What The Hell is Going On Over On Upwork?

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the author's experience applying for jobs on the freelancing platform Upwork, highlighting the low-paying and potentially exploitative nature of some job listings on the platform.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Upwork Job Listings

1. What are the author's observations about the job listings on Upwork?

• The author found several job listings on Upwork that offered extremely low pay, such as $1.66 per social media post, $15 for an 8-10 minute script, and $0.001524 per word for 20 scripts per week (equivalent to 4 novels per month).
• The author questions the quality of work that can be expected for such low rates and argues that writers should be charging at least $0.05 per word.
• The author also encountered job listings that were unclear about the expected work, such as one for an "experienced writer about Snapchat" and another for a "simple writing job" that the author was rejected from.

2. What is the author's overall assessment of Upwork?

• The author believes Upwork is "an endless pool of scams" and that even if you do get paid the offered rates, it is not worth it.
• The author is glad they were rejected from the five jobs they applied for, as it helps them towards their goal of getting 100 career rejections in a year.
• The author advises that if possible, one should avoid using Upwork, as it will constantly devalue your skills, regardless of your writing career stage.

[02] Becoming a Successful Writer

1. What advice does the author offer for writers looking to turn their passion into a full-time career?

• The author encourages readers to follow their journey as they work towards becoming a full-time writer, and promises to share the steps they take to help save readers time in their own "trial-and-error phase."
• The author offers a free 5-day email course to help readers maximize their growth as writers and become the best writers they can be.