Keeping cool-headed when the orders start coming in (FAST!)

[mel_mitch]

Today started off like any other day. I got up, got the kids out of bed, mumbled a drowsy 'good morning' to my husband, and headed for the coffee pot. You see, most mornings - well, Mondays to Fridays anyway - my husband and I take our kids through their homeschooling lessons. 

My mornings are pretty manic thereafter, dealing with what seems like an endless cycle of up-selling my services and nurturing relationships with my repeat buyers. I'll cut to the chase. Once you get to a point where your orders are coming in consistently, you need to get into a routine. Whether you're working from a little corner in your bedroom, or you have a full on home-office (I know what both options feel like), you need to declare that as your office space. That means no unnecessary distractions.

I digress. More on routine. If you're old school like me, grab yourself an actual diary. Something pretty and pink, or dark and leather bound - whatever floats your boat - and use it to record all of your daily tasks. As a ghostwriter, I'll record things like my daily word count targets for each of my active orders, placing them in realistic timeslots and leaving gaps open for breaks. My breaks usually consist of playing with the kids, walking around the garden, or finding something on my endless list of 'to-dos' that I have written down for my husband - and then complaining about it. I joke! (Or do I?) I do. 😅

Here's the gospel truth. In the 1 year and 2 months since I signed up as a seller on Fiverr, I have worked pretty much Sunday to Sunday, which is incredibly exhausting, particularly with a now 5-year-old and 3-year-old. However, that little stretch of exhaustion is no different than the exhaustion that I experienced while setting up actual brick and mortar businesses (I've owned a restaurant, a catering company, and a kindergarten - well, I still own and operate a kindergarten). The wonderful thing about doing it all on Fiverr:

• No commute;
• No waiting for someone to come out of the bathroom stall at the office so you can, you know, 'go';
• Being able to take care of my home and my family, while working a full-time job as a writer.

 

The drawbacks:

• Those maddening moments when you seem to keep falling behind on work;
• Saying 'just one more hour', and before you know it, it's 3AM;
• The constant notifications of incoming messages, even when you're trying to have a day off. 

 

The thing is, you've got to pick your poison. You are going to be tired either way. No, I'm not saying work yourself to the bone. I'm saying give a bit more of yourself in the beginning to gain a lot more in the long run. As someone that has gone through traditional business set up and freelancing, I'd take freelancing any day. 

The moral of this story: when the orders start coming in at alarming rates (and with time and dedication, they will), you need to find your "zen". Figure out your routine. Set some guidelines on what you are and are not willing to do for any given client, and stick to them. I've been chasing Top Rated for a while now, and I might be up for a nomination on the 15th of this month, but I'm now well aware that this is a manual process which could go either way. Without a good work-life balance, I would have burned out a looooong time ago. 

Ultimately, Fiverr is work. Your real life is out there with the people who know and love you. Try not to take the rating system to heart if things don't immediately go your way, and don't forget to find that balance. 

Wishing you all the very best of luck.

xoxo mel_thewriter

[katakatica]

1 hour ago, mel_mitch said:

As a ghostwriter, I'll record things like my daily word count targets for each of my active orders, placing them in realistic timeslots and leaving gaps open for breaks.

I struggle with this to this day - while I've been on Fiverr for four years, I've only started taking it seriously about a year ago when I lost my job. I've only ever worked as a nanny/teacher so NEVER have I ever had to, well, sit down and... do stuff like this (outside of lesson planning, of course, which yes, did have to be done but was still different as I was never alone in the office!) 

I used to be able to write 5-6000 words in a single sitting (which, when you have two 25k games in queue does NOT look all that impressive. That was back when I wrote as a hobby, though (and didn't need to do other things like communicating, editing (I wrote for fun, so why) and the like! I think learning how to pace myself has been hard - but it's working out (slowly.) Not having a 'boss' is definitely an advantage - but sometimes I miss fixed hours and wages. This August I decided to volunteer instead of focusing on work and well, barely got anything done - now I'm suffering the consequences! 

Still.. I think learning how to be kind to ourselves as the artists (or writers, or marketers or whatevers) is so important. I've decided to lower my expectations on how much I write daily - and I've been hitting (and even exceeding) my goals almost every day! Once it's a habit to write that much, I'll try to add another 1000 words, then 1000... 

