Freelancing

Freelancing — No Comments
01
Nov 12

Identifying Freelancing Scams

I have written in general about Freelancing Scams in 2009 and this post is an updated version.

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In 2009, I have discussed a few ways to identify freelancing scams. However, 2013 is approaching and this is the perfect time to revise some of the most common scams in the freelancing industry.

Common Signs of Scam

Unique Article as Sample

Situation: Employer will request a unique article sample (NOTE: if you are a designer, you might be asked to present a unique logo design as a sample).

Reality: You are providing a piece of unique work for nothing.Personal View: Personally I have experienced this in my early months. I have written a few articles, sent them to the so-called employer and never get paid.

Payment Out of System

Situation: Freelancing sites such as Freelancer.com and Elance.com require payment through their system. Any payment out of the system is a breach of their terms and conditions. Now, some employers prefer to pay out of the system to avoid fees.

Reality: Most employers who seek payment out of the system are scammers. They do not have the intention of paying at all. It is not recommended to accept payment out of the system for first-time clients (employers).

Brief Job Description

Situation: The job description is too general.

Reality: It is usually fake (although not always).

Low Pay

Situation: You are being offered low rate (e.g. $1 for 500 words).

Reality: First, they just want to save money. Secondly, they are fooling you into thinking that you are worth such rate because you are “new”.

Too Good To Be True

Situation: You smell something fishy.

Reality: Trust your instinct. Chances are you are right, there’s something wrong.

Pay First Scheme

Situation: You are required to pay in order to “secure” the job.

Reality: Once they received your payment, they will disappear into the thin air.

Revenue Sharing

Situation: You are required to submit articles and your earning depends on the traffic to your articles and the number of clicks on the ads.

Reality: If you don’t mind writing for peanuts, you might want to try this. However, in most cases, they are fraud.

Personal View: I have tried on Triond. While the earning is rather low, but at least they pay as promised, every month.

Newbie Trap

Situation: In exchange of “experience”, you are required to work for low pay or no pay.

Reality: They are insisting on the fact that you are “new” and to lure you into thinking that you are gaining “experience”, you are required to work on low pay or no pay. In other words, this is a waste of time and total scam.

Conclusion

Please beware of the signs when looking for freelance jobs / gigs / work

Freelancing — No Comments
24
May 11

71 Ways For a Writer To Make Money

I came across an article by Julia Tang. She listed 71 ways for a writer to make money. With so many ways to make money, surely there is one that suits me (and you!).

GENERAL WRITING:

1. Copywriting for television commercials

2. Copywriting for radio commercials

3. Copywriting for newspaper and magazine ads

4. Professional letter writing

5. Creating plots for other writers

6. Writing correspondence courses

7. Travelling writer

8. Newspaper feature writing

9. Writing for weekly tabloids

10. Writing humour

11. Writing greeting cards

12. Writing witty sayings for bumper stickers

13. Writing fillers for newspapers and magazines

14. Ghost writing

15. Script writing for movies

16. Scrip writing for television

17. Writing plays

18. Resume service

19. Writing non-fiction

FREELANCE WRITING FOR:

20. Daily newspapers

21. Professional journals

22. Consumer magazines

23. Confessional magazines

24. Poetry magazines

25. Fiction magazines

26. Farming-dairy-poultry- livestock journals

27. Technical journals

28. Manufacturers’ trade journals

29. Retail trade journals

30. Sports magazines

31. Teenagers’ magazines

32. Children’s magazines

33. Gag magazines

WRITING A NEWSPAPER COLUMN ON:

34. Crafts

35. Art

36. Celebrities

37. Street interviews

38. Travelling

39. 25, 50, 100 years ago today

40. Local street names

41. Gossip column

42. Personal problems

43. Gardening

44. Cooking

45. New products

46. Child care

47. For teenagers

48. Children’s question-and -answer

49. With humour and jokes

50. Sport

51. Pets

52. Shopping

53. Cars

54. Hunting and fishing

55. Do-it-yourself

PUBLISHING:

56. A newsletter

57. Sportsmen’s bulletin

58. Bulletin for the handicapped

59. Apartment bulletin

60. Club bulletin

61. A tourist guide

62. Restaurant guide

63. A home-business guide

64. Part-time and free-lance help directory

65. Teachers’ yearbook

66. Small newspaper

67. Magazine

MISCELLANEOUS

68. Proof reading

69. Free-lance editing

70. Become an author’s agent

71. Teaching English

So, what do you think? Is there any one that suits you best?

