Today, I'm going to share my freelancing journey as a blog writer. How I started from freelancing sites to putting myself out there as an independent freelancer.
Disclaimer: I just started on this journey last year during the quarantine lockdown. I'm not a highly paid freelancer yet earning PHP 100,000 per month. (But that's the freedom goal 😉)
I made this post to celebrate my small wins. It's been a year since I decided to try and make a career out of freelancing 🥂 I also want to share that you can do it, too! We can create a substantial income stream from freelancing.
How I Started Freelancing
Kaycee Ports was the pen name I made for myself when I unknowingly went into freelancing in 2016.
I referred to them as my "online gigs" cause they made me feel productive while I was uncertain when I'd graduate from college. In those 6 months of gigs, I earned enough to pay for my own plane tickets (only!) during my first international trip with my parents to HK, Bangkok, Vietnam, and back to the PH in 2017.
Most of that money didn't come from blog writing though — I only earned $0.005/word for a 1,500-word WordPress article.
But still, I enjoyed the process of writing. Not so much about the topic (essential oils 😴), but the writing process. So, I didn't mind accepting those kinds of projects.
I discovered I could make money by writing blog articles for other people. Somehow, I already knew this was my prized skill (or call it passion).
- In elementary, my favorite subjects were English and Reading Comprehension.
- Still, in elementary, I wrote one article piece for our school paper.
- In high school, I joined a journalism contest wherein I tried to learn the different types of writing styles. I thought the closest style I liked was feature writing. But it didn't really fit the puzzle snugly.
- In college, more attempts in learning about feature writing for our school org paper. Whatever happened to The Reactor, @glecerioberto ? Haha!
When I was trying to know what my ikigai was, blog writing was the obvious answer for me. Oh yeah, the first step to being a freelancer? Find your ikigai — know what you love, what you're good at, what you can be paid for, and what the world wants.
For me, that was blog writing. But that didn't come clear to me yet until I got my first legit client last year in July 2020. I had to go through low-baller clients before I realized what freelancing is really all about.
My Worst Freelancing Experience Yet
I can still remember when I was freelancing through Upwork last year of May. For a fixed price of $5, I researched a topic that didn't interest me at all just to write a 3,000-word article. For 5 bucks, I said yes coz I got nothing better to do than stare up at the ceiling while our company was on a no-work-no-pay situation because of the lockdown. I still had income flow, but it was deducted from my leaves and 13th-month pay. I had enough to go by thanks to my emergency fund (I was still building it that time) and the government's cash assistance.
I had to do something. So I accepted the offer.
I was able to take in 5 more 3,000-word articles until I couldn't take it anymore and humbly asked for a raise. The client's budget couldn't budge to accommodate my request, so I stopped. I was supposed to earn $30 for all that. But after Upwork fees were deducted, I got $24. A lot of effort for a very small price.
Friends, this is not how freelancing is supposed to be like.
Freelancing is one of the most lucrative income streams nowadays, especially during this pandemic. I know a fair share of freelancers who earn more than PHP 100,000/month while working less than 8 hours a day in the comfort of their own homes!
What is freelancing, anyway?
For those who aren't familiar with freelancing, freelancers serve as outsourced experts who help clients solve their problems and achieve their business goals. If you're reading this and you're interested in freelancing your skills, then the second step to freelancing is to debunk the misconceptions. Freelancing is not just a home-based/online job. You are not out there doing "gigs" — you are out there doing business with clients. Let's clear that misconception first. Take a look at this video.
Amazing, right? Bye bye 9-5 job, bye overtime. Hello to being your own boss — no one telling you you can't take the leave or having to work on the weekends just to finish your output.
How I "Met" My Freelancing Coach
I did not find a mentor on purpose.
There were no Google searches for "freelancing mentors in the Philippines".
Luckily, my mentor found me. Char! 🤣
I meant Facebook's algorithm thought I needed the help of a mentor when I scrolled upon one of her Facebook ads not long after I quit that Upwork gig. I didn't want to give up freelancing, I just wanted to know how to do it right.
And so when I saw this young Cebuana talking about freelancing in perfect English while she was on a vacation in Siargao, I felt the pull to listen to her.
