Elance is a popular website for freelance writers, graphic designers, website builders, illustrators, translators and even sales and marketing. They have eight job titles to choose from.
To sign up at Elance simply fill out the form and decide if you want a free membership or a paid membership. You will need to choose a screen name and decide how you want to be paid. They offer PayPal, a debit card, or money transfer.
With each membership you get a certain amount of connects a free membership gives you one connect and the standard membership gives you 20 for $9.95. You also have the option to buy more connects; 10 connects cost $5.00 each and you can purchase as many as you like.
There are three types of job listings, the first one is under $500, the second is up to $1000 and the third is more than $1000. To place a bid on the first type of listing (the $500 and under) you will use one connect. The second (up to $1000) will cost you 2 connects and third will cost you four connects.
If you want to sponsor your bid so it is at the top of the list this will cost you an additional connect and there are only two sponsored positions available for each job.
When you sign in and find a job you like you place a bid on it. For example a buyer is looking for a provider to write 20 articles on pet care, they must be 500 words long and include 3 keywords a minimum of 10 times in each article. As the bidder you will decide how much you want to bid on the project if you bid $150 you will then want to add Elance fee % to your bid which ranges from 4% to 6% of the total bid amount. Always try to include those fees in your bid. You will also be asked for a time frame of how long it will take you do complete the job, always be sure to give yourself enough time.
Once your bid is awarded you will begin communication with the buyer in the workroom which is a private message center for you and the buyer. If you have any questions about the project make sure you ask them before you click the accept button.
When you first start at Elance it is best to take the free tests. They offer close to three dozen skills tests. This will show the buyer you are capable of doing the job. Also add at least 3 types of written work to your portfolio. Buyers always want to see a sample of your work.
Fill out your profile page and have your education and or personal references verified each verification will cost you $15.
Now to make money at Elance you must be patient and bid a little lower than you would like. With no feedback from other buyers a red flag is sent up alerting the buyer that you are a newbie. Regardless of how many articles or books you have written you are still a newbie.
If you write a well written proposal and provide the buyer with a well written sample that is similar to the project they have posted in addition to a lower bid you have a better chance of getting your first few jobs. By lower bid I don't mean offer to write 50 articles for $50 if you would like to charge $10 an article then shave that price down to $6, you're not selling your self short you're establishing yourself as a writer on Elance.
Once you become established you can pretty much charge within reason and their chosen budget selection however much you want. As an example my 12th project on Elance was for 23 casino reviews (word count min 200) I earned $500!
If you pay your dues in the beginning you will be rewarded with higher paying jobs and repeat customers. I currently write a newsletter for a buyer that takes about 15 minutes and I am paid $55 for my services.
In the beginning it can be discouraging but don't give up just keep biding the feeling you get when that first buyer chooses your bid is nothing less than amazing and it just gets better from there.
A few things to keep in mind the minimum bid on Elance is $50 NEVER bid under the minimum, Elance frowns upon that and always use Elance escrow payments or Elance if you use PayPal or any other type of payment service your account will be suspended indefinitely.
Several writers that I know make a living by just writing for Elance if they can do it so can you! Check it out for yourself Elance.