I don’t plan to sign in to Upwork again. Why? Facebook does the same thing better without even trying.
I created an Upwork account earlier this year when I was struggling to find proofreading work. I found lots of tips online about how to become a successful freelancer on the platform. But even after applying the recommended filters to job searches, perfecting my pitches, and creating an attractive profile, I still couldn’t get chosen to take on a project.
Most of the problem stems from the sheer number of freelancers on Upwork. Then there’s the fact that you are charged to even apply for projects via their “connects” currency. Needless to say, I found the site always frustrating and never fruitful.
Thankfully I’ve found Facebook to be a better alternative for finding freelance editing and proofreading work.
People post every day looking for editors, and it doesn’t cost you anything to reply to a request. And even though Facebook is filled with editors looking for work, simply responding to an author’s request can turn out to be fruitful even if you aren’t selected by the person who posted the request. Anyone can see your response, and I’ve gotten several clients who simply saw my response and decided to reach out to me. It’s wonderful.
Upwork is not a terrible platform, but I definitely don’t plan to return to it. I can say from firsthand experience that Facebook can get editors far more work with a fraction of the effort. Plus, it’s free.
Lastly, I acknowledge that platforms like Upwork deserve to make money. But I personally think they’re approaching it wrong. Instead of charging people to apply for jobs via connects, they should simply take a cut of the freelancer’s fee, similar to how PayPal works. I have no idea if Upwork does this already since I never actually got any work there.
If anyone has been successful on Upwork, I’d enjoy hearing about it. For me, I’ll stick to meeting clients on Facebook.