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Price change: 0.5 p a word!


rosslombardi

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On the one hand, you are right

Always avoid making enemies, especially professionally

On the other

You can rate both yourself and others by the enemies they make and the strength of any hate.

Even more so if the hate is only oneway!

A person with no enemies at all has never marked the Earth, and might as well have never been born!

And before you jump to quickly to disagree,

Take a moment to ask yourself,

Even “IF” you don’t consider anyone an enemy yourself and love the whole world.

How many people consider and treat you as an enemy anyway?

Because if someone hates you, then you must have done something, in some way, that meant something real!

Extrapolated bits of filtered wisdom from this discussion so far.

.

There are several more approaches looked at so far.

.

Taking a Tree as our illustrative tool,

We can consider that the Fruit or best pay customers will be at one end.

And everything from the smallest fibre root up is all leading to that fruit

.

So, there are 3 types of approach

.

.

1

Tree trunk

Creating a large amount of generic content for others

Being an outsourcer to those that arbitrage

.

Type 1 Advantages

Theoretically should be able to get a lot of work fairly quickly.

.

Type 1 Disadvantages

But for those who Arbitrage to get their money you have to work cheaply.

This would have to be all about creating a large amount of work volume,

Produced fairly quickly to make it worth doing.

As unpleasant as some might find it to hear,

Unless you are a specialist, (E.g. able to write technical manuals or have relevant academic angle) then you are pretty much having to compete on price alone,

At least until you are so well known for your reliability that those who Arbitrage start chasing and competing for you, at which point you can compete on that reputation for reliability instead and raise your prices.

And that could take quite a lot of time!

.

Type 1 Summary

This is not a bad tactic, if dedicated to.

I doubt you could make a living off it on its own and is best used part-time with a part-time physical existing job out in the real world.

Maybe as a way of turning off and making some easy side cash after a stressful day from the physical job.

.

.

2

Tree branch

Being the one that practices arbitrage

Sourcing various talent and pulling together packages and creating overall products

.

Type 2 Advantages

This is one for the slightly OCD filing cabinet worshipers of the world.

(Very much like me:)

Being a “middleman/woman” seems a little glamorous, like being a 1940’s style fixer in a gangster movie.

Customers come to you with their needs and like that man at the start of an old ‘Mission Impossible’ episode, you go through your files and choose the talent and put together a team-best suited for this mission.

Some might polish the collected package off themselves as part of quality control and to enjoy “Keeping their hand in”.

This option looks like it is the one that makes the most money as well.

.

Type 2 Disadvantages

This could be the most stressful of all the options.

You are the mercy of everything that can ever possibly go wrong.

If half your source producers suddenly spontaneously all get captured by aliens and are unable to meet their deadline at the eleventh hour.

Your whole hard-earned reputation for reliability and quality can tank overnight.

.

Type 2 Summary

This is not one for the first timer.

You need contacts and proper experience first

No mere online course no matter what they promise to teach you to make this work.

Although you can research and read (and you should) as much as you can.

You need to learn this by doing more than anything else

And even then ONLY after “earning your dues” seeing how all the angles work from root to tip.

.

.

3

Pretty leaves

The closest to the fruit!

Minor in house fame, Kudos, the main bit of a tree most notice from a distance.

The D rate celebrities of ‘this’ particular world

.

Type 3 Advantages

If you like being a personality and have a certain own style then this could work for you.

This would be the second-best paying option.

And the most fun.

WHEN YOU EVENTUALLY BECOME KNOWN, AND ONLY THEN - You can indulge your style a little (ONLY A LITTLE! NOT BY TOO MUCH!) and at a certain higher level of customers will chase you.

.

Type 3 Disadvantages

I tried to do this myself, attempting to gain a Neche as the “Weird Writer”, but it did not take.

This might require an ability to be “Charming” on some level.

Which for me personally, is my greatest weakness.

(And you can only fake it for so long… sooner or later the cracks will appear!)

.

Type 3 Summary

Best used as part of a 5-income source plan

Having Fiverr as just once finger in a personally branded pie.

Which would also include a blog, maybe some books on Smashwords, perhaps even a YouTube channel,

(Ok, that last one is a stretch in today’s world, but give it five more years and this could actually not seem quite so silly anymore!)

The days of being able to be scruffy and only partly dressed at your keyboard are sadly going!

The days are coming when you will have to look as immaculately smart at home as you do in any outside work office you have to commute to.

(You can consider that my 2020 prediction for 2025!)

.

.

ME! ME! ME!

.

So, where would that leave me?

.

I am most attracted to begin a nice green type 3 leaf

.

But I have all the natural charm of an old leaking wet hessian sack of dog poop in a hot tin shack!

While I normally support always turning a weakness into a strength,

And while being an arse hole might work for a shock Jock or a YouTube channel,

I see no way of turning my disadvantage around and subverting it for use in THIS environment.

HERE it is about as effective as a great white shark on top of a snowy mountain.

It is simply the wrong place for that sort of person.

.

At least on its own.

.

But as part of a five-fingered brand?

.

While Fiverr for someone like me will NEVER give much or any work it is still worth retaining as part of my arsenal.

.

Yes, I could, just use this self-brand to still get writing work.

And not have to pay Fiverr any commission.

.

However, Fiverr offers some angles that would make the commission on any of the very few jobs (if any) I still ever got a year from them worth paying.