Her name is Demi Bernice and she's my freelancing coach. She's the well-spoken lady in the video above. Right there and then, I wanted to enroll in her Academy — the Create & Rise Academy (CRA) — after I finished the ad. Yeah, I was sucked into her sales funnel haha!
The enrollment fee was around PHP 6,000 during that time (May or June 2020). Even though my resources were limited, I was still willing to use some of my emergency funds for the enrollment fee. But I wanted to make sure the money is worth it so I practiced due diligence.
So my personal tips for looking for a mentor are:
- Make sure they walk the talk. Know their story. What makes them the right person to be giving valuable advice?
- Check their socials. Are they giving free valuable strategies and freelancing tips already? For me, Demi's Youtube Channel alone can be a great mentorship platform. But if you want everything to be organized and systematic, there goes the enrollment fee.
- If you feel in your gut that someone could be your mentor, take a risk. You'll never grow if you don't. Think of it as an investment. In CRA, I earned back my enrollment fee (and more!) after 2 months.
- Try to see if your mentor has created a supportive community out of their training. You'll need the help of people that are going through the same process as you anyway. Sometimes, when your mentor is too busy doing other things, the community manager or the mentees themselves can answer your questions.
5 Practices I Changed To Become A Better Freelance Blog Writer
After I enrolled in CRA, I watched and read all the modules (edit: not all, I watch the modules that are applicable to where I am in the roadmap). And begin to apply them to practice one step at a time.
Here are the game-changing practices I've done for me to become a better freelance blog writer — that doesn't mean I earn a lot. No, not yet by my standards, at least. But, better in the sense that I know now what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.
🎯 I FOCUSED ON ONE SKILL
Let's see. I've done product descriptions, data entry, transcribing audio files, answering online questions, proofreading, rewriting articles, scriptwriting, copywriting, and web content writing. I thought doing all sorts of things will give me more coverage to paying clients.
Well, it did. Just not the right clients.
I learned that focusing on one skill will help your case when you say you're an expert freelancer. You can't do everything for everyone. So, pick your skill of focus.
I was torn between copywriting and blog writing. I knew copywriting was on-demand especially for the e-commerce industry like Amazon product descriptions. But, honestly, I feel sluggish whenever I copywrite. Blogging, on the other hand, may take longer to write but I enjoy learning about the topic as I research on it, and even more when I write about it. It's like I'm getting paid to learn! 😉
So if you're still starting out, choose one skill.
Just one.
You don't have to be really good at it. You just have to start and then you continue upskilling every day.
🎯 I NICHED DOWN
I tried writing topics on HVAC systems, ticket agencies, Judaica, technology, education, weightlifting gloves, essential oils, digital art, hairstyling, etc.
I needed money 🤷♀ And I thought, anything that can be researched, I can write.
It wasn't until I came across my first legit client that I determined what my niche was. He's an owner of a start-up blog on personal finance. I genuinely look forward to writing articles about investments, insurance, financial planning, etc.
Then, it dawned on me — personal finance is my niche!
It made sense because I've been into the topic myself since I opened my first mutual funds account in 2017. Plus, I'm a financial consultant and investments advisor for Prulife UK (another funny story to tell for some other time). The search is over 😍
Finding your niche is a process of self-discovery — so be experimental and be patient.
The goal is to create your branding. For example, if your niche is parenting, you have to make sure that when first-time parents are confused and need some answers, you're their go-to person. Because you've given so much value in that particular niche, you already placed yourself as an expert. And freelancers are not just paid because of their skill only — but their experience. If you've spent 10+ years writing on the same niche, the best clients won't wonder why you charge high.
🎯 I STAYED AWAY FROM FREELANCING SITES
Because freelancing sites like Upwork and Fiverr are saturated with blog writers.
Competition is so tough, that a lot of paying clients are on the lookout for the cheapest service with the fastest delivery. It's a win for them, but it spells burnout for me.
I'm speaking only from experience. It took me more than 3 reviews before my Upwork profile was approved. My rate was a pathetic $5/hour. When I earned my income, Upwork takes a bite of it before handing it to me. Perhaps, I entered when an overflowing stream of service providers was crowding in Upwork.
I also tried Fiverr when Upwork didn't work out. It was a better experience. I earned $0.01/word over there, but the stream of clients wasn't consistent. I didn't like waiting for someone to stumble into my profile and pick me.
