The HOW? Feels unresolved

[zainabzaidi546]

you have no idea how people who lived under colonialism of British are now and were back then, we are equally familiar with your social,cultural conventions as you would be. Because we literally live in two places, we use all the elements normally spoken of use in. I can remember reading and watching BBC, when I was barely 4. So when it comes to English and that too, for countries like Pakistan who lived under British Raj, there is no native and non native thing. We have absorbed the British Culture, like no other country could because of how it has impacted us and lived inside of us. I wish you could understand, this.

Well you are wrong. Pakistan was the part of India and On June 15, 1947, the British House of Commons passed the Indian Independence Act, or Mountbatten Plan, which divided India into two dominions, India and Pakistan. It called for each dominion to be granted its independence by Aug. 15 of that year. So India and Pakistan both lived under British Raj.

Second thing, It’s on your country that it is not developing,take an example of India. India is a developing country, why Pakistan cannot develop itself? Because of your own government. Why you always blame others for your success and failures? Are you that lazy to do something in your life?

Telling someone that Britishers do this and that and because of this we are like this is never a good thing. You had same time as India, but you focused on other things, so that is how you are standing like this.

Yes, not every country is well developed, I understand, but you are doing exactly what others did till now, pointing fingers at others.

You want to hear what you like, that’s not how the world works afaik.

You are just here for only 1 month. It takes more time than 1 month to start things as per your likeability. I am sure, you can do it, but with that behavior and mindset, I am not sure.

This is a digital world. There is no one answer to anything. No one can guide you according to your requirements. You have to do everything by itself. Learn, adapt, try, fail, everything.

I know 4 of my good friends, who are earning $5k+ every month, and do you know where they are from? Pakistan.

If you still think, the people and the world will adapt according to you, then, unfortunately, you cannot succeed. Learn this hard way or understand what all of the users are saying to you.

I guess you got it all wrong, I was not blaming a country. I was actually talking about the perception around people from colonised countries.

So please before coming down to conclusions hear me out. I mixed up two things, an argument and a question.

[lenasemenkova]

I think there is a misunderstanding here. No one is telling you you can’t have a broad cultural knowledge or understanding of a country that isn’t your own. People are telling you that you can’t charge others money for your writings in English at this stage (which is what you are actively attempting to do by setting up a writing gig).

Also, being bilingual doesn’t automatically make you a good or a better writer. I’m trilingual from birth, does it mean that I am even better? (It absolutely doesn’t and I’m not).

[maitasun]

You dont judge a book by its cover, until you get down to what someone actually meant. In this world where everyone judges, try being a bit nicer.

You dont judge a book by its cover, until you get down to what someone actually meant. In this world where everyone judges, try being a bit nicer.

Not trying to be rude, but discussing with you in an attempt to make you understand you’re not qualified - whether skills or level - to provide high-quality work, is like speaking to a wall.

In no way I have been rude, impolite or disrespectful to you. Moreover, I haven’t written anything to you other than a very true saying - and by your reaction, I see it suited you.

What do you understand by being “a bit nicer”? Telling you not to worry, that you’ll sky-rocket with your writing Gig, that your writing skills are wonderful and you have no spelling and punctuation mistakes, just to mention a few? That native English speakers will find no issues in their orders that would make them leave you poor reviews or want to cancel? Is that what you want to hear?

I’m sorry, but no one in this forum will lie to you!

[frank_d]

Wow this is the thread that keeps on giving!

OP: each and every reply you post talks about perception.

If 20 people in your thread didn’t get what you are saying maybe you need to address how you communicate. Your writing is all over the place regardless of grammar, typos etc.

Typing things in a hurry is no excuse either.

I think you got plenty of advice that actually answers your original question in depth.

So now you know how you can get to that first order. It’s definitely not a matter of people not seeing reviews on your gig. It’s the very core of your offering that won’t get you anywhere.

So please take that advice and work on your stuff instead of taking every one and trying to explain what you may or may not have meant about the colonies etc

[ahmwritingco]

You dont judge a book by its cover, until you get down to what someone actually meant. In this world where everyone judges, try being a bit nicer.

how is vigorously wrong here, I checked its meaning felt right then. But I would like to know about the difference here? so i can figure out the mistake.