.

Because of the exposure, it offers “This Brand”.

.

Example IF J K Rowling had a Fiverr account, then you know she would command the super high prices and people would gladly pay it!

(This example if silly caricature to make my overall point clear and obvious!)

.

Even if no one ever hires me using Fiverr, it is another profile and another bit of exposure that is visible on the net.

.

Someone said, “You are easy to find” and that was a great compliment because I have put a lot of effort into being easy to find.

Turning all the Privacy settings to a minimum and linking account and profiles that can possibly be linked to other accounts and profiles.

Upsetting the right people to stimulate enraged followers who play into my hands by making it a hobby to cyber stalk and attempt to ban everything I do,

.

Because now I have other followers that want to see what was banned and why!

Not because they like me, in any way shape or form,

Just because they don’t like not being able to know.

Being told they are not allowed to know anything irritates them, no matter what that actual content is.

.

Making the super low price was a mistake.

I looked at this month’s spreadsheet and panicked

Fear in a large enough surge turns your rational logical mind off.

In fact,

Logically I should have gone to the other extreme

It will mean I get little or NO work form Fiverr, at all, because the prices will be too high.

But I am not using Fiverr to get work, only to be noticed and make money on other platforms.

A Great White Shark on a snowy mountain IS useless in itself

But it is so unusual it will make a person start to think,

“What the hell is that shark doing there and how did it get there in the first place?”

Then they will start to ponder all great white sharks in the ocean.

.

But before a final decision, I’d like some feedback on these thoughts so far.

Even the insults because, because that tells me things to.

Maybe not what you intend and think I am being told, but I tells upon deeper analysis me what I want to know.

.

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You not so subtle digs here and there are some of the clumsiest attempts on passive-aggressive bullying manipulation I have ever seen.

It is hard to believe you might be in professional marketing.

Which is why I can not take you seriously… anymore

Hence the joke…

The Little patronising hints that I am inadequate and not ready for this market etc, etc??

But not a single factual solution,

All emotive, No substance!

Really??

For someone so much more skilled than me, you seem to be investing an awful amount of time trying to make me quit.

It cannot help but make me wonder if I am perhaps a better writer than I at first thought I was.

So thank you for the accidental affirmation.

What do you expect when you come here telling us you aren’t very proficient and want to charge as little as possible because you are desperate for work?

When you ask fellow sellers to resell the work of a not so proficient writer? You want us to resell the work of a seller who isn’t of a high standard (you admit this yourself), which isn’t even allowed.

You asked for advice and I gave it to you. You responded with sarcasm. Yes I’m blunt. You need bluntness because there are fundamental issues with your approach that will make you fail. If you want respect, don’t admit you aren’t exceptional yet desperate and ask us to help you simply because you are desperate.

I respect people when they ask for genuine help differentiating and creating a value proposition, not “Please resell my work because I’m charging super cheap and I’m not exceptional at what I do.” I give respect when people respect me. This inquiry is not respectful.

You can be blunt and a good marketer at the same time. I did give you tangible advice and would have given you more had you asked for tangible help instead of “Please buy from me because I lack exceptional talent and I’m cheap and desperate for work” followed by sarcastic responses to people’s answers to you. I don’t help people who won’t help themselves.

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Nah, I have already known the misery of…

“De Feet”

Cheers

Now you’ve been given lots of advice, success is surely afoot.

I think you “Nailed” it there,

I might just take some of the above advice and “Toe” the line,

Rather than being a “heel” by submitting to fear and hate and risk losing my “Sole” over this!

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On the one hand, you are right

Always avoid making enemies, especially professionally

On the other

You can rate both yourself and others by the enemies they make and the strength of any hate.

Even more so if the hate is only oneway!

A person with no enemies at all has never marked the Earth, and might as well have never been born!

And before you jump to quickly to disagree,

Take a moment to ask yourself,

Even “IF” you don’t consider anyone an enemy yourself and love the whole world.

How many people consider and treat you as an enemy anyway?

Because if someone hates you, then you must have done something, in some way, that meant something real!

I think a better perspective is ‘rival’. Enemies hold us back, rivals drive us forward. Enemies try to take us down and out, rivals challenge us to get better. Enemies seek to defame, rivals point out flaws.

By marking someone as an enemy, you are giving them power over your thoughts and actions, how to best defeat them. By marking someone as a rival, you are taking away their power to hold you back, and you seek to compete on their level.

(I like the cosplay in your profile image. Steampunk or Old West?)

(I take it you’ve not been on a discourse forum before? I know the formatting options are… limited, but there are help guides online so that you can make your posts look more organized, professional, and indicative of your skill as a writer. 🙂)

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So if I can not compete on price

(Or if I try to, then it is ethicaly “Bad”)

And I do not feel I can confidently compete on quality

(Not that I am bad, But neither am I any William Shakespeare, I am probably just below average-ish, I hope. )

Then how else do I compete with the competition?

I tried a whole “I am the weird writer” thing to attempt to grab a possible Neche, but it did not work.

As I said to one person earlier,

Offer some solutions rather than just point out problems I already know about…

If we are all dong pretty much the same thing, then how do we differentiate from every other person that can equally do, for instance, some knocked up copy, for some average style blog?

If it is not on price?