My opinions were validated when my mentor felt the same way! I couldn't leverage my rates because I can be easily compared with others. Plus, I was a newbie. How can I dictate my own rate when more experienced writers were available?
So, I went rogue 🤣 I'm kidding. Of course, we had some guidance in the Academy. I learned how to approach clients from Facebook and Linkedin groups. I learned how to make my own contracts, invoices, and my payment channels. If there's one key takeaway from quitting freelancing sites, it's learning how to create and market my brand. I even DIY-ed my logo using Canva (see byline in the end).
🎯 I CHARGED A PRICE THAT I WASN'T COMFORTABLE WITH
This bit is tricky because I have to decide what my worth is. I was taught that I should anchor my price because I am the only person of authority who knows what my worth is.
Now, for a terrified, intimidated beginner — that's a limiting belief that's hard to shatter. I don't want to shoo away opportunities just because I'm too expensive. The knee-jerk instinct is to be a people-pleaser. But of course, I also want to have an idea if my pricing is too low or too high. I want perspective.
In the Academy, we had a price list for different kinds of freelancing services. The price ranges were categorized by skill level — beginner, intermediate, advanced.
Even though I've been doing this since 2016, I considered myself a beginner because I have just decided on my skill of focus and niche.
As I mentioned, there were price ranges. Now, how should I name my price? My mentor Demi said:
Start charging what you’re uncomfortable with. This cumulative process of proving yourself wrong will bring you to great heights, both financially and mentally. Just keep on upskilling and charging what you’re uncomfortable with. Together, that combo can change your confidence as a freelancer.
What I felt comfortable with was $0.02/word which was the cheapest limit. I went with that rate when I was outsourced by a co-mentee and I was trained under her wing for a bit. But for my first client, I closed my eyes and typed out that my rate was $0.04/word. He agreed!
And when I found another client, I said my rate was $0.05/word. Again, he agreed! I feel the adrenaline every time I prove myself wrong. Just trust the process and do it anyway. Some people will decline, but the important outcome is — some people will see your value and pay your price 😍
So, keep upskilling. Make sure you offer something new to the table. And, charge a little bit higher than what you're comfortable with. Don't think too much about the outcome. Just try it. You never know 🙂
🎯 I NEGOTIATED WITH FOREIGN CLIENTS
This was the part that I avoided the most.
As an awkward introvert, I prefer everything to be discussed in email or over chat. I'm good with words when I write them.
But clients need to connect with you. So, talking to them over Skype or Zoom or Messenger is normal. It can be paralyzing at first, but you'll get the hang of it 😅
Here is my first team conference with my first client (he's German). We discussed the vision of my client's company together with the project manager, editor, and graphic designers I work with.
And here was my first legit discovery call with an Italian lady. It was so nerve-racking before the call. Although we didn't reach agreeable terms during the call, it was still a good learning experience for me.
I'm Going To Meet My Freelancing Coach and Co-Mentees This Week!!!
If you've read through everything and reached this point, thank you so much for your time and attention.
If ever you need help, advice, or just anyone to talk to about freelancing, feel free to comment down or connect with me through my email: [email protected].
Anyways, I haven't met my mentor yet in flesh. But this Friday, I finally will. She's going to hold a meet-up event here in Cebu for all her mentees. I'm going and I can't wait to share my experience here in Hive soon!
Till next time!
Interesting read, thanks for sharing. I was a staff writer with an american fun/educative website for a few years and it was quite good but eventually, you get tired of writing posts that someone else figure out and assign to you. I mean I love it here on Hive where I write about whatever I just feel like :) I´m sorry that you didn´t find us earlier, I am sure you wouldn´t have taken those terrible $5 posts at Upwork if you had already been on Hive...
That's quite interesting. Because I'm at the point where I like a topic that's already figured out. You know, with a rough outline of the talking points. All I have to do is find information to write about. Maybe because I'm still starting out? Or the client and I are thankfully on the same wavelength? Not sure tho 🤷♀ It's just cool to hear a different perspective from a writer as well.
