Those freelance bidding sites like Upwork or Fiverr or Freelancer where you can submit quotes on copywriting projects seem like a great deal. You get to just scan through listings, submit a quick proposal and quote to potential clients, and land tons of work.
Great, right?
Wrong.
Freelance bidding sites are great for clients … and a waste of a good copywriter’s time.
How Freelance Bidding Job Sites Work
First, let’s make sure we’re on the same page and recap exactly how these sites work for copywriters. Say Client X wants some copy written for his website. The client writes up a brief description of the work, possibly mentions the project budget or hourly rate, and then posts the job listing to the website.
From there, the copywriters on the site read the listing, write their own proposal of why they’re best for the job, and submit that along with a quote for the work.
At first blush, this can seem like a great deal for copywriters. After all, why go out and prospect for work when you can just troll these sites and pick up jobs that people are already looking to fill?
But if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. After all, if it were that easy, why would anyone ever leave the house? Ad agencies and in-house agencies would be scrounging for copywriters, desperately trying to compete with these bidding sites. And…that hasn’t happened.
First, let’s make sure we’re on the same page and recap exactly how these sites work for copywriters. Say Client X wants some copy written for his website. The client writes up a brief description of the work, possibly mentions the project budget or hourly rate, and then posts the job listing to the website.
From there, the copywriters on the site read the listing, write their own proposal of why they’re best for the job, and submit that along with a quote for the work.
This can seem like a sweet deal for copywriters. After all, why go out and prospect for work when you can just peruse these sites and pick up jobs that people are already looking to fill?
But if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If it were that easy, why would anyone leave the house? Ad agencies and in-house agencies would be scrounging for copywriters, desperately trying to compete with these bidding sites. And that hasn’t happened.
Why Freelance Bidding Sites Are Terrible for Copywriters
Freelance bidding sites are not nearly as easy as they seem. First, for every copywriting job that gets posted, you’re competing with dozens of other writers for that job. And how do you compete for it? You spend some of your own (unpaid) time to write up a proposal for work that you may not get.
Then, on top of that, Client X is on this site because the client is looking for the best quality copywriting…for the cheapest price. If you want to get that work, you must spend the time to write up a great proposal and slash your rates to undercut all the other copywriters.
So, worst-case scenario, you waste time writing proposals for work you don’t even get. (Time that could be spent prospecting for other work.) Or best-case scenario, you get work—for much less than your standard rates. You end up working for cheap instead of working for the rates you should be commanding.
Sites like these have a bevy of copywriters signed up to try to win work because it seems like the “easy” way to do it. (And most people really like easy.)
Charging by the Word Slashes Your Rate by More Than 50%
Some of these sites, too, require you to set a “price per word” which, as we’ve discussed before, is exactly the wrong way to charge for copywriting.
In fact, charging per word actually penalizes you for doing a good job as a copywriter! Not only does charging by the word fail to consider the time you spend thinking about the strategy behind your writing, but it penalizes you for being concise and on message.
To really drive this home, I want to show you part of an email I received from one of these companies, showcasing their writing talent.
(I blurred the faces for their anonymity.)
This email is promising me writers with more than five years of experience who are writing for just 10 cents per word!
The Real Math on Job Bidding Sites for Copywriters
Writing for less than 10 cents a word is absolutely insane. But let’s really do the math on this.
I recently wrote an email series for a client of mine. It was a five-email series, and because I’ve been working with her for a while and she sends me referrals, I give her a bit of a discount.
I wrote those five emails and charged her $500. The word count of those emails was 2,578.
If I were one of the writers in this email, the most I could hope to earn for all the time I put into those emails would be $258. Oh, and that’s the top-paid person on this list. What if you’re making six cents per word? Go ahead and slash that down to $155.
You’d be forcing yourself to take roughly between a 50% and 70% pay cut on every project you write!
Let’s spread that out across the year: Are you comfortable making $24,000-$40,000 instead of the $80,000 you deserve to be making just because you’re using these sites instead of finding your own clients?
You’re paying a fee of at least half of your income just to work for these sites!
That is an absurd price to pay for “convenience.” And, if you ask me, having to blind bid and put in all that work with a low chance of getting the work isn’t that convenient at all.
Job Bidding Sites Offer Low-Paying Copywriting Work
I strongly discourage copywriters from using job bidding sites to find work. And people love to try to argue that with me. Case in point, here’s an article someone posted on one of our ads to “prove” that people can make six figures on Upwork.
I’ve never said that you can’t make six figures on Upwork (or any of the others)—only that it’s a completely unnecessary and utterly exhausting way to do it.
Let’s look at the math from the copywriter in the article:
This is an absolutely crazy way to work—totally unsustainable and totally unnecessary! WHY would you be okay with working 18-hour days to make $2,700 when you could work a six- or seven-hour day to make the same amount? And how could you have 27 jobs in your queue—or 40 to 50!—and not burn out?
