<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Get Paid to Write Online &#187; bidding</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/category/freelance-writing/bidding/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com</link>
	<description>Straight Talk About Your Writing Career</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:00:28 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>How Profitable is That Writing Job, Really?</title>
		<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-profitable-is-that-writing-job-really/</link>
		<comments>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-profitable-is-that-writing-job-really/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:12:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dana Prince</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[bidding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing jobs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/?p=1957</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you‘re a freelance writer, you write for more than one client ,and &#8230;have any control over your rates, there are a lot of things to consider in terms of setting your writing rates. I’ve had jobs that have paid great and jobs that have bled money.  I’ve made mistakes in setting rates and I’ve [...]<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-profitable-is-that-writing-job-really/">How Profitable is That Writing Job, Really?</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-setting-rates/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: Setting Rates'>Freelance Writing Questions: Setting Rates</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-rates/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Rates'>Freelance Writing Rates</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/four-reasons-why-your-writing-is-worth-more/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Four Reasons Why Your Writing Is Worth More'>Four Reasons Why Your Writing Is Worth More</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fhow-profitable-is-that-writing-job-really%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fhow-profitable-is-that-writing-job-really%2F&amp;source=shurleyhall&amp;style=compact&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;service_api=6d9def61b4387bcd60da1cab5e975d6a" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-1958" href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-profitable-is-that-writing-job-really/affiliate-marketing-money/"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1958" src="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/affiliate-marketing-money-150x99.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="99" /></a>If you‘re a <a title="freelance writer" href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com" target="_blank">freelance writer,</a> you write for more than one client ,and &#8230;have any control over your rates, there are a lot of things to consider in terms of setting your writing rates. I’ve had jobs that have paid great and jobs that have bled money.  I’ve made mistakes in setting rates and I’ve had scenarios go much better than expected. It’s a learning experience that is ongoing and I’ve made some rules for myself that typically helps my gigs bleed cash a little bit less often.</p>
<p>If you have an opportunity to set your own rates, which I highly recommend striving to do, consider many factors when setting your pricing. Here are a few things you’ll want to consider:</p>
<p>-How much you want to earn per hour and how many hours the job will actually take. It can be tough to estimate so weigh it carefully.  Don’t just think in terms of writing time. Consider research and time for revisions, conference calls, and any other time you’ll spend working on the project. (Tip: give yourself a raise on a regular basis!)</p>
<p>-Consider how they’ll pay you. If you’re doing the job through a bidding site, you could lose a chunk of change in terms of per job fee, membership fee, etc.  If payment will be via PayPal, what sorts of fees will there be? Different countries and different payment methods will impact the fees. There’s also the issue of exchange rates. Maybe you prefer your local currency or perhaps you prefer to bill in your client’s currency. Weigh this carefully as things like fluctuation of exchange rates and fees can add up.</p>
<p>-Is it a one-off or a client that could be ongoing? I don’t advocate dropping your rates drastically but there may be benefits to offering a slight discount for a bulk rate and a client that pays instantly,rather than once a month, for instance. And, if you don’t need a one-off gig because you’re busy enough already, consider plumping up that quote. What have you got to lose?</p>
<p>-Consider ease of doing business as well as the joy of doing the research and the writing when setting your rates. If you don’t love a particular type of writing, you may opt to charge a bit more to make it worth your while. If you find a particular client’s communication style difficult and find it more labour-intense to do business with them, it’s probably a good idea to ensure your rates reflect the extra effort involved.</p>
<p>-Consider what other writers charge for similar services. Talk to writing friends, look online, check out job bidding sites for insight. Maybe your cost of living or your experience level is different than the rates you find but some guidelines could be helpful.</p>
<p>Many writers accept rates offered by content mills, advertised writing jobs, or they bid low in order to win business. But setting your own rates and setting them adequately really does make freelance much more “free”. How do you set your own rates? My #1 tip is to help clients find you, rather than applying for jobs with a set rate. Have your website at the top of the search engines for the keyword phrases that relate to your writing specialty. Use tools, such as social media , to your advantage for self-promotion. And, present yourself well to prospects and chances are that you’ll command the sorts of rates that will make writing a profitable <em>and</em> enjoyable venture.</p>
<p>Have I missed anything that you find helpful in setting your rates? If so, please share!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-profitable-is-that-writing-job-really/">How Profitable is That Writing Job, Really?</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-setting-rates/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: Setting Rates'>Freelance Writing Questions: Setting Rates</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-rates/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Rates'>Freelance Writing Rates</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/four-reasons-why-your-writing-is-worth-more/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Four Reasons Why Your Writing Is Worth More'>Four Reasons Why Your Writing Is Worth More</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-profitable-is-that-writing-job-really/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career</title>
		<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/toot-your-own-horn-%e2%80%93-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career/</link>