A few pretty pictures in the gallery and a shoved in poem in the gig description does not really make you any different than the next writer in the queue, not really…

After getting past the mere gimmicks we are all essentially all the same ‘thing’, doing the same things and chasing the very the same markets.

I have a slight advantage of living in a crap area so my mortgage is only under 300 £ a month.

So I have only one possible edge on someone that lives in (for example) London.

And that my living expenses are much lower so I can make my prices lower.

Without that one and only advantage, what else do I have?

Apart from a bit of table dressing, why would someone go to me rather than the next writer?

I can not cruse my Facebook or the wine bars of SW1 and make fake friend connections the way some others do (nor would I ever want to!)

So what are your thoughts on some of these notions?

More importantly, what are some of your real solutions?

I am probably just below average-ish, I hope.

So what are your thoughts on some of these notions?

Most people are average, hence average, and a high chance that you’re not just below but average. Which brings you already a step ahead. Next thought is … would it be so hard to become just above average? With “your thing” itself, or if that’s too difficult/would take too long, then maybe with the “surrounding things”, like gig presentation, customer service, “marketing”? If you’d be even just above average, that would put you on higher grounds than the masses of average people, and maybe just be good enough to foot the bills? 😅

Alternatively, some say everyone is good at something, perhaps you just need to find another something, something you get a kick out of, something, where you can leave your footprints behind.

Foot for thought.

In any case, I like the cosplay too and … 🍀

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I think a better perspective is ‘rival’. Enemies hold us back, rivals drive us forward. Enemies try to take us down and out, rivals challenge us to get better. Enemies seek to defame, rivals point out flaws.

By marking someone as an enemy, you are giving them power over your thoughts and actions, how to best defeat them. By marking someone as a rival, you are taking away their power to hold you back, and you seek to compete on their level.

(I like the cosplay in your profile image. Steampunk or Old West?)

(I take it you’ve not been on a discourse forum before? I know the formatting options are… limited, but there are help guides online so that you can make your posts look more organized, professional, and indicative of your skill as a writer. 🙂)

Whether “Real” or “Imagined”, I have, unfortunately, a psychological pathology that requires Enemies.

I have what I call my Anger Fuel Tank.

If I am not angry then I fall into crippling sometimes depression.

So, I rely on anger as a survival strategy.

It is not a great way to live,

You just have to have an “It is, what it is” attitude about it.

There are children with various cancers that have far worse.

This is just one of many examples of why I am not allowed to self-licence myself a “pity party”

Luckily that is not the only way my brain is a bit weird

I can also see things in a ways that some might not be able to.

(I mean in a real practical way of thinking sense NOT some silly psychic rubbish.)

The cosplay is Steampunk, by the way, As worn to the Whitby Goth weekend in the UK (October version)

I know I have to learn far more about forum layouts as some point,

And I will,

But it is not a priority for me at the moment.

Thank you for implying I am a skilled writer.

Beware though, I think there is an unwritten law that states that if you are too nice to people online, too often, then …

…Men in Black, turn up in a dark van and take you internet router away,

And then they give you disapproving looks as if to say,

“We are not upset,”

“We are just deeply disappointed in you”

Though I may have just dreamt that.

🙂

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As a buyer who purchases quite a bit of articles here, let me tell you a short story - a true story.

I have a list of sellers that I go to for top quality articles.

I also have a list of sellers I go to for a quick & easy articles. I don’t expect research, great writing, just something decent for a low price.

I hired one of my quality writers, paid the quality price. I was expecting the same top notch work that I always get. You know, the well researched, coherent writing, no grammar error, interesting, etc.

I was shocked at the low quality I got back. It was boring, didn’t flow well - writing was all over the place, it went back and forth, instead of going in sequence. It was pretty bad.

Something about that writing was very familiar, though. When it finally hit me a few days later, I knew what it was. I’m 90% sure he outsourced it to one of my cheap writers.

No idea what possessed him to do that. If I want below average writing, I wouldn’t have hired him. To be nice and to give him the benefit, I just didn’t review him.

I was so disappointed. I couldn’t use the article. I hire specific people for certain articles because I like the way they write and the skills they possess.

When they outsource, I’m not getting what I bargained for nor the quality. If, as a writer, you’re too to busy, say so, pause your gig or put limit.

Don’t shortchange your regular customer, after all, I hired you because I know your writing style - you can’t fool me.

Don’t shortchange your new client, they will think your writing is crap and will never hire you again or worse, leave you a bad review or cancel.

If you outsource, read it before sending I to your client.

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Whether “Real” or “Imagined”, I have, unfortunately, a psychological pathology that requires Enemies.

I have what I call my Anger Fuel Tank.

If I am not angry then I fall into crippling sometimes depression.

So, I rely on anger as a survival strategy.

It is not a great way to live,

You just have to have an “It is, what it is” attitude about it.

There are children with various cancers that have far worse.

This is just one of many examples of why I am not allowed to self-licence myself a “pity party”

Luckily that is not the only way my brain is a bit weird

I can also see things in a ways that some might not be able to.

(I mean in a real practical way of thinking sense NOT some silly psychic rubbish.)

The cosplay is Steampunk, by the way, As worn to the Whitby Goth weekend in the UK (October version)

I know I have to learn far more about forum layouts as some point,

And I will,

But it is not a priority for me at the moment.

