katakatica

Lovely to see another writer! So - I have the formal and the 'cheeky' answer for this question. I'll start with the cheeky one (you'll see why.) I come from fanfic writing (though I've done several Nanowrimos with my own stuff.) What does that mean? I AM capable of typing quite quickly. If I really focus and ignore everything around me, I'm done with I think around 1150 words per pomodoro (which is 25 minutes.) Now officially, that would give me, what, 2300 words an hour? That'd make me rich, right? The issue is that, one: that is often not my best wor and two: after 4 pomodoros (so, yes, two hours), I'm out. Brain so gone I can't think for the next two days. It's not fun but I can kind of see why it happens. I still do it from time to time though, not necessarily for rushed deadlines but when I get inspired and know that I can have a lazy day a day or so after (and just make sure the quality IS actually great by thinking stuff out roughly before writing.) So the FORMAL answer is that my delivery times are very... varied, and actually a bit wonky because I had a time period when I didn't get many orders and decreased them to see if it would help. It seemed to work (or simply people got interested in my stuff again) and I never quite moved it back. One of my new gigs has a 10+ day delivery for 1k words while some of my other stuff are like 10 for 5k words. That being said, sometimes the latter is actually easier to write. I think in the end it comes down to the story/game/etc. itself. If I'm enjoying writing it, if I'm focusing, if the weather is not too hot/cold it goes quickly. Otherwise...happens. Okay, I think I really went on a writing rant up there! I've recently rolled out of bed and haven't even found my glasses yet, so!

Other than what was already said - basically 9 out of 10 new sellers are 'working hard' like you are. That means what, thousands of people on a weekly basis? Fiverr tries to be fair but I don't think it's as easy as people expect it to be.

In the end, I think both of our posts are sort of hinting at the fact that working online just isn't something everyone should do. It's great in many ways (I mean I'm able to just type away from an air-conned café whenever I want to or even work by the pool!) but it also comes with hurdles other jobs don't. Something I noticed is that many people think 'freelancing' is a job in itself - which seems to be one of the main issues. They really seem to think that setting up their gigs, being online, etc. etc. is part of their work - and then comes the reward. But that's not how it works, not for everyone at least. I do think that most people have the potential in themselves to do better but... it does feel like they tend to miss the point. I do think that a lot of this IS caused by people constantly saying how easy it is to freelance/work online. It's not. Work is work and sure, there's way harder things to do (I could NOT do construction work, waitressing, etc., especially not NOW with the weather) but it's just not for everyone and that's perfectly fine. However, admittedly I feel peeved when I see people in videos saying 'oh, all you have to do is write 'ok'/use canva for logos/etc.) to be great. I've been writing since I was a teen and it took me years to get here. Sure, some people are probably MAD talented in art/music/etc. and could pick up on stuff within weeks but as you've also said they need the skills NOW. Not learn them as they go. Just like how not everyone makes a good cook or babysitter, not everyone makes a great logo/graphic designer. (the cool thing is though, I have to say as I finish up my rant, is that talented people SHINE the most when they are surrounded by total newbies. Sad, perhaps, but also karma in a way?)

I'd love to hear your insight on the topic of taking a second look at what you write/sell! Would love it if you could elaborate! How do you make sure you only offer something you would be happy to buy?

Eh, me too - but reminding people is how we make up for it, right? (jokes aside, hydrating is genuinely one of the hardest parts of adulting for me. I try to coldbrew tea for the morning as it's quite tasty and still counts as water technically but it's... not easy otherwise lol) Having a yard is definitely a plus! I've been trying to find some beaches nearby for late afternoon walks/etc., thinking of maybe eating outside on the balcony when it's not too hot (to get some fresh air!) but obviously summer here so far is far from the real deal. I've never been on a motorcycle tbh, but I bet it's kind of nice because of the wind and all in the summer. Been on a tiny scooter in China but that's all 😄 Cooking has been kind of tricky as well because the kitchen gets really hot so for this week we tried to come up with simple stuff for the most part. I wish we had a grill though!