		<comments>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/toot-your-own-horn-%e2%80%93-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Jul 2010 02:09:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dana Prince</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Promotion Is Free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bidding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[promotion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get paid to write online]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing testimonials]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/?p=1924</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Gotten a great testimonial? Hope you&#8217;re taking advantage of all it can do for you! The other day, Sharon Hurley Hall was elated when she had a rave review from a happy client. Don’t glowing testimonials just make your day? Mine, too. One day this week I had a particularly difficult assignment and when I [...]<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/toot-your-own-horn-%e2%80%93-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career/">Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/promotion-is-free-social-networking/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Promotion Is Free &#8211; Social Networking'>Promotion Is Free &#8211; Social Networking</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-do-you-win-writing-job-bids/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How do you Win Writing Job Bids?'>How do you Win Writing Job Bids?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/can-online-profiles-replace-your-resume/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Can Online Profiles Replace Your Resume?'>Can Online Profiles Replace Your Resume?</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Ftoot-your-own-horn-%25e2%2580%2593-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Ftoot-your-own-horn-%25e2%2580%2593-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career%2F&amp;source=shurleyhall&amp;style=compact&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;service_api=6d9def61b4387bcd60da1cab5e975d6a" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-1925" href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/toot-your-own-horn-%e2%80%93-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career/toot-your-own-horn/"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1925" src="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/toot-your-own-horn-150x117.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="117" /></a>Gotten a great testimonial? Hope you&#8217;re taking advantage of all it can do for you!</p>
<p>The other day, Sharon Hurley Hall was elated when she had a <a href="http://www.sharonhh.com/resume-writing-testimonial">rave review from a happy client</a>. Don’t glowing testimonials just make your day? Mine, too. One day this week I had a particularly difficult assignment and when I sent it off, I was waiting for it to come back with red pen all over it. But it didn’t. The client said, “This is great. Thanks so much for all your hard work!” If you’ve had great testimonials, don’t sit on them or smile and then file them away. Share them with the world. Seriously. Toot your own horn. It’ll help you immensely.  Here’s how:</p>
<p>-Add it to a testimonials page on your website. This page will show prospective customers how past customers have felt about your work. More content on your website equals more potential traffic, too. Every time you update your site, search engines could come visit to see what you’ve added and then send you increasingly relevant traffic. If you look at Sharon’s testimonial linked above, you’ll see another reason why clients find her and offer work to her.  Her testimonials help her with her online marketing. marketing. How? That testimonial is on its own page on her writing site with a keyword optimized permalink structure, relevant category,  and tags that relate to the type of writing and to testimonials. This strategy ups the chances that someone looking for those specific services will find Sharon and find out that not only does she offer resume writing services but also that people LOVE her work. I have a testimonials page on my website today but think I&#8217;ll take a cue from Sharon and re-create individual pages on my blogs for those reviews as well.</p>
<p>-Send the kudos out to the social sphere. Mention it on Twitter, Plurk, Facebook… wherever you hang out online. A prospective customer may read it and contact you for a quote. (Hint: This works well when you use the Twitter widget on your blog, too. Clients can see those testimonials in your sidebar when they browse your website to see if they’d like to approach you for a quote.)</p>
<p>-Add some short but rave reviews to your bidding template. Do you use a template when you apply to writing gigs? If so, a few blurbs about what existing and past customers have said about your quality of work could help tip the scales in your favour.</p>
<p><strong>Here are some Do’s and Don’ts to consider when posting testimonials:</strong></p>
<p>-Don’t post the client’s name unless they give you permission to do so.</p>
<p>-Do consider linking back to the client’s site or the source of work you’ve done, if the client is agreeable and you aren’t going to be breaching any ghostwriting / confidentiality agreements, of course. Then, you can show prospects what all the buzz is about.</p>
<p>-Don’t be afraid to ask . If a client seems happy, ask them if you can have a testimonial. Offer to link to their site, if they like. Links are coveted online and offering a link could make your client jump at the chance to write a recommendation or… to sign off on a recommendation you’ve written for them about you. (A client of mine didn’t have time to write one but responded when I told him I was offering links on my testimonials page and he gave me the green light to write the testimonial for him and to tell the world how much he valued me. )</p>
<p>-Do consider joining and using <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/">LinkedIn</a>. This site is great for creating a professional profile and networking. There’s a feature on the site where you can get and give recommendations and those are updated in your time line so those recommendations are viewable by others (after you approve their going live).  If people recommend you on LinkedIn, you may want to add those recommendations to your own site or blog as well. Don’t be afraid to recommend great clients on LinkedIn  and perhaps they’ll return the favour.</p>
<p><em>The next time you get a pat on the back, I hope you’ll use it to <strong>your</strong> advantage!</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/toot-your-own-horn-%e2%80%93-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career/">Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/promotion-is-free-social-networking/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Promotion Is Free &#8211; Social Networking'>Promotion Is Free &#8211; Social Networking</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-do-you-win-writing-job-bids/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How do you Win Writing Job Bids?'>How do you Win Writing Job Bids?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/can-online-profiles-replace-your-resume/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Can Online Profiles Replace Your Resume?'>Can Online Profiles Replace Your Resume?</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/toot-your-own-horn-%e2%80%93-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Are You Ready for OR Resisting the Freelancer’s Summer Slowdown?</title>
		<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/are-you-ready-for-or-resisting-the-freelancer%e2%80%99s-summer-slowdown/</link>
		<comments>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/are-you-ready-for-or-resisting-the-freelancer%e2%80%99s-summer-slowdown/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:14:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dana Prince</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[bidding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance summer slowdown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get paid to write]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing career advice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/?p=1909</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[School is OUT for summer! Does summer slow down for your freelance writing career? For some writers, this is welcome. Some of us have kids at home, some of us like to get out more.  But some of us dread the dip in income and the scrambling.   Summer is here so here are some things [...]<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/are-you-ready-for-or-resisting-the-freelancer%e2%80%99s-summer-slowdown/">Are You Ready for OR Resisting the Freelancer’s Summer Slowdown?