My name is Tom Nyarunda, a Christian, a husband and a father. I am a trained counseling psychologist, preacher and motivational speaker, but I work full-time as a freelance writer.
My journey in freelance writing began accidentally some time in 2012 or thereabouts. I had seen many advertisements and pop ups on my computer about online product surveys and basically that’s what introduced me to online work. I got interested but most companies seemed to work in the United States and so I decided to ask a friend who lived there whether they were genuine.
My friend advised me to start doing freelance writing
The friend told me to forget about online surveys and instead try freelance writing, and that’s the first time I heard of that word. Since he didn’t do it, he gave me the email address of this friend and told me to ask him about it. I wrote an email to the friend of my friend, and all he did was send me a link to what used to be www.getafreelancer.com, now www.freelancer.com.
Once I visited the site, I tried and finally registered. I learned how to place bids. About 2 months into the registration, I saw a job advert. The client preferred a Seventh-day Adventist (I’m one) and I jumped at the opportunity.
The Bulgarian lady hired me and gave me a re-writing task. I honestly told her I was completely green in the field. She was very kind and showed me what to do. Of course later I got into article writing.
The most I was earning per article was $3 per 500 words
For a number of years I worked at Freelancer, getting clients and losing some. While I worked for hours on end, the highest amount of money I earned per article was $3 for a 500 word article.
I finally got a client who gave me so much work that I stopped bidding for about four years. I thought I was lucky to have non-stop work. But the problem was I did too many articles to survive. Apart from not having time for myself, I literally lived from hand to mouth.
I was earning at most $600 per month, but I was working way too much
By the beginning of 2017 I was so tired of the state of affairs. The best I could ever do working from sunrise to sunset (literally), five days a week, was at most $600 monthly. At the beginning of 2017, I started searching for something better and decided sign up to Upwork.
For a while, nothing was forthcoming. Sometime in May 2017 I saw an advert by FreelancerKenya on Facebook and in my mind I thought I could also register and start placing bids.
Once I discovered that FreelancerKenya offers training on freelance writing, I took time debating whether I really needed the training because I “knew” I was experienced. In July I read about a lady who was earning $400 a week after the training and decided to give it a try.
I got one tough client…and Upwork suspended my account
I registered for the training in August 2017 and completed it. The best thing I learned was that I didn’t have to rely on content mills to get jobs.
While on training, I was hired by a local writing company that was paying $3.5 for 500 words. The client was so tough. He would reject work at the slightest chance, such as when you were not available to make an immediate correction.
While still at it, I received a notification from Upwork that my account had been suspended due to sending too many proposals without being hired. It was sad, but Walter encouraged me to use the other methods in the course. To go straight for the direct clients.
It felt like heaven came down. I earn up to $75 per 500 words
So in September 2017, I started cold-pitching, which I learned in Walter’s course. In the process of searching, I came to learn about blockchain and cryptocurrency.
I got my first job in December 2017, writing for an American company, Cryptosumer, where I wrote using their pen name. I wrote for them at the rate of $0.04 per word, making it $20 for 500 words and that was like heaven come down for me.
Since February 2018, I have written for a number of clients that I contacted through Reddit. The prices have been ranging from $0.04 to $0.15 per word, meaning I earn from $20 to $75 for a 500 word article. The best thing about Reddit is they don’t accept job adverts that pay less than $0.05 per word to freelancers.
My big breakthrough
My big breakthrough came partially in May 2018 when I was hired by a company in Hong Kong, Bitrates, to write a news article daily at $30 for a 300 word article. I worked there for 3 months.
In the middle of August 2018, I saw an advert in Reddit for a cryptocurrency journalist. Thankfully, I got hired and in September I earned 0.19 Bitcoin, which was the equivalent of $1200 or KSh. 120,000. In October 2018, I earned 0.41 Bitcoin which at the time was equivalent to $2600 USD or Ksh. 260,000.
My current workload…no more donkey work!
