Lex DeVille's: How to Make $1,000 a Week with no Degree, no Feedback, & no Portfolio.

[SlowlaneJay]

What do you think I've been trying to do?
I'm not offended at all.
I've been Trying to get hired this entire time. Applying to only copy jobs, writing ones as well. I've gotten 3 writing jobs so far. All 3 5 star rated feedback.
I'm not being picky. Anything that I feel I can do a good job at, I apply. It's been over 2 months I've gotten 3 jobs so far. That's not good.

Ah. My mistake, I thought you were still trying for number one. I don't know what to tell you. Guess it's just a matter of applying like a mo'F*cka until you find a job. That's about as scientific a method as I've been using

Make like your username and go get em!

 

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[x.Cam.x]

This thread is awesome. It's the reason I stopped lurking. I need to be part of this-funds are low and ambitions are sky high.
Congrats to everyone who took action (even if you're still trying).

I've updated my Elance profile, and I'm ready to give this a shot. Will post my results.

 

[masterneme]

All right, job completed and I received a 5 star rating and probably recurring work

I want to know something from you guys writing copy, because I've got an idea that might work but I didn't test it.

Have you thought about making money on the side with Fiverr?

I've been doing some research and there is people making "a lot" of money selling short copy and reviews, and they're probably using templates.

I'm sure that you could leverage your Elance/oDesk work/rating with some short of entry level gigs on Fiverr.

And, here is what I've been thinking about. Like in life, in Fiverr only the top rated guys are the ones getting the money because they have a lot of good reviews.

There are people exchanging reviews to climb the ladder. This means that they're spending money to get money.

But, what if you only need lots of views to rank up in the Fiverr search engine?

If this works the idea would be to build a bot that automatically visits all the gigs to get a lot of traffic improving the chance of better search rankings.

What do you think about this?

 

[David Fiddler]

All right, job completed and I received a 5 star rating and probably recurring work

I want to know something from you guys writing copy, because I've got an idea that might work but I didn't test it.

Have you thought about making money on the side with Fiverr?

I've been doing some research and there is people making "a lot" of money selling short copy and reviews, and they're probably using templates.

I'm sure that you could leverage your Elance/oDesk work/rating with some short of entry level gigs on Fiverr.

And, here is what I've been thinking about. Like in life, in Fiverr only the top rated guys are the ones getting the money because they have a lot of good reviews.

There are people exchanging reviews to climb the ladder. This means that they're spending money to get money.

But, what if you only need lots of views to rank up in the Fiverr search engine?

If this works the idea would be to build a bot that automatically visits all the gigs to get a lot of traffic improving the chance of better search rankings.

What do you think about this?

I don't see why we would play tricks on Fiverr to get 5 dollar gigs instead of just doing legit oDesk (now upwork ) work for good cash.

 

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[The Grind]

So I just realized my profile was set to private.

Does that mean nobody can view my profile? Cant find the answer since they just switched to upwork

 

[Twiizlar]

I just submitted my profile for review. How long does this usually take?

 

[The Grind]

I just submitted my profile for review. How long does this usually take?

Within a couple days.

Unless there are issues with your profile.

 

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[masterneme]

I don't see why we would play tricks on Fiverr to get 5 dollar gigs instead of just doing legit oDesk (now upwork ) work for good cash.

Hmmmm, that's probably right. I'll put it on my "Someday/Maybe" list and revise the idea in the future if I have time, sometimes is hard to keep my mind out of the I-want-to-hack-everything game

And I got an interview for another work.

 

[Timbonitus]

This thread is insane, I just read through the entire thing and now I know my proposals don't get anywhere. On that note, here's a cover letter I wrote just now, can someone take a look, and let me know if I'm doing it right?

Cover letter:

Hello.

I just wanted to let you know that I'm writing this by hand and I'm not copying and pasting applications to every job listing I come across. I'm interested in writing copy for your coaching service. There are just a few questions that I would like to ask you: what exactly does your coaching service cover? Do you have some testimonials? who is your idea target? older woman? teenagers? moms?