I'm grateful to find Hive. It surely is a safe place for just anything you want to write about. But if not for my article from my Fiverr gig, @ybanezkim26 wouldn't have known I had a knack for writing. Then, I wouldn't have started earlier in Hive :) So it was part of the process 😅
Maybe it´s individual and you will enjoy this kind of work for long years :) I did it for like 3 years. Same before that with translations. I did mostly movies and TV documentaries so there was a great room for creativity (unlike with translating contracts, manuals and other boring technical stuff) but again, after some 3 years, I didn´t find it that cool anymore. Here on Hive though, I am already past that 3 year milestone and still enjoying it so hopefully, that´s something I will never get tired of :)
Heh, no surprise about @ybanezkim26, this guy has brought here an incredible amount of great people :)
Stop it you two, @kayceeports2020 and @phortun! I don't deserve the mention. 🤭
Wow, that's quite a lot of years of experience. But I'm glad you have settled here in Hive, still enjoying what you do after more than 3 years 😊 I hope the same goes for me, hehe.
Welcome back @kayceeports2020! I didn't know you've really become a serious freelancer.
Mangayo jud kog tips, for sure. Hahaha
Sorry hindi kinaya ang The Reactor. Hahaha. But it's not a closed chapter. Who knows, maybe we'll get to bring it back and finish it in the future. 😁
I'm still doing it part-time but yeah, it's for real najud. Panindigan na, slowly but surely 😆
I remembered lang David Cua nga mentoring session sa USC lib haha. Hopefully maybe the younger ones will continue the chapter 😍
kung kabalo lang ko na gusto ka mag study for virtual assistant/freelancing last year maka recommend ko og site na free katong sa DICT. sa among region kay ga offer pa japun sila until now, i dunno lang sa visayas pero ma schedule ata pero amaze ko nga imong mentor kay ang pinaka sikat nga freelancer hahah grabeh amazing!
Oh, I haven't heard about DICT. It was unplanned lang jud. Salamat facebook ads. And sa confidence ni Demi in front of the camera, it was easier for me to decide to pursue her training. And I didn't know that she's the most famous. I only know her man gud hahaha. Mas maka proud 👏🏼
Are you also a freelance VA, @jude.villarta ?
check mo lang they offer other courses pa pud other than freelancing, bali last year jud ang dghan nag try mag pursue sa VA unya saiyaha halos nag inquire, nag recommend ako friend nga saiyaha ko mag apply kaso naa lay payment hahaha sa free rako kay waz money tungod sa pandemic, she is famous for me though pero murag halos VA kaila saiyaha, pa hi nalang ko saiyaha charot hahaha
yes nag graduate ko og VA last december, pero wala jud ko nag work in line ana, i just enrolled to access sites to get client for digital illustrations but wala papud nako gi pursue nyahaha same saimoha mahadlok atobang for interview 😅 though yours went well which im amaze !! ❤️❤️
Yes, mostly VA, social media manager, and graphic designers ang naka enroll sa iyaha. Her trainings are more on marketing man pud as a freelancer, not really on the skills.
You should try, take it as a challenge nalang pud haha. Not all went well man as akoa. For some, we didn't agree with the workload and the pricing. But thankfully, I wasn't scammed yet. So yeah, just give it a try. Those clients that make time for you through an interview have high chances nga tarong na sila :)
swerte na tong imong gi work on nga sobra ka barato, hahaha try rako puhon puhon thank you kayceee
Hi, @kayceeports2020!
You are absolutely right. I've been a freelancer since 2010 and had many stumbles during my first few months. After several attempts on Freelancer, Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and more, the platform that worked for me was Upwork.
Hello, @charsdesign 😊 That's amazing! I also know a close friend who's a top-rated freelancer in Upwork. And another one who met a great client who gave her a Christmas bonus even if the client didn't have to. It depends where we decide our niche to be.
And I see that you're a graphic designer. If I want to add another skill on top of blog writing, that'd be graphic designing. It would be so handy especially in making the infographics needed for the blog content. But, soon one thing at a time.
Thanks for dropping by and see you around 👋
Entertaining read.
Thanks.
Thanks, @akumagai for dropping by and leaving a comment ♥️
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This is a such a cool post @kayceeports2020. As a freelancer myself, I agree with all the points you have mentioned. It's great to have talented people like you who are well versed with content creation & blogging.
$5 for a 3000-word topic is such a shame. Sadly, when you start, this is what you get for your efforts. As you move on and get more experience, you can charge more for the value you are providing.
