When I first realized that it was possible to write and earn money for it, I thought the online process would be as difficult as it is offline. I’d picked up the Writer’s Market a hundred times (okay yearly). I’d submitted a few articles and been rejected by editors. I never knew how EASY it would be to make money with my writing on the ‘net.
Stumbling on Elance was the tip of the iceberg. I’ll admit it - it can be a pain in the butt working with clients. You never know if you’re going to get a gem or a nightmare. One guy (this is a true story) asked me to write an eBook about becoming a vegetarian. So I start it out - with all the great stuff you’d exect to find:
1.) The differences between Vegan and Vegetarian
2.) How to ensure you get enough essential vitamins
3.) The health benefits of vegetarianism…you know, the usual stuff!
So he gets back to me - I’d done it all wrong. I hadn’t explained the “what if Aliens landed on Earth and decided humans tasted good?” I hadn’t added the part about how eating meat is akin to burying our own parents in the pit of a dinosaur’s stomach.
I wasn’t going to write that! I don’t write science fiction! Now, I have my OWN destiny as a ghostwriter and a writer under my own name and pen names.
You can start out blogging. Not the normal coffeehouse with a ciggy in one hand “meaning of life” blog that writers love to create. I mean blogging for business. For money. Yikes! That M word - Money. You deserve it. Ban that broke writer’s mindset from your life for good.
The BOA Method is a great course on Blogging for MONEY. I normally don’t review other people’s systems since I have my own, but this came to me and I was so impressed, I literally scrapped my OWN eBook on the subject because this already had it all. There was no reason to compete.
Check it out - because I know many stay at home moms, 80-year olds and Baby Boomers using BOA right now to see cash coming in day after day.
Tiff 
Written by Tiffany on December 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
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When I first started writing for others online, I was using Elance and charging a mere $7 per page. (About 400 words). Now I charge no less than $35 per page, and I can write about 4-5 pages an hour. Before you have a reputation and lengthy client list, you have to charge less because you’re not known for 1.) your deliverables and 2.) your business ethics.
Buyers are wary of online writers because they’ve been burned with plagiarized content, theft of funds with non-delivery of products, and plain bad writing! But you also have to place yourself in the position to quickly rise to the top. After the very first project, raise your rates. After the second, raise them again. Keep going until you get to the point where you’re satisfied.
So what’s possible? In year 1 on Elance, I think I made about $27,000 part time. In year two, up in the 40k mark. By the time I left, I had made over $50k. But this isn’t where the money is! Ghostwriting is great for getting you some extra money, but there’s a cautionary tale in it, too.
The people hiring you to ghostwrite do it - not because they can’t write - but because they know it’s cost effective. Let’s say they pay you $1,000 to write a 50-page eBook (the average length of an eBook). You made $20 per page and are feeling pretty good!
Then you discover that eBook turns out to be one of the best selling eBooks on the market. It wasn’t your writing that made it so successful, don’t fool yourself. It was the marketing behind the writing. THAT is the missing link where the gap between writing for others and writing for yourself makes such a HUGE difference in your level of financial success!
Once you know the detailed process of launching your OWN eBooks, and I’m not talking about vanity publishing, you’ll never have to post a bid or beg for work from a client again. You’ll write WHEN you want, about WHAT you want, and do everything for yourself. There’s nothing quite as rewarding.
Tiff
Written by Tiffany on December 19th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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If you go to the home page of Writing for Profits, you’ll be able to scroll down and log in to download your free chapter of A Writer’s Guide to Internet Marketing. There are no strings attached - you get it free.
Int his eBook, you’ll be able to find out what you can do with your writing talents that lend to the perfect storm of profits for you year after year. There’s no hype in the eBook - just step-by-step tutorials and guidance on how I did it and how you can replicate the process easily.
You don’t need a degree in Journalism or a fancy college education. You just need the drive and determination to succeed. The whole process can be achieved for free - OR, you have the option of using low-cost tools to make it all even easier. Download it today and start seeing where you can lay the foundation for your own eBook Empire.
Tiff
Written by Tiffany on December 18th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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If you’re a struggling writer and want to find work easily, then you need to start freelancing on Elance. In just a week, I had my first writing gig on that site - and I now make over 6 figures taking what I learned on that site and applying it to my new life.
I know many people gripe and complain about freelance wages and getting ripped off on Elance, but that’s 100% up to you. I only had 1-2 clients ever try to steal my work, and it was quickly remedied. On Elance, you get to bid what you want, for whomever you want, and pick and choose jobs to your liking.
That’s why I don’t understand why people grips about jobs paying so little. There were plenty of times that I bid on a project where a dozen other providers bid next to nothing and my bid was sky-high. Yet the buyer picked me time and time again, baffling many freelance writers who assumed that all buyers only consider price.