Vigorously means forcefully. Rigorously means carefully and thoroughly.

I suppose one could study a subject vigorously, but they’re much more likely to study it rigorously.

In this world where everyone judges, try being a bit nicer.

@maitasun is somebody I know well, and she is nice – really nice! So is everyone else in this thread.

Be careful you don’t confuse contradiction with persecution. 😉

[iamsachmusic]

how is vigorously wrong here, I checked its meaning felt right then. But I would like to know about the difference here? so i can figure out the mistake.

Vigorously means forcefully. Rigorously means carefully and thoroughly.

I suppose one could study a subject vigorously, but they’re much more likely to study it rigorously.

In this world where everyone judges, try being a bit nicer.

@maitasun is somebody I know well, and she is nice – really nice! So is everyone else in this thread.

Be careful you don’t confuse contradiction with persecution. 😉

@maitasun is somebody I know well, and she is nice – really nice!

I second that! 😃

[ahmwritingco]

@maitasun is somebody I know well, and she is nice – really nice!

I second that! 😃

I second that! 😃

But not the part where I said everyone else is nice? 😂

@zainabzaidi546, you’ve been given lots of advice (much, much more than the average new user is given). What’s your next move?

Personally, I think you need to improve your formal knowledge of English grammar. Then you’ll be able to improve your writing style.

I’d like to hear your thoughts, though.

[lenasemenkova]

Writing classes are a great thing, actually. I would totally recommend signing up. I used to take those every once and a while just to “loosen up”, so to speak. They give you a topic, you write a piece and then there is a live discussion where everyone points their finger and laughs (not really, but it’s nerve-wracking). It helps to shape up and improve writing a lot.

[cyaxrex]

I understand your point of view, but I dont think you need to be so rude.

There are 2 different things, I was trying to say.

1. My question was different, and 2. I was discussing the perception around speakers who are not native (please try to understand me. )

Secondly, we have been under British even after independence, all our books except urdu is in english, we are encouraged to only watch English movies,shows cartoons. I dont remember watching, urdu shows or urdu books. There is little or no market for writing in urdu. We have been even writing our personal diaries in urdu. And when i talked about watching BBC, it certainly didnot relate to my writing skills, it just was about the perception that centres around us.( this doesnot talk about my writing skills or anyone else’s)

Fiverr, is an online international platform, you cant just tell anyone to get out of here.And do something of their own.

Fiverr, is an online international platform, you cant just tell anyone to get out of here.And do something of their own.

I did not tell you to get out. I told you that you are not capable of selling what you are selling. Then I suggested some alternative options.

The secret of freelancing is to sell something you are good at. After that, everything falls into place.

I do not know why you seem determined to focus on how strong British influences are on Pakistan culture. Neither Holland or Norway were ever part of the British Empire, yet many of Dutch people and Norwegians speak perfect English.

I am sorry, but British people do not see themselves as culturally aligned to Pakistan, India, Canada, or anywhere else where the British Empire touched down. Nor do cultural influences from English language speaking countries make anyone a good writer. That is like me trying to pass myself of as an American emergency room doctor because of how much ER I watched as a child.

You wanted an answer concerning how you will ever get your first sale. The answer I have given you, is that you won’t until you go right back to the drawing board with your gigs.

[misscrystal]

Other than all my mistakes and some questions that felt repetitive, what I was trying to convey earlier is for us, ( those under British Colonial Era) the tv shows, the adverts , the books and so on everything is equally familiar. Because in countries, like ours English is more important than, our own mother tongue( which is obviously not a good thing) but this is how it is.

Most people use slangs like Bingo all stuff such as that.

Also I admit, and I agree to a buyer this information isnt available for them a native speaker will always be of more preference. So within, the boundaries of the topic I just discussed this perception that is embedded into English Speakers.

Also I admit, and I agree to a buyer this information isnt available for them a native speaker will always be of more preference.

That is because the entire way of writing is incorrect.

