My First Month on Fiverr as a Freelance Editor

[@LeahRummel]

UPDATE!! For more up to date videos about my freelancing journey, check out these videos: 6 Months on Fiverr Income report and update: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6uck2Opj9ucgtk Why I’m quitting Fiverr (and joining Ko-Fi): kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXauo5J9g5l4p6s

[@snapoutofit2151]

I can see the point of lower priced gigs for a new Fiverr Selling account. The issue is, if overused or set too low, they can serve to start a price war which can drive down the price for all freelancers over time. It's definitely a balancing act. Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@elizabethshannon9964]

I looooove your bookshelf! Those are literally all the books in my own library!

[@LeahRummel]

That’s awesome! You clearly have good taste 👏🏻😂

[@LeahRummel]

Thanks for watching :)

[@BruceLeroyUK]

You’re welcome!

[@The_Notorious_N.O.E.]

I see you have the Left Behind book series in your bookshelf. Good choice 👍

[@LeahRummel]

Lol I loved those books!

[@SteffenEckart]

Great to hear your experience. Thank you for sharing.

[@davidmason4330]

Very nicely presented. Thank you for that. I did think that for beginners you might want to calculate your average words edited per hour. That would help with pricing your services. Well done.

[@LeahRummel]

Thank you! I priced them at first low intentionally to gather reviews and have since raised them to a living wage, but thank you for the advice!

[@UniquelyAshantesCorner]

Thanks for sharing your experience with Fiverr. 2 Random questions: 1. what tips can you share on how to keep editing skills sharp? 2. How did you start your editing journey?

[@LeahRummel]

No problem! 1) it’s a combination of continually practicing & learning for me. I’m always looking for resources or classes to help me grow 2) Ive been a “writer” for a while so editing naturally came out of that. I learned I loved editing in college - I studied film and minored in creative writing so in my writing classes we had to peer edit & critique.

[@UniquelyAshantesCorner]

@@LeahRummel Thank you for your response! Are there any resources you would recommend? Also, do you know any free resources one could look into?

[@LeahRummel]

Of course! I’m not sure if resources for copy/line editing or proofreading since that’s not what I do but for developmental editing the key is learning as much about story crafting as possible! There’s a ton of stuff on KZbin about this (I recommend Alexa Donne, Jenna Moreci, Hello Future Me) and craft books like Save the Cat & The Anatomy of Story have helped me a lot (one of my recent videos is me reviewing 5 craft books if u wanna check it out 😊) though they would only be free through a library or something

[@UniquelyAshantesCorner]

@@LeahRummel Thank you so much Leah for your thorough response and the recommendations! I'll definitely look into the YT channels you mentioned and your review video when I get the chance. I truly appreciate you taking time to respond. Have a great week ahead and please stay safe during these trying times! :)

[@sjryarbrough]

I'm a new freelance editor as well and this video was helpful. I'm in the middle of creating my Fivver gigs and was worried about the scheduling process. You should definitely make more editing videos.

[@LeahRummel]

Thanks! Good luck starting your gigs!

[@-maro782]

actually, your video is very helpful specifically your graphs. thank you a lot for sharing your experience

[@joelopez1171]

love your library

[@LeahRummel]

Thank you!

[@MartHustle]

Great tips Leah. I would like to be your top fan as you just start your vlogging journey, we growing together Leah 😍😍

[@heleneo4870]

Would love to see more editing videos from you!

[@LeahRummel]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! I made a 6 month update and just recently posted this video talking about why I’m switching off of Fiverr and onto Ko-Fi if you want to hear more about my freelance work :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXauo5J9g5l4p6s (Thanks for commenting this-it reminded me I should probably pin an update to the comments!)

[@olivialambert7462]

I started on fiverr a few weeks ago and am struggling to make my profile look professional. I think that’s the main reason no one is looking at my gigs.

[@pentoprofitpodcast]

2:39: You said "Yes, I will take this job" when you posted the gig(it's assumed you want to do it otherwise you wouldn't have posted it in the first place). Otherwise a good breakdown. The reasons you listed are why it's better to find prospects on your own or join an editing organization that will send you leads for work, far more money and you don't have to work in $5 increments.

