How to Choose the Right Buyers (for Freelance Writing Jobs)

Have you ever been duped by a buyer?

Felt bad, right? You worked hard to produce the document, and then you don’t get paid. Ouch! More than not receiving the payment that is so rightfully yours, what’s even more infuriating is that you can’t do anything about it.

This is a risk we, freelance writers, take. Whenever we apply for freelance writing jobs in the Philippines or elsewhere, we always need to exert a certain level of trust to somebody we don’t know. Very rarely would we encounter someone who will be willing to pay upfront, and this is understandable, too. Buyers also get duped by providers – that’s the truth.

Working only part-time for oDesk, I make a good income from freelance writing now, but this has not been the case all the time. My first two buyers did not pay me – how sad. And to think that those jobs were some of the lengthiest articles I have produced! But I have moved on, and somewhere along the way, learned a few tricks on how to spot a good buyer.

· Choose only those buyers with “verified payment method”.

· Never transact outside the marketplace if it is your first time to transact with a particular buyer. Willingness to transact within the marketplace indicates good intentions.

· Check the feedback of the buyer. Specifically, look for feedbacks about his payment manners.

· Check his work history and payment. His profile will usually show total jobs, total jobs paid and those in progress. If total jobs paid + jobs in progress is not equal to total jobs, then there is something wrong.

· Do your research – when the buyer has disclosed his identity, check online for some info about him. You can learn a lot from the internet and if you cannot find anything about him, then you might want to rethink doing business with him.

Note that these are not foolproof. In the end we all need to take risks when it comes to online transactions. So couple these tips with a little prayer.

Happy freelance job hunting!