</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelancing-through-the-summer-vacation/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelancing Through The Summer Vacation'>Freelancing Through The Summer Vacation</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/toot-your-own-horn-%e2%80%93-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career'>Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/getting-ready-for-2008/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Getting Ready For 2008'>Getting Ready For 2008</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fare-you-ready-for-or-resisting-the-freelancer%25e2%2580%2599s-summer-slowdown%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fare-you-ready-for-or-resisting-the-freelancer%25e2%2580%2599s-summer-slowdown%2F&amp;source=shurleyhall&amp;style=compact&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;service_api=6d9def61b4387bcd60da1cab5e975d6a" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<div id="attachment_1910" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 110px"><a rel="attachment wp-att-1910" href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/are-you-ready-for-or-resisting-the-freelancer%e2%80%99s-summer-slowdown/1270003_summer_beach_footprint/"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1910" src="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/1270003_summer_beach_footprint-100x150.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="150" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Do You Have a Summer Writing Schedule?</p></div>
<p>School is OUT for summer! Does summer slow down for your <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">freelance writing career</a>? For some writers, this is welcome. Some of us have kids at home, some of us like to get out more.  But some of us dread the dip in income and the scrambling.   Summer is here so here are some things you could do if your volume is slipping and you’re <em>not so</em> happy about it:</p>
<ul>
<li>Contact your existing customers and say Hello to ones you haven’t heard from in a while. Many of them may be on holidays so not ordering as much automatically but a bit of gentle prodding or a summer sale could get their attention. An approach I tried last year worked out well for me in a post I wrote for my customer blog that suggested that summer time was a great time for them to up their content publishing efforts. (Feel free to give it a read at: <a href="http://danaprincewriting.com/blog/2009/06/19/make-more-money-online-this-summer/">Summer Time, a Great Time for You to Make More Money Online</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Do some marketing.  <a href="../10-ways-to-raise-your-online-writing-profile/">Raise your writing profile</a>, use social marketing, do some article marketing, and you could get some new queries.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Content companies. Many writers don’t like dealing with content companies and the pay could be lower than you’re accustomed to but if you’re not against it (or are in a pinch), many of them offer an all-you-can-write buffet, which could be the ticket to filling in some summer schedule gaps. (Options could include: <a href="http://breakstudios.break.com/users/apply">Break Studios</a>, <a href="https://www.demandstudios.com/application.html">Demand Studios</a>, <a href="http://www.textbroker.com/">TextBroker</a>, <a href="http://www.internetbrands.com/work-with-us/">Internet Brands</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Start bidding on a job site like Elance. You could grab some one-off gigs or find new long-term customers.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you’d rather take advantage of  your lighter workload, you could also do the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Finally work on that novel you’ve been meaning to tackle. Or, write and market an e-book for additional residual income that could help you through NEXT summer.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Start some niche blogs or other content sites to generate passive income and more writing samples.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Read. Read about writing, read about marketing your business, or read a few great novels that you’ve been meaning to get to.</li>
</ul>
<p>Care to share any of your summer strategies?</p>
<p>Have a safe and happy summer.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/are-you-ready-for-or-resisting-the-freelancer%e2%80%99s-summer-slowdown/">Are You Ready for OR Resisting the Freelancer’s Summer Slowdown?</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelancing-through-the-summer-vacation/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelancing Through The Summer Vacation'>Freelancing Through The Summer Vacation</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/toot-your-own-horn-%e2%80%93-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career'>Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/getting-ready-for-2008/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Getting Ready For 2008'>Getting Ready For 2008</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/are-you-ready-for-or-resisting-the-freelancer%e2%80%99s-summer-slowdown/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How do you Win Writing Job Bids?</title>
		<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-do-you-win-writing-job-bids/</link>
		<comments>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-do-you-win-writing-job-bids/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:30:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dana Prince</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[bidding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winning bids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing bids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing jobs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/?p=1369</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Care to share your secrets on winning writing job bids? In this article, I share some of mine.<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-do-you-win-writing-job-bids/">How do you Win Writing Job Bids?</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/first-experience-with-getafreelancer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Experience With GetAFreelancer'>First Experience With GetAFreelancer</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/toot-your-own-horn-%e2%80%93-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career'>Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/grant-writing-advice/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Grant Writing Advice'>Grant Writing Advice</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fhow-do-you-win-writing-job-bids%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fhow-do-you-win-writing-job-bids%2F&amp;source=shurleyhall&amp;style=compact&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;service_api=6d9def61b4387bcd60da1cab5e975d6a" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1372" src="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/job-bid-150x150.jpg" alt="job bid" width="150" height="150" />A lot of writers have varying strategies that they use to stand apart from a crowd when bidding on a writing job either on a bidding site or when responding to an ad.  How do you do it? Care to share your secrets?</p>
<p>While I don’t win every single bid I place, I thought it might still help you to hear about some of what I think helps me win bids for writing jobs. Here are a few and if you’d like to share any of your tips please feel free to comment.</p>
<ul>
<li>Carefully read the ad / bid proposal request. You would be      surprised at how many writers don’t and make themselves look      unprofessional. There may even be a secret word or directions in the      posting to make sure you’re paying attention. So, pay attention and you      won’t immediately get disqualified.</li>
<li>Customise your bid. There are certain aspects of bidding that      can be done via a template response but if you customise the bid at least      somewhat, you’re going to be sure to show the customer that you want the      job. Show them that they’re worthy of a customised bid as many can see right      through a canned response.</li>