I currently write an average of 3 to 4 news articles daily, taking me three to four hours. I make between $90 and $120 daily, five days a week. I want to sincerely thank Brother Walter for his course that opened my eyes. I encourage everyone who is struggling that you don’t have to take the long route that I took.
Brother Walter, thank you and God bless you most sincerely. To my comrades, you can do this.
Regards,
Tom Nyarunda
Very inspiring. However, Im asking myself whether it’s a smoother road for the people who have a good command of English and are creative?azin the ‘journalists’ Are these skills inherent in them that would help them perform better?
Wow!This is amazing. Thanks for sharing your story Tom Nyarunda. I’m so encouraged.
And thank you so much Mr Akollo for your informative course. You are a great teacher and mentor. We are all so blessed to have you.
I trust God that my testimony too shall be here very soon.
Thanks Catherine. It’s all God. Praying for your testimony to come out soon, too!
Am not a writer, but from the testimonies and comments, I feel like I can start writing as a side hustle and see how that goes.
Thanks big Tom for sharing your story,quite inspiring .Thanks a million times to Walter who has given hope to many families.
The fact that you were very green, then hustled with $3 jobs and now $75! I get the message; It is doable, especially with patience and God leading.
Thanks so much Tom.
This is certainly gorgeous, in a literary sense. No doubt, we can all make it with the right approach and mindset. Kudos Tom and much appreciation to Walter’s remarkable training.
Hey can you explain more how Reddit works. Does someone bid like Upwork?
Wao! What an encouragement. That’s quite inspiring. That kind of patience is worth what you’re earning now. Glory to Jesus.
Hey do you mind giving more details on how to get jobs on Reddit. looked at the site and its not clear how,
This is just wonderful…wow. There`s definitely hope at the end of the tunnel. Am truly encouraged. Thanks Tom for the inspiration. The sky is the limit.
@Tom
It was gem of an article and adrenaline generator. Thanks alot
Thank you for sharing this vital information it builds a lot of confidence in some of us who are beginners.
Oh God, this is breath taking. Tom, thanks for sharing your story, I am also two weeks into the training but everyday that passes feels like there is some kind of ‘success wind’ that blows through my life. And Walter, I don’t know how much to thank you for bringing hope for many people in this planet, May God richly continue to bless you everyday.
Oh my God, what an inspiring story! just what I needed to hear today. God is indeed great!
Thanks a lot, brother Tom for sharing may God continue blessing you. As for Walter I also want to thank you because your course made me a freelance writer. I may not be there yet but I know God will take me to greater heights someday. Be blessed
The live story is so inspiring,i toot this Akollo’s course as on a slight way!but am now realized that it has a positive upkeep.
Thank brother sharing you’re story with many encouragement in it.
woow, woow, this is good!
Thanks Tom for your encouraging words and may God continue to bless you as you bless others. Walter thanks for being a mentor to many. Keep up the good work and all the blessings will come your way,
Wow….that’s so awesome. Think I should consider Reddit for clients.
Thank you for sharing Tom and Walter. It is very inspiring. If Tom can do it, so can I. Be Blessed.
This is very inspiring Tom. God is taking you far. This is an encouragement to us too. Soon we will be telling of similar testimonies. God Bless you brother.
I always love seeing people doing great in this ever-evolving world of freelance writing. It’s so inspiring, knowing very well the challenges that we all have to go through before getting a big break. I also recommend that writers focus more on getting direct clients who pay much better and have consistent work so long as you’re delivering great content. Thanks Tom for sharing and thanks Walter for your great work.
What a moving testimony!! God is indeed faithful.
I recently completed Walter’s training and I am currently setting up my blog. This story inspires me because it reminds me that I can make it as well.
Walter’s course is truly pure gold. If you have not taken it, time is running out, literally.
