Hello, Ryan here. Ian, a writer based in Ohio, will be contributing a series of guest posts titled “How to Start a Fiverr Business”. This is part 1.

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Even if you’re a seasoned freelancer who knows the opportune hotspots around the Web, you can still miss out on quality jobs due to either not knowing about them or passing them off as a gimmick. And anyone who markets themselves via the Internet knows that it’s a mess out there. You spend too much time responding to Craigslist posts that never pay off or browsing outdated repositories. With a disastrous and chaotic environment, how are writers supposed to make a steady income?

Today, I’m going to talk about a site you may or may not have heard of: Fiverr. If you’re a struggling freelance writer, this could be your solution.

I was introduced to Fiverr by a colleague who had been using it to make reliable, supplemental income. As a freelancer myself, my interest was piqued. I took a look at the site, and it seemed like a solid source of regular, paid writing assignments. I could freelance on my own time while gaining cash flow. Could it be too good to be true? My experience (and the experiences of countless other sellers) shows that you can certainly have your cake and eat it, too.

So what is Fiverr? Fiverr’s premise is this: You offer a service, called a “Gig,” with a set turnaround time. Clients who require your particular service buy your Gig for $5, hence, a “fiver.” You deliver the Gig before the deadline, and you make money. Simple, right?

If this appeals to you (which it should), read on. It’s been ten months since I started my Fiverr business, and I’ve learned some valuable tips and tricks along the way. I’m going to share these with you so you have the edge when it comes to selling on the site.

First of all, I want to explain Fiverr’s advantages to you so you know exactly what you’re getting into. Here are its main benefits:

– Consistent income: Though it’s no royal sum, the income generated by regular Fiverr work does pay off in the long run. Let me break down the payment process to you. For standard $5 gigs, Fiverr takes 20%, so you get $4. After I use PayPal to transfer that money to my bank, I get $3.92. This might not seem like a lot, but I view it as a cup of coffee. And at that rate, you’re getting paid about 1.5 cents a word, which is a lot more than the $.005 or less that many assignments propose. The 20% takeaway does suck for larger projects, but again, it’s reliable. In ten months, I’ve made almost $1000. Not too shabby, right?

– Large audience: Fiverr allows you to work with an audience you might never otherwise reach. In my time on the site, I’ve written countless professional biographies––something I wouldn’t normally be able to do. It’s allowed me to improve as a writer, satisfy my audience, and make money at the same time.

– Target audience: More importantly, your audience is the kind of audience you want. You may make squat offering poetry revisions, but on Fiverr, you’ll be able to do that because your audience chooses you, not the other way around. They buy your Gigs because they need your particular services. Fiverr allows you to do that at which you excel and not be uncomfortable with your assignments.

If this has you hooked, check out part 2, where I share some tips and tricks to using the site to your advantage.