Writing Account: Do You Need to Buy a Writing Account to Make Money?

I get it; you probably think that you need to buy a writing account to succeed as a freelance writer. 

But here is the truth; you don't need to pay or buy a writing account to start freelance writing in Kenya. 

You can start freelance online writing in Kenya from scratch, with no accounts, and be successful.

I did it as a beginner writer, and you can do it too.

In this post, I will go deeper into why you shouldn't stress about freelance writing accounts.

Also, you will learn the best alternatives to help you get your first freelance writing client. 

What is a freelance writing account? 

If you haven't been living under the proverbial rock, you've probably have heard about writing accounts on social media sites like Facebook groups. 

But in case you are wondering, a writing account is a platform that gives you access to writing jobs. 

Some are "take accounts," meaning you only need to grab the jobs available without bidding. 

Others are bidding accounts which means you have to compete with other freelance writers to get writing jobs on the platform.

An excellent example is Upwork. 

Pros of having a freelance writing account.

• It offers endless writing job opportunities.

A freelance writing account has plenty of writing gigs—and freelance writers!

If it is a take account, it can be an easy way to have plenty of writing jobs.

• You don't need to market your services heavily.

The companies that run these writing accounts do the leg for you as a freelancer.

They spend money to bring you clients, and your job is either bid or grab the writing jobs available.

• A writing account is reliable.

Having a writing account offers reliable writing jobs, which means you can be sure of consistent writing projects.

Secure payment option. Having a writing account means that you can be sure of getting your payment once you complete your writing projects. 

Cons of freelance writing accounts.

• You pay a service fee.

One of the cons of having a freelance writing account is that the company responsible for managing the website will take a percentage of your earnings.

For instance, Upwork will take 20% off your first $500 earnings, which equals $100!

• Bidding writing accounts are highly competitive.

You will be racing against thousands if not millions of other freelancers salivating for the same writing jobs.

And that means it can be a race to the bottom.

Speaking of which...

• Low pay.

Some writing accounts offer services at a low rate which means you will be earning pennies as a freelance writer.

Fiverr, for instance, promotes $5 gigs which may not be decent depending on where you live.

Also, you need to deliver top-notch work for low pay, which can be draining.

• You can lose your writing account.

I once had an I Writer account with earnings inside, and it was closed indefinitely without warning or communication.

My point is, you can lose your freelance writing account in an instant.

And the reasons can be negative reviews from clients, lower job success scores, failure to work on projects, or for no reason at all.

And you have no power over the company's decision to close your account.

Some writing accounts don't accept writers from specific regions.

For example, if you are in Kenya and need to open a writing account with I Writer, you better think twice because they don't take writers from Kenya.

Do you need to buy a writing account to own one?

You've probably heard someone in the freelance writing industry tell you that you need to own a writing account to earn more money, which is not correct. 

I'm not writing this to dismiss the idea of opening a writing account.

But do you need to buy a writing account to start freelance article writing in Kenya?

Read on before you shell out your cash to buy a content writing account. 

Here is the thing, opening a freelance article writing account with any company is free!

Whether it is Writer Access, Upwork, or Fiverr, you don't have to pay to signup with any of them.

This applies to other niches as well, like transcription. 

If you need an account, you can head over to the website of your choice, check the requirements, and if you meet them, you can open one free of charge.

You can then look for an expert to help you optimize your account profile so that you can land your writing job with ease.

And that doesn't mean it is a must to pay for an expert.

You can research how to optimize your Upwork or Fiverr account to attract clients. 

What are the risks of buying freelance writing accounts?

One of the biggest risks of buying a writing account is that you can lose your money to scammers. 

If you are green to freelance writing, be very cautious about buying a writing account, especially if the seller promises oddly huge returns.

The company/website can flag and ban your account if they realize that it goes against their terms and conditions.

Another thing,

You might end up buying an account that doesn't work, or the seller reclaims the account profile once you pay the money.

What is the best alternative to buying freelance writing accounts?

Do you want to succeed as a freelance writer without signing up with content mills?

Well, you are lucky because you can create a freelance writing business from scratch and scale up without buying accounts. 

There are many excellent ways to land writing jobs, get clients and make money as a freelance writer.

• Create a website.

One of the best ways to get freelance writing jobs is to create your website.

The website is a crucial marketing tool that can make you/your services stand out from the crowd.

Focus on creating and optimizing your writer's website, and you will get excellent leads for your freelance business. 

You need a reliable hosting company to register your domain name to get started as an online article writer. 

I highly recommend that you focus on a self-hosted site rather than a free wordpress.com or blogger site. 

What is the cost of building up a professional writer's website? 

The good news is that there are affordable hosting companies to help you get a website.

And one of them is Host Pinnacle. Instead of paying tens of thousands of Ksh, why not pay Ksh 1 999 and create your website.

Having a site makes it easy to publish articles, create a portfolio and even monetize your site.

And that means you use your website to market your services and still monetize it and make more money.

I started my online writing with a simple website, and I was able to write for terrific websites and companies like self-publishing and Inkwell Editorial.

Remember, a site boosts your credibility and trust from overseas clients. 

I highly recommend hosting your site with Host Pinnacle Kenya because they offer competitive packages and affordable and reliable customer service. 

• Use social media to find clients and writing gigs.

If setting up a website is not an option for you. You can leverage other means like optimizing your social profiles to attract clients.

You can create an FB page, Instagram page, or even a Tik Tok account and use them for marketing your writing services. 

Also, some social media communities work as job boards or have self-promo days. 

You can join and market your writing services there. You can get your writing client on social media.

For instance, there are FB groups, Reddit communities, and LinkedIn groups full of writing jobs.

Twitter is another excellent social media site that you can use to connect with editors and clients.

• Writing job boards are free.

Another way to help you get high-paying online writing jobs is to use job boards. There are hundreds of quality writing job boards that you can use to find your writing jobs as a beginner. 

Some of the best content writing job boards for freelance writers include Pro Blogger, Blogging Pro, All Freelance Writing, and Freedom with Writing.

• Work for content marketing agencies.

There are excellent content marketing agencies that can offer you regular work with great pay. 

You can look into content marketing agencies like Clear Voice, Skyword, and Growth Machine.

• Use online publishing platforms to attract clients.

Publications like Medium and platforms like LinkedIn offer excellent tools for writers to create and publish content.

And what's more? 

Medium pays creators, and that means you can earn money to write for these publications. 

Creating content on LinkedIn allows you to market your writing services on LinkedIn effortlessly.

Start your freelance online writing without buying writing accounts.

Are you ready to be a freelance writer? You don't have to buy writing accounts to be a successful online writer.

Start with the little you have and take the first step. Launch your writing career seamlessly and avoid landing in the hands of scammers. 

The trade rule is that if it is too good to be true, it probably is, and you should run.

Start online writing with simple steps like creating a social media profile, a site, guest posting on other sites and blogs, or publishing on Medium.

I'm curious, how did you start your freelance writing business? Let me know in the comments.