<li>If there’s any info about the company you’re applying to work      for, look them up. Doing so can help you in many ways. Knowing who you’re      applying to work for can help you better appeal to them in your      application as well as to have enough info to best serve them when you win      the bid.</li>
<li>Check the buyer’s history. If you’re on a bidding site,      checking history can tell you various things (depending on the site), such      as: if they have positive feedback from other freelancers, what % of their      jobs listed are actually awarded, and how much they’ve paid for similar      services in the past. This can help you see if the buyer looks worth      dealing with and give you information to help you create a winning      proposal.</li>
<li>Check out your competition (if possible). If you’re on a      bidding site, you can often check out the profile of others who are bidding      on the job. Then you know who you’re up against and can structure your      proposal accordingly.</li>
<li>Proofread your bid. All of it. I once spelled my own name wrong.      Yep, that was embarrassing. I won the bid so correcting my name and      explaining after the fact wasn’t fun. (Although, I suppose I could’ve continued      letting them think my name was Dan)</li>
<li>Offer something extra of value. Is there an additional service      you can offer? This can help you stand apart from the crowd, particularly      if you identify an area the buyer hadn’t thought of.</li>
<li>Offer proof. If you’re bidding on a project for writing SEO      articles, you could demonstrate where you’ve ranked well for a competitive      phrase, for example. Don’t forget examples of work in their niche, if you      have any.</li>
<li>Link to testimonials. I have a testimonials section on my      business site for this reason. Showing potential writing customers what      past customers think of my work, with linking to their site and / or the project      I worked on is definitely something I believe helps, in addition to sending      someone to my <a href="../how-to-create-a-writing-portfolio/">online      writing portfolio</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Not everyone uses bidding sites and not everyone sends job proposals to companies through blind ads, either. But, having a bidding strategy and carefully preparing can help you win more writing gigs.</p>
<p>(photo credit: www.sxc.hu/profile/iprole)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-do-you-win-writing-job-bids/">How do you Win Writing Job Bids?</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/first-experience-with-getafreelancer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Experience With GetAFreelancer'>First Experience With GetAFreelancer</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/toot-your-own-horn-%e2%80%93-use-testimonials-to-the-advantage-of-your-writing-career/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career'>Toot Your Own Horn – Use Testimonials to the Advantage of Your Writing Career</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/grant-writing-advice/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Grant Writing Advice'>Grant Writing Advice</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-do-you-win-writing-job-bids/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>GetAFreelancer: Final Verdict</title>
		<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/getafreelancer-final-verdict/</link>
		<comments>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/getafreelancer-final-verdict/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:14:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sharon Hurley Hall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[bidding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[getafreelancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing career]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/?p=892</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just over a year ago, I wrote about my initial experience using bidding site Get A Freelancer. At that time I spent about $13 to land a project worth around $750 and considered that fair enough. GAF got a bad press from many of my readers. With the exception of a few who had been [...]<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/getafreelancer-final-verdict/">GetAFreelancer: Final Verdict</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/first-experience-with-getafreelancer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Experience With GetAFreelancer'>First Experience With GetAFreelancer</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/we-made-the-final/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: We Made The Final!'>We Made The Final!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-do-you-win-writing-job-bids/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How do you Win Writing Job Bids?'>How do you Win Writing Job Bids?</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fgetafreelancer-final-verdict%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fgetafreelancer-final-verdict%2F&amp;source=shurleyhall&amp;style=compact&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;service_api=6d9def61b4387bcd60da1cab5e975d6a" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-893" title="Marketplace" src="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/market_-008-300x225.jpg" alt="Marketplace" width="300" height="225" />Just over a year ago, I wrote about my initial experience using bidding site  <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/first-experience-with-getafreelancer/">Get  A Freelancer</a>. At that time I spent about $13 to land a project worth around  $750 and considered that fair enough. GAF got a bad press from many of my  readers. With the exception of a few who had been lucky like me, most comments  were similar to this one from <a href="http://www.menwithpens.ca/">James  Chartrand</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>GAF was bad back then. Itâ€™s still bad now. I think all writers should  stay away from the place, because itâ€™s a definite arena where 98% of the buyers  donâ€™t give a crap about quality work.</em></p></blockquote>
<h3>One Year On</h3>
<p>So, a year later, am I still using GAF? Am I heck! By the end of last year,  as recession started to bite, it seemed to me that potential clients used that  as an excuse to offer projects that paid even lessÂ  (if that&#8217;s even possible),  while asking writers for even more. It just wasn&#8217;t worth it for me. I believe  that writers should be paid fairly for their writing skills. Although I haven&#8217;t  deleted my account, I&#8217;ve stopped subscribing to email updates and don&#8217;t plan to  use the site again.</p>
<h3>Who Should Use GAF?</h3>
<p>I&#8217;m not writing Get A Freelancer off altogether. If you want to get paid to  write and have absolutely no experience, sites like that can sometimes offer a  way into the writing business. Just be careful not to take on so much work that  you don&#8217;t have time to take advantage of better opportunities. Or spend the time  writing articles for article marketing or your own blog &#8211; you might find that&#8217;s  even more useful in the long run.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/getafreelancer-final-verdict/">GetAFreelancer: Final Verdict</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/first-experience-with-getafreelancer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Experience With GetAFreelancer'>First Experience With GetAFreelancer</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/we-made-the-final/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: We Made The Final!'>We Made The Final!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-do-you-win-writing-job-bids/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How do you Win Writing Job Bids?'>How do you Win Writing Job Bids?</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/getafreelancer-final-verdict/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Seven Steps To A Professional Bid</title>
		<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/seven-steps-to-a-professional-bid/</link>
