Content Mill Or Launch Pad To Success

One thing that every freelance writer dreads is being sucked into a content mill where they are only offered low paying jobs that are not worth their time or effort. One such place that many claim is nothing more than a content mill is Elance. A good bit of articles on the internet, individuals on LinkedIn, and many other social media outlets claim that you will never make it as a freelancer on Elance. Is there any truth in their claim?

In my opinion, the answer is NO!

The basis for my opinion on this is that I originally worked in an actual mill, a carpet mill to be exact. I was there for nearly three years and saw my life going no where. It can be so difficult to advance or go anywhere in such a place and was told by many people there, people who had been doing the same job for 40+ years, that it was nothing but a dead end job. The reason for this is because in a work enviroment such as a mill it can be extremely hard to work your way up and stand out. Even if you are a hard worker, which I was, most of the time the only way to move up is with deceit, back stabbing, and lies. Those methods are no ways to live and make a name for yourself. However, I sine being on Elance I can actually see a future for myself.

However, in freelance writing on Elance I have found a way that my hard work can actually pay off and be recognized. Am I going to make the same rate of pay that I did, $13.13 an hr., when I started I know that I did not. Too many people approach freelance writing websites such as Elance in hopes that they will instantly make more money than whatever job they did previously. It takes time, patience, and effort. Here are a couple things that I have found to work.

• Balance- Don't expect to be making big bucks right off the rip on Elance. It takes time to build up your reputation. Originally, I could only get fixed price jobs. I was having a hard time finding a WorkView job which is essential. Once you do manage to get a WorkView job, get a couple fixed priced jobs to go along with it. Even at some of the low rates offered in workview jobs if you add in a couple fixed price jobs you will likely end up making close to what you did in your previous jobs, but logging less hours.
• Persistence- Be persistent and active in the freelance writing community, a good place for Elancers is the Elance Professional Network on LinkedIn.
• Do Not Let the NaySayers Get You Down- It can be easy to give up on Elance when you read some of the articles on the net. For the most part though, it has gotten very good reviews. The people who complain about it and claim it is a content mill likely did not put very much effort into actually establishing themselves on Elance.

Bottom line, Elance can be a great launch pad to being successful as a Freelance writer. You wont be able to wave a magic wand and be great, but that is the truth of anything in life. Content Mill or not, the environment offered by being a freelance writer is completely different than any actual mill setting. Honestly, I think the term "content mill" is a bit of a misnomer, and this is coming directly from somebody that had to deal with working in an actual mill for several years.  What do you think, Content Mill or Launch Pad To Success?