I have something turned on where words that are misspelled get underlined in red. So even if I was not a native English speaker, I would still know when a word is misspelled. You might want to find out how to turn that feature on, assuming you have it on your computer.

For example, your word “isnt” is lacking an apostrophe after the n, and this was underlined in red when I pasted it here.

I was discussing the perception around speakers who are not native (please try to understand me.

This is the reason for the perception; too many errors.

For example, it is unheard of for most native English speakers to ever write the pronoun “I” in lower case as you are doing in some places.

So the HOW is to offer something you are excellent at. There are thousands of writers on fiverr who can’t write and who wonder why they don’t get orders.

[iamsachmusic]

Also I admit, and I agree to a buyer this information isnt available for them a native speaker will always be of more preference.

That is because the entire way of writing is incorrect.

I have something turned on where words that are misspelled get underlined in red. So even if I was not a native English speaker, I would still know when a word is misspelled. You might want to find out how to turn that feature on, assuming you have it on your computer.

For example, your word “isnt” is lacking an apostrophe after the n, and this was underlined in red when I pasted it here.

I was discussing the perception around speakers who are not native (please try to understand me.

This is the reason for the perception; too many errors.

For example, it is unheard of for most native English speakers to ever write the pronoun “I” in lower case as you are doing in some places.

So the HOW is to offer something you are excellent at. There are thousands of writers on fiverr who can’t write and who wonder why they don’t get orders.

You might want to find out how to turn that feature on, assuming you have it on your computer.

It is called Google Spell Checker and it is a software base solution on Google Chrome so anyone can have it. Anyone can enable it in many different ways. @zainabzaidi546 Try this tutorial.

One more thing, use Grammarly, it fixes your grammar pretty much 70%.

[zainabzaidi546]

I think there is a misunderstanding here. No one is telling you you can’t have a broad cultural knowledge or understanding of a country that isn’t your own. People are telling you that you can’t charge others money for your writings in English at this stage (which is what you are actively attempting to do by setting up a writing gig).

Also, being bilingual doesn’t automatically make you a good or a better writer. I’m trilingual from birth, does it mean that I am even better? (It absolutely doesn’t and I’m not).

I never said anything like that, I said sorry and I also clarified what i meant. I am bilingual and it certainly will not make me a better writer.

I was addressing the misconception, around how people think of those who aren’t natives.

I maynot be an excellent writer, but the abilities that natives have, I think people from colonised countries like Pakistan surely possess it too because our own language suffers at the hands of English.

[zainabzaidi546]

You dont judge a book by its cover, until you get down to what someone actually meant. In this world where everyone judges, try being a bit nicer.

Not trying to be rude, but discussing with you in an attempt to make you understand you’re not qualified - whether skills or level - to provide high-quality work, is like speaking to a wall.

In no way I have been rude, impolite or disrespectful to you. Moreover, I haven’t written anything to you other than a very true saying - and by your reaction, I see it suited you.

What do you understand by being “a bit nicer”? Telling you not to worry, that you’ll sky-rocket with your writing Gig, that your writing skills are wonderful and you have no spelling and punctuation mistakes, just to mention a few? That native English speakers will find no issues in their orders that would make them leave you poor reviews or want to cancel? Is that what you want to hear?

I’m sorry, but no one in this forum will lie to you!

See giving a suggestion and being rude are two different things, and i can surely say you are being rude. You could point out someones mistakes, tell them to improve but you cant mock me. I am sorry you are wrong in your behaviour, You cant judge me and say

" There’s no worse deaf than he/she who doesn’t want to listen, and no worse blind than he/she who doesn’t want to see. 😉" this certainly isnt the truth, this is your judgment, I hope you face the karma of your own acts before judging someone when there already saying sorry and wanting to improve.

I am so sorry , I never said you need to or anyone else needs to lie. There is room for improvement and I certainly will do that, but you cannot judge me. You can suggest me to improve, but you can never assume, that I want to hear lies or that I dont want to improve. For godsake, learn to differentiate between being honest and just making judgments and assumptions.