Hm - at first I got... loads of really irrelevant briefs that almost annoyed me more than anything, but lately I've been getting a few that actually WOULD make sense for me to write. However, most of them seem to get cancelled by the buyer (I always assume that means they find a seller) before I have the time to write to them. I like sort of seeing what people are looking for, though, if anything.

With the weather getting gradually more and more unbearable, I find myself waking up much earlier than normal these days. Well, it's either the blinding light coming through the windows (need to get new curtains) or that, so... Granted, I'm in Sweden and the 'heat' so far is what, max. 25 degrees or so (so it has nothing on the actual heatwave) but obviously our place was built to trap the warmth in, not let it out! Basically, I noticed that even though I was still on 'holiday'-ish up until now, my routine has shifted to waking up earlier, getting stuff done and then resting when it gets too hot to think. I will be going back to outside offices (hopefully with AC) this week, but there is a big part of me that loves this change. Having more time in the day means more time to brainstorm stuff both work and life-wise. So... my question today is simple: does your schedule change during the summer? Does it stay the same? (also, this IS your daily reminder to drink plenty of water!)

Do your gigs start at/around the price you want to sell them at? From my personal experience (and what I've seen on here) Fiverr is smart enough to show your gigs to people at a similar price range. If you quote, say ten times the price...(not saying you do just bringing up an example) I can see why they would choose someone else. I used to be scared to set high prices as well but trust me if your work is good people are willing to pay for it.

(Note: I just noticed that there's a line that got lost somehow (I was trying to make this look pretty 😂) so yeah. Reminder as to WHY rereading what you write is important! To be fair I (want to) believe that even they know it's 'perfect according to the guidelines I was told' and not actually 'perfect'. I mean... I can remain a bit hopeful that's the case, right? I just hope that people will learn to think because I KNOW how it is to NEED a job... Still, the point might not get through to the people who need it the most.

It's been a while since I've written anything like this, so please bear with me for a second - but hopefully this one tip will actually get to people who need it. (and if not, we can still have a great discussion about the topic, so... win-win.) We see 5-10, if not more, new sellers a week, complaining about not getting orders, which is pretty standard. It takes a while for a business to really get going and right now we ARE in the middle of the summer, so of course some niches might be less busy than normal. But... here is the thing. Many people don't seem to get past the 'whyyy I have no orders' phase, so they never quite get to the solution. I think before complaining/crying about the site not working out, take a good look at your gig and think. Now, I know - you do SEO and you are online 45 hours AND you even promote on social media. Great but... do you know why that isn't working? Everyone else is doing the same thing (well, everyone as in, new sellers.) You might be following tips and tricks from obscure youtube channels that just seem SO trustworthy, but so are thousands of others. Sure, there might have once been some truth to these videos once, but when everyone starts applying them... what's going to happen? That's impossible, right? You might be making gigs that look 'perfect' on the outside and yet still fail to catch the eyes of your buyers. I've seen logo gigs with 'bleh' samples but great writing, writing gigs with super gig images but descriptions full of grammar mistakes... and the list goes on. You need money - and that's understandable... but take a good look at what you are offering and ask yourself 'would I buy this? s this something that people would take a second look at and go 'ah, that's what I've been looking for!' If the answer is 'no', why? What could you improve to make it better? Are you selling something you enjoy making or are you just selling something people told you to sell? Is there something else that you'd prefer to do? Just... take a step back, breathe, and think for a second.

I had a look at your profile and realized that you are a digital marketer. I feel like that's probably one of the easiest niches to start out in - granted that you are actually good at in. I mean, just market yourself! Fiverr isn't going to GIVE you orders - your profile needs to be topnotch, you have to offer something GREAT for people to actually choose you. I also noticed some inconsistencies (sometimes you say 'me', then 'we'. For some reasons that irks me but it could be just my pet peeve (as you COULD have a team on this account I guess?) My point is: take a step back. Look at your profile. Would YOU order from yourself? Why? Why not?