		<comments>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/seven-steps-to-a-professional-bid/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:09:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sharon Hurley Hall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Best Of]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bidding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get paid to write]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing career]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/?p=798</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bidding can be one of the hardest things to get right. Someone asked me the other day if I had a bidding template. I&#8217;ve discussed bidding before, but for those who missed it, here&#8217;s a snapshot of my approach to bidding. 1. Read The Brief I start by reading the brief carefully so that I [...]<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/seven-steps-to-a-professional-bid/">Seven Steps To A Professional Bid</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully'>Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Querying And Bidding Strategies'>Querying And Bidding Strategies</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-to-find-success-with-elance/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How To Find Success With Elance'>How To Find Success With Elance</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fseven-steps-to-a-professional-bid%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fseven-steps-to-a-professional-bid%2F&amp;source=shurleyhall&amp;style=compact&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;service_api=6d9def61b4387bcd60da1cab5e975d6a" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>Bidding can be one of the hardest things to get right. Someone asked me the  other day if I had a bidding template. I&#8217;ve discussed <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/">bidding</a> before, but for those who missed it, here&#8217;s a snapshot of my approach to  bidding.</p>
<h3>1. Read The Brief</h3>
<p>I start by reading the brief carefully so that I can identify how my skills  match what the client wants. If they don&#8217;t, then there&#8217;s little point in  bidding.</p>
<h3>2. Introduce Yourself</h3>
<p>The people I am writing to don&#8217;t know me, so I start my bid with an  introduction. It basically says that I am a freelance writer/ghostwriter/blogger  (whichever is most appropriate) and mentions how long I have been doing this  job.</p>
<h3>3. Cut To The Chase</h3>
<div id="attachment_799" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 370px"><img class="size-full wp-image-799 " title="Seven Steps To A Professional Bid" src="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/med_141205_trdp_3469.jpg" alt="Freelance writers can improve their hit rate with a great bid." width="360" height="240" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Freelance writers can improve their hit rate with a great bid.</p></div>
<p>My potential client has little time to waste, so my next sentence cuts to the  chase. It says why I would be perfect for the job. This can take different  forms. Depending on what seems most important to the client, I may:</p>
<p>Â </p>
<ul>
<li>list the different types of writing or blogging I have done that are  relevant to the job</li>
<li>include the names of some of my clients (those who are happy to be  identified)</li>
<li>highlight qualities such as being a native English speaker, good with  deadlines and so on.</li>
</ul>
<h3>4. Back Up Your Claims</h3>
<p>Next, I back this up with some proof, including links to my resume,  testimonials and relevant examples of work (not too many), then I give my bid  for the job. By the time I get to the figure, I hope I have already sold the  client on my services.</p>
<h3>5. Follow Up Info</h3>
<p>Just in case there&#8217;s any doubt, I follow this up with:</p>
<ul>
<li>any relevant information IÂ haven&#8217;t already mentioned</li>
<li>the link to my professional website (as opposed to the specific pages I have  listed earlier</li>
<li>an invitation to the client to get in touch to discuss the bid  further</li>
</ul>
<p>Within this general template, there is some flexibility. For example, if  clients ask specific questions, then I include the answers in my bid.</p>
<h3>6. Creating A Template</h3>
<p>Once you&#8217;ve done a few of these bids, you will be able to put together a  single document that has versions of the usual sentences you use. This will help  you to bid faster and more effectively. (I&#8217;ll be honest: I haven&#8217;t actually put  them all together &#8211; at least, not recently &#8211; but I do keep an email folder with  the text of my most successful bids so I can adapt them if needed.)</p>
<h3>7. Keep It Professional</h3>
<p>One final word &#8211; tone. Some people are good at making cheeky, cheerful bids  that make the clients laugh their way into handing over the job. If you can do  it and it&#8217;s right for the job, then go for it. I&#8217;m not one of those people,  though, so I tend to play it straight. Although I use an informal style, I still  aim for a professional appearance &#8211; there is no text speak in my bids. My bid is  the first chance clients have to see my writing, so I make sure each bid is  properly spelled and punctuated and grammatically correct.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/seven-steps-to-a-professional-bid/">Seven Steps To A Professional Bid</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully'>Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Querying And Bidding Strategies'>Querying And Bidding Strategies</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-to-find-success-with-elance/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How To Find Success With Elance'>How To Find Success With Elance</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/seven-steps-to-a-professional-bid/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How To Find Success With Elance</title>
		<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-to-find-success-with-elance/</link>
		<comments>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-to-find-success-with-elance/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 May 2008 12:15:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>GuestWriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[bidding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get paid to write]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing career]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/?p=553</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today, I&#8217;m happy to welcome Kerrie Spencer as a guest blogger. I&#8217;ve worked with Kerrie for a couple of years, and lately she&#8217;s been finding success with Elance, something that has eluded me despite success on other bidding sites. I asked her to share her secrets. I&#8217;ve talked to a lot of writers who have [...]<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-to-find-success-with-elance/">How To Find Success With Elance</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/guru-and-elance-are-they-worth-it-for-writers/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Guru and Elance: Are They Worth It For Writers?'>Guru and Elance: Are They Worth It For Writers?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Querying And Bidding Strategies'>Querying And Bidding Strategies</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully'>Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fhow-to-find-success-with-elance%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fhow-to-find-success-with-elance%2F&amp;source=shurleyhall&amp;style=compact&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;service_api=6d9def61b4387bcd60da1cab5e975d6a" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-563" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="shopping-around-for-writing-work" src="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/shopping-around-for-writing-work-300x181.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="181" /><strong>Today, I&#8217;m happy to welcome Kerrie Spencer as a guest blogger. I&#8217;ve worked with Kerrie for a couple of years, and lately she&#8217;s been finding success with Elance, something that has <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/guru-and-elance-are-they-worth-it-for-writers/">eluded me</a> despite success on other bidding sites. I asked her to share her secrets.</strong></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve talked to a lot of writers who have nothing but bad experiences with Elance. This isn&#8217;t to say there aren&#8217;t bad things that happen, but if you know how to use the system, you can make it work FOR you rather than against you.</p>