[zainabzaidi546]

Writing classes are a great thing, actually. I would totally recommend signing up. I used to take those every once and a while just to “loosen up”, so to speak. They give you a topic, you write a piece and then there is a live discussion where everyone points their finger and laughs (not really, but it’s nerve-wracking). It helps to shape up and improve writing a lot.

I am sorry, for not being to address your message properly. You have been very helpful and I surely will act on your suggestions. I messed up my grammar and it sounded the other way round. I worked alot on my writing but I guess i lost practise, I had an A grade in IGCSE from CIE but I think its time i need to workout on my writing.

[zainabzaidi546]

Fiverr, is an online international platform, you cant just tell anyone to get out of here.And do something of their own.

I did not tell you to get out. I told you that you are not capable of selling what you are selling. Then I suggested some alternative options.

The secret of freelancing is to sell something you are good at. After that, everything falls into place.

I do not know why you seem determined to focus on how strong British influences are on Pakistan culture. Neither Holland or Norway were ever part of the British Empire, yet many of Dutch people and Norwegians speak perfect English.

I am sorry, but British people do not see themselves as culturally aligned to Pakistan, India, Canada, or anywhere else where the British Empire touched down. Nor do cultural influences from English language speaking countries make anyone a good writer. That is like me trying to pass myself of as an American emergency room doctor because of how much ER I watched as a child.

You wanted an answer concerning how you will ever get your first sale. The answer I have given you, is that you won’t until you go right back to the drawing board with your gigs.

Thankyou cyarex, I will consider your suggestions and work on it from scratch.

I would still clarify, I talked about how English had overtaken our own mother tongue, and that is what I was talking about, not about my own personal writing skill because of that. Sorry once again.

[zainabzaidi546]

Also I admit, and I agree to a buyer this information isnt available for them a native speaker will always be of more preference.

That is because the entire way of writing is incorrect.

I have something turned on where words that are misspelled get underlined in red. So even if I was not a native English speaker, I would still know when a word is misspelled. You might want to find out how to turn that feature on, assuming you have it on your computer.

For example, your word “isnt” is lacking an apostrophe after the n, and this was underlined in red when I pasted it here.

I was discussing the perception around speakers who are not native (please try to understand me.

This is the reason for the perception; too many errors.

For example, it is unheard of for most native English speakers to ever write the pronoun “I” in lower case as you are doing in some places.

So the HOW is to offer something you are excellent at. There are thousands of writers on fiverr who can’t write and who wonder why they don’t get orders.

I think even natives arent neccessarily good writers, I guess its about lack of practice. I got an A grade in IGCSE for language, I’ve lost practise and I need to work on the skills needed.

[zainabzaidi546]

Also I admit, and I agree to a buyer this information isnt available for them a native speaker will always be of more preference.

That is because the entire way of writing is incorrect.

I have something turned on where words that are misspelled get underlined in red. So even if I was not a native English speaker, I would still know when a word is misspelled. You might want to find out how to turn that feature on, assuming you have it on your computer.

For example, your word “isnt” is lacking an apostrophe after the n, and this was underlined in red when I pasted it here.

I was discussing the perception around speakers who are not native (please try to understand me.

This is the reason for the perception; too many errors.

For example, it is unheard of for most native English speakers to ever write the pronoun “I” in lower case as you are doing in some places.

So the HOW is to offer something you are excellent at. There are thousands of writers on fiverr who can’t write and who wonder why they don’t get orders.

I will work on your suggestions, thankyou so much.

[zainabzaidi546]

I second that! 😃

But not the part where I said everyone else is nice? 😂

@zainabzaidi546, you’ve been given lots of advice (much, much more than the average new user is given). What’s your next move?

Personally, I think you need to improve your formal knowledge of English grammar. Then you’ll be able to improve your writing style.

I’d like to hear your thoughts, though.

I will certainly be more careful before I type replies. I think, writing in hurry messed up most of the things. I will work on my grammar, and other writing skills to further improve them. Thankyou for your suggestions.

[zainabzaidi546]

Wow this is the thread that keeps on giving!

OP: each and every reply you post talks about perception.

