“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” – George Bernard Shaw
On July 20th, 2014, I celebrated my 2-year anniversary working as a freelance copywriter on Upwork. The date also marked the close of a 12-month period in which I’d earned $100,000. Yes, all from Upwork.
People said it couldn’t be done.
I’ve had this said to me personally, and I’ve seen countless posts on forums from freelancers who say it’s impossible to make a full time living on sites like Upwork.
Here’s one little gem in particular:
But posts like this totally miss the point. This one in particular is full of red herrings.
Because being a successful freelancer isn’t about journalism, newspapers or ad agencies. It’s about solving people’s problems and providing value to their business.
If you can do that, and be/become very good at your craft, then your background will be totally irrelevant. And if you can’t, then you can have ad agency experience like Don Draper, and you’ll still starve.
All of this misinformation wouldn’t bother me much except for I know how easy it can be to believe it when you’re just starting out. Or after you’ve hit a brick wall in your earnings. It’s like being saddled with “freelancer kryptonite.”
Consider this post the antidote.
Because as you’re going to see, if I can do it, just about anyone can.
So if you’re trying to figure out how to make money on Upwork, this one’s for you.
***
Author’s note: I originally wrote this post about Elance, which has since rebranded into Upwork. While the post remains as relevant as ever, I’ve made some minor cosmetic updates to reflect the change
Think you need previous experience to make money on Upwork?
It’s a fair question. It would be perfectly natural to wonder whether or not I’d ever worked for an agency, whether I’d had any articles or books published, or whether I’d studied writing or journalism in college.
Not only did I not do any of those things, but I think you’ll agree that I had just about everything working against me.
This was my situation at ground zero of my Upwork career:
- No copywriting experience
- No college degree
- No agency experience
- No freelancing experience
- No other income source
In other words, I literally did roll out of bed one morning and decide to call myself a copywriter.
And I think it’s safe to say that regardless of who you are or what you’re going through, there’s a good chance you too can make a full time living (or two) on Upwork. It isn’t 1983 anymore, and you certainly don’t need anyone’s permission or approval to do it.
The power of focus
For years now, freelancing forums and blogs have been bombarded with posts by freelancers complaining that there aren’t enough good clients on Upwork to make a decent living.
But I’ve never bought into this argument.
I saw — and continue to see — plenty of good clients on Upwork with my own eyes.
I was even fortunate enough to land a couple of them pretty early on (they paid well, were easy to work with, and several of these Upwork clients are still giving me regular repeat business to this day).
It isn’t like Upwork allots you a certain number of premium clients and then cuts off your supply. You’re free to find as many as you can. I knew if I could find 2, then I could probably find 5, 10, 20, and beyond.
So I decided to go against the status quo and focus all of my efforts exclusively on Upwork.
Instead of wasting time on the endless marketing tactics freelancers get lured into, I built my freelancing career with:
- NO blogging
- NO networking
- NO cold contacting
- NO social media
- NO newsletters or follow up emails
- NO accounts on other freelancing sites
Essentially, I outsourced all of my marketing to Upwork. And the plan worked like gangbusters.
I won lots of jobs. I had enough time to devote to doing them right. I got plenty of repeat business and great feedback. And I built up an awesome Upwork profile that quickly stood out to top quality clients.
Every single day, tons of qualified clients flock to Upwork for the express purpose of hiring freelancers.
To me, trying to generate leads on my own instead of leveraging all of their marketing power would have been like going buffalo hunting because I was in the mood for a bison burger. Hitting up the meat counter at Whole Foods works so much better.
Do Upwork clients pay less?
Anyone who really believes that the rates on Upwork are somehow inherently low is living in a self-imposed prison.
Let’s look at a real life example. The client in the screenshot below hired me to write some blog posts for her company’s website. Do you think her budget magically shrank just because she hired me on Upwork?
If you think that question is ridiculous, that’s how nutty this entire superstition really is.
Sure, some clients come to Upwork looking for a good deal.
Guess what? Some people walk into a Mercedes dealership looking for a good deal too. They can drive off in a brand new Benz for less than the price of a Camry. This doesn’t change the fact that there are plenty of others who are happy to spend 2-10x that.
And by the way, whether it’s Upwork or the car dealership, both of these types of clients offer value (more on that in a minute).
“But don’t the low bidders drive down prices?”
Upwork isn’t an economics classroom, and freelancing services don’t trade like commodities on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
At least not if you’re willing to put some work into your game. Offer the right service to the right clients, packaged in the right way, and your market value goes way up.
One of the ways I know this is because, when I’m awarded a job, I’m usually the highest bidder.
(…by the way, all of the above jobs turned into repeat business.)
Unlike the complainers, I pay no attention to the percentage of Upwork jobs posted by higher paying clients.
