I just received my ideal job offer to proofread movie scripts and whatnot from "Paid Online Writing Jobs" at a fantastic rate. Seems too good to be true from the getgo and the site seems incredibly sketchy. Now I'm being told that I have 30 mins to pay $1 to secure my position? I'm 99% sure that it's a scam, but can anyone please confirm?

Hey, everyone. I’ve been writing content for over a decade online. I do just about everything; writing blog posts is my favorite, but I also do plenty of website copy and ad copy. I ghost write almost everything; it’s very rare for me to have anything published under my own name (which is the way I like it).

At any given time, I usually have between 10-20 clients, and work 40+ hours a week. Whenever possible, I aim for long-term work. That is the key to getting out of the feast or famine “business model” (let’s face it—feast or famine isn’t really success) of being a freelancer. I've also experimented beyond freelance writing, but continue to focus on writing as my primary source of income.

Over the years, I have experimented with a whole lot of different platforms to find work, some well-known, others not as much. As a writer, your job should be writing and getting paid, not scrambling around searching desperately for clients. In the hopes that this helps some people earlier in their freelancing careers, I’ve put together a run-down of all of the freelance platforms I’ve used and their pros and cons.

The Best Freelance Writing Platforms (and Alternatives):

Upwork:

If there is just one name that springs to mind in freelancing, it is probably Upwork. On the plus side, there are many millions of active users, so you can find a ton of potential clients and gigs on this site. If you get to be really skilled at bidding and/or find some repeat clients, business can be good.

There are downsides, however. Competition is fierce. You need to pay for “Connects” to apply for gigs beyond the first few each month. There are also hefty commissions (the fee can range as high as 20%). I originally started on UpWork, but the nickel and diming for everything now has pushed a lot of the better freelancers and clients out.

Facebook Groups:

There are a number of Facebook groups that function as marketplaces for freelance writing. Out of all of them, there are only a couple that I can really recommend. I have found some work through The Copywriting Job Hub. But the best one by far is Cult of Copy Job Board.

Rates are usually decent through these groups, and competition is not as intense as it is through a major freelancing site like Upwork or Fiverr. Some clients here do not really seem serious/ready to hire (they do not know what they want), but others are fantastic. Your best bet here is to wait for something in your niche to come along, and then apply. There is no middleman, no limitations and no fees.

Contra:

Related to finding jobs off of traditional freelance sites is Contra. Unlike Upwork, Contra charges zero commissions, and you can submit proposals to jobs for free. That means you can apply to as many jobs as you want, and keep more of the money you earn. If you want premium features such as advanced portfolio customization, you can pay for Contra Pro (basic Contra is 100% free). Basically, it works similarly to UpWork but with greater focus on North America based employers that tend to pay better + no fees.

It has all the major advantages of UpWork (ease of booking for clients, portfolio, reviews, etc. in one place), but lets you offer all of that without fees. I use it as my primary platform for clients I get directly. I still get clients on UpWork as well, but if you have a solid portfolio I'd highly recommend Contra as it avoids the lowballing of UpWork.

Any downsides? First, it's heavily focused on US based employers and most of the clients I've seen have been tech or startup related. If you don’t have a portfolio or writing to show clients, you’ll likely have a harder time than Fiverr/UpWork as you can’t bid under $25/hour. Overall, there are less clients than UpWork for the same reason. I can’t speak to that myself as I joined with a fair bit of writing experience, but if you’re less experienced, I’d recommend using it alongside the others and seeing what works best for you.

Fiverr:

Another top site for freelance writers is Fiverr. Like Upwork, the biggest advantage of Fiverr is how big it is. Unlike Upwork, Fiverr does not have a bidding system. Whether that’s a plus or a minus depends on how you like to work, but I appreciate that it is less of a time sink (plus, I am not spending money on proposals).

Alas, Fiverr is notoriously hard to break into because the competition is insane. I can confirm from my own experiences that this is the case. The market is flooded, and getting started is tough. Also, just like Upwork, Fiverr eats a chunk of your earnings through commissions. If you have a particular niche that you can turn into a Fiverr service (i.e. flat rate), it’s worth trying--just be sure to factor the fees into your rates.

I can also see it working as a lead generation tool, where you'd offer a flat rate service to get client leads and then upsell them on an ongoing relationship. Just beware that Fiverr has rules against working with clients off-site, so be sure to factor in their fees.

Freelancer:

Like Upwork, Freelancer.com is a site that has millions of active users. There are some things I like about it, like its on-page chat, competency tests, and flexible withdrawal options. And once again, you can find a ton of potential clients here.

There are some downsides. Just as on Upwork, those who pay the most stand the best chance of getting gigs. Also, I have not been too impressed with the quality of the gigs that I have found through this site.

PeoplePerHour:

PPH is a UK-based platform that can be good for content writers. Over a million businesses are here looking for freelancers, and there is a quality matching system.

The pros and cons are very similar to Upwork, actually. Just as I have found some decent jobs on Upwork, I have found some through PPH. But the fees on PPH are similar to those on Upwork, and once again, you have a limited number of free proposals you can make each month.

Forums:

One more solid option for finding freelance writing work that is often overlooked is through web forums. Examples include affiliate marketing forums like BlackHatWorld, Builder Society and Digital Point, as well as niche forums for webmasters.

This has been one of the best channels for me to find work. Costs are minimal, and I do not have to waste time writing bids/proposals. You can find quality, long-term clients on forums without paying commissions, and you can communicate outside the forums if you want. The biggest downside is that you will not get a ton of leads as most potential clients are spending all their time on big freelancing sites. So, alas, they are just as likely to overlook forums as your competitors are.

If you guys have any other questions about where to find freelance writing jobs or anything else, let me know and I'm happy to help where I can.