Once I have a clear picture of your coaching services, I'll do some research into your target demographic (who is your ideal client?) and then craft compelling copy that speaks directly to them on a personal level. It's important break down your service into a few specific - powerful - headings which explains the benefits in detail, and that's what I plan to do.

Let me know if you're interested, as you probably noticed, I'm new to oDesk, therefore my rates are lower than usual, but you'll soon notice that my work is just the same as copywriters who charge 10x my rate.

Hope to hear from you soon. I attached a sample sales page.

Regards,
Tim.

 

[Lex DeVille]

This thread is insane, I just read through the entire thing and now I know my proposals don't get anywhere. On that note, here's a cover letter I wrote just now, can someone take a look, and let me know if I'm doing it right?

Cover letter:

Hello.

I just wanted to let you know that I'm writing this by hand and I'm not copying and pasting applications to every job listing I come across. I'm interested in writing copy for your coaching service. There are just a few questions that I would like to ask you: what exactly does your coaching service cover? Do you have some testimonials? who is your idea target? older woman? teenagers? moms?

Once I have a clear picture of your coaching services, I'll do some research into your target demographic (who is your ideal client?) and then craft compelling copy that speaks directly to them on a personal level. It's important break down your service into a few specific - powerful - headings which explains the benefits in detail, and that's what I plan to do.

Let me know if you're interested, as you probably noticed, I'm new to oDesk, therefore my rates are lower than usual, but you'll soon notice that my work is just the same as copywriters who charge 10x my rate.

Hope to hear from you soon. I attached a sample sales page.

Regards,
Tim.

You're not far, but this isn't a winner.

What's the first word after Hello,? It's I.

Now, how many times did you use the word I in the first paragraph? I counted 6.

I just wanted doesn't focus on them. It tells them what you want. Your second sentence starts with I'm interested in, which puts the focus on you again. They don't care what you want or what you're interested in. How do you help them?

Your questions for them should come later. By putting them in the first paragraph it feels strange and out of order. This feeling extends into your second paragraph where it changes to a feeling of control, as though you're trying to tell them what they need by telling them what you'll do.

You also tell them that you'll speak to their prospects on a personal level, but it's not clear how you do it. This should be crystal clear to your client, because that's what they personally want to read right now, and if you can't connect with your client on a personal level, they have no reason to believe you can do it with their customers.

The last paragraph is okay with a little modification. The word "notice" should only be used once or it sounds repetitive. Also you might consider changing my work is just the same as copywriters...

to - my work is just as good, if not better, than copywriters charging double or triple my rates.

This way is more positive, and more believable, yet still makes a bold claim.

 

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[masterneme]

Hey Timbonitus,

I've seen a lot of freelancers getting high paid jobs with this strategy:

Research your client, if he does coaching services, Google about that, maybe you can find something about this particular client.

Provide results in advance, don't wait untill he gives you guidelines or a target demographic, just write about something that could be of his interest.

This way you show you're a very proactive person with real interest in making business with him and you also show real proof of your work instead of promises.

Every single copywriter I've seen charging +100$/hour has done this.

Good luck.

 

[Timbonitus]

You're not far, but this isn't a winner.

What's the first word after Hello,? It's I.

Now, how many times did you use the word I in the first paragraph? I counted 6.

I just wanted doesn't focus on them. It tells them what you want. Your second sentence starts with I'm interested in, which puts the focus on you again. They don't care what you want or what you're interested in. How do you help them?

Your questions for them should come later. By putting them in the first paragraph it feels strange and out of order. This feeling extends into your second paragraph where it changes to a feeling of control, as though you're trying to tell them what they need by telling them what you'll do.

You also tell them that you'll speak to their prospects on a personal level, but it's not clear how you do it. This should be crystal clear to your client, because that's what they personally want to read right now, and if you can't connect with your client on a personal level, they have no reason to believe you can do it with their customers.

The last paragraph is okay with a little modification. The word "notice" should only be used once or it sounds repetitive. Also you might consider changing my work is just the same as copywriters...

to - my work is just as good, if not better, than copywriters charging double or triple my rates.

This way is more positive, and more believable, yet still makes a bold claim.

Awesome, thanks for the feedback, that's really helpful. I used a variation of the above cover letter to land a client today, the pay is low, but it's okay, I'll just do it for the feedback.