If 20 people in your thread didn’t get what you are saying maybe you need to address how you communicate. Your writing is all over the place regardless of grammar, typos etc.

Typing things in a hurry is no excuse either.

I think you got plenty of advice that actually answers your original question in depth.

So now you know how you can get to that first order. It’s definitely not a matter of people not seeing reviews on your gig. It’s the very core of your offering that won’t get you anywhere.

So please take that advice and work on your stuff instead of taking every one and trying to explain what you may or may not have meant about the colonies etc

I had to clarify myself obviously, because that would leave the posts unattended. I think you are right, and I need to be careful next time. I will be working hard and working more on improving my writing.

[humanissocial]

Here is little background, before I chat around the enigma that has been frustrating me and forcing me to give up.

My mother, ever since I was 2( we are Pakistanis) spoke in English with me, she was an enthusiast into bringing intellect through me at an early age. She made me watch Blue Clue and Barney, she made me dream of being an astronaut ( not a very thought of thing here) she did everything she could to muster up my interest in literary side and building my intellect through general knowledge. As long as I remember Ive been speaking reading, thinking feeling and now English like Urdu has become a part of me. Both languages play pivotal role in me being a writer!

I have been writing journals and diaries since grade 4. I have been on forums when I was in 6 grade that was Enid Blyton Society, I have been reading and writing ever since then. And now with exams ending i thought of putting myself out on fiverr, like i did on wattpad. I worked as a proffessional editing and writing intern at a science magazine, I volunteered for programme on leadership.

Here comes the enigmatic part, that has been haunting me for as long as i joined up here. See, I completed a course, I read all the articles and even the forum posts on fiverr.

What i just cant link up, cannot think of, cannot find a solution to or just been able to find an answer is. Most posts, were about new sellers who got a request or had one or two buys, for me thats still pretty far as to where I am starting.

See, i just started out havent got a single request and no buys obviously, how will i ever attract a buyer into purchasing my article( please dont tell me the other stuff about making it interesting and althose techniques because no matter how interesting i appear to be, why would a buyer trust a completely new seller if he hasnt got a single sell, why would someone experiment with their money when they could get the same work in the same amount from a seller who has sold his work ) For me this is beyond bewilderment, the question is why? and how will it ever workout? This is a integral part for fiverr workers to stay here, and on this particular stuff there is no such guideline to follow or workout, if i havent got a single buyer request where I will and how will i get them, and why will a new buyer( despite me being maybe better than existing sellers) will risk it all? Is there this feeling in buyers, to risk it out and if they do why do they do so?

How does a completely new seller with ofcourse no, standing professionally on fiverr and no buyer requests ( and all the bla blas about interesting and intriguing media and titles) ever get an order? and why. And please the suggestion about promoting yourself on social media ( doesnt workout for most people) here because if my social media was so effective I’d rather be working through my links then on fiverr. So this never works out that way for a completely new seller, i wonder how to find an answer to why a buyer trusts a new seller being their first customer.

For me this is beyond bewilderment, the question is why? and how will it ever workout? This is a integral part for fiverr workers to stay here, and on this particular stuff there is no such guideline to follow or workout, if i havent got a single buyer request where I will and how will i get them, and why will a new buyer( despite me being maybe better than existing sellers) will risk it all? Is there this feeling in buyers, to risk it out and if they do why do they do so?

Yes, it is inherently risky and you speak to the need for better posts in the forum.

But what you require and are seeking is an understanding of business, online marketplace technology, the free market, and, most importantly, the personas of your buyer. It’s a marketplace, not an association. Any member support is purely voluntary to complement their other services. No forum can give you a buyer persona and as for everything else, it’s not specific to Fiverr and you can get that information anywhere. You have to take initiative and look elsewhere. If you’re relying on Fiverr to show you how to succeed here, you will fail.

Fiverr doesn’t owe it to us to tell us how to do our work or compete against other sellers. It’s your business and your responsibility. And part of the responsibility is finding out if you even have a viable business. As you say, it is a gamble here and nothing is sure. But if you understand business and your particular market, you’ll learn how to evaluate that and also how to create things that are more likely to sell.