Of course there are going to be fewer of those, the same way online dating sites aren’t fully populated by potential mates who are all rich, smart and beautiful.
The more attractive something is, the heavier competition will be for it, and the harder it’s going to be to get it. That’s life. There’s a reason we call this site Freelance To Win.
But the best clients think in terms of value, not price.
They’re not interested in the cheapest freelancer any more than they are in the cheapest restaurant, the cheapest office chair, or the cheapest laptop.
If you can provide value (i.e. solve their problems), you can find more of these good clients than you know what to do with. Below are some more examples…
By the way, all of the above clients became repeat customers as well.
Two of them even confessed that they’d been “looking for someone like me for years.” Freelancers may be ubiquitous, but problem solvers are hard to find.
How to make money on Upwork – the truth
Upwork is an ecosystem.
All of the clients and freelancers serve a purpose.
Clients who pay $15 per hour are much more valuable than the whiners would have you believe.
These good folks help beginning freelancers break into the game and cut their teeth. (My first Upwork client was one such person, and I am extremely grateful to him–and judging by the feedback he left me, the feeling was mutual.)
New freelancers in turn help these clients build their businesses on a lean budget that more experienced freelancers would never consider. Win-win.
It gets better: freelancers who do well get repeat business.
Pretty soon they become busy enough that they can raise their rates, and start turning down business at the old rate. This opens up new job opportunities for less experienced freelancers, who can then follow in their footsteps.
Some of those freelancers will do well…and get repeat business of their own…and the virtuous cycle continues.
Meanwhile, some of those $15/hr clients will grow their businesses, too. As they do, their needs and budget expand, creating new opportunities for more experienced freelancers with advanced skills.
So the idea that there is this fixed “pie” of clients and money on Upwork, and that we’re all competing for little slivers of it, is totally flawed.
In reality, the pie is actually growing all the time.
The only question left is: How big of a piece do you want?
Now go get it.
Excellent article! I’ve always been curious about freelance sites and the ability to attract clients. You’ve helped tremendously in my decision to utilize upwork as an income source. Thanks!
One big question I have is the hurdle you have to overcome before even being able to bid on jobs: the profile. How do you write your overview in a way that will A) get Upwork to hire you, and B), if you don’t have experience?
Thanks!
I joined Nov. 2017. I didn’t get a single client mainly because I didn’t put time into attracting a client. So this past April I started treating Up Work as my job and have secured 7 clients in 37 days making me $1000. Am I cheap? No. I charge $45 an hr for graphic design and I still think that too low. If you don’t put in the effort, you will not succeed.
But I feel the whole market is saturated, am currently in my 20+ I don’t even know what skills to start with, just confused, I may not make it
Hi Danny!
This is really useful article. I used part of your strategy and it helped me. Thank you.
I have a questions if you can answer:
– I understand that you have constant customers now, but I’m interested how often did you searched customers in the past and now?
– How often did you have time without work before you found it? How did you optimize it? I mean shortening time without work.
– What did you do if client wants to low your bid? Did you wait other client or accept his condition while your was searching other work?
Thank you.
I love this article and i am greatly inspired by it.
seriously contemplating signing up with upwork as a freelancer but i am from Nigeria.(that name alone is something, lol )
after going through the services and Nigerians on upwork, not one of them has earned $1, kind of pour cold water on my mind.
but with this article i will try and sign up and also use those tips you’ve given.
i so much love press release writing, i pray it works.
will definitely come back to this page with testimony
I’m Nigerian and I’ve earned over $10,000 on Upwork in about 14 Months. I’ve also seen a Nigerian in the customer care niche whose earnings were over $70,000 in 4 years! The tips in this article are really helpful.. One more thing I’ll add is “specialise”. Become a guru in your niche! When I mean guru, I mean world-class standards.
It is absolutely doable to be successful on Upwork, I just think that many freelancers undervalue themselves and give up too soon. If you undervalue yourself, you will be racing to the bottom. It took me a few months to really optimize my profile before I could finally earn my first $100 – that first client is always the toughest. I’m now in talks with a $1,000 contract, and several more. Patience, hustle and determination is all it takes to succeed. Kudos to Danny and Jake here for finding success, you just have to decide to go after it.
your post really helped me getting to know what i wanted. you have share the process of freelancing i a great way. Thanks for this great post and this great information.
Wow! I’m thoroughly Impressed by your story Danny . I just signed up to UpWork this morning, and scouting for tips and motivation; and now, I’ve got an OVERLOAD of that sucker!!!
Dear author, Thanks for nice post. It will very helpful for any freelancer. Hopefully i will get better article next.
OOhh very well written skill. Thank you from Sharing it is really use full for many people.
Hey! I have not tried this method. I think I should give it a shot! I hope it will work me!