<h3>Getting Personal With Bidding</h3>
<p>The main key to landing bids is how you place your bid! DUH! No seriously, bids should not be approached in a pro forma way, but in a personal way. And for heaven&#8217;s sake, use the Private Message Board (PMB) to pitch the potential client. Otherwise all and sundry (read your competition) will know what you said to land the bid.</p>
<p>The personal touch means talking to the person like they are &#8211; well &#8211; a person and not a client. Even if it means addressing them by their sometimes hilarious nicknames (we won&#8217;t go there!) just do it.</p>
<p>For instance if the nickname is a company name, just use it in your pitch. Talk to them like they were across the kitchen table from you swilling coffee. The people behind the call for bids appreciate being spoken to in a personal way. It also shows them you are approachable and know enough about human nature to take the time to personalize your bid.</p>
<p>When you join Elance, one of the first things they tell you is to personalize your bid. Would that more people would listen to that. I&#8217;ve read some really atrocious, stilted bids that came across like a bad infomercial. Fake even, more&#8217;s the pity. Clients aren&#8217;t so stupid that they can&#8217;t tell when the bid they get is thrown together.</p>
<p><span id="more-553"></span></p>
<h3>Perseverance</h3>
<p>Never underestimate the power of your bid. No, you won&#8217;t get everything you bid on for a variety of reasons: from your bid may be too high, to the client wanted someone with different expertise than you have. That happens. Just keep on bidding.</p>
<p>It takes awhile to get a following built up on Elance, so be prepared to work really hard for a long time. Choose categories you know you can write in and can prove it. Don&#8217;t try and wing it or that will show up on your feedback and take your percentage down.</p>
<h3>Hidden Penalties</h3>
<p>Having said that though, be aware that the price of the project you work on has as much to do with your feedback score as does the actual feedback received from client. More actually. If you work on a $50 project and get super feedback it actually lowers your ratings because the project amount wasn&#8217;t very high. Sucks doesn&#8217;t it? You bet it does, it means you&#8217;re being penalized for working for smaller amounts.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t get me wrong, the Elance system can be your best friend if you work with it to the best of your ability. It has its glitches; for instance you can&#8217;t bid less than $50 on a job and there are jobs posted for less than that. You need to be creative to figure out the way to work the system.</p>
<p>Working with escrow bids is another whole can of worms that makes you rip your hair out by the roots. It&#8217;s designed to protect the buyer and the writer, but figuring out the milestones, changing terms of the business agreement, and funding milestones becomes a bit like a treasure hunt &#8211; one where you don&#8217;t always find the prize.</p>
<h3>Paying The Price</h3>
<p>Be aware too that Elance will charge you a fee between 6.75 percent and 8.75 percent when your project is completed. That is a percentage based on the cost of your project. This seems to be the reason why a great number of freelancers eventually opt to deal with their clients directly and vice versa.</p>
<p>While it makes sense for them to charge a fee, it can certainly cut into the bottom line unless your bottom line runs into the thousands of dollars. When you&#8217;re writing and doing it on your own, thousands of dollars takes a long time to become a reality.</p>
<p>Bottom line is? Elance is a good system that has it moments of inexplicable idiocy, but it&#8217;s better than anything else out there. Just remember to be personal. It will win you more business, and with some luck good friends who will give you repeat business.</p>
<p><em>For more information or to just drop by and say hello, Kerrie Spencer can be found hanging out on <a href="http://spiritwriters.elance.com">Elance</a> or <a href="http://www.zoocrews.ca/spiritwriters/index.html">Spiritwriters</a>. Feel free to email her on kspencer [at] sasktel [dot] net.</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-to-find-success-with-elance/">How To Find Success With Elance</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/guru-and-elance-are-they-worth-it-for-writers/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Guru and Elance: Are They Worth It For Writers?'>Guru and Elance: Are They Worth It For Writers?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Querying And Bidding Strategies'>Querying And Bidding Strategies</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully'>Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/how-to-find-success-with-elance/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Querying And Bidding Strategies</title>
		<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/</link>
		<comments>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:14:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sharon Hurley Hall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[bidding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get paid to write]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A post from Allena Tapia made me think more about the process of querying for freelance writing work. The post outlined all the stuff that writers sell to editors along with their idea when they pitch to a magazine. At the end of the post, Allena asked three questions: How long do you spend on [...]<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/">Querying And Bidding Strategies</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/smart-freelance-bidding/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Smart Freelance Bidding'>Smart Freelance Bidding</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/setting-freelance-writing-goals/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Setting Freelance Writing Goals'>Setting Freelance Writing Goals</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/seven-steps-to-a-professional-bid/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Seven Steps To A Professional Bid'>Seven Steps To A Professional Bid</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fquerying-and-bidding-strategies%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fquerying-and-bidding-strategies%2F&amp;source=shurleyhall&amp;style=compact&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;service_api=6d9def61b4387bcd60da1cab5e975d6a" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/testwp/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/fountain-pen.jpg"><img class="alignright alignnone size-medium wp-image-527" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="fountain-pen" src="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/fountain-pen.jpg" alt="It\'s useful to have templates for bidding and querying." width="300" height="225" /></a>A post from <a href="http://freelancewrite.about.com/b/2008/04/17/queries-what-are-we-really-selling.htm">Allena Tapia</a> made me think more about the process of querying for freelance writing work. The post outlined all the stuff that writers sell to editors along with their idea when they pitch to a magazine. At the end of the post, Allena asked three questions:</p>
<blockquote><p>How long do you spend on a query? Do you use a form letter that you simply change up? Any hints on streamlining the process?</p></blockquote>
<p>I pitch most of my work to those buying web content, and I thought it was worth replying to those questions here.</p>
