6 Things I Learned Earning $6,389 on Upwork
#3 Know your worth
- Writers are a dime a dozen
There are a lot of writers on Upwork. I have read articles about writers getting denied freelancer profiles on the site because of that. When you are creating a profile on Upwork it is important to stand out. Clients need to be convinced that you are the right writer for the job, even if your rate is higher than others.
I may have cheated the system a bit here. I became a writer on Upwork, only after I had created an accounting profile. I am an accountant by nature and I started with Upwork hoping to build a freelancing business in accounting. It was tough. I never got a client. I gave up.
Months later, I returned to Upwork. I had been writing on Medium and enjoying the art. I changed my Upwork profile to reflect writing, while still highlighting my finance experience. The “business and finance” background on my profile is what sets me apart from other writers. It helps me appeal to clients in my niche.
Pro tip: Find what makes you special, and highlight it. Do you have a certificate in something? A formal education? A published book? Why you?
2. It takes clients to get clients
I submitted dozens of proposals before getting my first client. I would comb through the “find jobs” section and submit a proposal to any writing-related post. Most of the jobs I applied to were ghostwriting opportunities for short articles. Ghostwriting is controversial, especially on Medium, but I’ve grown a lot as a writer and a person because of those opportunities.
Before I ever got a client, I was not sure about what topics I wanted to write about. I was just looking to get paid, to be honest. By the time I got my first job, and wrote my heart out for pennies, I was ready to quit. I did not think I had what it took to get another client.
However, I learned something powerful because after that first client the next came much easier. After a few jobs, I was receiving multiple “requests to interview” per day. It makes sense, no one wants to be the first one to hire you. Potential clients like to see you’ve completed other jobs.
Pro tip: Just land that first job. From there you can narrow down a niche. Get a client, do a great job, and don’t be afraid to request feedback.
3. Know your worth
The first client I got on Upwork paid me about $.02/word to write long articles. I wrote two of them. I got two great reviews, which probably landed me my next client. For that, I am grateful.
Those articles took me about five hours each. The resulting pay was considerably less than minimum wage. I was writing about topics I knew nothing about, so there was a great deal of research. I also lacked confidence in my writing, so there was a lot of hesitation.
Now I write about what I know. I don’t accept jobs for less than $.10/word. There are many freelancers that write for less and many that write for much more. That’s okay. For now, $.10/word is comfortable for me. I turn down a lot of clients that offer two or three cents per word, and at first I obsessed over that. What if I need them in the future? Maybe some money is better than no money? No. I deserve to be paid fairly for my time, and I can’t afford to feel bad about it.
Pro tip: Find your sweet spot of rates. How long does it take you to write 1,000 words on that topic? How much do you want to be paid per hour?
4. Relationships are everything
I have made most of my money on Upwork from two clients. They are clients I interacted with early on and have built a good relationship with. They give me consistent work, approve my work quickly, and work within my capacity. I’ve earned their respect, and they’ve earned mine.
Building good relationships is crucial. The key to a good relationship on Upwork, and in the real world, is communication. I am honest with my clients about my availability and my capability. I have had to tell them, “I’m sorry, that’s outside of my wheelhouse.” I try to meet all deadlines, but if I’m backed up — I reach out and apologize.
Pro tip: Treat every potential client as if they are going to be a long-term client. Be open and honest about pay, availability, and ability.
5. Don’t take it personal
When I first started on Upwork, I sent out dozens of proposals without ever hearing a simple “maybe.” I received a couple emails asking me to communicate via some foreign chat app, which were clearly scams. It was hard to accept the rejection and keep going. No matter how perfect I was (per me) for a project, there was no guarantee that I’d get a response to my proposals.
The rejection didn’t stop with unanswered proposals. There have been a handful of times that I have connected with a client I believed would be a long-term partner. I wrote a piece or two from them, and then either never heard back or received the generic, “I’m sure I’ll have some other work in the future” responses. I have to remind myself that just because my work isn’t the right fit for one client, doesn’t mean it’s not good work.
Pro tip: Rejection is a part of any industry. Do not take rejection personally.
6. You get what you give
I haven’t put forth a lot of effort into building a business on Upwork. That is exactly why I am only earning about $1,000 per month. I believe the earning potential on Upwork is great, but you have to put in work to earn the work.
Upwork takes 20% of your revenue as a base. When one client has paid you $500 on the same contract, that fee reduces to 10%. That is another perk to building relationships with long-term clients. I understand that the fee for freelancers will be reduced to 5% when I have reached total earnings of $10,000.
Pro tip: Focus on building relationships to solidify long-term clients and receive reduced fees from Upwork.
The takeaway
To get reduced fees and earn more money, you have to get long-term clients and/or earn $10,000. To get clients on Upwork, you must submit great proposals. There are hundreds of new jobs popping up every time I log onto Upwork.
Do you want to earn money on Upwork? The opportunity is endless, just remember these simple tips:
- Stand out
- Be persistent
- Decide on an acceptable rate
- Build relationships
- Don’t take rejection personally
- Put in the work