Also, to average $60 an order for a 100-word email and average $150-$200 an hour, he’s writing two to three emails an hour, potentially for 18 hours a day. (And that doesn’t include research!) What kind of quality can his clients possibly be getting?
And as our head coach Kate noted, when I posted this image in our student-only Facebook group: 40 to 50 jobs in the queue should be closer to a YEARLY total. I get stressed out at just the thought of having 40-50 projects to do in a month, much less a day!
Job Bidding Sites vs. Pitching
There is absolutely no need to be working these kinds of hours and at this kind of breakneck pace—especially since you can’t possibly produce consistently great work for your clients at that pace and, if you can’t do that, what’s your value to them?
Job bidding sites are just NOT the best way for a copywriter to get consistent and high-paying work (read: the kind of rates that our high level of skill deserves). They seem “easy” and they seem “less scary” than pitching…until you learn to pitch correctly and give it a try.
Which is how most new things work, right? They might seem scary or intimidating, but once you follow the steps given to you and just do it (and with some support from other people who are doing the same thing), you discover that it’s a lot easier than it seems.
And wouldn’t you rather reach six figures (no promises, of course—you’ve got to put in the work) by working six or seven hours a day rather than working 16 or 18? That’s literally working from 6:00 a.m. to midnight as many days as you need to. What seems “easy” turns out to be so very much harder in practice.
Want to hear more about why job bidding sites are bad news? Take a listen to the podcast episode on why they’re not set up for copywriters and what you can do instead that will get you on a path to success.
The Smarter, More Lucrative Way to Land Freelance Work
So, what do you do instead? Find your own clients and use these job listing sites.
If you want to get work, get paid well, and build your portfolio, the exact worst route to go is the (so-called) easy route. You’ll have much more success by reaching out and prospecting for clients. You’ll face less competition, you’ll get far more clients who are looking for quality copy instead of cheap copy, and you won’t have to slash your rates to get work.
To use an analogy, it’s like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette TV shows. On freelance bidding sites, you’re like any one of the women (or men) vying for the bachelor or bachelorette’s attention. The odds are not in your favor. It’s one client with any number of freelance copywriters (plus, freelance bidding sites make it so easy for clients to look around!).
But when you take control and send clients wildly effective pitches, you’re like the bachelor. You’re one person with any number of potential clients that you can pitch! (With the added bonus of an online portfolio that shows your work, not the work of hundreds of other copywriters!)
Now, it’s yourcareer. If you want to give these kinds of sites a try, that’s up to you. But if you really want to build your portfolio and make good money, “easy” and—ahem—lazy—sites like these aren’t where you’re going to find your success. Start prospecting and start trulybuildingyour career.
The “easy” way isn’t really that easy at all—and it requires a huge cost. (And people wonder why they can’t make a living as a writer!)
Put in the extra effort to find your own clients. It’s the only way to make your copywriting career successful—and you’ll give yourself an automatic 50%-70% raise.
Remember: Freelance bidding sites are great for clients…and a waste of a good copywriter’s time.
Watch More
Want more insight into why copywriters (and freelancers in general!) should stay away from job bidding sites? Watch the video below to hear Nicki and Kate break down the ins and outs of these platforms, plus the far more effective way to land work (and get paid what you’re worth!).
Your Turn!
Have you tried any of these freelance bidding sites? Let us know about your experience in the comments below!
Last Updated on November 15, 2023
Wow.. just reading his rollercoaster of a workload turned me off completely. There’s a difference between working “hard” and working “smart”. It seems like it’s working out for him, but you’re right – a burnout is imminent. Now, I’d love to make six figures copywriting, but not like that. I wholeheartedly believe the perfect balance of work and life, while maintaining a six figure income is possible. It won’t happen overnight, but if you hold to your values and put yourself out there a bit – you can direct the sails of your own ship, so to speak, and make it a reality!
Hi Laila,
I agree; he may be happy now, but not for long! And it absolutely *is* possible – it’s a matter of taking the right steps with consistency and persistence. You can do it. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
I taught public school for ten years plus college. (Honestly, I think I worked more hours than that. Gulp.) Sadly, I lived that life only without the benefit of a six figure salary. I think this person doesn’t understand your argument. Being filthy rich is about doing what you love and being paid well for doing it. That has always has been the sticking point of your pitch. Literacy skills. You can’t criticize what you don’t comprehend.
Hi Jeff,
Yeah, if you ask me, there’s very little point in hitting a “dream number” if you have to make yourself miserable to get there. Especially when there’s a better way! You can make good money *and* enjoy what you do, without working insane hours. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
I needed to read this! My fear of pitching is really holding me back, and I’ve been guilty of browsing these sites. I know that, once I get over my fear, it’ll be easier than I’m making it out to be in my head. I just need to push myself!
Hi Annie,
Don’t forget that you don’t get over fear *before* you take action…you get over fear *by* taking action. You can do it. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki