For a lot of freelance writers, discovering purchasers will be the trickiest a part of the job. Positive, there are job boards like ProBlogger and AFW, however just about each freelance author on this planet who isn’t booked out can be on the lookout for a job there.
To not point out, it may be fairly the hunt to search out alternatives that really pay an honest quantity on your exhausting work.
However one platform known as nDash seeks to supply severe writers an answer to that drawback.
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 wished to share this nDash evaluation that can assist 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 shopper and the author.
In different phrases, nDash emphasizes acquiring high quality writers and creating sturdy client-writer relationships.
Not like content material mills, you gained’t be competing in opposition to numerous different writers solely to earn pennies on your priceless time. The platform is structured to draw manufacturers which might be prepared to pay for high quality content material.
The Signup and Verification Course of
nDash needs sturdy writers, so there’s a little bit of hoop-jumping concerned to get full entry to every part the platform affords.
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 should have an account with Stripe, as that is the one technique of cost they provide.
After you enroll, it’s essential to fill out your author profile with as a lot element as attainable to get verified.
Your profile is what the nDash crew makes use of to vet writers earlier than validating them. The first function behind that is to be sure you’re an actual particular person with actual credentials.
When you don’t want to satisfy each requirement, you considerably enhance your possibilities of getting verified in case you have the next:
- Writing samples that reveal 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 aren’t massive followers of pen names)
- Training and work expertise in your area of interest
- Suggestions from earlier purchasers
Admittedly, which means in case you are brand-spanking new to the world of freelance writing, you might have bother turning into a verified author. Nonetheless, it’s free to enroll, so that you lose nothing by attempting.
When you end filling in your profile, you click on the “request verification” button and watch for them to approve you.
In the event you don’t get authorised, you’ll be able to replace your profile upon getting somewhat 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 increased than that.
So to profit from the platform, you’ll positively have to get your pitch on!
There’s a “browse assignments” button the place firms request thought pitches or particular assignments.
Nonetheless, I’ve discovered that there aren’t normally many manufacturers actively posting these open assignments, which implies chances are you’ll have to rely extra on the platform’s different options for securing work.
For instance, one other technique to land a gig is to put in writing an “trade pitch,” which is a content material thought pitch that’s seen to any model on nDash. If a model likes the thought, they’ll buy it. (However you’ll be able to solely promote every thought to 1 model.)
You can too pitch particular manufacturers individually. In the event you go to a model’s profile web page, study what sort of content material they’re excited about and craft your pitch based mostly on that.
An alternative choice is to put in writing and add complete articles or weblog posts for buy. This can be a nice choice if you have already got written content material however no house for it. When you add the content material, the nDash crew can promote it to potential purchasers.
The final approach 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 may be the a part of the nDash evaluation you’re most excited about – how a lot cash you can also make!
The excellent news is you get to set your individual charges, and types are sometimes prepared to pay properly 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 too can set charges for a particular mission.
nDash’s web site states that the common task ranges from $150-$450, and I’ve discovered this to be correct in my expertise.
One other nice characteristic is that you could counter-offer charges if the speed the model supplied you is decrease than you’re prepared to take.
Working with Shoppers
All of the communication and work is accomplished inside the nDash platform.
Upon getting accepted an task, you’ll be able to entry it out of your dashboard, the place you’ll discover a textual content editor. On the left-hand facet of the textual content editor, you can find a abstract of what the shopper is on the lookout for, the due date, and the agreed-upon charge.
Under the textual content editor is the remark thread the place you and the shopper can talk forwards and backwards and ship recordsdata.
I discovered this setup simple to make use of, making it a cinch to work with purchasers.
I did run into an issue as soon as utilizing the editor, the place it might not save my work correctly. The nDash crew 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 shopper will evaluation and approve the work.
nDash Assist
In case you have any questions or points, you’ll be able to attain out to the platform’s help crew by way of the contact kind on their assist web page.
I did have to achieve out to them a few occasions concerning questions or considerations I had (just like the textual content editor situation), and so they have been useful and fast to reply.
Getting Paid
As talked about earlier, all writers on nDash are paid by way of Stripe. As soon as the shopper approves the task, 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 shopper. nDash takes its service charges from the model, not the author.
Though I’ve all the time most well-liked 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 Overview Abstract
nDash affords a authentic approach for severe freelancers to search out high-paying writing gigs. Whether or not you like pitching firms immediately or submitting pre-written work on the market, there are a selection of how to earn cash on nDash!
Granted, it will not be appropriate for newbies, however those that are somewhat extra seasoned could discover some success in increasing their shopper roster.
In the long run, it prices nothing to use, so it’s positively well worth the effort to arrange a profile and see the place it takes you!
Professionals
- When you discover a model you match properly with, it might usually change into a supply of ongoing work.
- Writing jobs secured by way of this platform are likely to pay properly.
- Nice help employees.
- Free to enroll.
Cons
- Writers should have a Stripe account to receives a commission. If you’re in a rustic that may’t use Stripe, you gained’t be capable to use nDash.
- If you’re a more moderen 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 searching for content material, which implies you’ll have to perform a little extra of the legwork when discovering and pitching manufacturers on the platform.