Now, if only I can build out a proper routine and that writing is not done at midnight...

(that being said, I could NOT juggle kids, so kudos to you for being able to play with them on your break times! I bet it must be fun to grow up with a writer as a parent (although I'm not sure how I will be when (if, ever) I have kids!) 

[lullybunny]

Honestly, giving yourself a schedule is so important as a freelancer. You have to be willing to hold yourself accountable and maintain structure--just so you don't find yourself going bonkers by the end of the day! 

I'd love to make it as a freelance editor/writer, but I'm still very much trying to figure out the methods and avenues of it. 

I really appreciate you sharing this ~ 

[mel_mitch]

lullybunny It's an absolute pleasure. I know how you feel. It can seem like such a daunting task. If you ever want to chat about it, feel free to message me. I'm happy to help out where I can. 

[mel_mitch]

On 9/6/2021 at 11:14 AM, katakatica said:

I struggle with this to this day - while I've been on Fiverr for four years, I've only started taking it seriously about a year ago when I lost my job. I've only ever worked as a nanny/teacher so NEVER have I ever had to, well, sit down and... do stuff like this (outside of lesson planning, of course, which yes, did have to be done but was still different as I was never alone in the office!) 

I used to be able to write 5-6000 words in a single sitting (which, when you have two 25k games in queue does NOT look all that impressive. That was back when I wrote as a hobby, though (and didn't need to do other things like communicating, editing (I wrote for fun, so why) and the like! I think learning how to pace myself has been hard - but it's working out (slowly.) Not having a 'boss' is definitely an advantage - but sometimes I miss fixed hours and wages. This August I decided to volunteer instead of focusing on work and well, barely got anything done - now I'm suffering the consequences! 

Still.. I think learning how to be kind to ourselves as the artists (or writers, or marketers or whatevers) is so important. I've decided to lower my expectations on how much I write daily - and I've been hitting (and even exceeding) my goals almost every day! Once it's a habit to write that much, I'll try to add another 1000 words, then 1000... 

Now, if only I can build out a proper routine and that writing is not done at midnight...

(that being said, I could NOT juggle kids, so kudos to you for being able to play with them on your break times! I bet it must be fun to grow up with a writer as a parent (although I'm not sure how I will be when (if, ever) I have kids!) 

A fellow teacher! Yay! 

I hear you. I think what it came down to with me is just starting. I would stare at the screen sometimes and just blank out. Then I'd find something else to do. 😅 Not so great when you've got deadlines looming. I find that once I'm about 400-500 words in, I'm well in my stride, but writer's block is definitely one of those things that creep up on you. 

I think you've got an excellent strategy going. Pacing yourself and steadily building up that daily word count is the way to go! 

To be honest, I'm not quite sure how I'm doing it either, but my husband and I seem to make a great team since we're now both working from home full time (schools have been shut due to high cases in our area). 

We've just got to keep on trucking (but mental health breaks are important too!) 

[mel_mitch]

Why is working on Fiverr better than working on other Freelancing sites?

Where do I begin? 

First off, if you're feeling a little discouraged about not appearing in searches, I highly suggest that you read my post about getting started on Fiverr. Bidding is the way to go, and I explain the entire process in that post.

Now, back to the topic at hand: why is better to work on Fiverr? For me, it's the simplicity of the whole system. You see, I've tried several other platforms and the time that it takes to constantly bid for work and send proposals is insane. It's exhausting! You're constantly having to prove your worth over and over again. Yes, you'll eventually level up and have some semblance of a consistent income, but by comparison, Fiverr is head and shoulders above the rest. 

I have yet to experience a month where I didn't have orders on Fiverr. I spent the vast majority of my early days bidding for work, but once the 5 star reviews started to roll in, I didn't need to. I'll still bid on work that I am really keen to explore, but Fiverr truly does take the hassle out of having to "sell yourself" constantly. 

If you're having doubts about whether you can make it on Fiverr, my advice to you would be to remain patient. Keep bidding, and your luck will turn around eventually. We're living the dream: being able to work from anywhere in the world and provide value for clientele who truly appreciate our services. There is nowhere else I would rather be, to be quite frank.

Have questions about the bidding process? Drop me a comment down below or PM me. 

Happy freelancing, everyone!