Hi Danny, I am on Upwork myself. I have used some of the lower paying clients to move up. I’m ready to make the real money now. What I’ve earned has paid my bills, I’m getting hungrier for bigger fish though. I am now looking at where my skills can take me and there are indeed some decent opportunities for which I am prime to take. In fact, right now I see Upwork as “the sky is the limit.” I never thought about hiring people to find the jobs for me and essentially do the little things. Good idea, focus… Read more »
Very helpful and Great information,
we appreciate advise especially coming from a professional.
Thanks again and keep up the great work!
Great article! Thank you for sharing your experiences and advice!
Everything in this post is truthful! I’ve been semi-actively writing on Upwork for around 4 months. I’m also a student and work a part time job, so my time is very strained. I’ve made a significant amount of money, however, for the small amount of time I had to work with. You have to hustle and pay attention to all the great tips on building your profile that people like Danny give you in articles like this. It’s the small things that count, especially in the beginning! I love the site and I hope to continually use it to supplement… Read more »
My friend is very well written. Thank you from the heart for it.
Hi Danny, All above your article I found thousand of inspiration to run my writing business. I am also trying to get more jobs from other sites which are same as Upwork or Freelance. It’s true that, At Upwork and Freelance consume billion jobs but it also challenging to get a job from here because of million million job seekers. But Danny, In you post I found some techniques to get a job from million candidates. I am also trying to help those freelancers who are new but want to learn for working as you. Although, your users also capable… Read more »
Hi, This is absolutely amazing! I came across your site and I am thankful that I came here. I have signed up for your 5 free hacks to make a living from Upwork. I am very excited to learn what you have to teach. Thank you for that. I have been writing as a freelance writer on Upwork from 2013. I also have my own blog, where I share blogging tips and want to earn money on the side through affiliate marketing (no success till now, I am just starting blogging for a while). But you did without any website… Read more »
Hello,
I am currently attending in university and I am struggling to make money to make living as student.
Do you have any tips to know how to make proposals?
Thanks
Hey Domi
I’ve only just discovered Danny’s remarkable success story myself, but perhaps you’ll allow me to suggest you check out this page:
http://freelancetowin.com/how-to-become-a-copywriter/
I have been working on upwork since 2011.but in 2013 decreased my rating 5 to 3.80 and after next 6 month i can’t get any job.andwhen upwork merge with elance and they make changed few things , i leave upwork.
but after read your post i really inspire again.
Hello Danny, This is the first time I read your first blog post (Now I can say I read them all) And I just want to say: OMG!! You make an average of 3.5k$ per milestone and an average of 4.2k$ per client!! That is amazing, I’m very impressed! This give me confidence that I could earn the money I want on Upwork if I really want to do it. My only concern is that I’m a native Spanish speaker and I’m only doing Spanish jobs, I notice clients pay lower than English jobs so to earn 100K or even… Read more »
hi danny
i am many bid on project upwork but any bid not success in project bid.
so you can help me …
how to submit interesting proposal and like approved my proposal in web development..
I came a cross your Crystal ball article 3 days ago and it was mind blowing. This opened up such a huge opportunity for me. Previously, I had freelanced for almost 2 years but had to give it up for a 9 to 5 to solve a couple of financial issues. Now I’m back on it! Fueled and revitalized! All thanks to you Danny!
Thank you so much for this information. You have really inspired me! Best of luck on your business!
Cheers,
Francesca
Hi, Your post was inspiring and interesting, but some things don’t compute for me. I’m just curious as to how you got clients at the beginning? There were surely sections on your elance profile that were completely blank? Also, there’s a CV section, did you upload a CV that had no relevant copywriting experience? I’m considering taking the plunge and doing something similar to you, i.e jsut “calling” myself a copywriter and taking it from there. But it’s hard to see how I’ll land any clients if there is no hard evidence of my copywriting skills other than the sample… Read more »
I suggest you read this post in which I describe the exact steps I took.
Cheers, I read that post already and found it interesting but still. I am looking at my elance profile today and there is no evidence of my past copywriting skills other than the samples I provide and the fact I “call” myself a copywriter. Is this enough in reality?
I am starting from scratch as well. But here is the difference: Instead of typing into Google “Is it possible to make a living from Elance” I searched for “How to make money on Elance”. Better questions will lead to better results. I am very fortunate to find this post, since when you can do it, so can I. Thank you for creating this resource of inspiration.
Great insight Daniel, about asking the right questions. I’m glad you found the post too.