[maitasun]

See giving a suggestion and being rude are two different things, and i can surely say you are being rude. You could point out someones mistakes, tell them to improve but you cant mock me. I am sorry you are wrong in your behaviour, You cant judge me and say

" There’s no worse deaf than he/she who doesn’t want to listen, and no worse blind than he/she who doesn’t want to see. 😉" this certainly isnt the truth, this is your judgment, I hope you face the karma of your own acts before judging someone when there already saying sorry and wanting to improve.

I am so sorry , I never said you need to or anyone else needs to lie. There is room for improvement and I certainly will do that, but you cannot judge me. You can suggest me to improve, but you can never assume, that I want to hear lies or that I dont want to improve. For godsake, learn to differentiate between being honest and just making judgments and assumptions.

See giving a suggestion and being rude are two different things, and i can surely say you are being rude. You could point out someones mistakes, tell them to improve but you cant mock me. I am sorry you are wrong in your behaviour, You cant judge me and say

" There’s no worse deaf than he/she who doesn’t want to listen, and no worse blind than he/she who doesn’t want to see. 😉" this certainly isnt the truth, this is your judgment,

@zainabzaidi546, you really need to read the dictionary and make it your friend.

Proverbs concentrate Human wisdom. They summarize situations or acts of people, they are not mockeries.

And, yes, it was and still is the truth, not my judgement. I haven’t judged you and I won’t do it. Once again, the dictionary is your friend. Consider keeping it close to you.

Why didn’t I give any suggestion? Easy, because you were already given many and didn’t want to listen to them or to take them. It makes no sense repeating over and over again what others have said before.

Maybe now it’s easier for you to understand the nature of sayings (syn.: proverbs), and in this particular case, the one I chose, perfectly summarized your behaviour. Truth is not rudeness. Truth is truth, plain and simple. It might hurt. Yes! Truth always hurts, but if you’re humble enough you will learn from it.

I hope you face the karma of your own acts before judging someone when there already saying sorry and wanting to improve.

What can I say? I guess silence will be the best answer to this… :roll_eyes:

As for me, I hope for you the virtue of being humble, listening to good advice and putting them into practice. It’s for your own interest and advantage. Those who listen to advice, get old. And that, too, is a saying - we, Spanish speakers, have sayings for any occasion. 😉

[zeus777]

OK, so I read through the whole post, and myself being a bilingual and English being my second language, allow me to hop in.

I work as a part time translator, and back home in Japan I am an English conversation teacher.
98% of my coworkers are from the states, Canada, UK, Australia, in other words they are all native speakers. I believe my English IS fine enough to teach, but when I am actually sitting there in the staff room talking with my native coworkers, I know my English level is way lower than theirs.
I have no Japanese-ish accent, in fact if I didn’t tell them, people will assume I am Japanese-American.
But again, my English level is not as good as my coworkers, and yes, I do make mistakes from time to time. Then how in the heck did I become a teacher? How did I get hundreds of orders for my translation gig?

I believe it’s because even though I am not native and far from being “perfect,” I am at that “certain” level where people will assume I am native. How do I show people in my gig that I am at that certain level? I made sure that all the necessary details were included in the description, and I proofread it MANY times. I spent a very long time putting my gig together.
Like the others have pointed out, your description has a lot of “i” in it, which for me is out of the question, especially if you are going to call yourself a writer.
If I was looking for a writer and came across your gig, the description is enough to make me say “Nope, not this person.”

I think it was about 2 years ago or so, there was a brand new seller who shared her story here at the forum. She was a writer, just like you. I don’t remember all the details, but I DO remember her saying something like her getting her first order within days.
I got curious and checked out her gig, and I wasn’t surprised that she got her first order right away.
It was clear, well written, with the right amount of details and information.

Now to be fair, there are PLENTY of great new sellers with the right skills who are not getting their first order yet. I guess here’s where the whole marketing comes in, and a bit of luck as well.

