Content Writing With Azanta
The freelancing world was not in my plans. I was completely happy working for JAAGO Foundation, an NGO based in Dhaka that worked to educate slum-based underprivileged children around the country. The work was awesome, and I loved it!
My Life With JAAGO Foundation
I worked at JAAGO for 1.5 years – from July 2011 to December 2012 – as the Assistant Manager in the PR & Publication Department. I fell in love with the institution, with the people, with the environment, and especially with my work. It was only the daily commute that was killing me. 3 hours on the road every day – 1 hour in the morning and 2 in the evening. It was exhausting, and I was tired all the time! I left the job at the end of 2012 before my daughter was born the next year.
How I Started Freelancing
The next few months were for my daughter, and my daughter only. I wanted to return to JAAGO – or at any other job – after caring for my newborn for a few months. It was completely unthinkable for me to leave my new child and go back to an 8-hour job soon.
It was a friend who told me about Upwork (which was oDesk at that time); from her, over idle lunch one day, I heard of this online marketplace that could give me writing jobs that I could do from home, and earn at the same time. I opened my account on UpWork in November 2013, with a two-month-old in my lap, and started my freelance career as a writer.
My Freelancing Life
My first instinct upon creating an account was not to apply for jobs but to make my profile worthy of international standards. I spent a week looking through the profiles of other top freelance workers on UpWork. Since I was in charge of all the publications at JAAGO Foundation, I was successful in quickly putting together a portfolio that had all my work. I browsed the Internet to look for samples that are acceptable in the International marketplaces and created works of my own. I browsed through YouTube videos and created transcribed files that I added to my portfolio.
Finally, when my portfolio was complete and had samples of every kind of work that I could do if I got a job. It was then, around 10 days after I signed up for UpWork, that I started to apply for jobs. I think I could be considered quite lucky with my freelance career because, within the first 7 days, I landed my first job on Upwork.
How I Got my First Job on Upwork
My first project on UpWork was a 40-minute audio transcription that only paid $5. I had to work 8 hours to finish this single project, but my client was very happy with my work. He gave me good feedback, and another similar project to finish. Not only that, he gave me the names of some software for transcription that made my work easier and taught me to use them. I completed a total of 6/7 projects for him – a journalist who interviewed people and wrote about them – and my profile slowly accumulated a number of positive feedback.
My Success as a Freelance Content Writer
My first month on UpWork brought me 23,000 BDT (around $300), and in the next month. I earned another 10,000 BDT (somewhat $150). It was hard for me the first few months – working night after night with a small baby to look after. I had to bid for 15 jobs to even get a reply from one, and that too, for a very small rate. But I didn’t mind; I knew I had to pay more attention to my work and my profile than to my earnings. I didn’t think of how little or how much I was earning. I only thought about the hours I was accumulating on my profile and the positive feedback that I was getting.
The first few months were the hardest. I had to work long hours for very small prices. I had to work extra just to get some good feedback from my clients. Not all of them were honest or good; I got cheated a few times when the clients found out that I was new and did not know much about UpWork. In all, it was the first 4/5 months that I had to try very hard to survive on UpWork and create a name for myself. Transcription was not something that I wanted to do for a long time, but it was the only thing that my clients were willing to give me.
How I Gradually Progressed on Upwork
Several months after I entered the marketplace, I gained enough confidence to bid for writing jobs. The first job I landed as a writer was for 25 articles – 500 words each at $2 per article – $50 for the total project. I had 2 weeks for the whole job, but I worked day and night to complete it within a week.
The client was astounded with my speed, and he liked my work as well. He was the one who gave me my first eBook – a 3500-word book for $20. Needless to say, I finished it in 2 days, as well. The client gave me a $10 bonus because he liked my work; that was my first bonus on UpWork.
I started with a $3/hour rate on Upwork at the end of 2013, and gradually increased it to $8/hour. Where I would work for $0.75/100 words at the beginning, I now charge double that for 3500, 5000, 7500, 10000, or 15000 word eBooks. I know I write almost as well as native writers, and one day I will be able to charge what they are paid for the same number of words.
My Achievements in Freelancing
In September 2015, I was awarded by BASIS in the Female Outsourcing Professional Category. This was one of the best things that have ever happened to me in my life, and it changed my life. This was the appreciation that I believe I deserved after my hard work and the encouragement I needed to go ahead further.
In the same year, I also received another award from Daffodil International Academy, Transpay, and Belancer in the same category – Female Outsourcing Professional.
In December 2015, I was given the Female Outsourcing Professional Award by the ICT Division, Bangladesh.
A few years later, in 2022, I was given an award in special recognition for my services in freelancing by Bangladesh Freelancers Development Society (BFDS) on Women’s Day. The next year, in 2023, I received the National Tech Award for “Individual Freelancing Professional (Female)” by One Way School & CSEDIU Alum. Association.
How I Helped the Freelancing World
From 2015 to 2022, I have conducted several workshops, online trainings, and seminars, both online and offline. Institutions like Bangladesh Freelancers Development Society (BFDS), Bangladesh Open Source Network (BDOSN), WE (Women in eCommerce), and Bangladesh Innovation Forum (BIF) have hired me or invited me to take workshops on Content Writing.
I have also worked as an advisor and a part of the Competency Standard Committee (CSC) to create and validate the syllabus and examination paper, and then validate the syllabus for the “Content Writing for Freelancers” Skill (Level 1 to 5) under National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), Prime Minister’s Office.
My Present Work with Content Writing
In January 2023, I officially semi-retired from freelancing work to open my own online training institute. I named it “Content Witting with Azanta”, and till now, I have conducted 11 sessions and taught the basics of content writing to 400+ students. Content Writing with Azanta, or CWwA mainly focuses on the local market and plans to create at least 10,000 efficient and talented content writers in Bangladesh by 2030.
For me, this is just the beginning. I plan to go ahead, way ahead, given that I have the blessings of the Almighty and the support of my family.
Thank you for your time in reading my story!