[@mheawrites3347]

this is so interesting! I've never heard of fiverr... maybe something for me to think about! thanks

[@LeahRummel]

It’s been great to use so far! I’ll be making a “6 months” update video at the end of June too :)

[@tylerq5351]

Great video, keep up the work !

[@thekarmafarmer608]

I`m just new to this scene. I have some training, but am finding it hard to make the jump. This is an excellent video, thanks. Really has helped my understanding of the basics. Thanks for posting.

[@Damnsaburna]

Would love an update on this and maybe some tips for someone who plans to start fiverr soon. I’m trying to gain editing experience

[@LeahRummel]

Definitely! I’m planning on making a 6-month update video at the end of June :)

[@Damnsaburna]

@@LeahRummel subbed! Can’t wait

[@TaniasWritingRealm]

I tried fiverr to sell ebook cover reviews and improvement tips, and also KZbin thumbnails. Got no contact in about 4 months lol. I stopped the gigs.

[@LeahRummel]

I feel like Fiverr is super hit or miss on what gigs people are looking for. It's so weird how many people have asked for dev edits but I haven't got any interest on my screenplay ones even still!

[@TaniasWritingRealm]

@@LeahRummel I debate trying to sell my excel expertise but not sure I want to add more on my plate

[@LeahRummel]

@@TaniasWritingRealm I totally feel you. Adding this has made me pretty busy lol. Definitely do whatever you think will be best for your lifestyle & mental health!

[@TaniasWritingRealm]

@@LeahRummel good luck with everything!

[@liizzset]

Same. Lol. Advertised the ebook covers. But not the KZbin thumbnails. At least you got contacts though. I got nothing but my stats said it was visited. Or clicked on.

[@renewilmoth]

Very informative. Worth the watch! All the best!

[@LeahRummel]

Thank you!

[@dantedowney]

Great video thank you for making this!

[@LeahRummel]

Thanks!

[@alymayz928]

I started a gig almost a month ago for proofreading and editing, haven't gotten any clicks or messages/buyers. I just updated the gig subject line and lowered my rates. Do you have any suggestions to make a sale?

[@LeahRummel]

My best advice is to keep tweaking the title and description until something sticks with the algorithm. Try to think of keywords that your target clients would be searching into google or Fiverr's search and include those in both. You wanna put yourself in your customer's shoes. Also, try making your thumbnail look sleek, professional, and inviting. There are lots of tutorials on how to make good thumbnails here on KZbin if you want more specifics about that! Hope that helps. I'm dealing with the same searchability issues on Etsy right now-sometimes it's just a matter of trying new things and patiently waiting for something to stick lol

[@brunoescoto9630]

IMO fiverr is a place just to gain experience (probably just for students) in whatever you intend to do. But it's very crap when it comes to good earnings. Even more with the competition there is now. Too bad ppl don't value their work because I've seen in the "buyers requests" section asking for very difficult and long projects for 5 dollars. Not to mention the ones that offer 5 USD are the ones that are very picky and demanding. the worse part is that many ppl bid to get those sh!tty jobs. If you don't value your work then no one else will.

[@LeahRummel]

Yes that was what I explained in this video about doing work for a low price temporarily to gain reviews. Now my prices are MUCH higher than in this video I made a year ago & I’m currently transitioning off the site for that exact reason :)

[@mjshorty101]

I see your Throne of Glass series in the background ~_~

[@hangoutwithsid]

thanks a lot, very well explained.. like the way you talk..

[@bbqworld2103]

Good info, thanks

[@MikeNardiTV]

Great video! Welcome to freelancing on fiverr!

[@FoodSack]

Just curious, what’s Fiver’s rules on contacting each other outside of the platform (in order to avoid the 20% service fee)?

[@LeahRummel]

Sellers aren’t allowed to promote anything that would bring a buyer off site. So if someone was asking me about my services on Fiverr I couldn’t direct them to my kofi instead or my Fiverr account will get a strike against it or shut down. But they have no way to enforce if someone contacted me on Instagram and I directed them to kofi from there, so it’s on site specifically.

[@mickeymiles9394]

How do you extend the the delivery time- its giving me only a three day option, boo. Great video!

