“The freelance writer is a man who is paid per piece or per word or perhaps.”
– Robert Benchley
Today I did the same task on two different websites. On Fiverr I wrote a 500 word about a restaurant. On oDesk I submitted another 500 word article, although this one was about garage sales.
While the work was similar there were a few noticeable differences.
Fiverr
- The client came to me.
I got an email saying “so and so has ordered a 500 word article with SEO.” By simply having a profile on the site I got a job. I haven’t even written that many articles, and yet someone still trusted my skill enough that they hired me.
- I got paid $4.
I wrote the article and sent it in. A few minutes later I got a message showing that the client had given me positive feedback. They even wrote that I had done a good job.
- The work was easy.
I basically had to look up some information on the restaurant and rewrite it. I had to write essays that were more difficult when I was in high school. While it was boring it was easy. After 20 minutes of “writing,” including a break to see something on YouTube, I was done.
oDesk
- I had to seek out work.
On oDesk I had to submit a cover letter, answer some questions, and provide a sample of my writing skills. I did this for five different jobs before one of them hired me. In all honesty having to submit applications and sell my own services was a bit intimidating. However, I’ve learned a lot from it.
- I got paid $2.
On oDesk my client hired me for half of what I usually earn. Unlike Fiverr, where everything is sold for a fixed price, oDesk allows clients and freelancers to set their own budgets. While I’m working for $2 now, I can easily transition to a higher rate once I get established.
- The work was easy.
When I wrote my article I was worried. I wasn’t sure what the expectations were going to be, so I didn’t know if I had done well or not. As it turned out everything was fine. My article, which on par with my normal Fiverr material, was better than the client had expected.
Conclusion
Fiverr is a lot easier, but there isn’t much room for growth. Outside gig extras or tips you aren’t making more than $4 an article. However, you also don’t have to put in any work. Clients come to you and money flows in once you’ve become somewhat established. oDesk is more difficult. You have to hustle and cold approach. It’s disheartening to get shot down and ignored. Despite this there’s room for expansion. If you want you can charge $100 an hour for your time. There’s money to be made, you just have to hustle.