Freelance Writing Anyone?

Discussion in 'Reading & Writing' started by Carlota Clemens, Jun 16, 2015.

  1. Carlota Clemens

    Carlota Clemens Veteran Member
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    Despite I was always lured by writing essays, novels and other literary work before coming online, and even managed to work at a brick and mortar editorial house with the "hope" to be discovered as the next literary talent in town, I never thought to make money from writing when I got into the Internet.

    It was a legitimate need to find information what made me subscribe to the Internet service that I swore to myself would never have, thinking it was just a "trend." Even then what I wanted to find on the web was related to how to finish a video game and not about making money online.

    Even though, I began to discover the revenue potential waiting for whoever wanted to take the challenge and this how I began to develop websites an engage in work-from-home activities, but freelance writing was practically the last I tried in a long list.

    I must say that writing content articles was a well-paid freelancing job till some years ago, but today is truly hard make a buck from it because most potential clients demand too much and pay too little. Similarly getting freelance writing jobs from content mills is rather hard because of requisites to join, or because there is no job at all posted on their dashboards.

    Have any of you have tried freelance writing? Satisfied or unsatisfied with such experience?
     
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  2. Corie Henson

    Corie Henson Veteran Member
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    I have joined this site primarily to hone my writing skills. It is noticeable that the continual meetings seem to retard my communications in written form. So here I am. But in fairness to this forum, I don't join just any forum. Of course, I have to have some interest in the genre or type of the forum. Okay, let's not talk about age, hahahaaa.

    Freelance writing is not my cup of tea but perhaps I can give it a thought when I finally retire from my job. But for now, I will just try to practice writing and I would appreciate if people would criticize my posts so I can improve on it.
     
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  3. Ruth Belena

    Ruth Belena Veteran Member
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    The content mill I use usually has at least 2 pages of low paid jobs featured on the open list. However, I have a number of clients there who regularly send me invites for their projects. Other members never get to see jobs that are only available to me or to a selected few writers that a client has chosen. I have been offered more than $20 for some invited jobs, where a similar job on the general board will pay only $5 or less.

    The way to succeed in content mills is by impressing clients with the quality of your work, however low the pay, so they pick you in future for better paid projects.

    I have been making money from freelance writing since 2008. The site I originally used has now closed down, but I'm finding enough work through this method to give me a decent payout every week.
     
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  4. Hannah Davis

    Hannah Davis Veteran Member
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    Its certainly not easy making money through freelance writing. The money just isn't there for the most part. When the money is there, it would seem that its quite difficult to get accepted with them as a writer. I have earn some money as freelance writer, but I won't pretend that this is an easy field to be a part of. Its not and trying to earn money doing it is almost impossibile.
     
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  5. Molly Fenster

    Molly Fenster Veteran Member
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    I used to do freelance writing when I was young, but nowadays Im mostly helping my grandchildren with their homework. Its still fun, keeps the brain open and active.
     
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  6. Jennifer Graves

    Jennifer Graves Veteran Member
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    When I have the time to spare I intend to start a blog. It won't be my primary source of income. Not unless it blows up into a lot more than a few dollars here and there
     
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  7. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    I have a blog and while I don't make any money out of it, it's handy for the purposes of keeping yourself writing and also writing about something that interests you, in my case, Eastern Europe.
     
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  8. Jennifer Graves

    Jennifer Graves Veteran Member
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    The blog I would like to start will be to help people with mental illness and personality disorders be able to relate with someone and give them a chance to express themselves. I would also like everybody else to have the opportunity to get a more in depth look at how people with the disorders see the world around them.
     
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  9. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Which personality disorders do you have in mind? I am familiar with reactive attachment disorder, and several related disorders, as we raised a nephew with RAD.
     
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  10. Jennifer Graves

    Jennifer Graves Veteran Member
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    I'm bipolar with borderline personality disorder, so those. And other than whatever I can get my hands on... histrionic, PTSD, dissociative disorders, phobias, learning disabilities, all of it. It's a work in progress, so don't be too harsh... But I am considering the title of "through the eyes of..." And then the individual posting topic would fill in the blank... For example "Through the eyes of... Agoraphoic". There are tons of books that can tell you the symptoms of any of the disorders. I want something that says instead of "the patient experiences paranoia", it could say "I was sitting in my chair, trying to watch TV. But I kept looking at the door instead, waiting for some masked men to break in and rape and kill me. I know it shouldn't happen but I have a really bad feeling. I'm hardly ever wrong when I get a bad feeling"...
    So basically you are getting a first hand account of the various disorders and disabilities instead of text book definitions. I want people to really know what it's like.
     
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  11. Helene Lawson

    Helene Lawson Veteran Member
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    I think that freelance writing is a very good idea to earn some extra money if you have the time and if you're creative. :)
     
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  12. Jennifer Graves

    Jennifer Graves Veteran Member
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    I don't know how creative I am, personally. And the money isn't my main motivation. But I can't stand "free time". I get bored very easily, and movies and tv just don't hold my attention anymore. I am always trying to find ways to occupy myself, and I think a blog is a good way to do it. Right now I'm working on my cabin, taking an electrician's course ( I decided I want to do the electric work myself. No garuantees I will, though lol), and either walking or jogging everyday with one of my dogs, posting on here almost everyday, knitting a blanket, and learning to crochet. This is on top of taking care of house, family, and animals. But I am really weird about not having something to do at all times. So, if my blog doesn't go anywhere I'm not going to kill myself over it. It is what it is, and it'll give me something to do.
     
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  13. Corie Henson

    Corie Henson Veteran Member
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    I'm also having second thoughts with an online writing career when I retire from the office because in my heart, I know I am not a good writer. And like you, money is not my main motivation. Perhaps I should go back to my first passion, that is selling RTW (ready-to-wear) clothes. Maybe open up a boutique for that. But then, I am not a businessman since I have been an employee all my life.

    My planned blog may not be launched for lack of motivation. Sometimes I am carried away by urgings of friends that my blog would be successful. But as I delve into forums, I am getting the impression that maintaining a blog is not as easy as pie. You need to be a good writer and should be creative in your approach. Well?
     
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  14. John Donovan

    John Donovan Veteran Member
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    I tried writing a book, but I found it too difficult for me to create something satisfactory for others to read. I thought that my works were too... bland. Those who do want to continue publishing, I'd advise them to publish their books as ebooks on Amazon's store, as that is the most profitable way.
     
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  15. Ike Willis

    Ike Willis Supreme Member
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    I wrote a lot of stuff, but never for money. Usually I donated stories to different places. I consider myself well paid if any of my stories bring a laugh or pleasure to a reader.
     
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