Hey Timbonitus,

I've seen a lot of freelancers getting high paid jobs with this strategy:

Research your client, if he does coaching services, Google about that, maybe you can find something about this particular client.

Provide results in advance, don't wait untill he gives you guidelines or a target demographic, just write about something that could be of his interest.

This way you show you're a very proactive person with real interest in making business with him and you also show real proof of your work instead of promises.

Every single copywriter I've seen charging +100$/hour has done this.

Good luck.

Damn, that's some more powerful advice. You guys are blowing my mind, lol. Thanks a lot. I'll do that for the next pitches. Just started advertising my copy-writing services, hopefully make some decent income from it soon.

 

[nomeus]

This is have I landed my first job on elance:

///
Sounds like you need a little touch up for Your website! That's awesome becouse well designed website will get more traction to your business. For the php form, do you need some kind of validation there? I could add nice jquery validation, that means realtime validation right when your customer will type anything in that form.
///

Not to mention that that was my first try of landing any job on elance. Lex, your script works perfectly! I didnt even want that job, not a big fan of freelance work, was just curious if this works, and it does!

 

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[The Grind]

Finally got my first copy job on Upwork.

Only took me over 2 months.

I actually put some thought into the application, go figure.

The headline I used: I WILL WRITE YOUR FIRST POST FOR FREE

I'd say that's a standard not too special headline, but I haven't actually used it before this.

Try it.

You might like it.

 

[Liz]

Finally got my first copy job on Upwork.

Only took me over 2 months.

I actually put some thought into the application, go figure.

The headline I used: I WILL WRITE YOUR FIRST POST FOR FREE

I'd say that's a standard not too special headline, but I haven't actually used it before this.

Try it.

You might like it.

Congratulations. Perseverance pays off.

Two links that might help you with headline analyzes ( I wouldn't worry too much on the score side.)

http://aminstitute.com/headline
http://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer

Hold thumbs for a follow-up copy job

 

[Timbonitus]

I sent out 5 "You" focused applications, four people people replied, one fell through (he just stopped responding), one is a sure thing, and I'm still talking with the two other guys. Really makes a huge difference when you take the attention OFF you and your skills and focus on their problems. Also don't forget to put effort into each proposal. Thanks a lot to whoever made this thread. I'll send out some more proposals today and see who hooks.

 

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[Liz]

I also sent out 7 "you" focused proposals. It is too soon for any responses yet, but I complimented some of the buyers with their nice websites. Some sites are really nice and others oh so practical.

 

[DaRK9]

Just got a part-time gig through oDesk/UpWork. I'm tracking down owners/heirs to tax delinquent properties and getting them to let us make an offer.

Being out there helps. Now I'm learning the basics of wholesaling while getting paid.

 

[Gerome Soriano]

Got some work in Upwork/Odesk again after months of hiatus

Thanks to this thread by SinisterLex and the other AMA copywriting 15 days thread by Lex also :d

Really appreciate it

Got my first client way back last year as a graphic designer but really underserved my client as I was of the wrong mindset then.

Got my second client just recently through doing Lex' first assignment on the copywriting thread which is to help someone. I saw someone starting up in a Marketing group in facebook and messaged her if she ever need help I would be willing to do some work for dirt cheap for some good reviews on odesk.

Worked on a second project with her already.

Thanks for the mindset repair Lex, Ice Cream Kid, MJ, and all the awesome peeps here!

Back to the hustle!

 

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[Timbonitus]

Another tip that I found to be really useful today... dig around for the client's name, and address him or her by name in your cover letter. Sometime's it's hard to find their name because it does not show their profile on the job listing - but if you look in the testimonials, someone should mention their name there. I have three clients right now, sent out two proposals today and decided to put a bid of 90$/hr for one and 60$/hr on the other one, see if anyone hooks. Right now I need to focus on finishing my current work and getting some feedback. I'm still new to the whole oDesk thing so it's a whole new experience.

 

[x.Cam.x]

6 proposals later, and I've had one prospect ask to chat over Skype, and I've also gained my first recurring client. It's nothing major-- just a blog-commenting gig each week, but hopefully I'll gain a 5 star review from her.

