How to Use Upwork to Find Freelance Writing Work
A guide to using Upwork for finding freelance writing clients.
Upwork is where I got my start. I was scared of writing for people and then sucking, so I started on a content mill with low paying jobs. I figured if they were only paying $5 for the article, it didn’t matter if it was bad, ha!
Some freelancers swear by Upwork and it’s their main source of income. Other people believe it’s too difficult to find good-paying jobs and the platform charges too much for usage.
How to Use Upwork
Here I’ll tell you how to get started on Upwork, how to find good-paying jobs, and how you can use this platform to build your portfolio.
Upwork is a web-based platform connecting freelancers with remote work.
It is a paid platform which means you pay for ‘connects’ to pitch jobs and then you pay a percentage of your earnings from the job.
Connects cost 15 cents each. Upwork anticipates freelancers will spend approximately $5 per month find jobs.
Most jobs require between 2–5 connects so it’s about 30–75 cents per job. In my experience, it takes between 10–20 pitches to land one job. If you’re spending 75 cents per connect and pitching 20 times, that’s $15/month.
Honestly not a ton of money, but since I’ve had luck with other avenues, this isn’t my go-to method for finding jobs.
What to Say in Your Intro
I’ve probably rewritten my Upwork profile at least a hundred times. You can change it as often as you want. The more confident you get at writing, the better you’ll be able to market yourself.
Make sure you write something catchy, people aren’t struck by “Experienced Writer” when they’re scrolling through 356 profiles looking for the best fit.
Answer the searcher's question, when a business goes on to Upwork to find a freelancer, think about what they’re searching. i.e. “web copy expert”, then put that in your title.
Don’t worry if you’re not an expert. Say yes to everything and learn on the job.
Listing Your Skills
Anything you’ve ever done you can use as a skill. Just be creative.
If you’re struggling to come up with skills, leave a comment here and tell me what jobs you’ve had if you’re a stay-at-home-parent, whatever, and we can brainstorm skills together.
Creating Writing Samples
Most jobs will require you to have writing samples. It’s quick and simple to create a few samples. I do recommend that you update them though as soon as you find work.
Don’t put too much time or effort into your initial samples. Here is a step-by-step to creating a writing portfolio.
Want to learn how to get started making money from home? Get your FREE Guide to Freelance Writing (for beginners!) here.
