Hello Reader,
My freelance writing career started on Upwork, a well-known freelance platform. I started by picking up a few poorly paid gigs and bagged a handful of positive reviews. That experience slowly snowballed into better and better clients paying more and more money for higher quality gigs.
But there was nothing accidental about my progression from low-paid gig work to long-term and lucrative client engagements. I approached the task deliberately and with (what turned out to be) sound strategy.
With the right bona fides and skills, and enough effort, you too may be able to use Upwork to find an opportunity or two and jumpstart your nascent freelance writing career.
Find your differentiator
The competition on Upwork is ferocious. You'll find vast numbers of freelance writers from around the world - many of whom have very low cost bases - bidding on a relatively small number of quality jobs.
But there is also opportunity to be had. A lot of these freelance writers are not particularly talented. Many do not have impressive portfolios or a deep skillset. If you can differentiate yourself from the masses of barely qualified, or entirely unqualified, freelance writers out there, you can access the relatively few gigs that are worth applying for on the Upwork platform.
Differentiation is the key word there. You need to find a way to set yourself apart from the vast majority of other freelance writers on the site.
When I was active on the site, I relied on two factors to set myself apart from my competition: higher education and legal experience.
At the time, I had just completed a dual-MBA program at Cornell and Queen's Universities. I also had about six years' experience as a criminal lawyer in Canada. These two characteristics marked me as a skilled professional with more academic and practical experience than most of the other freelancers applying for gigs on the site.
But your differentiator doesn't need to be identical to either of the ones I used. Virtually anything that's valuable in the eyes of a client will suffice. Professional experience in a specific industry or niche, like healthcare or tech, is great. Membership in an underrepresented group, like having experience being a woman in the finance industry, for example, can also be helpful.
Client screening
Once you've decided on a differentiator, it's time to put that factor to work. That means screening your clients and choosing gigs where your differentiator will be seen as a significant value-add.
For example, when I was using the site, I targeted business and legal writing opportunities where knowledge of the jargon and industry was a must for the successful applicant.
Similarly, if your differentiator is, say, professional experience as a programmer, you'll want to focus on gigs where that experience allows you to deliver superior results.
Beyond subject matter expertise, though, you'll also want to make sure that your clients are reputable. Upwork allows freelancers to review clients, just like they'll get a chance to review you, so look for a history of positive interactions with writing freelancers. Stick to clients who have a verified payment method (you'll see this indicator on their profile).
Use your common sense when you're going through the interview process with potential clients. Do they seem friendly and professional? Are they responsive? Do they ask for free work or make other exploitative requests?
Optimizing your profile
Finally, no one will bother to take a second look at you if your profile isn't polished. Cross your I's and dot your T's. Triple-check your spelling and grammar. All the basics matter, especially for a writer who's being judged on that stuff.
Beyond that, though, you'll need to be intentional about how you present yourself on the site. Think of your profile like a key to a door. Each part of it should contribute to its ability to unlock opportunities.
You can help yourself accomplish this by taking a problem-solving approach to designing your profile. Consider your ideal client(s) and think about what problems they might have. How do you help them solve those problems? What experience do you have in solving those problems for others in the past? What skills do you have that help you meet these goals?
Make all those attributes explicit on your profile.
Diamonds in the rough
Operating on Upwork as a new writer is tricky, to say the least. The problems with the platform are well-known and significant. But that doesn't mean there isn't opportunity to be found. Locating - and winning - the few gigs worth having on the site is challenging, but worth it.
Focus on your differentiator. Screen your clients for your ideal matches. And optimize your profile to make it crystal-clear how you can solve your ideal clients' problems.
You may be surprised at the value you can find on the platform.
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