[@LeahRummel]

You mean as a seller? That’s strange, I’m unsure why it would limit your options like that. I was able to set the delivery time in the “edit gig” section when making mine. Other than that I’m unsure what else would be the problem

[@mickeymiles9394]

@@LeahRummel I sent support a message- hope they can clear it up! Thnks!!

[@traceym1593]

I’m new to Fiverr. Question? When your clients order a gig do they up load their work directly to Fiverr for editing?

[@LeahRummel]

Yes, I have a “please attach your document here” section under the requirements they fill out for the gig when ordering

[@melchiorantoine6948]

I don't recommend Fiver. Prices are too low. There are a handful of companies that pay well, but their qualifying exams are difficult and frustrating. Find them and practice to pass their tests. Most of the best-paying writing is for technical and academic stuff, like research meant for journals, which will require specific training.

[@charlottetilley3835]

What companies would you suggest?

[@melchiorantoine6948]

@@charlottetilley3835 Scribendi, Edanz, Scribbr, and American Journal Experts are a few.

[@studentoftheword6115]

You should also put a link here for your Firverr Editor so people can find you easy from here.

[@LeahRummel]

I’m currently closed to orders which is why I took it off :)

[@brodawgIL]

Commenting for the algorithm

[@naywrites6226]

Hi! Thanks for sharing your experience. How has it been since Feb? Did you continue on Fiverr? Thx!

[@LeahRummel]

Yes! It has been good. I was able to raise my prices to a more reasonable rate and am currently booked until August!

[@AshuShortvideo9]

Great work 🤗😆

[@sarahvalles2290]

How to be editor on fiverr? I just created my account 😅 I'm a editor tho but don't really know how to use fiverr or how to be editor on fiverr?

[@OhShunz]

Thanks for sharing. This was really interesting as I’ve just started some initial exploring of fiverr. I was curious if you use the standard Fiverr or the Pro or Business versions ?

[@LeahRummel]

I’m just using standard Fiverr. I believe Pro is the top level which sellers have to reach certain requirements for (I just recently got approved for Level 1 and doubt I will ever get to “Pro Verified” level since this is a side hustle rather than a full time endeavor) and the Business version is more for managing teams of multiple freelancers. So if you as an individual are looking into Fiverr you’d start as a Level 0 seller and work up the rank to “Pro Verified”

[@saaa.aa9578]

How did you learn how to actually edit well? Did you use any resources/courses?

[@LeahRummel]

I studied this in college & read (past & present tense) lots about story structure, narrative theory, etc. And for developmental editing I read widely in the genres I edit to gauge current standards/trends. Which is why I don’t do copy editing (grammar, spelling, etc.) since I’ve not done any specific study of copy level editing. I hope this helps!

[@Jayy4351]

I don't know if you'll see this, but are you doing Fiverr full time? Or are you also doing other jobs on the side?

[@LeahRummel]

I do Fiverr part time off an on and focus mainly on my personal novel writing which I am not paid for yet. For context: I am married and we live off my husbands income which is why I’m lucky enough to have that flexibility. (Also ive raised my rates from what I talked about in this video. I made a 6 month update video talking about that)

[@Jayy4351]

@@LeahRummel Thank you for sharing this! The context gave me a much clearer perspective!

[@yakhanda2342]

Can you help me? I do not receive orders

[@martymaker]

Hi Leah, I really appreciate your video. How does Fiverr work for a fix price per job. Do you need to post an offer for a fixed job? How to secure my copyrights NDA as an author if I hired an editor? Please advise. Thank you so much!

[@LeahRummel]

Hi! I’m not sure what you mean by fixed price but each seller will set their own prices. Most people post set prices that do not change. As a buyer you would message the seller if you want to discuss the project & pricing before purchasing the gig. For copyright, this is from copyright.gov: “copyright protection exists from the moment an original work is “fixed” in a tangible medium. For writers, fixation occurs when your ideas are written down on paper or typed using a computer, for example. You don’t need to do anything else for your work to be protected by copyright.” // aka, you don’t need to file a formal copyright if you are worried someone will steal your work. You already legally own it.

[@martymaker]

@@LeahRummel Thank you for answering. What I mean is price per project not per hour. Apologies. What about Non Disclosure or s contract? Thank you

[@LeahRummel]

Yes Fiverr gigs are pretty much always per project not per hour. As for non disclosures I've never worked with anyone who asked me to sign one so I'm unsure how that would work on Fiverr. Paying for the gig itself would be the contract because it outlines what services the seller is agreeing to provide and how much you are agreeing to pay. Any other contract you're interested in using would be up to you to provide the seller.