Bottom line is, put aside the luck, put aside the marketing etc etc.
The ONE and only answer to the “HOW do you get orders” question is, be sure to be good at what you offer. I believe your English skills are good, and you are getting your point across. However, it might not be at a point where you can offer writing to others…

[coerdelion]

Once again, I agree to most of what you have said. But i need to clarify, everyone is being pretty rude and pretty quick to judge me. I didnot call anyone wrong for their understanding or suggestion, I just didnot used the proper word or maybe my sentence structure was flawed and it all seemed the other way round. I used the word " wrong" , on the perception about people who arent from english speaking countries, I was trying to explain : that English has overtaken everything here, urdu is hardly read to children, we are all into it so we fully understand the culture and the cultural&social norms.

And i agree, that buyers dont care about whether, I am from colonial era or not they dont see this but my point was,to clarify this perception.

I am not claiming to be better than most people, I think it was more of an example as to clarify the misconception. I am definitely not better than most.

And being a writer and being a native speaker both dont neccesarrily match, so my point of view might have looked flawed. Someone could be a native but still not be able to write.

I am not claiming anything, it was maybe an example. And my English isn’t better than yours or anyone, i just messed up and you got the wrong idea.

But thank you, for insulting me and really sorry that I couldnt explain myself properly. Maybe next time, you could deal with more patience.

@hanshuber16 is never rude. Ever. His manners are a great deal better than mine … and he was only trying to help you.

Being honest isn’t rude. It’s just honest.

Your English, by the way, is very good, but not perfect. I have friends and acquaintances from both India and Pakistan whose English is much better than yours. I think part of the issue is probably that in writing, you’re trying to use formal language that doesn’t sit well here, or with you - it’s not the way you think.

You’d be much better just writing what you want to say in plain words … and they tidying it up a bit afterwards if necessary

.

[melanielm]

In the end, the only thing that matters is the perception of the buyer. Will your writing serve their purpose well? Anything they see that puts doubt in their mind will send them moving on to the next gig: spelling, grammar, punctuation, odd word choice, awkward sentence structure, lack of professionalism, demonstration of misunderstanding their needs, etc. Yes, even where you come from or live, unfortunately. That’s the simple truth of sales.

[misscrystal]

OK, so I read through the whole post, and myself being a bilingual and English being my second language, allow me to hop in.

I work as a part time translator, and back home in Japan I am an English conversation teacher.

98% of my coworkers are from the states, Canada, UK, Australia, in other words they are all native speakers. I believe my English IS fine enough to teach, but when I am actually sitting there in the staff room talking with my native coworkers, I know my English level is way lower than theirs.

I have no Japanese-ish accent, in fact if I didn’t tell them, people will assume I am Japanese-American.

But again, my English level is not as good as my coworkers, and yes, I do make mistakes from time to time. Then how in the heck did I become a teacher? How did I get hundreds of orders for my translation gig?

I believe it’s because even though I am not native and far from being “perfect,” I am at that “certain” level where people will assume I am native. How do I show people in my gig that I am at that certain level? I made sure that all the necessary details were included in the description, and I proofread it MANY times. I spent a very long time putting my gig together.

Like the others have pointed out, your description has a lot of “i” in it, which for me is out of the question, especially if you are going to call yourself a writer.

If I was looking for a writer and came across your gig, the description is enough to make me say “Nope, not this person.”

I think it was about 2 years ago or so, there was a brand new seller who shared her story here at the forum. She was a writer, just like you. I don’t remember all the details, but I DO remember her saying something like her getting her first order within days.

I got curious and checked out her gig, and I wasn’t surprised that she got her first order right away.

It was clear, well written, with the right amount of details and information.

Now to be fair, there are PLENTY of great new sellers with the right skills who are not getting their first order yet. I guess here’s where the whole marketing comes in, and a bit of luck as well.

Bottom line is, put aside the luck, put aside the marketing etc etc.

The ONE and only answer to the “HOW do you get orders” question is, be sure to be good at what you offer. I believe your English skills are good, and you are getting your point across. However, it might not be at a point where you can offer writing to others…

Now that was a very well written commentary from a non-native English speaker. I’m sure you would do very well if you had a writing gig.