<h3>Streamlining The Query Process</h3>
<p>I&#8217;ll start with the last question first. I found it essential to streamline the querying process. If you want to win bids, especially when you&#8217;re starting out, you have to bid for a lot of work. That means you can&#8217;t be writing bids from scratch every time. That&#8217;s part of the reason I have an online <a href="http://sharonhh.com/resume/">resume</a> and <a href="http://sharonhh.com/testimonials/">testimonials</a>, so that I can send potential clients there to look at what I&#8217;ve done. (I confess that it&#8217;s not as up to date as it should be, but I am working on that.) It also gives me a handy list of links to my work so I can choose the appropriate ones when bidding.<span id="more-524"></span></p>
<h3>A Matter Of Form</h3>
<p>That brings me to the second question &#8211; the form letter. Yes, I have a form letter. It contains a paragraph which outlines my experience, a paragraph with examples of the writing I can do, a bid amount, a paragraph with links to my resume and testimonials and an invitation to contact me for more information. That&#8217;s the basis of every bid. However, I do change it depending on what I am bidding for. I change the examples and I highlight different parts of my experience.</p>
<h3>Starting From Scratch</h3>
<p>Sometimes I throw out the form letter altogether and start from scratch. In some cases, that&#8217;s because the form letter doesn&#8217;t meet the criteria. Some potential clients ask you to bid in a particular way, in which case I do. Sometimes something comes along that I&#8217;m so enthusiastic about that I want a fresh start. Only you will know when it&#8217;s right to do that. As an example, today someone posted a job about articles on house moving. As a serial mover, I have the personal experience as well as the writing experience and I wanted my bid to reflect that.</p>
<h3>Taking Some Time</h3>
<p>Allena&#8217;s first (or final, depending on how you look at it) question was about how long I spend on a query. Again, that varies. If I have bid template and only need to change a line, then I can have a bid ready in a couple of minutes. If I am starting from scratch and the stakes are high, then I may spend 20 minutes (longer, if I have to include samples or other supporting material). Here&#8217;s a tip, though. Whenever you do a bid, query or proposal that you think is really great, save a copy in a bids folder on your computer so that you can use the format again. And make a note of which types of bids work best for you.</p>
<div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6a1d0e70-a281-469d-a36d-9f60d69501a7" class="wlWriterSmartContent" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tags/bidding">bidding</a>,<a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tags/get%20paid%20to%20write">get paid to write</a>,<a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tags/writing">writing</a>,freelance writing.</div>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/">Querying And Bidding Strategies</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/smart-freelance-bidding/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Smart Freelance Bidding'>Smart Freelance Bidding</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/setting-freelance-writing-goals/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Setting Freelance Writing Goals'>Setting Freelance Writing Goals</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/seven-steps-to-a-professional-bid/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Seven Steps To A Professional Bid'>Seven Steps To A Professional Bid</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Smart Freelance Bidding</title>
		<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/smart-freelance-bidding/</link>
		<comments>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/smart-freelance-bidding/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:33:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sharon Hurley Hall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[bidding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/smart-freelance-bidding/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a sequel (sort of) to my recent post on bidding, I&#8217;ve written a post for Writing White Papers called Freelance Bidding: The SMART Approach. It applies one formula for goal setting &#8211; the SMART approach &#8211; to the task of bidding for and winning freelance writing work. Have a look, and be sure to [...]<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/smart-freelance-bidding/">Smart Freelance Bidding</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Querying And Bidding Strategies'>Querying And Bidding Strategies</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/organizing-your-freelance-writing-career/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Organizing Your Freelance Writing Career'>Organizing Your Freelance Writing Career</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/making-it-as-a-freelance-writer-tip-8-copyright-rent-dont-sell/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Making It As A Freelance Writer &#8211; Tip #8 &#8211; Copyright: rent, don&#8217;t sell'>Making It As A Freelance Writer &#8211; Tip #8 &#8211; Copyright: rent, don&#8217;t sell</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fsmart-freelance-bidding%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Fsmart-freelance-bidding%2F&amp;source=shurleyhall&amp;style=compact&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;service_api=6d9def61b4387bcd60da1cab5e975d6a" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>As a sequel (sort of) to my recent post on <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/">bidding</a>, I&#8217;ve written a post for Writing White Papers called <a href="http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2008/02/22/smart-bidding/">Freelance Bidding: The SMART Approach</a>.</p>
<p>It applies one formula for goal setting &#8211; the SMART approach &#8211; to the task of bidding for and winning freelance writing work. Have a look, and be sure to let me know what you think.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/smart-freelance-bidding/">Smart Freelance Bidding</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/querying-and-bidding-strategies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Querying And Bidding Strategies'>Querying And Bidding Strategies</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/organizing-your-freelance-writing-career/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Organizing Your Freelance Writing Career'>Organizing Your Freelance Writing Career</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/making-it-as-a-freelance-writer-tip-8-copyright-rent-dont-sell/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Making It As A Freelance Writer &#8211; Tip #8 &#8211; Copyright: rent, don&#8217;t sell'>Making It As A Freelance Writer &#8211; Tip #8 &#8211; Copyright: rent, don&#8217;t sell</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/smart-freelance-bidding/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully</title>
		<link>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/</link>