I have done many jobs for free just to learn stuff, gain experience and get decent reviews. But don't do it too much! There has to be a line drawn when it comes to doing work for free.
Hello, @finguru ! It's so lovely talking to freelancers also here in Hive. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment ❤️
I can relate with the pro bono thing! Haha. It's also part of what we were taught. Find clients to do pro bono work so you have something to make of your portfolio to show to paying clients. Well, I skipped that part because I've done a fair share of underpaid work 😂 I moved on to paid test articles if prospects really want to see how I write a fresh article for them. No more pro bono hahaha. But yes for complete beginners, go with reasonable pro bono projects 😊
I experienced that $0.005/word. My first job only pays 300 per day, no work no pay basis. I had to accept the 10 articles per week for a min of 1000 words because I could barely receive 6000 per month in my full-time job. It was not enough. Transportation alone ate my salary--a total of three rides from my hometown to my workplace. Others wanted a holiday, but it's the opposite for me.
I lasted for 6 months in that article writing and decided to pursue blog writing. Later on, I found BitLanders, Steemit, and then Hive. Luckily, I got promoted and there was a major salary increase.
Now, I'm a freelancer. I started becoming one when the pandemic started. As of now, I'm enjoying my current work status. It's not totally related to writing, but I was able to combine a bit of writing and my course, which looks great to me.
There's a big opportunity out there for freelancers. But some people look down on us, like "Ay Freelancer diay ka?" "Wala man diay nay physical company." "So it's not a stable job." Haysss... Can I kalbo you one time? Char! haha
Ten 1,000-word articles in a week for $0.005/word rate?!! And you lasted 6 months? Girl, nasayo na korona! I mean, i think that client won't find success if he/she overworks and underpays writers. Creativity will run out 😩
Also, i have a lot of questions haha! What's your freelance service now? And what's your course? It's just that, I'm a chemical engr in environment and safety. I found a client whose niche is in green investments/finance, so it's perfect for me to combine my personal interest and profession 💚
Never mind those naysayers. Stability is a trap, anyway. Hahaha. You don't need a company coz you act as a consultant. So diba, laysho. Hahaha. Just focus on perfecting our craft. Then let our results speak for us 🙂
Thanks for your tips.
I also tried to be a blog writer, on fiverr, workana, pages as a freelancer, in none of the first two pages did I get jobs, nobody visited my profile. Then with some colleagues from the freelancer page we got bloggers of 500 to 1000 words at a free price and receiving a very rude attitude from the bosses. Well, it didn't work out. So far I have not managed to make it work, my niche is definitely medicine, and I need a consultant, I will look for them as soon as I can.
After fiverr and Upwork don't work, where did you direct your work?
Thanks for the guidance and a great post. Great job!
Gracias por tus consejos. Yo también intente ser escritora de blog, en fiverr, workana, paginas como freelancer, en ninguno de las dos primeras páginas obtuve trabajos, nadie visitaba mi perfil. Luego con unos compañeros desde la pagina de freelancer conseguimos escritoras de blog de 500 a 1000 palabras a un precio regalado y recibiendo una actitud de los jefes muy grosera. Bueno, no resulto. Hasta ahora no he logrado que resulte, mi nicho es la medicina definitivamente, y necesito un asesor, los buscaré en cuanto pueda.
Luego de que no funciona fiverr y Upwork a donde dirigiste tu trabajo?
Gracias por la orientación y una gran publicación. Gran trabajo!
Absolutely relatable. It's funny how low-budget clients have more audacity to be demanding haha. The best clients are just chill. My first client paid me my first month salary in advance without a contract. But be careful of others, too. I guess I was just lucky.
When Fiverr and Upwork didn't work for me. I joined Facebook and Linkedin groups. I also joined Reddit communities (altho i haven't had a client from there yet). In your case, your niche is medicine. So, join FB groups where doctors are lurking. Observe the posts, maybe they're conveying a problem that you can help in solving. Keep commenting in the posts and provide value. They'll notice you. And they'll think you're an expert coz you know what you're talking about.
As for me, I found my first client in an FB group for copywriting jobs. She was a VA for the client. She said she's looking for a finance blog writer. I went ahead and gave her a message. I told her why I'm in the position to help, and I offered to do a discounted test article 😊
Thank you for sharing your experience as a freelancer. Very interesting read.
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