Thank you for implying I am a skilled writer.

Beware though, I think there is an unwritten law that states that if you are too nice to people online, too often, then …

…Men in Black, turn up in a dark van and take you internet router away,

And then they give you disapproving looks as if to say,

“We are not upset,”

“We are just deeply disappointed in you”

Though I may have just dreamt that.

🙂

This is just one of many examples of why I am not allowed to self-licence myself a “pity party”

Excellent. Just by this, you might be well above average as a forum user then already 😉

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I am probably just below average-ish, I hope.

So what are your thoughts on some of these notions?

Most people are average, hence average, and a high chance that you’re not just below but average. Which brings you already a step ahead. Next thought is … would it be so hard to become just above average? With “your thing” itself, or if that’s too difficult/would take too long, then maybe with the “surrounding things”, like gig presentation, customer service, “marketing”? If you’d be even just above average, that would put you on higher grounds than the masses of average people, and maybe just be good enough to foot the bills? 😅

Alternatively, some say everyone is good at something, perhaps you just need to find another something, something you get a kick out of, something, where you can leave your footprints behind.

Foot for thought.

In any case, I like the cosplay too and … 🍀

Quote

“Alternatively, some say everyone is good at something, perhaps you just need to find another something, something you get a kick out, something, where you can leave your footprints behind.”

Good or bad

For better or worse

WRITING IS MY BIGGEST KICK!

I always find some excuse to write because I love doing it

I love the puns

The jokes

The silly mini-stories I interject into subjects at a whim.

I can not imagine a better legal buzz!

I have bum squits of the Keyboard

I do at least 5K of words a day without trying

I often tell people that there is a glaring spelling error because of Dyslexia

And while it is true that I am Dyslexic

The far more likely reason, in reality, is that I have not had enough sleep and/or skipped one too many meals because some idea needed doing.

I have never had writer block ever

But there are times when I think it would be nice to try, just for one day, to see if I can relax a bit more.

I am happily addicted to writing and I never want to be cured!

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Quote

“Alternatively, some say everyone is good at something, perhaps you just need to find another something, something you get a kick out, something, where you can leave your footprints behind.”

Good or bad

For better or worse

WRITING IS MY BIGGEST KICK!

I always find some excuse to write because I love doing it

I love the puns

The jokes

The silly mini-stories I interject into subjects at a whim.

I can not imagine a better legal buzz!

I have bum squits of the Keyboard

I do at least 5K of words a day without trying

I often tell people that there is a glaring spelling error because of Dyslexia

And while it is true that I am Dyslexic

The far more likely reason, in reality, is that I have not had enough sleep and/or skipped one too many meals because some idea needed doing.

I have never had writer block ever

But there are times when I think it would be nice to try, just for one day, to see if I can relax a bit more.

I am happily addicted to writing and I never want to be cured!

WRITING IS MY BIGGEST KICK!

Biggest kick and what we’re good at isn’t always the same thing, unfortunately, though, some annoying people even write books about how it’s bad advice to follow our passion, but who cares, go for it, if it’s your one thing, and go all-in.

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Whether “Real” or “Imagined”, I have, unfortunately, a psychological pathology that requires Enemies.

I have what I call my Anger Fuel Tank.

If I am not angry then I fall into crippling sometimes depression.

So, I rely on anger as a survival strategy.

It is not a great way to live,

You just have to have an “It is, what it is” attitude about it.

There are children with various cancers that have far worse.

This is just one of many examples of why I am not allowed to self-licence myself a “pity party”

Luckily that is not the only way my brain is a bit weird

I can also see things in a ways that some might not be able to.

(I mean in a real practical way of thinking sense NOT some silly psychic rubbish.)

The cosplay is Steampunk, by the way, As worn to the Whitby Goth weekend in the UK (October version)

I know I have to learn far more about forum layouts as some point,

And I will,

But it is not a priority for me at the moment.

Thank you for implying I am a skilled writer.

Beware though, I think there is an unwritten law that states that if you are too nice to people online, too often, then …

…Men in Black, turn up in a dark van and take you internet router away,

And then they give you disapproving looks as if to say,

“We are not upset,”

“We are just deeply disappointed in you”

Though I may have just dreamt that.

🙂

If I am not angry then I fall into crippling sometimes suicidal depression.

So, I rely on anger as a survival strategy.

This is pretty much everybody.

It sounds to me like your biggest problem is that you want to be a creative writer, but want to make bank in the meantime, by being an all-round writer for hire. As it is, you won’t find a way to reconcile these two personas. One needs to be completely sacrificed for the other to thrive.

Alternatively, you need to divorce your brand personas. Keep your creative side separate from what you offer on Fiverr, or just go all in and offer creative writing on Fiverr if that is what you want to do.

Beware though, I think there is an unwritten law that states that if you are too nice to people online, too often, then …

…Men in Black, turn up in a dark van and take you internet router away,

It’s worse than that. They took my Grandmother.

The cosplay is Steampunk, by the way, As worn to the Whitby Goth weekend in the UK (October version)

I love Whitby. Do they still have the cool little fossil shop with the Brontosaurus eggs?

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If I am not angry then I fall into crippling sometimes suicidal depression.

So, I rely on anger as a survival strategy.

This is pretty much everybody.