One thing I’ve learned about buyers - like any consumer - they believe what you believe. If you lowball your prices on bids in the Elance marketplace, then they’ll feel you don’t value your work - so why should they? If you charge what you’re worth, they’ll pay it if they’re at all able to.
Log into Elance today and at least sign up for a free membership. My advice is to get a Select membership so that you can bid on projects others can’t and also find high dollar projects that actually pay the rent!
Written by Tiffany on December 17th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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It has to be more than just the money. When you’re looking for freelance writing gigs, do you follow all of these guidelines to help you succeed in this self-employment industry?
1.) See if your freelance writing skills match the needs of the customer. If it’s a 200-page eBook on the stock market, do you feel confident that you can adequately write about the subject matter? You don’t want to waste time and energy completing a project only to be asked for a refund.
2.) Is the compensation fair? Yes, the dreaded money issue. Don’t take less than you’re worth - be a project snob! In all reality, it’ll get you more jobs, because you’ll be exclusive. Writers who underprice themselves wind up making less because buyers feel you know you’re not worth more, so why should they pay more?
3.) What’s the turnaround time for this freelance writing project? Can you feasibly squeeze 100 pages into your schedule this week, or are you running the risk of having to delay your deliverables? Try to work it out with the buyer to deliver on a schedule that makes it easy and gives you some leeway for emergencies.
4.) Does the buyer have good character? Most freelance writers don’t even look into the buyer - they only worry about presenting themselves in a good light. Be aware that buyers scam as often as sellers do - protect yourself by Googling names and seeing if the buyer has a bad reputation for not paying or being difficult. I’ve had some nightmares in my time.
Follow these freelance writing standards and set some you feel are important for yourself!
Tiff 
Written by Tiffany on December 14th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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If you’re a decent writer, which means you can avoid major spelling errors and plagiarism and string together a simple sentence, then you can make money on the Internet writing for other people. Writing on the ‘net doesn’t mean you write like you did for college professors.
You can toss your proper grammar right out of the window. There’s a different way of writing online - a way that speaks to consumers just like you’d talk to a friend in an email. This is the hardest part for most writers to understand. As someone who has a strong grasp on the English language, you might feel as if you want to showcase that talent.
Trust me, as someone who went from struggling to a six figure salary in less than 6 months - you want to broaden your horizons. Some writers feel it’s beneath them to write in a casual, conversational manner. If that’s your way of thinking, stay broke! It’s no skin off my back.
But if you’re someone whose goal is to make money and build a business using your writing talents, learn to do it the way your online audience and buyers crave. I’ve written an eBook called The Writer’s Guide to Internet Marketing that will help you with this task. Why not head over there and download chapter 1 FREE? You can’t beat that price, right?
You can search for me under the username Writertiff on Elance and see how much I succeeded during my time spent freelancing - so much so that I am now a full-scale marketer who hires my own writers, when I can find one that mimics my own style.
Tiff
Written by Tiffany on December 12th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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For years now, writers have had the notion that to truly be a bona fide writer, they have to suffer - from piddly paychecks, through writer’s block, and the endless inquiries from people who believe that unless you’re Stephen King with a multi-million dollar contract, you’re not really a writer.
But now times are changing. Online freelance writing has given hundreds of writers a new claim to life. For many, writing was a part-time fantasy they did before work, or late at night - just a page at a time as they built up to the day their manuscript would be complete and could be sent on its way to an agent for consideration.
With online freelance writing, men and women alike are finding that they can have the freedom to work from home, set their own hours, and find more clients than they could possibly imagine - from all over the world!
Many are turning to online freelance writing sites like Elance, Rentacoder, or Scriptlance to find clients. Others are building their own websites and trying to drive traffic to them, but aren’t familiar with the Internet Marketing side of the business, so their influx of customers isn’t abundant.
If you decide to try your hand at online freelance writing, here are my suggestions:
1st: Join a site like Elance and if you can get your hands on my report Freelance on Elance (part of the package at www.Writing4Profits.com) then follow it and start seeing your income increase.
2nd: Join Internet marketing forums and lurk until you see posts where people need to hire someone for their online freelance writing needs (they’re posted daily). Then send a private message offering to take the job.
3rd: Follow up with existing clients asking them for referrals or follow-up work. Sometimes you have to spur them on and remind them that they have writing that needs to be done.
4th: Contact fellow writers and see if they have overflow work for online freelance writing jobs.
Ask me if you have any questions or need any guidance - I’m always happy to help!
Tiffany
Written by Tiffany on December 11th, 2007 with no comments.
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