If there’s one thing that should be said about freelance exchange websites, you’ll get the feeling that they’re catered mostly to people who live in Asia.

With the cost of living practically 1/4 or 1/5 cheaper than the United States and Europe, writers who come from India or the Philippines can bid on projects at much lower rates*. But this doesn’t mean it’s a waste of time for native English writers. And it doesn’t mean there’s are fringe benefits that can be gained from bidding on jobs, even if you think it’s peanuts.

* The decent rate for articles is between $6 to 12 for a 500-word article, but some writers are willing to write for as low as $1 to $2 per 500-word article.

Segue Into Internet Marketing

I first started writing articles for ezine articles in 2006 on a part-time basis and became a full-time freelance writer on the Internet towards the end of the 2007. What drew me at first was the thought that I was being paid in dollars. (I’m from Cebu, Philippines.)

But soon I realized after that I was being paid way too low for my efforts, which always includes RESEARCHING and writing articles. Luckily for me, someone asked me to write an article about Internet affiliate marketing and that really opened me up to the possibility of earning passive income.

If you hate how much you’re getting paid for you services, you might want to segue into Internet Marketing. I know there’s too much information going around (and I’ve bought and subscribed to an xxx number of Internet Marketing guides),  but you might want to start out by trying PotPie Girl’s One Week Marketing Guide. Her action plan is simple to implement, and I’ve had sales by simply following her guidance.

Networking Opportunities: Contacts Who Make It Big

Some writers feel you should only do freelance websites if you’re:
(a)    very broke, or
(b)    are just trying to get some good feedback.

What you should know about freelancing is that, as with any business, everyone starts out small, and that ones who are earning big dollars in freelancing have their old clients sending in new clients.

Remember, even low-paying service buyers have friends and contacts whom they might send to you. Or even better, they might just hit it big and will pay you more dollars for you work, you’ll never know. I know that I’ve had clients give me more work by sending me their friends.

Happy bidding.

Read more: Freelance Article Writer

Filed under: For Freelance Writers

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!