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'Outsourcing' websites looking for writers
This year, I decided to take the jump and leave a job that I'm not happy with. My plan is to use a variety of skills and set up as a sole trader - a lot of these projects may be linked to writing, (copywriting, screenwriting, editorial, research, film reviews) to support time I spend working more ambitious projects. I've budgeted like a demon, saved a load of money, and have a comfortable cushion to support myself if it doesn't work out.
One of the things I have encountered seem to be websites that take advantage of outsourcing - I have registered with Prospect Solutions (http://www.prospectsolution.com/) and Odesk (www.odesk.com) thus far, and just been acepted on to Demand Studios (https://www.demandstudios.com). There appear to be a mixture of copywriting and more creative paid jobs available.
My main concern is that whle Prospect Solutions is based in the UK, Demand Studios appears to accept content for UK writers geared to a US audience, and ODesk, (while open to everyone) is based in the US and pays in $.
Now I know in our big electronic community that this shouldn't be an issue...but until I can figure out how to make this tally up on my tax return, I'd be interested to know if any writers on this forum get any 'bread and butter' work through UK equivalent sites, producing UK specific content in £ sterling as default?
Here's some other sites I've been researching that may be of interest. - although I haven't properly looked at them yet:
http://www.wordsofworth.co.uk/
http://www.academicknowledge.com
www.freelancer.co.uk?
Any thoughts, tales, experiences?
Thanks!
One of the things I have encountered seem to be websites that take advantage of outsourcing - I have registered with Prospect Solutions (http://www.prospectsolution.com/) and Odesk (www.odesk.com) thus far, and just been acepted on to Demand Studios (https://www.demandstudios.com). There appear to be a mixture of copywriting and more creative paid jobs available.
My main concern is that whle Prospect Solutions is based in the UK, Demand Studios appears to accept content for UK writers geared to a US audience, and ODesk, (while open to everyone) is based in the US and pays in $.
Now I know in our big electronic community that this shouldn't be an issue...but until I can figure out how to make this tally up on my tax return, I'd be interested to know if any writers on this forum get any 'bread and butter' work through UK equivalent sites, producing UK specific content in £ sterling as default?
Here's some other sites I've been researching that may be of interest. - although I haven't properly looked at them yet:
http://www.wordsofworth.co.uk/
http://www.academicknowledge.com
www.freelancer.co.uk?
Any thoughts, tales, experiences?
Thanks!
Comments
No answers for you, I don't do outsourcing work, not sure if anyone else on here does, as the rewards seem too low for the amount of work involved - usually. Why not try straight freelancing instead?
I suppose I was thinking that proper freelancing was something that came about via networking and producing a portfolio - I have been out of the writing game for a while, and am looking for opportunities to do work in whatever capacity so that I have something to show to prospective clients or employers. A lot of what I have is either academic, or screenwriting, (which really is playing the long game).
A lot of the writing jobs that I'm taking at the moment aren't paid...they're exiting, and I'm sure will lead to better things, but I'm just thinking that if there is other flexible stuff I can be doing in the meantime while I sort my business infrastructure out, where better to do that than by getting paid, (for however small an amount) for writing via these services, as long as they are legitemate.
Maybe I need to think bigger re freelancing - any resources you might suggest?
I write mainly short stories and simply search Duotrope, or the newstands, for markets
I have found that the usual "outsourcing" route is, as dorothy says, too much work for too little reward. Have to say I am hit and miss with what I freelance but I would always suggest that you just write, write, write and send, send, send. Just getting your work out there is the key. Pity I don't practice more of what I preach ;)
You had 20 correct answers.
This gives you a score of 100 %.
17 - 20 is deemed excellent.
Give it a try - it's pretty basic stuff.
Oh and welcome mwoodman.
[EDITED BY WEBBO: fix web link]
Yep, we're like piranhas, ready to eat the flesh off a juicy blog.
Now another point in more general terms and not with particular reference to this site or any other. There is a huge market in 'plagiarised' work out there. Universities are turning themselves inside out trying to control it and use text checking software to see if students' 'own' work has been copied from elsewhere. Whilst these sites may commission work from you bona fide, for their market in 'model answers' etc, once you have uploaded your work to them - as soon as it gets 'into the system' onto the servers and travelling round the net, you simply have no control or no way of knowing if it ends up being copied and pasted by a student and passed off as their own work.
I worked damned hard for my degree, so I decided to back off the whole 'technical paper' thing. Until there's an effective way of policing and verifying the authenticity of work submitted by students, I feel I don't want to risk inadvertantly getting tainted by it. I hasten to add that the majority of students are honest: as usual it is the small minority who spoils it for everyone.
I'm disappointed too because I was relying on pulling £200 - £300 per month by freelance writing but I have reached a dead end. I'm not getting anywhere with short stories (I don't write enough of them in any case).
Short stories won't earn you a living, but article writing will, if you do enough of them.
No but if you write enough of them, you have a nice little bonus to your article writing.
I've looked at some of the sort of sites mwoodman is referring to and dismissed them out of hand. Far too much work required for far too low pay!
Although I'm not trying to earn a living wage from my writing; I do it for pleasure, nevertheless I think some of the rates offered are seriously taking the michael.
I therefore only write articles for printed publications.
do you think they are cyber spies?
Possibly and I could be quite wrong. Maybe though, research takes a lot of time and effort and if a writer receives enough info back from a variety of sources, there's no need for them to waste time returning to sites such as these.
The others who do annoy me, I have to confess, is those who come on here just to promote a book and are never seen again.
I just see that as writers doing what they can to get their book noticed, and an obvious stop would be a site where other writers are. Generally posts like that get ignored anyway, well, they do by me, unless the book is of some interest to me, which they rarely are.
Thanks for that.
I do exist, and I'm not a spambot. Just been rather busy is all, and my forum research is one of many threads I'm following up.
Thank you for all your support in this thread - some really useful information.