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d paper. Or make a mental note. Write down how much your words are worth. How much would you charge to write one word?</p><p id="1e81">For one hundred words? Please keep reflecting on this question, and keep it in mind. Feel free to let me know in the comments.</p><p id="f3af">I lacked this foresight.</p><p id="bca8">The employer would pay me x amount of dollars for every 100 words.</p><p id="4973">The employer promised to give me parameters to follow. I would have around 24 hours to complete each assignment. I could expect to write 3,000 words each day.</p><p id="69a3">If the topic is potatoes, I can type and edit 3,000 words quickly.</p><p id="36e3">I figured if I could complete the work in two hours, it would be worth my time.</p><p id="9b84">I survived grad school, so this would be a cakewalk.</p><p id="37df">The person who is too good for a content mill (me) is now providing content to another human, probably to write for a content mill!</p><p id="a754">How ironic.</p><p id="6e03">Although my UpWork career is nascent and things have just started, the topics have gotten progressively more challenging.</p><p id="24fa">Like, <b>much</b> more difficult. And with difficulty have come more labor-intensive assignments.</p><p id="7e89">I received a ~5,000-word article about the ideal motherboard configurations for a specific processor. I had to delineate the connectivity, functionality, graphic cards, APU… Etc.</p><p id="0d5d">What is that worth? I can only imagine MUCH more than what I received.</p><p id="3bb2">In twelve hours, I must submit 3,000 words about different golf clubs. I received a site whose template I must emulate.</p><p id="cf69"><i>Bonus: I now know that length, lie and composition are metrics sought after in golf clubs!</i></p><p id="7e26">Instead, I am complaining to Medium.</p><p id="a63f">My most recent labor calculation was 3 dollars an hour, before the 20 percent Upwork fee. Oof!</p><p id="6204">Let’s say I worked 20 hours a day. I am an overachiever. I would earn $60 a day. For many, that would be magnificent.</p><p id="8773"><b>This side-hustle is not feasible for me because:</b></p><p id="9d67">1) I require more than 4 hours of sleep</p><p id="2bd5">2) My bills exceed$ 2000 a month (with rent included).</p><p id="b838">3) I refuse to work 20 hours a day unless on my business venture, and even then, every back to reas

Options

on 1.</p><h2 id="7fbf">My elbow hurts. My wrists hurt.</h2><p id="ced9">What is worse is that I am sure this employer is earning anywhere from 10 to 20 times what he is paying me for each story.</p><h1 id="ec01">How much would you charge for 100 words?</h1><figure id="560e"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*YIPTHly92ZpVJlZ3Dom-tQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://www.pexels.com/@tima-miroshnichenko?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels">Tima Miroshnichenko</a> from <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/hands-in-handcuffs-holding-rolls-of-money-6266769/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels">Pexels</a></figcaption></figure><p id="033b">A quick search showed me a Reddit thread that equated my pay to “slave” labor. I am not receiving the going rate for a native English speaker.</p><p id="a4ab">I have a problem. If I quit, the guy will leave me a bad review, and my career on UpWork will be over before it has started.</p><p id="5c1a">At the beginning of the contract, the guy said under no circumstances can he offer more money. I admit I was desperate for a chance to write.</p><p id="f4b1">If I quit the contract, I will receive a negative review. And I am already As a new UpWork member: this would be detrimental to my fledgling account.</p><p id="e380">I want to know from a community of writers: How much is too low for 100 words? How much would you accept to do this regularly?</p><p id="1482">Am I acting like a drama queen? The answers are not mutually exclusive, of course.</p><p id="dd2c">Writers of Medium, please help me!</p><div id="31eb" class="link-block"> <a href="https://shannonpie.medium.com/membership"> <div> <div> <h2>Join Medium with my referral link, get paid to write, and read unlimited stories on Medium!</h2> <div><h3>As a Medium member, a portion of your membership fee goes to writers you read, and you get full access to every story…</h3></div> <div><p>shannonpie.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*uzQrRCpxxzK7YJ98)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

My Side Hustle Has Gone Terribly Wrong. How Little is My Worth?

I am freelancing for pennies and I am trapped!

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

Thank you, Medium writers. And Jenn Leach. You galvanized me. I decided to become a freelance writing side hustler. Equipped with the viral articles of Medium’s elite Top Writers, I was ready to be a freelance writer.

I was ready to be a writing thousandaire.

I applied for a content mill called ContentFly. I am a published author; I can get acceptance by a content mill!

I received a prompt rejection.

Whatever. I am better than a content mill.

Writing for Riches

I gained the courage and finally began an UpWork page. I sent pitches to prospective employers and applied to everything: data analysis, content creation, and training development. I received a graduate degree in these topics and offered my services for a discounted rate. I would be highly coveted after.

I wasn’t.

Very few employers messaged me back, which is not unusual for a newbie.

When a prospective employer accepted my proposal, I was thrilled.

STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE.

Take out a piece of pen and paper. Or make a mental note. Write down how much your words are worth. How much would you charge to write one word?

For one hundred words? Please keep reflecting on this question, and keep it in mind. Feel free to let me know in the comments.

I lacked this foresight.

The employer would pay me x amount of dollars for every 100 words.

The employer promised to give me parameters to follow. I would have around 24 hours to complete each assignment. I could expect to write 3,000 words each day.

If the topic is potatoes, I can type and edit 3,000 words quickly.

I figured if I could complete the work in two hours, it would be worth my time.

I survived grad school, so this would be a cakewalk.

The person who is too good for a content mill (me) is now providing content to another human, probably to write for a content mill!

How ironic.

Although my UpWork career is nascent and things have just started, the topics have gotten progressively more challenging.

Like, much more difficult. And with difficulty have come more labor-intensive assignments.

I received a ~5,000-word article about the ideal motherboard configurations for a specific processor. I had to delineate the connectivity, functionality, graphic cards, APU… Etc.

What is that worth? I can only imagine MUCH more than what I received.

In twelve hours, I must submit 3,000 words about different golf clubs. I received a site whose template I must emulate.

*Bonus: I now know that length, lie and composition are metrics sought after in golf clubs!*

Instead, I am complaining to Medium.

My most recent labor calculation was 3 dollars an hour, before the 20 percent Upwork fee. Oof!

Let’s say I worked 20 hours a day. I am an overachiever. I would earn $60 a day. For many, that would be magnificent.

This side-hustle is not feasible for me because:

1) I require more than 4 hours of sleep

2) My bills exceed $2000 a month (with rent included).

3) I refuse to work 20 hours a day unless on my business venture, and even then, every back to reason 1.

My elbow hurts. My wrists hurt.

What is worse is that I am sure this employer is earning anywhere from 10 to 20 times what he is paying me for each story.

How much would you charge for 100 words?

A quick search showed me a Reddit thread that equated my pay to “slave” labor. I am not receiving the going rate for a native English speaker.

I have a problem. If I quit, the guy will leave me a bad review, and my career on UpWork will be over before it has started.

At the beginning of the contract, the guy said under no circumstances can he offer more money. I admit I was desperate for a chance to write.

If I quit the contract, I will receive a negative review. And I am already As a new UpWork member: this would be detrimental to my fledgling account.

I want to know from a community of writers: How much is too low for 100 words? How much would you accept to do this regularly?

Am I acting like a drama queen? The answers are not mutually exclusive, of course.

Writers of Medium, please help me!

Join Medium with my referral link, get paid to write, and read unlimited stories on Medium!

As a Medium member, a portion of your membership fee goes to writers you read, and you get full access to every story…

shannonpie.medium.com