As a part of preventive measures to fight Covid-19, the government of Malaysia have announced on the implementation of Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18 March 2020. Since then, a lot of companies had either suspended operation or encourage their employee to work from home. But frankly, as much as we like to, some jobs are just simply impossible to work from home. If you are one of them, maybe it’s time to explore some new opportunities with your writing skills.
Freelancer.com is one of the world's largest platform for freelancers. It has a job board that posts job openings for a very wide range of skills. Writers are free to choose to work for small businesses or larger corporations. Freelancer.com allows writers to bid for projects. Some of these projects are one-time gigs while others can provide work for months.
2.Upwork
Upwork, formerly known as Odesk is another platform similar to freelancers.com.The marketplace features a very wide range of job postings such as graphic designers, content marketing experts, and freelance writers and etc. Writers can bid on projects that are short-term or long-term arrangements. However, the downside of the site is, it is very well established and therefore easier for experts who had already established a nice profile.
If you are tired of endlessly biding or feel like your talent is worth more than whatever offer you can search online, fear not. Now you can actually sell your talent at your own price at Content writer. All you need to do is just post a service offer in accordance with your skills. Try to be as specific as possible so you will optimize your chance to match with compatible clients. With excellent services, your reputation will be built and all you need to do is to wait for the cash to come in nonstop. This platform provides you with an opportunity to turn your content writing skills into a permanent source of income! With security, privacy, and timely payments, you can keep doing what you love the most.
4.MOpress
If you are looking for something simple and straightforward, this might be what you have been looking for. With MOpress is you don’t have to submit loads of proposals before landing a gig. Instead of constantly being filled with disappointment and lowering down your rates, MOpress offers a fixed rate and a wide range of projects to pick from. Writers can either write in Chinese or English medium and have the privilege to only work on projects which they are comfortable with. Another plus point is, credit can be withdrawn from the account and transfer into your local bank without any extra charges.
(MOpress's dashboard for creator)
For one reason or another, some times writers will end up having unused articles in their computers. This is a norm especially among writers who use a freelancing platform like Freelancers.com or UpWork. Most of the scenario will be either the work was rejected or the order got cancel after the writing is done.
If there are some work lying in your folder, and you can’t find another market for them, consider selling the article on a buying and selling site. All you need to do is just upload your article and put it up for sale. Someone comes along and purchases it. The site will take a portion of the profit, but you get to keep most of it.
I know it has no guarantee that the article will be sold but don’t forget the fact that these sites have a very wide customer base, they can take your article to different corners of the world and get it sold to people you’d otherwise never reach.
Here are some platforms for article selling:
6. Medium
If you love to read, you must have heard of Medium. Medium attracts well over 220 million monthly users — putting it in the ranks of other large sites such as Spotify and Pinterest. Medium invented a reward system for their writers which is known as the Medium Partner Program.
Medium makes money through memberships (from readers) at a price of $5/month. When members read a story and clap for it, a portion of their membership dollars goes to the writer of the story. However, the ratio of claps to dollars is unknown; the algorithm is kept secret by Medium so that nobody can “game the system.”
This will be a good platform if you are the kind of writer where you don’t like to be told what to write. It will be a simple yet user-friendly place to start if you are considering to start blogging. It can be a place to try out your popularity and build your own fan base.
7. Start a blog with Wix / Wordpress
Why work for others when you could be your own boss? No doubt the platforms above may help you earn some extra cash and it will be a nice side hustle. However, if you are serious about writing and intend to build your own career on it, the best way is definitely to start a personal blog.
Having your personal blog help to focus on a more particular subject. The more you write about a subject, the more expert you became in that field. By providing valuable information to your readers, you will soon become recognizable in the community and it helps you to build yourself as a brand. You followers will believe that your knowledge and advice is worthy of seeking out. As your blog grow it might springboard you into something you never imagine.
4 TIPS TO INSPIRE WITH YOUR WORDS
So now that you had read about where to start, the next question will be what to start with?
Here are some tips on what to write:
1. An eye-catching title
Literally this define the success and the spirit of your story. You could have an award-winning article content but nothing will be seen if your title is not attritive enough for the readers to click in. So spend time on your title and if it’s necessary, list down a few of them and put the effort in, trust me it will be well paid.
2. Write about mainstream issues from a uniquely personal perspective
Let’s be honest everyone are attracted to something special. Having your own unique voice and perspective make you special and people enjoy the moment of enlightening or simply being put in a shoe where they have never thought of.
3. Write a story that teaches the reader something
If you can improve the life of the reader, even fractionally, through education or entertainment, your story will sell. So yar, it is time to show off and earn some cash.
4. Write with smart vulnerability
As writers, it’s easiest to write your own story. Be vulnerable and revealing your own self always win a reader's heart. But the best stories not only share deep dark secrets, but stories backed up with research, expert quotes, and data.
