Valuable Tricks to Earn Your First Online Writing Job

There are many ways to earn your first online writing job. In this post, I will be sharing the things I did to earn mine.

“I love to write at the same time I need to make a living. Writing is one of the best skills I can market to other people.”

Do you hear that from your minds? It is exactly true to me so I will be sharing with you how I earned my first online writing job and how I won the hearts of other clients.

Create your Online Portfolio

The first step is to create a portfolio (a collection of your writing samples) by creating your own blog. I suggest WordPress.com or Hubpages.com because they are so far the best sites in my opinion. Though, they serve different purposes so I signed up for both when I was still starting in my online writing career.

There are other numerous sites out there depending on your needs. Just do your homework and act fast but do not be too aggressive signing up on all the sites you encounter.

You will appreciate the importance of having an online portfolio when you will start applying for job posts. You can easily direct your clients to your URL or blog address and you do not need to attach document per document to every application letter you submit.

Build Your Profile on Online Writing Websites

After creating your online portfolio, the next thing to do is to build your personal profiles on freelance writing websites like Freelancer, Upwork, Craigslist, and others. I will talk about Upwork at this moment because it is where I have earned my first online writing job.

To create a profile in Upwork, you simply go to http://upwork.com and click on the “sign up” menu. Take your time to read more about it first by clicking on the “how it works” menu.

You might get excited to apply after signing up but it is not that easy. You should first pass the Upwork Readiness Test and take other skills tests relevant to your skills. Do not worry if you will not pass the tests because you may take the exams again after 25-30 days.

Create a Real Representation of Yourself

Earning your first online writing job might not be that easy but one of my secrets to doing that was just being me. I did not need to fake things like experiences and references. With my online portfolio and enough confidence to apply to writing jobs, I won the hearts of my first clients.

When writing your application letter, write as if you are talking to them face to face. Understand all the guidelines pointed to their job posts and answer it uniquely. Copied application letter contents will definitely not work so you should be serious about writing your cover letter because this will act as the main gate to your online writing career.

Set Your Goals and Do NOT Give Up

There are millions and millions of writers online who are applying for freelance writing jobs like you. Do not expect that upon submitting your first application, your client will answer you back immediately. While waiting for his answer, apply to other similar jobs that will catch your interest.

By the way, beware of clients who are bogus or scammers. Yes, even in the safest place you think, there will always be bad people to interrupt. What I usually do is to check the client’s payment verification first and see if he has already paid other freelancers. Reading other freelancers reviews might also help you know the client more. Do all these research before submitting your application.

Times will come when you will lose confidence and would want to give up but, no. You should never give up if you really want to earn your first online writing job. Set daily goals and submit applications or proposals every day. If you get bored waiting for notifications from clients, take the time to build up your profile more.

Take other Upwork Skills Tests or retake those you already took to achieve higher scores. Other clients are very specific with this skills test because they will know your abilities from the test results. You can also enhance or add more skills by reading and watching tutorials.

Big Things Come from Small Beginnings

You might get paid for a minimal rate on your first contracts but just be patient because as you earn more experience, you can also raise your hourly rates or fixed price rates. By the way, when you receive your first online writing job, do not forget to sign up for an account in Paypal or Payoneer because you will be needing this to process your payment. If you have Savings Account from major banks, you can also use them but if you have none you can just apply for a debit card and link it to your Paypal or Payoneer account.

Thanks for reading this article and please post your comments below if you have questions, reach me on Facebook or simply email me at: charlynjune@gmail.com.