It sounds to me like your biggest problem is that you want to be a creative writer, but want to make bank in the meantime, by being an all-round writer for hire. As it is, you won’t find a way to reconcile these two personas. One needs to be completely sacrificed for the other to thrive.

Alternatively, you need to divorce your brand personas. Keep your creative side separate from what you offer on Fiverr, or just go all in and offer creative writing on Fiverr if that is what you want to do.

Beware though, I think there is an unwritten law that states that if you are too nice to people online, too often, then …

…Men in Black, turn up in a dark van and take you internet router away,

It’s worse than that. They took my Grandmother.

The cosplay is Steampunk, by the way, As worn to the Whitby Goth weekend in the UK (October version)

I love Whitby. Do they still have the cool little fossil shop with the Brontosaurus eggs?

This is pretty much everybody.

With respect,

No its not

Not in the same way.

I feel continuing this line of enquiry would be both futile and self-indulgent of me.

CHANGING THE SUBJECT!

You will find Whitby is mostly the same, BUT they don’t make the Crystal Lucky Ducks anymore…

🙂

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If I am not angry then I fall into crippling sometimes suicidal depression.

So, I rely on anger as a survival strategy.

This is pretty much everybody.

It sounds to me like your biggest problem is that you want to be a creative writer, but want to make bank in the meantime, by being an all-round writer for hire. As it is, you won’t find a way to reconcile these two personas. One needs to be completely sacrificed for the other to thrive.

Alternatively, you need to divorce your brand personas. Keep your creative side separate from what you offer on Fiverr, or just go all in and offer creative writing on Fiverr if that is what you want to do.

Beware though, I think there is an unwritten law that states that if you are too nice to people online, too often, then …

…Men in Black, turn up in a dark van and take you internet router away,

It’s worse than that. They took my Grandmother.

The cosplay is Steampunk, by the way, As worn to the Whitby Goth weekend in the UK (October version)

I love Whitby. Do they still have the cool little fossil shop with the Brontosaurus eggs?

It sounds to me like your biggest problem is that you want to be a creative writer, but want to make bank in the meantime, by being an all-round writer for hire. As it is, you won’t find a way to reconcile these two personas.

I disagree

Having an empty page where you can do what you like is lovely but it can lack challenge

Like playing a computer game on easy yet again.

As the artist M C Wscher philosophied

Limits

Edges

These things force you to be more creative not less!

There is a challenge to finding a new effective way of selling shampoo that no one else has done (or at least not done as well as you)

It is the difference between mere masturbation and the romantic seduction of a princess when you are but a mere lowly peasant.

If a copy is dull to write then you are not trying hard enough!

Because if you are finding it dull to write then all the customers, of your customer, will also be bored!

And that does not move products!

It is my job, to make all writing creative!

Even if it is only in the smallest way!

Because that is what will make my customer money!

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It sounds to me like your biggest problem is that you want to be a creative writer, but want to make bank in the meantime, by being an all-round writer for hire. As it is, you won’t find a way to reconcile these two personas.

I disagree

Having an empty page where you can do what you like is lovely but it can lack challenge

Like playing a computer game on easy yet again.

As the artist M C Wscher philosophied

Limits

Edges

These things force you to be more creative not less!

There is a challenge to finding a new effective way of selling shampoo that no one else has done (or at least not done as well as you)

It is the difference between mere masturbation and the romantic seduction of a princess when you are but a mere lowly peasant.

If a copy is dull to write then you are not trying hard enough!

Because if you are finding it dull to write then all the customers, of your customer, will also be bored!

And that does not move products!

It is my job, to make all writing creative!

Even if it is only in the smallest way!

Because that is what will make my customer money!

It is the difference between mere xxxxxxxx and the romantic seduction of a princess when you are but a mere lowly peasant.

The vulgarity! 😱

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This is pretty much everybody.

With respect,

No its not

Not in the same way.

I feel continuing this line of enquiry would be both futile and self-indulgent of me.

CHANGING THE SUBJECT!

You will find Whitby is mostly the same, BUT they don’t make the Crystal Lucky Ducks anymore…

🙂

BUT they don’t make the Crystal Lucky Ducks anymore…

Just had to reply. I have one of those!

It has lived in its little box in every car I have owned for the last 20 + years.

Superstitious or what! 🙂

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As a buyer who purchases quite a bit of articles here, let me tell you a short story - a true story.

I have a list of sellers that I go to for top quality articles.

I also have a list of sellers I go to for a quick & easy articles. I don’t expect research, great writing, just something decent for a low price.

I hired one of my quality writers, paid the quality price. I was expecting the same top notch work that I always get. You know, the well researched, coherent writing, no grammar error, interesting, etc.

I was shocked at the low quality I got back. It was boring, didn’t flow well - writing was all over the place, it went back and forth, instead of going in sequence. It was pretty bad.

Something about that writing was very familiar, though. When it finally hit me a few days later, I knew what it was. I’m 90% sure he outsourced it to one of my cheap writers.

No idea what possessed him to do that. If I want below average writing, I wouldn’t have hired him. To be nice and to give him the benefit, I just didn’t review him.

I was so disappointed. I couldn’t use the article. I hire specific people for certain articles because I like the way they write and the skills they possess.

When they outsource, I’m not getting what I bargained for nor the quality. If, as a writer, you’re too to busy, say so, pause your gig or put limit.

