Look, I’m well aware that every writer and his/her wife says you should steer clear of Elance like the plague, but I’ve actually found a sliver of success on there (yes, you can make money as a travel writer on Elance). And no, success does not mean $15 for 500 words.

Since going freelance, I’ve had maybe five or six clients through Elance that have proved to be invaluable on this very unstable journey.

When I first started scrabbling around the bidding sites I was so disheartened. How could I ever make a living? More to the point… How were other people making a living?

It scared me.

But I had no other choice (or so I thought at the time), so I brushed down my CV and jumped right on in.

At first, it took a while to get anyone to bite, let alone clients that were actually worth the time I’d spent scrolling through piles and piles of “I’m willing to pay $1 per 500 words” ads (yes, seriously, that’s a thing).

But then I landed my first client. And then a second, a third, and a fourth. These weren’t just run-of-the-mill (excuse the pun) clients, though. They were actually looking for decent writers (praise the lord, clients like this do exist!).

So how did I go from scared and apprehensive to enjoying the ride so quickly? I think you have to play the Elance game.

Remember that most people on there can’t write and have no skills whatsoever. You just have to browse through some of the freelancer ratings on there to see that 90% of people can’t deliver what they promise.

This is where you jump on the horse and ride away into the sunset.

Find a Niche

You will literally find everything under the sun on Elance. Clients who want sordid erotica novels written for $60 a pop; clients who want dry articles on the law industry; clients who want product reviews – literally every industry and every type of writing job is on there.

Which makes it easy to spread yourself too thin.

My advice? Don’t apply for everything just because it means you get to write. You started freelance writing for a reason, right? And I’m guessing that reason wasn’t so you could write about toilets for six hours a day.

Straight away I only applied for travel writing jobs. I soon built up my portfolio to include a number of diverse clippings – all related to travel. My portfolio was strong, and it meant new clients I sent out proposals to knew I was an expert in the niche.

And, if you’re considered an expert, people are way more willing to loosen their purse-strings a bit.

How will you stand out from the crowd?

Seek Out Quality Clients

You can usually see a quality client a mile off on Elance. How? You ask. Well, first of all, they know what they want. They don’t just throw up two lines about looking for cheap writers. They have a plan. They detail what the job entails, when they want it finished by, and the kind of freelancer they’re looking for.

If a client has taken the time to detail a position, you should take the time to write a good proposal.

Often, you can see a client’s budget in the listing, too. However, I still apply for jobs that are below what I’d usually accept and present the client with my portfolio and a good reason for hiring me at a higher rate.

It’s all about what you can do for them. If you can highlight that value, you’re onto a winner!

Personalise your proposals

Which brings me onto my next point.

There are so many freelancers on Elance who copy and paste generic proposals and spam them out to hundreds of jobs at a time.

This is not the way to go about it.

You want to cherry-pick the jobs you apply for (remember why you went freelance in the first place).

I’ve had clients tell me they’ve received proposals that had nothing to do with the job offer and that were basically desperate attempts from freelancers charging as low as $1 for 1000 words. Eek.

When you’re armed with this information, it’s easy to send out quality proposals that really stand out. How?

• Give all the information the client wants from you
• Highlight experiences that are relevant to the job in hand
• Link out to your portfolio and selected pieces of writing (you’d be amazed at how many clients have said they received a huge number of proposals that didn’t include a sample piece remember, you’re applying for a writing position so you need to show you can actually write)
• Be open and friendly but remain professional at all times

Even if you’re prices are much higher than other proposals, clients are much more likely to hire you if you seem easy to work with and professional.

Wait for Clients to Come to You

A lot of people think Elance is a rat-race to the bottom. That it’s a case of applying for as many jobs as possible and waiting for something to stick.

The truth? When you build up a good reputation, with good clippings and good reviews, clients will start to come to you.

There’s a whole other game at play behind the scenes of Elance that not many people know about (hence why they’re quick to dismiss it as a seedy place to pick up work).

Clients can actually scroll through freelancers and invite suitable candidates to apply for their positions. I’d say about 70% of my clients from Elance have come from job postings that were set as “invite only”, which means you’re not competing with the cheapest of the cheap and the client already has their eye on you.

A.k.a. they know your value.

I read a great article on CopyHackers the other day that goes into more detail about this.

Find Repeat Clients

A lot of clients know the kind of quality of freelancers on Elance (which, let’s face it, isn’t great), so when they find someone who goes above and beyond their expectations they’ll keep coming back for more.

About 80% of my clients are repeat clients, and I’ve been working with a lot of them since I started freelancing. They know they can rely on me so they don’t hesitate to drop me an email when they have more work coming in.

Don’t be afraid to say no

This is perhaps the most important point I’m going to make in this post. Yes, there are plenty of low-paying jobs on Elance, but you don’t have to bow down to that level.

Be confident with your abilities and be prepared to say no when something isn’t a great fit. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve turned down a client because the pay was nowhere near what I was asking, and they came back to me with a much higher budget, or an offer of work in a different diagonal.

If your work is good enough, you’re reliable, and you can deliver, clients will want to work with you regardless of how much you charge.

Finally, Let’s talk about payment

Talking about payment is taboo, I know, but I think it’s important when you’re considering hitting up the bidding sites.

I mean, you want to know how much it’s possible to earn, right?

I’ll be honest, when I first started freelancing, I charged a paltry $25-30 per 500 word post. This allowed me to get enough clippings I needed and a reputation that meant clients wanted to invite me to apply for higher-paying positions.

Now, nine months in, I charge anywhere between $50 and $150 per post, depending on the requirements and the scope of the project. The lower end is reserved for projects that really capture my heart. For the most part, I look for around $75-100 for a 500 word post, and this seems to be working well for me so far.

I know there are people out there who will balk at the low prices I’m charging, but I think it’s all about finding what’s right for you. I’m sure I’ll up my prices soon enough, but for now it’s an amount I’m comfortable with and, more importantly, that my clients are comfortable with.

Your turn! Have you heard horror stories about Elance? What questions do you have about it? Let me know in the comments!

[disclaim]Don’t forget to check out the new resources page I put together over the weekend, which features a wealth of tools, job boards, blogs, and books for all you freelance writers out there! [/disclaim]