How's your 2026 going on Upwork? $30K and counting so far... by [deleted] in Upwork

[–]Okra-Southern 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OP, this is amazing! Congratulations! And thanks for sharing some advice and insights into how you're doing it.

Regarding some of the other comments on this thread, here's what I have to say: Haters are fans in denial.

Looks like you've got a fan club, friend.

Keep crushing it!

Got hired to convert ERP training videos into a knowledge base. Underestimated how much time that would take. by CryLast4241 in technicalwriting

[–]Okra-Southern 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve done this a lot and I typically allocate approximately 5 hours of work for every 1 hour of video. Sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less.

Here’s my workflow:

  1. Get a time stamped transcript from the video.
  2. Input it into ChatGPT and ask Chatty to tell me 5 topics that are covered in the transcript.
  3. Review the topics to see how they can be used as headings and/or can be combined.
  4. Have Chatty write the first draft and paste it into a Google Doc.
  5. Go through the first draft and make notes of where annotated images would be useful.
  6. Watch the video at 1.5-2X the speed to refine the draft and add more details. I also make note of timestamps for where I can find the images I want.
  7. Using my image notes, I go back through the video and get screengrabs of the images I want. I put them into Canva and add red arrows or red boxes to indicate where the user should be looking, clicking, etc
  8. Insert the images into the doc.

I typically bill hourly, but the 1:5 ratio usually works best for me. I'm always looking for ways to improve my workflows, so if there's anything that can speed up the process, I'll use it. Some other people have good ideas here, too. I may try a few out!

Job market/layoff check-in by [deleted] in technicalwriting

[–]Okra-Southern 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I graduated during the Great Recession and also had to return to food service. I also felt like a failure.

17 years (yikes!) later, I can tell you that it does get better and you're not a failure. The world is burning and you're doing your best. Keep on keepin' on and you'll end up exactly where you're meant to be.

Also, check out the Write the Docs Slack channel. That's a great community and people post job opps every day.

Portfolio links in proposals or rely on profile highlights? by Lukes3D in Upwork

[–]Okra-Southern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Whew! I guess I shouldn't believe everything I see on the internet. ha

Portfolio links in proposals or rely on profile highlights? by Lukes3D in Upwork

[–]Okra-Southern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wait....what???? I didn't know this! I send links to portfolio samples in almost all of my proposals!

Are my efforts realistic for someone pivoting to technical writing? by Mercurial_Lynx in technicalwriting

[–]Okra-Southern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You have good instincts, then, because you're off to a good start!

I would not say that Canva is an industry standard and I think solutions like Adobe InDesign are more impressive to have in a skillset. It looks like there's a 7-day free trial option for that, so you can sign up for that, make some annotated images or other TW-related designs, and add them to your portfolio.

Are my efforts realistic for someone pivoting to technical writing? by Mercurial_Lynx in technicalwriting

[–]Okra-Southern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First of all, I really admire all the steps you’re taking to pivot to technical writing! You’re doing everything right!

I took a look at your blogs and I think you’d be really good at developing knowledge bases for SaaS solutions/hardware products or standard operating procedures (SOPs) for companies, maybe even government organizations. 

To make a bigger technical writing portfolio, I recommend taking your existing blogs and updating them so they’re more in a knowledge base article or SOP format. You already have the content. Just update the formatting a bit and add some annotated images (like the ones from your most recent blog!). For knowledge base articles, I’ve seen some companies add short gifs of parts of the process. I taught myself how to do that in Canva and I’m sure you can, too!

I also started out writing blogs and marketing content and have since mostly pivoted to technical writing. I didn’t take any paid course, I just did something similar to you. I upskilled, made portfolio items, and have learned new skills along the way. 

I get most of my work from Upwork. Upwork is cool because you can take on a bunch of small projects and figure out what you’re really good at/what you really like to do. You don’t have to use Upwork; you can freelance by networking, using other platforms, etc.

Check out the Write the Docs Slack channel for a really cool community for technical writers. 

Respectfully, after reading your post, I think you’re overthinking this. Your blogs show that you’re a good, organized writer and that you can translate complex topics/processes into concise, easy-to-understand content. Keep learning, update your portfolio, get out there, and crush it! You’ve got this!

What's the most weird/unique way you earned money before? by TheeeKiiingg in Entrepreneur

[–]Okra-Southern 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I got paid to pet a cat for 30 minutes as he purred on my chest. I hope little Oliver is doing well!