Don’t shortchange your regular customer, after all, I hired you because I know your writing style - you can’t fool me.

Don’t shortchange your new client, they will think your writing is crap and will never hire you again or worse, leave you a bad review or cancel.

If you outsource, read it before sending I to your client.

Very well said. Thanks for that helpful anecdote. People hire because they want that person and think they know what they are getting.

And it’s deceptive to present yourself as the freelancer doing the work if you actually aren’t.

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It sounds to me like your biggest problem is that you want to be a creative writer, but want to make bank in the meantime, by being an all-round writer for hire. As it is, you won’t find a way to reconcile these two personas.

I disagree

Having an empty page where you can do what you like is lovely but it can lack challenge

Like playing a computer game on easy yet again.

As the artist M C Wscher philosophied

Limits

Edges

These things force you to be more creative not less!

There is a challenge to finding a new effective way of selling shampoo that no one else has done (or at least not done as well as you)

It is the difference between mere masturbation and the romantic seduction of a princess when you are but a mere lowly peasant.

If a copy is dull to write then you are not trying hard enough!

Because if you are finding it dull to write then all the customers, of your customer, will also be bored!

And that does not move products!

It is my job, to make all writing creative!

Even if it is only in the smallest way!

Because that is what will make my customer money!

Having written the above, I have just had the self-realisation that the real reason I was tempted to crash my price so low was never about the money.

Not really

It was instead about a “Work Junkie” suffering from “Work Withdrawal” from a lack of a "Work Fix"!

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If I may recommend a book: Stephen King On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
If you’ve already read it, yay! If not, I think it will really help even if it takes you more time than usual.

On the friends thing...

image.png.088288995253caca3fa9d1439a1e760f.png
image842×250 6.77 KB

Yes, this is from a fanfic. No, I don’t care if I’m outed as a fan. Good storytelling is sometimes hard enough to come by.
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If I may recommend a book: Stephen King On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

If you’ve already read it, yay! If not, I think it will really help even if it takes you more time than usual.

On the friends thing...

Yes, this is from a fanfic. No, I don’t care if I’m outed as a fan. Good storytelling is sometimes hard enough to come by.

Nice

I liked it

🙂

It is not a philosophy I could ever adopt myself,

Partly, because I simply do not want to and partly because that is simply “not me”

But it is comforting to think some in the world, both could be and are this…

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The problem with doing this is that you are devaluing skills for everyone else.

Essentially, you are prepared to write 1000 original words for £5 / $6.25 before any fees, tax or other deductions are applied.

Fiverr will take 20 percent leaving you with £4. Here in the UK you’ll lose another £1 in tax and national insurance, leaving you with £3 in your pocket - about $3.75.

You’re also likely to lose some of that £3 in transfer fees / exchange rate - maybe leaving you with £2.75 / $3.40 for a 1000 word original piece.

As a professional writer myself (although I don’t sell writing services through Fiverr) I can’t agree with what you are doing.

My minimum fee for a 1000 word article would be in the region of 30x what you are charging and my fees are actually very fair. I know of writers that get paid four times as much as me (they are better connected!) - thereby they charge 120x what you do.

Please don’t devalue the marketplace for everyone. You will attract scammers like a bee to honey. Have some pride.

Please don’t devalue the marketplace for everyone. You will attract scammers like a bee to honey. Have some pride.

i havn’t read the whole thread, it looks like there’s been more drama then an eastenders omnibus, but i disagree with this

don’t get me wrong, i would happily pay you your £300 for a 1k article, and i would expect a professional job at great value. though i probably wouldn’t do it through fiverr. would you, in all honesty?

i fear you’re comparing a five star restaurant with mc donalds though. and i don’t mean any disrespect to the OP at all with that. many eat at mc donalds. i’m not a fan myself being veggie and all, but i treated myself to a subway earlier and bloody nice it was too. but it ain’t the ritz. heck i had to stand outside tesco and eat it, then i couldn’t even was j my hands because i didn’t have a 20p coin <.<

ignoring the fact that the OP was originally targeting resellers, hence the lower prices (although why wouldn’t i buy directly from him then, but we live and learn), i think that fiverr is good for low end business stuff, and what i call fairground attractions, which is where i would place this particular gig. i think this is why things like fortune tellers, pet portraits and heavy mettle birthday videos tend to do well here. and it’s kind of unique which is cool. there are more gigs offering furry commissions here then then on dedicated marketplaces (such as furbuy)

as for competition, i’m a little mythed. i think at some point the OP has been persuaded to raise his prices. but now he’s telling porkies. because he’s still advertising half a penny per word, which would mean £5 for 1k works, but in actual fact 1k will set you back £12.50 or £9 depending on the size of you’re order, which means that the smallest order is over a whole penny per word

now, a while back i was inspired by a few threads here (and covid) to try out some erotic fiction gig. specifically, i ordered two, thus far

the first was £14.08 for 3k words of really quite naughty erotica. i’m not sure if the OP would even go there, and while it’s not exactly Shakespeare, it is confidently written. i actually wanted 6k words for £28.16, but the seller suggested we do it in two parts, so i will be ordering part two in due course. with fee’s it actually came to about half a penny per word, and the cool thing is part two will cost me even less thanks to more favourable conversion rates at the moment

the second was less naughty. it was a $5 gig, costing me £4.18 at the time. interestingly the gig didn’t specify a word count, only offering a “short story”. what i got was 2595 words, which with fees comes to about 0.2p per word, or £2 per 1k, for me. and aside from the odd grammatical error, this one was really quite well written. i enjoyed that one

with all due respect, i can barely understand the OPs posts and gig descriptions, which include things like “3000 of words”. in all honesty i like his style, if he was actually offering 1k words for a $5 gig, i would probably order something just for the heck of it, not to take the smeg but because i came to the fair to have fun and chill out. but why would i spend £62.65 on an egg mcmuffin?

indecently the original portion of this response is over 600 words. you’re welcome 😛

i would like to add that they are making an effort, and i highly respect them for that

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Extrapolated bits of filtered wisdom from this discussion so far.

