Quote: (09-04-2013 09:36 PM)MattC Wrote:
I earn over 2 grand a month in my full time job so I really don't care about money from this at the moment. I'm thinking longer term and by January want to be able to find work without too much hassle (which I guess is done by having a decent sized portfolio and 5-10 reputation points as a good base) as that's when I'll be relying on this full time. If that means putting up $5 an hour to get a few jobs now then so be it.
What do you reckon?
I reckon you should try to get better-compensated for your time even if the money is a non-issue right now. The better work you do, the better it'll look on your portfolio too. And if someone looks in your feedback and sees you've been doing jobs very cheaply for a long time, they might view you as a bottom-dollar writer.
A couple cheap jobs to start and get a couple feedbacks is okay, but after that you want to move up.
You'll probably be fine according to your goals either way, but why not strive higher? A little extra income never hurts.
On another note, if you're absolutely set on just focusing on building your portfolio for now and don't want to spend time marketing, why not just contact some non-profits and offer pro-bono work. You'll probably put more effort into it knowing it's all portfolio rather than for a measly $5 an hour. It'll make you look better in your portfolio, and it may eventually lead to high-paying work through the same organization or through referrals.
You might even specifically ask for referrals after establishing a relationship.
Quote: (09-05-2013 01:35 AM)scandibro Wrote:
As a buyer on those kind of sites, one of the things that make me stay away is the abundance of indians and filipinos scamming people or delivering very poor work.
I'd only use it to get started and getting some feedback.
Quite honestly, I think most would have better luck selling their services somewhere like here.
There are much better places to sell than Elance, and the abundance of Indians and Filipinos scamming people is aggravating. But they also make it easier to stand out and compete if you offer real professionalism.
I've had a few members here email me to say they're getting good work using some of the methods I've outlined, so Elance is definitely still not dead.
Quote: (09-10-2013 10:12 AM)bojangles Wrote:
I tried doing this, looking indian probably does not help my cause considering what you've just said above.
Bojangles, what did you try doing? And how hard did you try? Did you just bid a few jobs or did you bid a few hundred jobs?
Looking Indian shouldn't hurt your case if your profile doesn't say you're in India. If you're worried it may, buy a stock photo or use a photo of a friend (with permission). Maybe you could even post a request on fiverr to use someone's photo...
I know it sucks to hide who you are, but why not game the system? Not only that but it creates more anonymity for you, which is never a bad thing, in my personal opinion.
If you have an Indian name, consider making up a pen name. Again, sucks to hide who you are, but I personally like to work the realities of market. I use a pen name just for privacy. There are countless stories of authors who use pen names to sell books - sometimes even "changing" their gender to better suit the market.
Beyond All Seas
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling