With more people choosing to become a freelance writer in 2022 (it’s projected that in five years, by 2027, 86.5 million people will be freelancing in the United States. That’s half of the total U.S. workforce.), it’s important for you to understand your options and where to start looking for the best source of work.
As a freelance writer, there are a variety of freelancing platforms for you to choose from. Explore these platforms’ websites that can assist you in finding clients quickly and earning employers’ trust along the way.
We’ve chosen two of the top freelancing platforms to compare, Upwork vs. Constant Content. We’ll focus on the major pros and cons of freelancing with each company. Discover what to watch out for and the ways you can succeed as a freelance writer using either platform.
Upwork
1. Pros
Upwork works with small individuals to large companies. Some of Upwork’s featured clients include Microsoft, General Electric, and AirBnB.
In recent years, Upwork has created measures to improve your chances of being selected by prospective clients. These features include your Job Success Score (JSS), which can lead you to having Top Rated status if your score is high enough. You can find out how high your JSS is by looking at your ”My Stats” on your Upwork profile. Your JSS reflects your overall contract history with your clients and is based on your (or your agency’s) relationships and feedback.
2. What You Work On
Upwork has a variety of subjects for freelance writers to tackle, from sales and marketing to translation to development and IT.
3. How You Earn Money
Freelancers earn money via three unique avenues.
In Talent Marketplace, freelancers create a profile, search for jobs, and submit a proposal. As soon as the contract is secured, you can start working. Once you complete the job, you will get paid.
Through Project Catalog, the freelance writer creates a project that is then reviewed. Once accepted, freelancers get an order to complete.
If your portfolio matches what Upwork needs or wants, you’ll move into the Talent Scout process. This means you will complete a series of coding tests and an interview with a specialized recruiter. These recruiters can then start matching you with available work. This can lead to long-term job opportunities.
4. How You Sign Up
Signing up with Upwork is relatively straightforward. You’ll need your email address to create an account and then you’ll add some personal information.
Next, you’ll need to provide information about your work history and some of your skill sets. You’re allowed to choose up to four work categories; this helps prospective clients find you. But you can apply to job postings under any category.
You’ll then add information about your expertise in a given field, your educational background, past work experience, and so forth.
Upwork requires you to specify your hourly rate.One common mistake new freelancers on Upwork often make is to base their rate on their salary as an employee. Remember that your overhead will look different since you’re self-employed. Factor in your taxes, cost of any equipment, or ongoing training and education.
5. Cons
“Connects” are virtual tokens that you use to make a proposal on a job. They are a requirement to bid on jobs. Entry level to intermediate gigs cost on average 2 connects to apply to while intermediate to expert level gigs cost an average of 4-6 connects.
If you opt for a free membership, you’ll get 10 connects each month, but if you want more, you’ll have to pay, this can add up quickly. Also, if you aren’t active on Upwork, your profile might become inactive. This means that you will no longer show up on client searches. However, if you choose to pay for a ”plus” membership, this won’t happen – but it’s at a cost to you.
Upwork vs. Constant Content: Both platforms take a percentage of anything you make. Upwork’s fee is 20% of the first $500 you make with a client. Anything above $500 with that same client will have a 10% fee.
Constant Content
1. Pros
Constant Content is known for supplying high-quality, prewritten and custom articles. Its clientele ranges from small individuals to large companies. Featured clients include LinkedIn, QVC, Best Buy, and CVS.
Constant Content is also known for its quality of writers. Writers must pass an editorial review process to be a part of the Constant Content writing pool. Every article is reviewed by a member of its in-house editorial team to ensure the article is well written and verified as being plagiarism free.
It’s one of the best-paying content sites out there. You, the freelancer, can set your own prices.
2. What You Work On
Constant Content offers a variety of project types you can work on, including blog posts, articles, listicles, copywriting, SEO content, white papers, and product descriptions. They say that variety is the spice of life, and with Constant Content, you’ll find plenty of different subjects to write about. Constant Content can also be a great way to get involved in long-term writing jobs with high-profile clients. Constant Content is referred to as a mixed marketplace, so you can look for topics or clients just as a client can look for you.
3. How You Earn Money
You earn money on Constant Content by submitting articles to your catalogue, responding to requests, or being a part of a pool of writers.
4. How You Sign Up
You’ll first fill out a form with basic information including your name, email address, username, and password. Then you complete a short grammar quiz. Next you’ll craft a short article that will be vetted by one of Constant Content’s editors.
As with Upwork, you’ll want to make your profile robust so that prospective clients take notice of what your skills and areas of expertise are. Next, keep your eye on the dashboard. Here, you can explore the best-selling categories and see the most recent content sales. This will give you a good idea of what clients are currently looking for. You can also look at its Casting Calls section for projects to apply for.
5. Cons
Constant Content takes a 35% cut from whatever you sell your article at. So if you sell an article for $100, you’ll get $65 and Constant Content will get $35.
Constant Content is also known for having very strict quality standards. The editorial team is diligent, and they will send your article back for revisions if necessary. Don’t let that deter you; it simply means the company is producing quality work for its clients. Keep your writing and editing skills sharp and you’ll excel.
Upwork vs. Constant Content : which one is better for freelance writers?
It’s really up to you!
Remember that both Constant Content and Upwork take a percentage from your earnings. That said, both freelancing platforms are a great way to start building up your portfolio and getting your name out there. If you’re diligent and able to consistently produce quality work, your reputation will grow with clients, your JSS will improve on Upwork, and you may be invited to work on long-term projects for either Upwork or Constant Content.
Make sure to double-check your work before submitting any article on either platform. Brush up on your grammar with helpful tools like the Purdue Writing Lab or Grammarly. It doesn’t hurt to run your article through The Hemmingway App, either.
Both websites feature some low-paying jobs. That said, they both work with high-profile clients. If you build up your portfolio enough to let your writing talents shine, chances are that you’ll be able to command a higher rate and/or be invited to work with top-notch clientele. On both platforms, you’ll have to weed through the low-paying jobs (and in the case of Upwork, decide what jobs you want to use those pesky ”Connects” on) to find the ones that stand out.
Be sure to be strategic and selective about the jobs you apply for. Utilize your experience and skill sets to choose which jobs to bid on.
Whether you choose to work for Upwork or Constant Content – or both! – make your profile as strong as can be. Don’t neglect your LinkedIn account, personal website, or other social media platforms, either. Get your name out there so that prospective clients know how and where to find you!