you to write a 50 page e-book for $250. I'm not prepared to do that. Editing and proofing are way under priced. I don't bid those.

A satisfying source for you?

I've found great jobs over the years. I worked with one client for over a year, creating a large number of websites. Some jobs that I couldn't wait to finish, like a hundred twenty 350-word articles on vacuum cleaners. Yesterday, I secured a new client who is creating a series of articles on writing good sales copy, something I am know, so it won't take long. Elance is often a starting place for new business owners who might not have the money to hire professional freelancers. I see it as my way of paying back for good I have received over the years.

Even from right here in Chicago, I connect with writers around the world. I hooked up with Amanda via Twitter.

Update on warp speed writing for bidding site

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