[@martymaker]

@@LeahRummel Got it. Thank you so much. 🙏 Have a great day ☀️

[@johnhansen7499]

I know that this video is two years old but I was wondering something about the company. When I emailed the editor that I chose, was that her that I spoke with or Fiverr? I would feel a lot better doing a video chat before I hand over a seventy thousand word manuscript, do they do that. Do you still work for them, if not would you be available to edit my novel? Thank you.

[@LeahRummel]

Yes you'd be messaging the editor directly on Fiverr and they facilitate video chats so if the editor you're looking at doesn't offer one directly you can request it! If they refuse and a video chat is something you feel is necessary then that editor may just not be a good fit for you. Definitely advocate for what you want! I've moved off of Fiverr onto Ko-Fi but my schedule is currently full so I'm not taking new clients.

[@johnhansen7499]

@@LeahRummel ...Thank you for the info :-)

[@agamvfx3880]

great video! definitely subscribing!

[@nikhildavid7583]

I made 10 grand in 2 months

[@saiyan7288]

Can you tell how did you rank on Fiverr because this is the most difficult part for new beginners

[@LeahRummel]

What do u mean about rank?

[@saiyan7288]

@@LeahRummel I mean ranking on first page of the Fiverr platform

[@LeahRummel]

@@saiyan7288 oh I see. Idk I’m not sure how to check that but i do know I show up on the first page of certain search terms related to my gigs 👍🏻

[@johningram1920]

What very you are selling, I am buying. As you can see my grammar is terrible spell check can not interpret my spelling. Yes, I run a successful construction Co. I need your help.

[@currangill430]

"I sold on myself on the internet..." "That escalated quick..." "...on Fivver." "Okay phew."

[@euniceampiah6284]

Hi I’m new on Fiverr as an editor . What are some of the questions you put at the requirements section?

[@LeahRummel]

I asked for an attachment of the word doc, asked if there was any explicit content mostly so I had a warning and then could decide if it was something I was comfortable editing for, and asked for context if the buyer was submitting a portion of the manuscript (like if they’re submitting the first x number of pages, I need to know how the story ends so I can evaluate how effective the set up is). For beta reading I also ask if there are any specific problems or questions the author wants me to look out for. Hope that helps :)

[@samsungctgzia21s43]

I need video editing jobs....

[@mohamedanis4218]

Make monthly videos.

[@davidaiello3754]

Beautiful, Lucid. I think your heart is in the right place, getting a log of successes behind you. But it does, it does take the husstle. Wish you the best. ^________^ I'm just starting today, getting a feel for it. *Bows Low *Snaps Fingers

[@Soji48]

Hello

[@TellSamyra]

How can I find you on Fiverr?

[@LeahRummel]

I am currently closed to orders, so my gigs are paused

[@johningram1920]

Go independent, never allow someone to control your income.

[@MissLottylily]

I'd deffo be interested in check-in videos

[@LeahRummel]

I’d love to make some in the future :)

[@jamiebennett6354]

Marissa Meyers is a creative writer, your missing Fairest though. I have 8 sci-fi novels that need to be edited but more importantly, they need a new gene Romance/sci-fi which would require 20 to 40 pages. the co-writer would get 50% of all royalties

[@howlmao]

Nice video

[@LeahRummel]

Thanks!

[@ErCapoAlex]

Hii

[@DannyBoy443]

Why would you not use your YT picture for the ....you know what? I don't care lol. Also, is she southern?

[@MRKAFKA-bc2cl]

You are pretty.

[@clyde4128]

you look like wanda

[@T3est]

Oh man 😅 I cant concentrate on what your saying cuz your beauty keeps distracting me.

[@editcoolchris]

Very funny! She says she sells herself on the Internet. 😆

[@thomtom3070]

I’m a highschool senior but I still consider myself a good writer. I want to set up a Fiverr account but I obviously have no real world writing experience. What do I put in my profile description if I can’t name some past work and jobs?

[@xoxoshahd1057]

I am facing the same problem too haha