One of the main arguments that some writers will pose against landing freelance writing assignments on a bid site is that the competition is simply too steep. I have to say that part of the reason why I disagree with this theory is that really, competition is fierce in the freelance writing world in general, whether we are talking brick and mortar or online writing opportunities. In this article, I am going to use some information from clients past and present and sketch a bit of an outline on what people with freelance writing jobs are looking for in the writer that they hire.

Disclaimer: If you’ve read a few articles on this site you know that I hate ambiguity, unfortunately ghost writing assignments mean that most of the time you have to keep everything confidential, so I can’t give the names of the clients who provided this information to me.

Good Feedback

Almost every bidding site will have a feedback section where your former clients will rate your services. This is yet another complaint that many writers who claim to shun these sites have against the whole process, and again their point is accurate, but only carried so far. The bidding sites are notoriously unhelpful when you get a difficult client, who may actually be a competitor looking to screw over a better business. Still, if you are reliable, most of your feedback will be positive.

And that’s important, because 9 times out of 10 the feedback is the first thing that your potential clients will be looking at.

Samples

It is always a good idea to attach samples to your bid, even when they are not asked for. Make sure that they are as relevant as possible, and go over them two or ten times to get rid of any spelling or grammar errors; they can be hard to pick up but they will make a difference!

Price

Price will often make a difference in whether or not you get picked for a freelance writing assignment, but not always in the way a person who hasn’t used a bidding site expects. Some buyer – and most of mine are in this group – see a bid that is too low as reflecting poor quality, and they won’t pick that kind of bidder.

Portfolio

Finally, the way your portfolio is presented will also make a difference in whether or not your bid is picked. All bidding sites provide the opportunity for you to create a portfolio, and you need to take advantage of it and create the most straightforward profile that you possibly can.

I received a phone call from the United Kingdom a while ago, from a web site developer who had seen my portfolio on a site and had shortlisted me for his freelance writing assignments. One of the specific things that stood out about me in his mind was that I didn’t bother with some of the “sap” that many writers think will sell “writing is my life”, and so on. Remember, you’re setting up a business, and you need to think professionally not artistically!