Thanks, buddies, it’s my prayer that my short testimony encourages someone. With an average pay of $2000 monthly for work that takes me three to four hours five days weekly, I am just realizing that I have an extra four to five hours daily on a comfortable working week. My next goal is doubling that in the next few months. By God’s grace, I hope to do $1250 weekly when I get two more clients
Walter’s course may look simplistic but the results are awesome.
Stay blessed buddies.
Truly inspiring!
Walter is a blessing to the writing fraternity. Where I am today, Walter has played a huge role from my first $6 PayPal-Mpesa transaction in early 2014 (my Eureka moment!) to the priceless nuggets he regularly gives us.
Thanks Tom. You have recharged my batteries.
Sammy
This is super inspiring, I look forward to undergoing Walter’s training someday too so that my success story, just like Tom’s will be shared here.
That story is inspiring. Thanks for sharing Tom. My account at upwork got suspended a couple of days ago and felt like giving up. Now I can try cold pitching just like Walter suggests.
hello,
how can I link up with you to assist me in creating an upwork account
What a lovely testimony. You were patient until God blessed you. Furthering your writing training made you ready for your blessing.
This is really great. It’s true hardword n peserverence pays. Thank you Tom for sharing your story. N much success too.
A really great inspiration there. Kudos Tom and keep going. Also a big challenge to many would-be cohorts in this honorable world of writers who are still dilly-dallying – so help us God.
Thanks Mentor Wally for the great work you’ve been doing to get us out of our cocoons.
Such a motivational story Tom Nyarunda. I’m keenly following your footsteps and soon I will be writing my own story. Thank you Walter for the encouragement.
Waaaoo..am truly inspired hope i will have the guts to start my journey one day
Hi Tom,
Congratulations . Well done for trusting your gut and persevering all the way. Your desire to write is undoubtedly notable.
Yours is a testimony of how Freelancing can turn you around if done in the correct manner
I am encouraged so much.
I am saving up to do Walter’s course and join the bandwagon.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Best regards
Everlyne
Thank you for sharing. I’m a newbie in this and trying to get jobs on freelancer.com, since my upwork account hasn’t been approved yet, has not been easy. Working hard to get my own website to build my muscles on cold pitching. I’ve heard of people who’ve taken less than a year to earn great money and I hope to be one of them under Mr Akolo. All the best Tom as you continue aiming higher.
Sometimes we tend to think writing is just putting down what we have in mind without knowing that there are techniques and creativity involved. This is a very good inspiration message Mr. Tom Nyarunda. at list we have a map of where we are going thanks to you Mr. Walter.
Thanks for the story Tom. It is such an inspiration to have such success stories. It gives me confidence of moving on with writing.
To Walter, you always the best.
Thank you for this. It is encouraging. Thank you Walter
Wow.!
I thank God for you my brother Tom.
You started with God and have reached the climax with Him and that being a believer in such ideals,I have no doubt that God
is designer of our destiny.
The secret is that if only we believe in God and give our best to all what we do,we shall definitely succeed in whatever we do.
Kudos on your success and thanks for sharing with budding entrepreneurs in the relatively new field.This is really inspiring.!
To my brother Walter, I have absolutely no doubt that you have hands in this!
You are simply amazing in terms coaching and mentoring both newbies and veterans in this career,you are blessed!You are really awesome.
Keep up the good work and God will bless you beyond your understanding!
Wooow, Thank you Tom for sharing,. I was in the verge of giving up, am encouraged. Thanks Walter for allowing Tom to share.
Tom, I feel encouraged and am green in the field of writing but am determined to learn n earn. God bless
This is very inspiring. I feel encouraged. Writing can truly pay and give one a good life, but when done in the right way. Thanks, Tom for sharing. Thanks, Walter for opening our eyes. I am also looking forward to writing my own success story soon. I hope it does not take ages.
Very inspiring Tom Nyarunda. There are lots of people who think they already know lots and don’t need additional training. Others feel the investment may be wasted yet there’s so much free information online. The power of having a coach is unmatched. I’m glad Walter helped you scale to greater heights. Wonderful testimony