What is up everyone? It has been a long, long while. The pandemic has taken a toll on me hence the hiatus. I’ve limited my social media time as well because I find news (plus FAKE news) depressing most of the time. Anyway, what have you been up to? During this pandemic, I have observed many activities people are getting into. You’ll see people baking and cooking which introduced numerous new food trends such as dalgona coffee, sushi bake, and of course, the famous ube cheese pan de sal. Some became fitness junkies and plantitos/titas. I’m pretty sure so many of you have also started your own Tiktok or Youtube channels by now.

While I haven’t given in to the lure of Tiktok yet, I’ve learned to cook so many dishes, tried the ube cheese pandesal and did more work outs in a month than I did the entire year last year. I also went back to doing one of my first love which is writing. Since it has been quite a while, I needed to slowly flex my creative muscles. I figured why not go back to freelance writing and earn at the same time, right? I checked out Essays.Ph, a freelance platform I’ve written for before but found out that they have since ceased operations. I’ve searched for more options and discovered Yonipp.

What is Yonipp?

Yonipp is a freelance platform that caters mainly to writers. Whether you’re a pro or someone like me who’s trying to get back into it, or even a beginner who’s looking for a side hustle and wants to give freelance writing a try – this platform would be great for you to try.

My Yonipp Experience

At first, I wondered how Yonipp would be different from Essays.PH. I hate to compare but the first thing I’ve noticed is the user-friendliness of the site’s interface. After filling out my writer’s profile on my dashboard, I proceeded to search for jobs in the Projects Marketplace.

Project Marketplace Preview from Yonipp.com

I browsed through each of the project’s details and once I found a topic that I’m comfortable writing about, I placed a deal and waited for them to send me a message if my bid was accepted or not. Once accepted, I began writing right away. If I have any questions about the project, I can communicate with the client through the project’s “Huddle Box” or ask a question through the chatbot and get assistance from anyone from the Yonipp team.

I know I’m not the only one who can appreciate how the Yonipp team wrote the guides on the Writers Help Center in a fun and straightforward way. If you’re a freelance writing newbie, this should be a plus point for you.

One of the best things about Yonipp is that you can choose to write about a niche that is comfortable for you. Lifestyle and travel are what I enjoy writing about the most but having studied a science course, I am also comfortable writing about health-related topics. I also try to step out of my comfort zone and write about other topics as well to exercise my creative muscle and if I want to challenge myself.

After the project is completed, I wait for the client’s feedback and for my pledge to be released. Take note that the amount is less Yonipp’s 20% merchant fee). Cash-out methods can be through PayPal or any local banks.

Any Cons?

I noticed that the number of projects can be limited at times so you’ll be competing with so many other writers for some topics. Also, I think the Yonipp team works during Philippine office hours. My creative juices start flowing at night time. I know I need to change that and hopefully learn to write any time of the day. Having said that, it’s difficult for me to communicate with anyone beyond office hours if I have any questions like that one time when my pledge got accepted on a weekend. I had a few questions about the project but as per the chatbot, the staff will be available on Monday.

Is it for you?

There are many platforms out there with clients that can offer regular contracts. However, I highly recommend Yonipp for beginners. The website also offers topics that are challenging and more rewarding for veterans. During this time of the pandemic, it wouldn't hurt to support your day job with a side hustle.