I wrote the whole ''i know you won't trust me with no reviews'' thing and looked at her previous projects. Turns out, she'd previously hired someone else to do the same task and the price was visible to any one who bothered to look. This meant I made sure my bid my lower than what she had previously paid. I also wrote a quick sample to show my skills. If it doesn't take long to produce a custom sample, just do it. The worst case scenario is that you create a sample and you don't get the gig, but even so you'll gain a new piece for your portfolio. Going forward, I'll personally only take that approach if it's a recurring gig that I'm drooling for.

 

[Lex DeVille]

6 proposals later, and I've had one prospect ask to chat over Skype, and I've also gained my first recurring client. It's nothing major-- just a blog-commenting gig each week, but hopefully I'll gain a 5 star review from her.

I wrote the whole ''i know you won't trust me with no reviews'' thing and looked at her previous projects. Turns out, she'd previously hired someone else to do the same task and the price was visible to any one who bothered to look. This meant I made sure my bid my lower than what she had previously paid. I also wrote a quick sample to show my skills. If it doesn't take long to produce a custom sample, just do it. The worst case scenario is that you create a sample and you don't get the gig, but even so you'll gain a new piece for your portfolio. Going forward, I'll personally only take that approach if it's a recurring gig that I'm drooling for.

Great job! Happy to read your actions are paying off!

Now, let me ask you this...

What if you approached every gig as if it would become the recurring gig you're drooling for?

If you assume a single gig means one and done then you'll act in ways that make it true.

But how do you think you'd act if you knew for certain this gig was just a test, and that hitting a home run would bring the opportunity you really want?

One gig doesn't necessarily mean one gig, and one client doesn't necessarily mean one client.

 

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[DaRK9]

I've got a problem.

Two of my reoccurring clients feel it's okay to underbid now that we have worked with each other a few times. I will wake up to a pending contract and it will be severely underpriced. I will write them a message kindly explaining what the normal costs are and I either get "OK." and a new contract or don't hear from them for a while.

Anyone else experience this?

 

[Lex DeVille]

I've got a problem.

Two of my reoccurring clients feel it's okay to underbid now that we have worked with each other a few times. I will wake up to a pending contract and it will be severely underpriced. I will write them a message kindly explaining what the normal costs are and I either get "OK." and a new contract or don't hear from them for a while.

Anyone else experience this?

Negotiate a fixed contract at a set rate per project.

For instance, let's say you normally earn $10/hr.

Your client has a project that will take 15 hours, but they don't want to pay $120. They also have several projects that will only take 5 to 7 hours.

So, you negotiate a price of $100 for all projects.

Project 1 = 12 hours = $100
Project 2 = 11 hours = $100
Project 3 = 7 hours = $100
Project 4 = 5 hours = $100

This way you make less on some projects and more on others. Just be sure to get it in writing that they have to balance the number of high/low projects.

Also make it clear if there's a strict limit to how many hours on the high end they can go. For instance, you may not want to go higher than 20 hours at this rate.

Also make sure the contract benefits both of you, and make sure you clearly define what a "project" entails. For instance, if you want to bill extra for Skype consultation, then make sure you note it so they aren't surprised later.

This is how I've started handling some of my clients that aren't paying as much as others. The other option is to get rid of them, but then you have to figure out how to do it without getting negative feedback.

 

[masterneme]

I've got a problem.

Two of my reoccurring clients feel it's okay to underbid now that we have worked with each other a few times. I will wake up to a pending contract and it will be severely underpriced. I will write them a message kindly explaining what the normal costs are and I either get "OK." and a new contract or don't hear from them for a while.

Anyone else experience this?

That's really weird, usually when you find a good worker you may want to pay him/her more as a reward not the other way around...

 

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[MarchWarrior]

Just started doing this
I'm currently working in a translation job first as I'm proficient in multiple languages
That might be my advantage as well - most copywriters can only deliver in 1 (English), whereas I can do it on 2 (English included).
Anyways, it's funny, i got my first gig that i applied, even though its pay is low but the work isn't too tough either.
It's a weird world. This might be beginner's luck but hey, it sure feels good that I get my first application.

