How a Non-Native Copywriter Makes $55K+ on Fiverr, Charging More Than Many Natives.

Fiverr has 380K sellers, so take the following statement with a grain of salt. I haven’t checked everyone’s profiles.

Yet, based on what I’ve seen, I am the most successful non-native copywriter on Fiverr. I’m Top-rated & Pro-rated, which means I’m among a hand-picked group of professionals approved by Fiverr’s team. I have completed over 2000 projects, and the average value of my Fiverr orders is $300–which isn’t a lot, but it’s very good for Fiverr.

98% of my clients are from English-speaking countries, yet I’m a Bulgarian who lives in Bulgaria. I’m nothing special, either. No great talent here, if that’s what you were thinking.

So why is it that I manage to steal clients from the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, even though there are native speakers on the platform who charge less?

Stop believing the “story.”

Who’d hire a non-native copywriter? Who’d hire a copywriter based in Bulgaria? Who’d pay good money for me to write their website or their landing page?

That’s what I used to ask myself. In fact, for the first two years of my freelance career, I lied about where I’m from.

Marisa Peer, a top UK psychologist, says nothing is more powerful than the words you say to yourself. “Tell yourself a better lie” is literally the title of her latest book and one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard.

Because “it can’t happen” is a lie. All the reasons it can’t happen are irrelevant. “It will certainly happen if I give it my best” is also a lie. Sometimes people fail despite their best efforts.

But which lie would you rather live with?

I started on the platform charging $5 for 300-word About pages. Yes, I had a lot of clients, but the numbers didn’t add up.

When I gained the confidence to apply for Pro status, raised my pricing, and re-wrote my gig descriptions to present my services in the best possible light, everything changed.

It’s time to put yourself out there, full-on, even if you don’t have experience, or there’s too much competition or fill-in-the-blank. Whatever belief is keeping you stuck, let it go.

Get better at what you do.

There’s more to copywriting than knowing the language. If someone knew the functionalities of Photoshop, would that automatically make them a good designer?

Language is a tool, and while possessing a good vocabulary is necessary, knowing the process of creating high-converting copy is essential. The research, the testing, and the marketing knowledge behind it all — that’s what makes a copywriter effective, not the language alone.

Once I started digging deep, working on my craft, and seeing the results my clients achieved, I didn’t care what anyone thought about where I’m from. I started negotiating more firmly, and I was okay with meeting prospects online when they wanted to know more about my methods.

What can you learn that would boost your confidence and allow you to offer high-quality services, starting now?

Own your uniqueness.

Anything can be a problem or an advantage — it depends on how you look at it. Did you know how much more skeptical Bulgarians are about shopping online? About half the population is still “concerned” when using card payments, and 25% of people have never used a card to shop online. I’ll repeat this: one in every four people has never used a card to shop online. My God!

If I can write copy that makes Bulgarians whip out their credit cards, which I have, no American can scare me. I featured some of the work I’ve done for Bulgarian companies in my portfolio, and the response was beyond positive.

If you’re starting out, it may be easy for you to find clients where you are. Use that to gain experience, build a portfolio, and proudly feature it anywhere and everywhere.

Final Thoughts.

In short, yes, the limitations are only in your head.

But be careful. Sometimes, they pose as “the truth.”

I’ve been a one-person business for 10 years. I’d love to show you how to start & grow your own. Join the community: https://1personbusiness.substack.com/