Top Five Ways to Find Freelance Work on Scriptlance

Scriptlance is a revolutionary website that connects clients with freelancers for a small commission. Unlike many freelance marketplaces Scriptlance does not charge an upfront fee, and instead takes a small percentage of the final payment. A freelancer looking for freelance projects may be overwhelmed with the large selection on Scriptlance, but by following 10 handy tips you can maximize your edge in finding freelance jobs.

Tip 1: Have Good Samples

The emphasis on a quality portfolio cannot be underestimated when trying to get freelance work. It's the only criteria your client can judge you on, so you want to put your best foot forward. Ideally you will want to have a website to showcase your stuff, but for individual freelance projects you'll want to link to specific relevant examples. If you don't have web hosting there are many free sites you can use to host your samples:

VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com

http://www.vimeo.com

http://www.dailymotion.com

PHOTOGRAPHS/ILLUSTRATIONS/SCREENSHOTS:

http://www.flickr.com

http://www.deviantart.com

http://www.photobucket.com

WRITING:

http://www.blogspot.com

http://www.associatedcontent.com

http://www.wordpress.com

Tip 2: Bid Early, Bid Often

The best thing a freelancer can do on Scriptlance is to get their bid in first. When you are the first person in for a job the buyer will remember your name throughout the selection process. There is a danger of underbidding, but luckily Scriptlance allows you to adjust your bid later on. To find projects that have just been added subscribe Scriplance RSS feeds:

http://www.scriptlance.com/rss

Using an aggregator such as Google Reader, you are notified immediately of any new jobs. You should always subscribe to the general 'Projects' feed as well as feeds specific to your skill set. While searching through jobs you can also sort by bids lowest-to-highest by clicking on bids twice in the project listings.

Tip 3: Watch Out For Scams

Because there are much looser sign-up procedures than pay freelance sites, one must be careful not to get taken advantage of while bidding. Never do a sample for free. You can charge a small amount and insist that you retain rights to the sample. Make sure you include a watermark or other such protections until you've been paid. If a freelance project sounds unethical or even unlawful don't do it, it can always come back to bite you and hurt your reputation. Always require escrow, as Scriptlance holds the money and can reward it to you if the client tries to back out. Finally, keep all communication with clients on site so Scriptlance employees have access for any arbitration.

Tip 4: Don't Use Boilerplate Proposals

Sometimes it might seem more efficient to come up with "boilerplate" proposals for different kinds of projects. This is dangerous because most buyers are looking for a freelance programmer who is speaking to their project's specific needs. While coming up with a list of relevant samples for, say, animation or web design is appropriate, tailor your proposal to the buyers talking points. Also, make sure to answer any questions the buyer may pose in his freelance project description.

Tip 5: Never Give Up

Until you see that the project has been awarded to somebody else never consider yourself out of the running. If the project been closed for bidding for over a week with no programmer selected make sure to message the client and ask if they needed any more information. Don't be pushy, but let them know you haven't forgotten about them and point them to additional samples if available. It won't always work, but often this extra attention will tip a client who's been on the fence between two freelancers.

With a little luck and a lot of talent, you'll find work on Scriptlance in no time.