Things will likely change a bit with me being TRS (as I think now I'm going 'against' the genuine big shot writers) but I generally get most of my orders organically - I do use promoted gigs and get the same-ish return (sometimes more, even.) Just recently was allowed to promote almost all of my gigs so I'm curious to see what that will do! As for badges, I think I get Fiverr's choice on one of my most popular gigs from time to time, so that also brings in a few orders but not too many so far. Something fun about promoted orders is that they often lead people who might not be looking for what I do EXACTLY (so say, someone who wants a different kind of interactive story, not a choose your own adventure minibook). Why is it great? Inspiration for new gigs! I have two or three gig ideas I'm currently working on that were inspired by such requests.

I love spring and summer roughly equally: there's something just charming as the first flowers bloom and the air gets warmer slowly.... And then, obviously, beach days are the best. Lying under the sun without having much to do.... So, obviously, being an I don't like the cold person when I had the means to leave my home country for good (well, mostly) I moved to... Sweden. Yes. Summer here is like... spring in some other places. Still beautiful but why all those beaches if they are too cold to swim in? (jokes aside, love it here but still ironic!)

I just recently got the badge - I qualified in January and got it now in July so 7 months. I think some people reach it faster, some slower , probably depends on both their performance and their niche. If you offer something relatively unique I'd assume (might not be true) it could be easier to stand out while if your gigs are similar to many others (in what you provide and quality) it might take time / might not happen for a while.

No - you need to have quite a few orders completed and good stats. Where did you find this information? If you look at your analytics page, you can find the exact things you need. (I encourage you to read Fiverr's TOS and FAQ/etc. pages to understand the platform you're hoping to work on.)

Thank you! (I do have to say that my previous comment protecting 'certain' level 2 sellers... still stands, but is rather funnily timed I guess! I did NOT expect this for sure! Haha, thank you! I... did work hard, but I also get to do what I love for a living so it's a pretty fair bargain! See, I - am - slightly terrified. I was away for the end of June, only part-time until basically next Tuesday so the fact that I got the badge in what seems like the 'slowest' month so far (it will NOT be as I have a LOT of work piled up...) is pretty crazy haha. I hope to see you re-join the 'club' soon as well! I'm sure that at some point you'll get back in!

On your profile, you talk about finding new ways to experiment, etc. - but you only have a very sort of... basic, almost 'bland' gig up. I MIGHT be expecting too much (graphic designer, tell me if I am) but wouldn't you want to offer more things? Anything from editing in PS TO the brochures, posters, etc you can do to who knows how many other things. My point is that a lot of 'designers' seem to narrow what they offer down way too much. If you are capable of doing something great, why not show it?

Languageing is definitely hard! Hungarian is a fairly rare language so I often get asked what x and y is in it (NOT for tattoo reasons, luckily) by people I meet - it's always so hard to find the 'right' fit (that doesn't sound dumb but means the same.) For a while, I wanted my first tattoo (if I ever get it) to be the title of one of my favourite songs - in English it's basicaly Fxxck it, but in Korean it's not 100% the same (at least from what tiny bit I understand.) If I ever get it, I'll make sure I'm getting the right version haha.

Haha, thank you! It ended up being Szechuan food because the Swedish place didn't have what we went there for (Snitchzels!). Definitely ended up celebrating though with a slightly too-hot dish! (as in, the single spiciest dish I've had in Sweden. Apparently... it really WAS a Szechuan place!) And thank you so much all ❤️ Still can hardly believe it to be honest ha.

So... I admit this is written in a slight hurry as I was about to start preparing for going out (looks like it will be a celebratory lunch, though I think we're just getting Swedish food lol!) Since 2017, I've been on Fiverr (which, admittedly is...a while. Not too long, not too short, I guess.) I started out as a fairly rookie writer with mostly fanfic-writing experience (a ton of it, and I knew how to 'please' my readers, so there's that) but it was mostly just a 'I'll write for some extra cash while I try to get a new job'. And I made plenty of mistakes over the years. Had no idea how to manage orders at some time (mostly a 'I think I can write 5000 words in a day 7 days a week without crashing) manner, and some 'I was fooled/I fooled myself thinking that I could do x and y when it was not something I was capable of way. So... I have loads of cancellations. Loads. Which is exactly why, as much as I WANTED it, becoming TRS didn't really seem like an option. Well, this morning I was proven wrong and if I tell you that I SCREAMED on the top of my lungs (my boyfriend was very confused, I always called TRS as 'getting the star' for some reason so he had no idea what was going on)... I know that it's just 'another level' but to me it really shows just how far I've come. From fumbling about, a good writer but that's it to a person who works on games, who HAS the time (and money) to buy/play games and just in general... Somewhat accomplished, I guess. I'm bouncing off the walls to be honest, finding it kind of hard to believe but... I guess the stars ARE the limit. (and now, I will go back to the last few days of my vacation, because I'm trying to enjoy the Swedish spring summer while it lasts! (eventually, I will write an actual 'story' story about the ups and downs of stuff, but I just wanted to share my joy haha!)