I just read this and you have some good thoughts and I’m going to be reading your hacks next. I been working on freelance writing off and on for a long time and have been in “business” for about a year and a half. I even joined Elance about Ten years ago and did nothing with it because I didn’t know what was worthwhile and what was not. I’m hoping your ideas and suggestions lead me in the right direction…as long as I’m heading in that direction, I’ll be happy. Thank you again and I’ll let you know how it… Read more »
Thanks for posting this, Tina. It’s been a great path for me and I hope you find success with it too. Please let me know how things go.
Danny, how did you start your freelance career? Did you bring some portfolios? Did you bid high from the start? I want to know this because I just recently getting started in freelance work.
By the way, nice post, Danny!
Thanks Gumilar! I didn’t bid super high right from the start since I wanted to maximize my chances of getting some jobs under my belt. After a few weeks I’d already built up a nice little job history with some very positive reviews, so I began to incrementally up my prices from there. Though I should note that even from that very first month I was able to pay all my bills through my freelancing work. As for the exact steps I took to win jobs, I’ve written all about it in detail so you can check that out here:… Read more »
Hi Danny,
you are an inspiration for the income level.
What I get for myself from your writings is that
I need to be a very fine provider, this will result very fine reward.
Exactly Minhaj, that’s a great attitude and a great way to put it. It reminds me of the movie The Color of Money, where Paul Newman says something along the lines of, “If you do excellent work, then the money will follow.”
There is an important point we all are missing in this article, clients are only willing to pay higher prices to freelancers from USA & UK most of the time. You can not get that much high rates if you are bidding from developing countries like India or Pakistan.
Thanks for writing this article. I read another one from someone else that’s had similar success on odesk. I like the idea of focusing on just one platform.
Also, I have to say I’ve been extremely anxious and nervous because of the negativity around these sites. I’m living in my car and driving through all 50 states and am looking to pay for the trip through my new skill – programming. This post has made me feel much better, so thank you.
Thank John. The best I can say about the people freelancers who trash Elance/oDesk is that they just don’t get it. Honestly their arguments don’t even make sense logically.
I work on Elance and Odesk and I think that it would be interesting to hear what you think of Odesk. I know that it has now merged with Elance. But it still works separately and has now introduced similar functions to Elance. However, a lot of the clients on Odesk, seem to expect a lot of work for lower budgets. They also have a six day security period before you receive payment, which is irritating. The best thing though, is unlike Elance, you can choose a project under any category, rather than being restricted to just one. On Elance,… Read more »
Claire, each site has their pros and cons. Check out Jake Jorgovan’s blog post on earning $1k per year on oDesk:
http://jake-jorgovan.com/blog/how-to-make-1000-per-week-on-odesk
Very nice article. Inspiring and it makes you wanna take action. Thank you. 😀
Action is the only way. 🙂
Very interesting article. Drooling over the possibilities. You are an inspiration. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Dave. There are more possibilities than most people realize.
*Thanks
Anks for this post. I am definitely inspired to try again!
Thanks Kenyatta! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Good article.
While I don’t use Elance much these days (almost never), there is indeed money to be made there. Glad to see there are still clients willing to pay for quality work. It can take time to recognize them and figure out how to feed them a bid they can’t resist, but it pays off.
Thanks Daniel!
I think the comment you are critiquing is actually quite correct. There are over 300,000 people in Elance under the Writing and Translation category. If you rank them by earnings you’ll reach poverty level in just a couple of pages – not even a dent in the first thousand freelancers.
It seems foolish to paint a rosier picture based on a couple of outliers. Cherry-picking the data like that is just lying to your readers. It is what it is and people should be aware of what they are getting into. Promoting false hope just creates more misery in the end.
I completely disagree with your attack Marplots. Danny is a living testament of hustle, talent and hard work. If you have those characteristics, then you have the ability to make a good income via eLance.
Personally, I saw success on oDesk and even though I didn’t hit the income level Danny did, I can still emphasize with him and see that it is completely possible to make the income levels that he is talking about.
I agree with everything that Jake says here.
It’s not false hope at all, its real and proven possibility.
HI, I agree with Jake says, and also good article to read and doing on what I am trying on this.
Thank you everyone.
Jake, I think it’s a bit defensive to call Marplots’ comment an “attack.” While it is very possible to make money through Upwork, I think it’s also important to manage expectations and BE PRACTICAL. Danny has great, quality content that provides some of the tools needed to succeed in this lane. There is no need to grab pitchforks and torches because someone stated their opinion. At the same time, I think that Marplots’ comment was a bit overblown. He said that Danny “cherry picked data” and that it was “lying to readers.” However, if you take a look at the… Read more »
Hi Danny,
I really don’t like it when people post in the Water Cooler, other forums, on their blog, etc. that a) there isn’t money to be made on Elance and b) things that discourage people from trying. Nobody has the right to say what this person who shall be left nameless said–to anyone!
Anyway, I am inspired by your post.
Thanks,
Sarah
Thank you 🙂