How did you make your first dollar on the internet?
Jake Schonberger
10 replies
What was the mechanism?
Do you remember that moment?
Where did it lead you!?
Replies
Nevena Sofranic@nevena_sofranic
Recrooit
I was a professional CV writer! I figured the ATS we were using at the company I was working for would parse CV based on keywords, and it just swallows good resumes. So I started freelancing and made a few bucks out of it.
At this point, it would probably bore me to death tho 😂
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My first dollar on the internet was through (microworkers.com), for some simple tasks.
Marshmallow Icon Kit
Selling icon.
Lead me to ... being an UI Designer.
❤️
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Won "Editor's choice" on Your Story Club in 2013 and got INR 1500 ($25) for a fictional story.
This was the first indicator that my writing has value and helped me develop a consistent writing habit. It also made me dream of winning a Pulitzer some day.
I started writing non fiction in 2014 and have put that dream on hold. But we'll get there one day for sure. 😊
I made my first $ selling photos on Eyeem. It was only one photo though, which was sold 5-6 times.
Later, I also made a few bucks, regularly, by writing reviews of different products and services I used, on Mouthshut. And now, I am a full time freelance writer and marketer.
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@lazywriterabhi Omg, you should continue with photography. That was amazing! :)
Yep, the writer community I found on Twitter is really helpful and I'm glad you found one for yourself. :) Good luck with your future projects. <3
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@lazywriterabhi ooh! Photography..that's interesting. I wonder if you can share the link with us here :D
Also, one question for you if you don't mind. :)
What are your biggest challenges as a freelance writer right now? Any particular challenges when you started out as a freelancer which you solved successfully?
@learnwithvidya Here's the photo, which earned me about $100 in total. https://www.eyeem.com/p/91774223 :D
As for challenges, the only one I had was to find what all do I need to do have a continuous inflow of clients.
I started with sharing my stories and day-to-day experiences on LinkedIn and Twitter as a freelancer. The process helped me find a tribe for myself. So, now writers refer me to prospective clients and also, ask if I know someone who might be interested in the task. Ya, kind of community.
The regular posts also helped me gain visibility among prospects.
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My first online dollar was through my newsletter (thecuriousbunch.xyz).
I started it with the intention of sharing a bunch of interesting links but soon I got lil' obsessed with growing it big and reaching new readers.
I read many "grow your subscribers" articles on the internet and followed people on Twitter. At that time I had less than 500 subscribers and the only way to "monetize" my newsletter is by attaching a "Buy Me A Coffee" link. That's how I got my first dollar! 💲
Couldn't believe people are willing to pay for my free newsletter. :)
The same articles suggested I need to have at least 1000 subscribers to attract sponsors but I wanted to experiment and see if I could get a sponsor at 500. So I joined all the platforms I knew where they connect writers with sponsors. That's how I discovered Swapstack (swapstack.co) too!
I didn't expect to get in touch with any sponsors but I got a message from Swapstack within 2 weeks of joining and it said "A Swapstack brand wants to work with you!" 🤯
That was an amazing moment! Now, my newsletter Sponsorship slots are booked 2-3 months in advance. 😊 I'm still below 1000 subscribers but have a good number of engaged readers. I was glad I didn't listen to the general advice I found on those growth articles. 😅
Started my newsletter without any idea about monetizing it and now I regularly work with some amazing brands through my newsletter. ❤️
Thanks to Swapstack for my very first sponsor and helping me become a "creator" :)
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@learnwithvidya This is incredible. Only onwards from here🚀
Just today I was telling my brother - if you do what everyone else is doing, you'll be another face in the competition/rat race. But if you take initiative and think out of the box, you'll go to places no one else has explored. 🔥