Nah, not (really) offended, just, you adding it in (but I do agree.) Especially as a new buyer it's not that easy to navigate all the 'exparts' and stuff, so going for higher levelled sellers is probably a good tip. Once someone has more experience - or just doesn't mind spending some cash on potentially 'bleh' work, hoping to find the 'right fit' and all, I think they can go for anyone and just... see what happens. (I'm also crossing my fingers to get TRS every 15th so hopefully I will not be offended for much longer 😄 But it might take a while still.) I like to go for newer sellers but know the risk - and don't really have much weight to my projects right now, so even if they mess up it's ok. If I actually start focusing on my game (and other stuff), I'd likely go for TRS or a level 2 seller I know I can trust. $5 for 1000 words is (I think) what I started out with ages ago! At the time it sounded like a great deal (well, it is for people from countries where even $5 is a lot of money. I only thought about how it takes me about half an hour to write, didn't really consider the fact that 4-5 of those half hours renders me brainless for the rest of the day!) I do think most writers eventually push up their prices though (and hope that the seller you discovered will do so as well.) but $5 for that does seem to be the standard for newbies I guess. Glad it even passed copyscape though! I once wanted to have someone else write a birthday gift for a friend and they ended up basically copy-pasting the bio of a book into notepad. Was fun... Obviously, if it was a serious project I'd have been in a very bad situation.

OR some (select) level two sellers... 😛Everyone time I see you post this (mostly true fact) I'm personally offended (not really...) Jokes aside I do agree mostly - a couple of times I wanted something super cheap I got, well... Yeah. Not great stuff. However, it doesn't seem to be a price only thing. I don't really think artists are allowed to recycle their art, but... I don't think anyone's really stopping them from it (unless there's clear evidence/etc.) Isn't there like a rule that something is only plagarised if xyz % of it was stolen? Some people might just know the exact percenage and use that to their advantage... Contacting sellers with a good amount of reviews, chatting with them prior (I even make sure that we can communicate OK, they don't have to have perfect English but I can be pretty... demanding) seems to help, though. I'd do a google reverse image search with the results to see if they really are recycled old work OR if there's just issues with communication, tho.

No huge rush this week, though I'm quite happy as I'm playing D&D for the first time tomorrow (also like, eek!) My 'big day' tends to be early/mid-week, OR Friday/Saturday, but with me being away/not delivering much for over a week I can kind of understand things being a bit slow. Once I catch up with everything, I already have other stuff (for on-going) projects lined up so I'm honestly just glad to have a bit of an extended 'holiday' as that week abroad really took a lot out of me!

Hehe, no worries 😄 (I don't think it does unless you click on the link directly but I could be wrong!) I like checking out people from here as well tbh! And thank you so much! There's still stuff I'm trying to improve (have a more cohesive visual 'front' being one of them, but I love being able to do something a bit 'quirky'! (and there's...a lot more to come once I have a bit more time to actually launch the gigs!)

It gets really funny sometimes - but I feel like it keeps writers on their toes at least! Wanna watch videos while editing - no can do, grammarly might mess with your flow (...or grammar!) I've been thinking of switching to Prowritingaid for a while, but it feels a lot more... complicated. Pretty tight on time these days but I think I'll make the switch in the autumn. (I do desperately need grammarly though since I have a tendency to be blind even with my glasses on!)