		<comments>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:40:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sharon Hurley Hall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Freelance Writing Questions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bidding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get paid to write]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the mysteries for new freelance writers is how to bid for jobs. As a new writer, you often have no idea what to charge or what clients are looking for. Sure, you can write, but bidding is about selling yourself so you can get the chance to show your skills. I&#8217;ll say up [...]<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/">Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-avoiding-scams/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: Avoiding Scams'>Freelance Writing Questions: Avoiding Scams</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-say-goodbye/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: How To Say Goodbye'>Freelance Writing Questions: How To Say Goodbye</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-creating-a-writing-business/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: Creating A Writing Business'>Freelance Writing Questions: Creating A Writing Business</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Ffreelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getpaidtowriteonline.com%2Ffreelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully%2F&amp;source=shurleyhall&amp;style=compact&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;service_api=6d9def61b4387bcd60da1cab5e975d6a" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>One of the mysteries for new freelance writers is how to bid for jobs. As a new writer, you often have no idea what to charge or what clients are looking for. Sure, you can write, but bidding is about selling yourself so you can get the chance to show your skills.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll say up front that I&#8217;m not speaking as a bidding expert. In the days when I used to apply for jobs, I used to have a near 100% success rate with landing interviews. Bidding is much harder, in part because the competition is even stiffer. Still, although I get a lot of my work from my other promotional efforts, I&#8217;ve managed to win bids when it has really counted. Here&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve learned.</p>
<h3>1. Choose Your Targets Wisely</h3>
<p><a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/target.jpg"><img src="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/target-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px none ; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px" alt="Choose your targets wisely to help with bidding success." align="right" border="0" height="137" width="204" /></a></p>
<p>OK; I&#8217;ll admit that the more you bid, the more chance you have of getting a few wins, but there&#8217;s no point in bidding for things that you are not qualified for. My most successful bids have been those where I have been able to bid with confidence because:</p>
<ul>
<li>I have done that type of work before</li>
<li>I have published clips I can show</li>
<li>I know the field well</li>
<li>I know where to find relevant information</li>
</ul>
<p>Here&#8217;s a recent example. I happened to see a project on <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/first-experience-with-getafreelancer/" target="_blank">GetAFreelancer</a> for someone to write some financial articles. It happened that I had written on this subject for other clients, knew the terminology and knew the sites that would make good sources. That meant that I matched the client&#8217;s requirements; all I had to do was prove it.</p>
<h3>2. Make A Match</h3>
<p>In this instance, the client had a list of points that he needed bidders to address. They related to the subject matter, the keyword requirements, the type of English (UK) and the deadline. My bid addressed all of these issues. Here&#8217;s what I said:</p>
<blockquote><p><small>I am an expert keyword article writer. I have ghostwritten more than 150 articles on rent back, quick house sales and repossession and I understand both the legal process and how to stop repossession with a quick house sale. </small></p>
<p><small>I will provide error free, Copyscape proof rewrites in UK English within the specified deadline. Please see my website (http://sharonhurleyhall.com) for further examples of my work and testimonials from my clients. </small></p>
<p><small>My bid is based on a rate of $xx per article, which reflects my expertise in the topic. I look forward to working with you. My rewrite sample is pasted below. </small></p></blockquote>
<p>As you can see, my bidding letter was very short. I highlighted:</p>
<ul>
<li>my expertise</li>
<li>my knowledge of the client&#8217;s target subject</li>
<li>his requirements</li>
<li>additional reasons to hire me</li>
<li>the rate I required</li>
</ul>
<p>My bid was a combination of selling myself generally as a writer (establishing my expertise and providing testimonials to support this) and showing how I could meet the client&#8217;s needs.</p>
<h3>3. Show What You Can Do</h3>
<p>Sometimes clients want proof that you can do the job they plan to hire you for. It&#8217;s true that sometimes this is a <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-avoiding-scams/" target="_blank">scam</a>, but at other times it&#8217;s on the level. You&#8217;ll learn to distinguish between the real cases and the BS. I&#8217;ve had to provide two samples recently. One was for the bid above; the other was for another site, which said that I would not be paid for the sample, but that I would own the copyright. Under those circumstances, I had no hesitation in writing the sample required. I saw it as an investment, which matured quickly when I got a paying gig.</p>
<h3>4. Clarify The Brief</h3>
<p>I find it useful to ask a lot of questions up front. Some things may seem small, but in my experience, the more you find out at the start of a project, the more likely it is that you will be able to deliver it successfully. In the GetAFreelancer project, I realised half way through that I would be short one article, so I asked the client if there were any keywords he wanted me to reuse. In fact, I communicated with him throughout the project, whenever I needed clarification. This kept things ticking over smoothly and he was happy at the end.</p>
<h3>5.  Deliver</h3>
<p><a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/delivery-van.jpg"><img src="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/delivery-van-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px none ; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px" alt="Delivering on time will help you to get more writing clients." align="left" border="0" height="165" width="244" /></a></p>
<p>Once you&#8217;ve followed those four steps, it&#8217;s really up to the client. As writers, we are no longer in control. However, once you clinch the deal, then it&#8217;s up to you to make it work for you. Deliver what was promised when it was promised and you will get good feedback, referrals and even more work. You&#8217;ll also gain the confidence to make more successful bids.</p>
<p class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e4e3d1b9-8abf-4a5c-a1f2-f40c4f9e11de" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/freelance%20writing" rel="tag">freelance writing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/writing%20business" rel="tag">writing business</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bidding" rel="tag">bidding</a></p>
<p><a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/freelance-writing-questions-small.thumbnail.jpg" title="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/freelance-writing-questions-small.thumbnail.jpg"><br />
</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/">Freelance Writing Questions: How To Bid Successfully</a> was originally published on <a href="http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com">Get Paid to Write Online</a>, copyright 2005-2010, owned by <a href="http://sharonhh.com">Sharon Hurley Hall</a>. If you are not reading this in an RSS reader, please <a href="http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/contact">contact Sharon</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-avoiding-scams/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: Avoiding Scams'>Freelance Writing Questions: Avoiding Scams</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-say-goodbye/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: How To Say Goodbye'>Freelance Writing Questions: How To Say Goodbye</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-creating-a-writing-business/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Freelance Writing Questions: Creating A Writing Business'>Freelance Writing Questions: Creating A Writing Business</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/freelance-writing-questions-how-to-bid-successfully/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