.

There are several more approaches looked at so far.

.

Taking a Tree as our illustrative tool,

We can consider that the Fruit or best pay customers will be at one end.

And everything from the smallest fibre root up is all leading to that fruit

.

So, there are 3 types of approach

.

.

1

Tree trunk

Creating a large amount of generic content for others

Being an outsourcer to those that arbitrage

.

Type 1 Advantages

Theoretically should be able to get a lot of work fairly quickly.

.

Type 1 Disadvantages

But for those who Arbitrage to get their money you have to work cheaply.

This would have to be all about creating a large amount of work volume,

Produced fairly quickly to make it worth doing.

As unpleasant as some might find it to hear,

Unless you are a specialist, (E.g. able to write technical manuals or have relevant academic angle) then you are pretty much having to compete on price alone,

At least until you are so well known for your reliability that those who Arbitrage start chasing and competing for you, at which point you can compete on that reputation for reliability instead and raise your prices.

And that could take quite a lot of time!

.

Type 1 Summary

This is not a bad tactic, if dedicated to.

I doubt you could make a living off it on its own and is best used part-time with a part-time physical existing job out in the real world.

Maybe as a way of turning off and making some easy side cash after a stressful day from the physical job.

.

.

2

Tree branch

Being the one that practices arbitrage

Sourcing various talent and pulling together packages and creating overall products

.

Type 2 Advantages

This is one for the slightly OCD filing cabinet worshipers of the world.

(Very much like me:)

Being a “middleman/woman” seems a little glamorous, like being a 1940’s style fixer in a gangster movie.

Customers come to you with their needs and like that man at the start of an old ‘Mission Impossible’ episode, you go through your files and choose the talent and put together a team-best suited for this mission.

Some might polish the collected package off themselves as part of quality control and to enjoy “Keeping their hand in”.

This option looks like it is the one that makes the most money as well.

.

Type 2 Disadvantages

This could be the most stressful of all the options.

You are the mercy of everything that can ever possibly go wrong.

If half your source producers suddenly spontaneously all get captured by aliens and are unable to meet their deadline at the eleventh hour.

Your whole hard-earned reputation for reliability and quality can tank overnight.

.

Type 2 Summary

This is not one for the first timer.

You need contacts and proper experience first

No mere online course no matter what they promise to teach you to make this work.

Although you can research and read (and you should) as much as you can.

You need to learn this by doing more than anything else

And even then ONLY after “earning your dues” seeing how all the angles work from root to tip.

.

.

3

Pretty leaves

The closest to the fruit!

Minor in house fame, Kudos, the main bit of a tree most notice from a distance.

The D rate celebrities of ‘this’ particular world

.

Type 3 Advantages

If you like being a personality and have a certain own style then this could work for you.

This would be the second-best paying option.

And the most fun.

WHEN YOU EVENTUALLY BECOME KNOWN, AND ONLY THEN - You can indulge your style a little (ONLY A LITTLE! NOT BY TOO MUCH!) and at a certain higher level of customers will chase you.

.

Type 3 Disadvantages

I tried to do this myself, attempting to gain a Neche as the “Weird Writer”, but it did not take.

This might require an ability to be “Charming” on some level.

Which for me personally, is my greatest weakness.

(And you can only fake it for so long… sooner or later the cracks will appear!)

.

Type 3 Summary

Best used as part of a 5-income source plan

Having Fiverr as just once finger in a personally branded pie.

Which would also include a blog, maybe some books on Smashwords, perhaps even a YouTube channel,

(Ok, that last one is a stretch in today’s world, but give it five more years and this could actually not seem quite so silly anymore!)

The days of being able to be scruffy and only partly dressed at your keyboard are sadly going!

The days are coming when you will have to look as immaculately smart at home as you do in any outside work office you have to commute to.

(You can consider that my 2020 prediction for 2025!)

.

.

ME! ME! ME!

.

So, where would that leave me?

.

I am most attracted to begin a nice green type 3 leaf

.

But I have all the natural charm of an old leaking wet hessian sack of dog poop in a hot tin shack!

While I normally support always turning a weakness into a strength,

And while being an arse hole might work for a shock Jock or a YouTube channel,

I see no way of turning my disadvantage around and subverting it for use in THIS environment.

HERE it is about as effective as a great white shark on top of a snowy mountain.

It is simply the wrong place for that sort of person.

.

At least on its own.

.

But as part of a five-fingered brand?

.

While Fiverr for someone like me will NEVER give much or any work it is still worth retaining as part of my arsenal.

.