You can read the whole article here : 71 Ways For a Writer To Make Money by Julia Tang

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh
and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people
like you! To find out the best online business opportunities,
and to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet
marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products
worth over $200, visit: http://www.best-internet-businesses.com

Career / Freelancing — No Comments
30
Mar 11

How Long Can You Survive Your Freelancing Career

Have you thought about how long can you survive as a freelance writer?

It just came to me recently as I am very active being a virtual assistant at the moment.

I am busier as a virtual assistant rather than being a writer as of now.

I believe every beginning has an end but I would not want to end my freelance writing career.

After all, I started out as a freelance writer.

The only solution I can think of is reducing my freelance writing gigs.

At least I would be able to work on something I love.

In my early days as a freelance writer, I thought that freelance writing would be a life-long career for me.

Now that I am also a virtual assistant, I believe there are many other things we can do for a living.

In fact, it is recommended to try expand our career into other areas.

Personally I would really love to venture into e-commerce but will have to take it slow and steady.

How long have you survived your freelancing career?

Mind to share it with us all?

Freelancing — No Comments
06
Oct 10

3 Reasons Why Freelancing is Not Easy Money Making

Some people would argue with me that freelancing is the easiest way to make money online.

Ok, so you have the skills (at least you think you have) and jump right in to the freelancing industry thinking that you can dominate the industry with your skills.

There are some people who actually believe that they can be freelancers with minimal skills or no special skills at all.

It is proven through my experience that freelancing is not as easy as everyone else thinks.

With or without skills, freelancing is not easy but not impossible.

#1 Competition among freelancers

Competition is normal. In fact, it is what we have to deal with every day. To get the right job, you have to compete with at least a dozen freelancers.

To get the best jobs, there would be hundreds of freelancers heading towards the same direction.

To stay in the industry, you need to have something unique, something that cannot be found in other freelancers. To be unique is the challenge.

With writing skills alone, you can hardly survive the freelance writing industry (if you want to be a freelance writer).

With typing skills alone, you won’t have a career as a virtual assistant.

You need a combination of several skills to get to the top. This is why it is very important to learn something new every day and be sure to stay up-to-date with current freelancing trend.

Some important skills you need to be successful in freelancing:

  • copywriting
  • article marketing
  • blogging – WordPress, Blogger, CSS, HTML, e.t.c.
  • designing

#2 Fighting for the best rates

If you have been in the industry long enough, you will know just how many freelancer writers out there who are willing to sell their work for a very, very low price.

Don’t be surprised to come across rates such as $1 / 500 words type of articles.

Usually it is a common problem for new freelancers who venture into Freelancer.com or any other freelancing job sites to bid for jobs. You need to bid a low price in order to get the job.

If you can score a job that pays well from the beginning, it would be a great start but then again, not everyone is lucky enough to land a high paying job in the first week of freelancing.

#3 The risk of getting scammed

We have heard stories about freelancers not getting paid for their work.

This is a risk every freelancers must go through every day.

There are warnings to look out for so be sure to equip yourself with as much information and knowledge on scams to avoid being scammed.

Bottomline

Freelancing is not easy but not impossible.

With so many challenges ahead, you need to be fully prepared in order to be a successful freelancer and earn an income beyond your imagination.

Freelancing — No Comments
30
Sep 10

Quit Unemployment and Start Freelancing

Unemployment rate is rising. For some reason I thought that unemployment shouldn’t happen at all.

After all, there are so many full time jobs being advertised on the internet and in the classifieds.

For some reason, there are so many people who are unemployed out there so why not take this chance to get into the freelancing industry?

After all, it is better than being unemployed.

It is not extremely easy to start freelancing but you have to start somewhere.

First, you need the right skills. Secondly, you need a computer or a laptop. Then, you need a job market.

Ask yourself:

“What can you do?”

Writing? Designing? Coding?

These are valuable skills in the freelancing world.

If you love to write, you might want to check out some revenue-sharing sites.

Submit your articles and earn royalties on your articles. You can even do this as a part time job.

Otherwise, you can check out freelance writing job sites.

Be sure to rate yourself reasonably. Check out the right rate for your work.

Once you have determined what you want to do, you should promote your service.

While you are doing freelancing, be sure to avoid scams.

Who knows freelancing might be your dream job?

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I have written a similar article. Check it out: Quit Your Job and Start Freelancing

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