Also question to @Sinister Lex
I've provided some screen shots of product descriptions I did for my friends back in University, as well as some reviews (fb comments) on my product sale

"That's the best sales pitch I've ever seen" is listed in my profile.

Think it's too amateur or should I still put it there?

 

[Pakshaheen]

Hi everyone,
After reading this thread,I decided to finally take some action, instead of dreaming about taking action.

Well, I applied for 3 web research jobs.For the first 2 applications I worked 4 hours average on each, as I wanted to send a sample of the web research work, so I can impress them.

I wrote a "YOU" focused applications for both of them.

I was 100% sure that I will get the jobs because I worked so hard......BUT

I was Rejected from both of them.

It broke my heart.I had worked so hard but instead of success I met failure.

I wanted to throw away my laptop but my brain saved me(my heart was out of commission,it was shattered to pieces). It shouted "STOP!What are you doing?You are on the right path....The of path of success is through failure!"

So, I finally listened to my brain.

I sent one more application.It took me 30mins to write the application and do a sample web research.

Guess What?

I got the job!....I was very happy to finally get my first job.Keeping @SinisterLex advice in mind I over delivered.

The client was so happy with my work that he did not only give me a bonus but also instantly gave me 2 more jobs!

Thank you SinisterLex and everyone. You have opened my mind,unlocked the world for me,taught me everything is possible and inspired me to take action.

P.S: SinisterLex I tried to incorporate some of the techniques from your 15 day copywriting course in this post.It is the first time I had tried my hand at writing leave alone copywriting and English isn't my first language.What do you think of this post?Can I become a good copywriter?

P.P.S:If anyone on this forum need some web research or SEO done,don't hesitate to contact me.I will be happy to work for you.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Just started doing this
I'm currently working in a translation job first as I'm proficient in multiple languages
That might be my advantage as well - most copywriters can only deliver in 1 (English), whereas I can do it on 2 (English included).
Anyways, it's funny, i got my first gig that i applied, even though its pay is low but the work isn't too tough either.
It's a weird world. This might be beginner's luck but hey, it sure feels good that I get my first application.

Also question to @Sinister Lex
I've provided some screen shots of product descriptions I did for my friends back in University, as well as some reviews (fb comments) on my product sale

"That's the best sales pitch I've ever seen" is listed in my profile.

Think it's too amateur or should I still put it there?

Anything you can add to show proof of your work is okay when you first start.

You'll have plenty of stuff to add in your profile when you finish more gigs.

 

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[DaRK9]

Negotiate a fixed contract at a set rate per project.

For instance, let's say you normally earn $10/hr.

Your client has a project that will take 15 hours, but they don't want to pay $120. They also have several projects that will only take 5 to 7 hours.

So, you negotiate a price of $100 for all projects.

Project 1 = 12 hours = $100
Project 2 = 11 hours = $100
Project 3 = 7 hours = $100
Project 4 = 5 hours = $100

This way you make less on some projects and more on others. Just be sure to get it in writing that they have to balance the number of high/low projects.

Also make it clear if there's a strict limit to how many hours on the high end they can go. For instance, you may not want to go higher than 20 hours at this rate.

Also make sure the contract benefits both of you, and make sure you clearly define what a "project" entails. For instance, if you want to bill extra for Skype consultation, then make sure you note it so they aren't surprised later.

This is how I've started handling some of my clients that aren't paying as much as others. The other option is to get rid of them, but then you have to figure out how to do it without getting negative feedback.

The possibility for negative feedback is what was bothering me.

An example of what I mean. I received an offer yesterday to write 18 AdWord listings, he put $8. I think it was because I got them done pretty fast before. 24 variations in 2.5 hours. Just because someone does something quickly doesn't mean it's worth any less. It's like people can't translate hourly into fixed price.

I'll try laying it out for them beforehand first from now on.

How do you deal with clients asking for "quick revisions."?

 

[DaRK9]

That's really weird, usually when you find a good worker you may want to pay him/her more as a reward not the other way around...

Normally. It makes no sense to me. Obviously they like the work if they are coming back. I guess they think they deserve a bulk discount? Lol