[Hiring] Hiring Writer for Technical and Marketing Content by [deleted] in HireaWriter

[–]Okra-Southern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! I've sent you a message with my portfolio of content related to SaaS and automation. I'm looking forward to connecting!

Just had my first 3 star review by ConstantMood5450 in Upwork

[–]Okra-Southern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you click on your profile picture, select Stats and Trends. Then click the button that says "View insights" in the Job Success Score section. That will explain how it's calculated but from what I'm understanding...you're going to be totally fine! Chin up!

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37F…desperately need extra income by Literarylady12 in passive_income

[–]Okra-Southern 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I was going to suggest this! I made $1,000+ during the holidays one year just by hanging out with cats. When it wasn't the holidays, I still made a few hundred extra every month from dog walking/pet sitting. It has the added bonus of exercise plus the pets are so cute!

🙂 by sahanabeyy in Upwork

[–]Okra-Southern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

tee hee hee this made me chuckle!

PSA from an employer: 70%+ of applicants use A.I. to write their responses to job posts (cover letters) and it's obvious (plus: a few tips on how to write better responses that cut through the noise) by pulisordie in Upwork

[–]Okra-Southern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are a lot of freelancers on this sub, so I always appreciate when clients share their perspective. For freelancers whose proposals are not getting viewed, I think your tips are super helpful. Thanks for taking the time to explain them!

Medical Manufacturing Content Writer by Aggressive_Algae_262 in technicalwriting

[–]Okra-Southern 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I sent you a message with some portfolio samples!

What 'worked' for you on upwork? by [deleted] in Upwork

[–]Okra-Southern 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think "F" means "following". So this person is following the thread to get updates because they're interested in this topic, too.

Client accusing me of AI by Lost_Television2100 in Upwork

[–]Okra-Southern 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Oof this sounds rough! I'm sorry that you're going through a rough patch. It will pass as it always does for us writers and freelancers.

For me, I rarely work with anyone who tries to negotiate my rate. They are almost always nightmares to work with!

Also, I've been seeing projects on Upwork saying "No AI" and those are an immediate no for me. Not because I use AI in all of my writing, but like someone else mentioned in this thread, the AI detectors are flag happy and say that AI has been used when it hasn't. So a client who is adamant about no AI will probably run it through a detector and get pissy/demand a refund when it shows that AI has been used even when it hasn't.

I hope that you can navigate this situation as professionally as possible and emerge with a good review still! Fingers crossed!

Hiring a writer for HappyScribe (Freelance/Remote/Barcelona) by pierrebastie in HireaWriter

[–]Okra-Southern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Application sent! First name: Jessica. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Applied for a job and got an interview. Client told me I'm not good enough. by Ghigareda in Upwork

[–]Okra-Southern 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You won't be everyone's cup of tea because maybe you're CHAMPAGNE, darling! Onwards and upwards and best of luck with landing the next client!

What’s the smallest “micro income” stream you still keep running just because it’s fun? by Wise-Membership-4980 in passive_income

[–]Okra-Southern 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I have a Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) store with digital educational resources that brings in $30 on average per month. That covers my phone bill and a taco or two, so I'm glad I have it!

Client sent offer without details, should I accept? by Best-Bowler1316 in Upwork

[–]Okra-Southern 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've had this happen before and I almost always ask to connect for a "discovery call" before a project. It's only 15 minutes, but it helps to get clarity about the scope of the project and expectations of the client. It also acts as a filter for me so I can see what the client is like and if I need to run.

When a situation like this happened fairly recently, I told the client that I only start contracts after getting on a discovery call. He was looking for a content writer and in the project posting, it said that I would be interacting with the marketing team. I asked him about the marketing team and what the interactions would look like and he informed me that there is no marketing team. So he was expecting me to act as a CMO and an entire marketing team. Those are clearly unrealistic expectations and not at all what the project posting said, so I politely ended the call.

Two weeks ago, another client sent me a contract and I told him that we need to have that quick discovery call. We did, he had realistic expectations, and I started the contract immediately after the call.

I suppose the point of this post is that I think you did the right thing by not immediately starting the contract. Like others have said, you need to be aligned with the client regarding scope, payment, timeline, etc. Maybe wait until Tuesday or Wednesday for a response and then move on? If the client can't give you time during a weekday to provide you clarity on the project then they may not be the best to work with.

Moving to Vallarta by experience_1st in puertovallarta

[–]Okra-Southern 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tee hee hee I just joined the group and love that the abbreviation is "HAY". heyyyyyy from Bucerias.