A lot has been written either way about freelance content writing – there are those who claim it’s the best opportunity humankind has ever got after Manna from Heaven and there are those who claim that Internet freelance writing is an open invitation for people from anywhere in the world to come and cheat you out of their labor and creativity. So what’s the real truth behind the Internet freelance writing masque? Hear some answers from someone who has been doing little apart from freelance writing for the Internet since the last six years.

I have met hundreds of people in my travels (and travails) who want to jump into the Internet freelance writing bandwagon. These people see the crisp pink notes (the highest notes are pink in the country I live) I extricate from the ATM machines every week and they see my smiling mug on the Internet websites where my articles are published. That’s it – that’s their main draw and attraction. I am really surprised nowadays if someone doesn’t ask me, ‘Can I also write and make money on the Internet?’ I am sure the acting profession does not have as much allure today as the freelance writing profession does.

And that is where I have to make people wary. Since these six years, I have very narrowly walked on the tightrope that connects my labors to the actual monetary rewards that they deserve. One little miscalculation on this tightrope and I will be in the abyss of an Internet freelance writing scam, where there’s no money, and even ridicule and a bad review.

It’s not easy to make people aware of these pitfalls that are so common in Internet freelance writing. At least, it is very difficult to tell them all this verbally, especially when you see their starry eyes and almost drooling mouths. That’s why I decided to write about it. So, here’s what I have been doing all these years to prevent myself from being sorry roadkill on the Internet freelancing expressway.

Internet Freelance Writing Scam Protection # 1 – Always insist for an escrow

I always bring my mother’s image to mind when I accept a new project. She is wary of everything in life, even of the bed she sleeps on since 30 years. And she always insists that we do not show work (speaking in a general sense) until there’s a promise of a reward later on. That’s somehow rubbed onto me. I don’t work without protection!

On the Internet, this protection is in the form of an escrow. All freelance sites have it. Forget their invoicing tools, they are of no use. An invoice is just indicative of you begging for what you deserve. It’s demeaning, it’s derogatory, it’s racial. But an escrow is what works. If someone doesn’t accede your request for an escrow, remember your own mother and think whether you should do that project or not.

Internet Freelance Writing Scam Protection # 2 – Decide on milestones

So what do you do if the project is very, very good (promises you within a week what you normally make in two months, and you dream you can pay off at least one credit card completely – that good!) but the buyer doesn’t want to escrow? This is worse than the devil and deep sea situation. Most probably you will not see any money at the end of day. But you can again protect yourself.

Here’s how. Decide on some work milestones at the start. Tell your buyer, you will provide 5 articles each day, and they have to pay for them. Chalk up a routine like that. Do a little work, and ask for the payment for it. If the buyer is not willing to do that too, dump them like they were stinking rotten eggs. Heed my advice, I have been royally duped in freelance this way.

Internet Freelance Writing Scam Protection # 3 – Protect your samples

This does not amount to a big loss by volume, but to any respectful writer (like I think I am), this is a great deal. When you apply for Internet freelance writing jobs, you need to show them some samples. There are a lot of buyers who will dupe you out of these samples. Here’s how they operate. They post a project on a freelance website and invite bids. On an average, 10 to 20 people may make bids. Then these buyers individually contact each bidder and ask them to do a test sample. Everyone does it to their best ability because it’s, after all, a test.

And this is how the scam operates. The ‘buyer’ will give every bidder a unique article to do as the test. So, if you see, the buyer has got 10 to 20 articles for free. With a little modification, or maybe not even that, these articles are good to go!

That is why I always insist for paid samples. And if they don’t agree, I excuse myself. I am not auditioning for my national Idol competition. I have my self respect. You keep yours too.

These scam protection tips are by no means over. In a few days, I am posting Part 2 of this article.

The writer is a experienced freelancer. Read more about his exploits in freelance writing at this blog