Fiverr is a unique website based on a simple idea. You say what you’ll do for $5. Buyers then pay you to do just that. If you want a steady income from short writing jobs, it might be just what you’ve been looking for.

The surprise is that you can earn much more than $5 per task.

In fact, my biggest order has been $140. My average is $16.

Here’s how I do it.

By making a few changes, your Fiverr orders will go from $5 to $15 and even $50. And if you’re not already on Fiverr, these tips may convince you to start selling. (To learn more about Fiverr, read our previous guide.)

How I Made $140 with One Fiverr Gig

I started out by mostly writing bios in the 100–250 word range for $5 each. Along the way, I had a few clients tell me they had been unsatisfied with other Fiverr writers. These clients liked my work, so they left good feedback. This put me in a great place in terms of popularity, and soon I was taking on several Gigs at a time. However, I was still only making $5 per assignment.

So late last year, I decided to take a break from Fiverr to pursue other writing jobs. That didn’t last too long. Two months later, in need of a paycheck, I returned, but I did so with an adamant promise to propel my income. To start with, I took a look at what some Top–Rated Sellers were doing, and lo-and-behold, one seller held the answer.

I saw that the seller, Nystrele, also offered bio writing, but his approach was drastically different from mine. When I saw his page, I was stunned. His take on Fiverr opened my eyes and single–handedly helped my revenue skyrocket.

So what’s the secret?

For $5, Nystrele provides “a robust 2–3 sentence summary.” Instead of the whole meal for five bucks, he offers an appetizer. The good stuff is in the Gig Extras, where he charges up to $100 for longer bios. And even though tons of other sellers will write full bios for $5, Nystrele’s sales are flourishing, and he’s backed by a glowing 4.8 rating from over a thousand buyers.

That’s the kind of money I wanted to make, and I quickly changed my pricing structure. I now also offer a 2–3 sentence bio for $5, and my rate for a 250 word bio is $55. It’s a win-win all around––I get a bigger slice of the pie, and the clients I work with tend to be more serious. This simple strategy was solely responsible for a massive spike in my income, and since then, Fiverr has become a trustworthy stream of revenue for me.

And here’s the best news of all: You can do the same thing.

How You Can Be a Fiverr Champion

Fiverr’s platform for sellers is arranged so that the basic $5 Gig appears to be the most important thing. However, if you want to get the most out of Fiverr, you need to think the other way around.

The big secret lies in Gig Extras, the add-ons that you can offer to complement your Gigs. Fiverr markets them as just that: add-ons. However, Gig Extras are the secret weapon to making real money on Fiverr. They should be called Gig Necessities, as they’re anything but extras.

I’ll walk you through one of my own Gigs so you can get a feel for the finer details of this pricing method. One of my most popular Gigs is called “I will write original website content for you.” After I pitch myself to the client in the Gig description, I explain the prices. $5 will get them an outline with ideas and terms specific to their area of work. When they need more––and they almost always do––they take a look at my Gig Extras. Here’s a breakdown of my Extras for that Gig:

– $10: Thorough research of an agreed–upon topic

– $20: Write up to 100 words of original content

– $50: Write up to 250 words of original content

That’s what my clients are often looking for, and nine times out of ten, they’re more than happy to pay for it. I treat my $5 Gig as a brief consultation, so the $20 price range is where the work really starts. I do offer a $10 Extra that looks like a good deal, but it won’t do much good unless the client purchases the $20 or $50 service. Everything on my page is geared toward making at least $25 (basic Gig order of $5 plus a minimum $20 extra). Without even knowing so, the client is being persuaded.

The Appearance of Choice

You can easily modify this pricing structure to suit your niche. Maybe you specialize in writing product copy. For $5, you could provide a two-sentence description of the client’s product. If they need more than that––and they almost always do––they can look at your Gig Extras, where a 100-word description costs, say, $25.

The key here is to give the client the appearance of choice while implicitly guiding them to a minimum amount, as I do on my page by offering an Extra that’s no good with the basic $5 gig. For the Extra to really produce results, the client needs to purchase more.

In the same way, you should gear everything on your Gig page to a specific financial goal. One way is to use the Extra technique I described. Another way is to use comparative pricing. Say the client sees these two Extras on your page:

– I will write 75 words of ad copy for you ($20)

– I will write 100 words of SEO optimized ad copy ($30)

The client is much more likely to choose the second Extra. It’s a nice, round number (100 looks a whole lot bigger than 75 on paper), the ad copy is SEO optimized, and it’s only $10 more. This subtly persuades your client to invest at least $35 in your services.

And that’s the big secret to making the most of Fiverr. By placing the real work in the Extras and directing attention toward them, your average Gig sale will rise far above five bucks.

Start Low, Aim High

To guarantee results, I recommend starting with lower prices. This was a vital precursor to my Fiverr success and helped build my brand. Of course, you can skip this step if you see fit, but clients might be a bit hesitant to purchase a $50 Gig from a seller with only a few reviews.

As I mentioned, I started out by selling lots of $5 Gigs, and the reviews I got from those Gigs helped build my reputation. That’s one reason my clients are so willing to pay premium prices for something they can get for $5 elsewhere. They see that others have confirmed my quality, and that helps them decide to invest in my services.

Even though it doesn’t pay off immediately, it might be better in the long run if you start by pricing your services on the lower end. $10 for a 100–word biography might not seem like a lot, but after you complete several of those Gigs, you can raise your prices and have great reviews to back you up. The good feedback you receive early on will communicate quality to future clients who will pay good money.

No matter where you start, you can use this strategy to turn Fiverr into a serious source of income. If you’re not currently on Fiverr, I would recommend trying it out for a little. Though you do have to wait 2 weeks after a Gig to get paid, in some cases it’s well worth it. Whether you’re new to the site or a veteran seller, by using the pricing technique I’ve described, you will not only make more money than other sellers, but also have a rhetorical advantage over your competition.