Yes, I could, just use this self-brand to still get writing work.

And not have to pay Fiverr any commission.

.

However, Fiverr offers some angles that would make the commission on any of the very few jobs (if any) I still ever got a year from them worth paying.

.

Because of the exposure, it offers “This Brand”.

.

Example IF J K Rowling had a Fiverr account, then you know she would command the super high prices and people would gladly pay it!

(This example if silly caricature to make my overall point clear and obvious!)

.

Even if no one ever hires me using Fiverr, it is another profile and another bit of exposure that is visible on the net.

.

Someone said, “You are easy to find” and that was a great compliment because I have put a lot of effort into being easy to find.

Turning all the Privacy settings to a minimum and linking account and profiles that can possibly be linked to other accounts and profiles.

Upsetting the right people to stimulate enraged followers who play into my hands by making it a hobby to cyber stalk and attempt to ban everything I do,

.

Because now I have other followers that want to see what was banned and why!

Not because they like me, in any way shape or form,

Just because they don’t like not being able to know.

Being told they are not allowed to know anything irritates them, no matter what that actual content is.

.

Making the super low price was a mistake.

I looked at this month’s spreadsheet and panicked

Fear in a large enough surge turns your rational logical mind off.

In fact,

Logically I should have gone to the other extreme

It will mean I get little or NO work form Fiverr, at all, because the prices will be too high.

But I am not using Fiverr to get work, only to be noticed and make money on other platforms.

A Great White Shark on a snowy mountain IS useless in itself

But it is so unusual it will make a person start to think,

“What the hell is that shark doing there and how did it get there in the first place?”

Then they will start to ponder all great white sharks in the ocean.

.

But before a final decision, I’d like some feedback on these thoughts so far.

Even the insults because, because that tells me things to.

Maybe not what you intend and think I am being told, but I tells upon deeper analysis me what I want to know.

.

Extrapolated bits of filtered wisdom from this discussion so far.

at your current rate and the current conversion rate, this post would have cost me £22.55

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Please don’t devalue the marketplace for everyone. You will attract scammers like a bee to honey. Have some pride.

i havn’t read the whole thread, it looks like there’s been more drama then an eastenders omnibus, but i disagree with this

don’t get me wrong, i would happily pay you your £300 for a 1k article, and i would expect a professional job at great value. though i probably wouldn’t do it through fiverr. would you, in all honesty?

i fear you’re comparing a five star restaurant with mc donalds though. and i don’t mean any disrespect to the OP at all with that. many eat at mc donalds. i’m not a fan myself being veggie and all, but i treated myself to a subway earlier and bloody nice it was too. but it ain’t the ritz. heck i had to stand outside tesco and eat it, then i couldn’t even was j my hands because i didn’t have a 20p coin <.<

ignoring the fact that the OP was originally targeting resellers, hence the lower prices (although why wouldn’t i buy directly from him then, but we live and learn), i think that fiverr is good for low end business stuff, and what i call fairground attractions, which is where i would place this particular gig. i think this is why things like fortune tellers, pet portraits and heavy mettle birthday videos tend to do well here. and it’s kind of unique which is cool. there are more gigs offering furry commissions here then then on dedicated marketplaces (such as furbuy)

as for competition, i’m a little mythed. i think at some point the OP has been persuaded to raise his prices. but now he’s telling porkies. because he’s still advertising half a penny per word, which would mean £5 for 1k works, but in actual fact 1k will set you back £12.50 or £9 depending on the size of you’re order, which means that the smallest order is over a whole penny per word

now, a while back i was inspired by a few threads here (and covid) to try out some erotic fiction gig. specifically, i ordered two, thus far

the first was £14.08 for 3k words of really quite naughty erotica. i’m not sure if the OP would even go there, and while it’s not exactly Shakespeare, it is confidently written. i actually wanted 6k words for £28.16, but the seller suggested we do it in two parts, so i will be ordering part two in due course. with fee’s it actually came to about half a penny per word, and the cool thing is part two will cost me even less thanks to more favourable conversion rates at the moment

the second was less naughty. it was a $5 gig, costing me £4.18 at the time. interestingly the gig didn’t specify a word count, only offering a “short story”. what i got was 2595 words, which with fees comes to about 0.2p per word, or £2 per 1k, for me. and aside from the odd grammatical error, this one was really quite well written. i enjoyed that one

with all due respect, i can barely understand the OPs posts and gig descriptions, which include things like “3000 of words”. in all honesty i like his style, if he was actually offering 1k words for a $5 gig, i would probably order something just for the heck of it, not to take the smeg but because i came to the fair to have fun and chill out. but why would i spend £62.65 on an egg mcmuffin?

indecently the original portion of this response is over 600 words. you’re welcome 😛

i would like to add that they are making an effort, and i highly respect them for that

i think that fiverr is good for low end business stuff,

i actually wanted 6k words for £28.16

a $5 gig, costing me £4.18 at the time. interestingly the gig didn’t specify a word count, only offering a “short story”. what i got was 2595 words, which with fees comes to about 0.2p per word, or £2 per 1k, for me. and aside from the odd grammatical error, this one was really quite well written.

You’re creating an incentive for people who see this to work for non-liveable wages, even in developing countries. That’s unhealthy.

The forum should be a place for helping people live a better life, not for motivating people to work for hours for a pittance.

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