For a lot of freelance writers, discovering shoppers might be the trickiest a part of the job. Positive, there are job boards like ProBlogger and AFW, however just about each freelance author on the earth who isn’t booked out can also be in search of a job there.
To not point out, it may be fairly the hunt to seek out alternatives that truly pay a good quantity on your laborious work.
However one platform referred to as nDash seeks to supply critical writers an answer to that downside.
As a freelancer myself, I used to be curious concerning the platform, and final 12 months I signed as much as strive it out.
After my expertise, I needed to share this nDash evaluation that will help you decide for your self if it’s price becoming a member of the platform as a contract author.
What precisely is nDash?
nDash is a content material platform the place each manufacturers and writers signal as much as join on writing initiatives. The platform strives to separate itself from different related freelancing websites by completely vetting its writers and facilitating transparency between the consumer and the author.
In different phrases, nDash emphasizes acquiring high quality writers and growing sturdy client-writer relationships.
In contrast to content material mills, you gained’t be competing in opposition to numerous different writers solely to earn pennies on your invaluable time. The platform is structured to draw manufacturers which can be keen to pay for high quality content material.
The Signup and Verification Course of
nDash desires sturdy writers, so there’s a little bit of hoop-jumping concerned to get full entry to all the pieces the platform gives.
Step one is signing up by filling out a easy kind on their homepage.
Earlier than signing up, it’s price noting that nDash writers will need to have an account with Stripe, as that is the one methodology of cost they provide.
After you enroll, you might want to fill out your author profile with as a lot element as doable to get verified.
Your profile is what the nDash staff makes use of to vet writers earlier than validating them. The first goal behind that is to be sure to’re an actual particular person with actual credentials.
Whilst you don’t want to fulfill each requirement, you considerably improve your possibilities of getting verified when you have the next:
- Writing samples that exhibit proficiency in your chosen area of interest
- An in depth, well-written profile
- Hyperlinks to your LinkedIn profile (or different social community profiles)
- Your actual identify (they don’t seem to be large followers of pen names)
- Training and work expertise in your area of interest
- Suggestions from earlier shoppers
Admittedly, which means if you’re brand-spanking new to the world of freelance writing, you’ll have hassle turning into a verified author. Nevertheless, it’s free to enroll, so that you lose nothing by making an attempt.
When you end filling in your profile, you click on the “request verification” button and anticipate them to approve you.
For those who don’t get authorized, you’ll be able to replace your profile after you have a bit of extra expertise and reapply after 90 days.
Discovering Work
When you’re verified, you get entry to all of the model profiles and job alternatives.
nDash claims that about 60% of the paid assignments begin as a author pitch. Realistically, I wouldn’t be shocked if the determine was even larger than that.
So to take advantage of the platform, you’ll positively must get your pitch on!
There’s a “browse assignments” button the place firms request concept pitches or particular assignments.
Nevertheless, I’ve discovered that there aren’t normally many manufacturers actively posting these open assignments, which suggests you could must rely extra on the platform’s different options for securing work.
For instance, one other strategy to land a gig is to put in writing an “trade pitch,” which is a content material concept pitch that’s seen to any model on nDash. If a model likes the concept, they’ll buy it. (However you’ll be able to solely promote every concept to at least one model.)
You can even pitch particular manufacturers individually. For those who go to a model’s profile web page, be taught what sort of content material they’re taken with and craft your pitch primarily based on that.
Another choice is to put in writing and add complete articles or weblog posts for buy. It is a nice possibility if you have already got written content material however no residence for it. When you add the content material, the nDash staff can promote it to potential shoppers.
The final manner that writers get work on nDash is when manufacturers search out writers first. This does occur, and I’ve myself been contacted first for assignments earlier than!
Establishing Charges
This is perhaps the a part of the nDash evaluation you’re most taken with – how a lot cash you may make!
The excellent news is you get to set your individual charges, and types are usually keen to pay nicely for high quality content material. You positively gained’t be quoting “race-to-the-bottom” charges to win writing jobs.
Not solely are you able to set your charges in your profile, however you may also set charges for a particular undertaking.
nDash’s web site states that the common project ranges from $150-$450, and I’ve discovered this to be correct in my expertise.
One other nice characteristic is which you could counter-offer charges if the speed the model supplied you is decrease than you’re keen to take.
Working with Shoppers
All of the communication and work is accomplished inside the nDash platform.
Upon getting accepted an project, you’ll be able to entry it out of your dashboard, the place you’ll discover a textual content editor. On the left-hand aspect of the textual content editor, you’ll discover a abstract of what the consumer is in search of, the due date, and the agreed-upon fee.
Beneath the textual content editor is the remark thread the place you and the consumer can talk backwards and forwards and ship information.
I discovered this setup simple to make use of, making it a cinch to work with shoppers.
I did run into an issue as soon as utilizing the editor, the place it might not save my work correctly. The nDash staff was fast to resolve this after I reached out, however simply in case, I now all the time write my content material in a Phrase or Google Doc first, after which copy and paste into the editor as soon as it’s completed.
As soon as completed, you merely hit the submit button, and the consumer will evaluation and approve the work.
nDash Help
You probably have any questions or points, you’ll be able to attain out to the platform’s assist staff through the contact kind on their assist web page.
I did have to succeed in out to them a few instances concerning questions or considerations I had (just like the textual content editor problem), and so they have been useful and fast to reply.
Getting Paid
As talked about earlier, all writers on nDash are paid through Stripe. As soon as the consumer approves the project, you’ll mechanically obtain a cost inside 2-5 enterprise days.
The cost you obtain would be the precise quantity you agreed upon with the consumer. nDash takes its service charges from the model, not the author.
Though I’ve all the time most popular PayPal up to now, I had no points creating and connecting a Stripe account, and in all of my nDash assignments, I used to be paid promptly with no points.
nDash Evaluate Abstract
nDash gives a reliable manner for critical freelancers to seek out high-paying writing gigs. Whether or not you like pitching firms instantly or submitting pre-written work on the market, there are a number of the way to earn cash on nDash!
Granted, it will not be appropriate for rookies, however those that are a bit of extra seasoned could discover some success in increasing their consumer roster.
Ultimately, it prices nothing to use, so it’s positively well worth the effort to arrange a profile and see the place it takes you!
Execs
- When you discover a model you match nicely with, it may possibly usually grow to be a supply of ongoing work.
- Writing jobs secured by this platform are likely to pay nicely.
- Nice assist workers.
- Free to enroll.
Cons
- Writers will need to have a Stripe account to receives a commission. In case you are in a rustic that may’t use Stripe, you gained’t be capable to use nDash.
- In case you are a more recent author and also you don’t have any writing samples or expertise, it could be more durable to get verified.
- Not many manufacturers are actively in search of content material, which suggests you’ll must perform a little extra of the legwork when discovering and pitching manufacturers on the platform.
