Online freelancing

There's a bunch of sites I've come across, particularly elance.com, which look interesting to me. Does anybody have any experience freelancing online, perhaps on elance or any other websites?

What sites are good, which ones should I avoid, etc. Elance has a free, basic membership where you get to bid on three gigs a month (I think that's how it works) and a $9.95 monthly membership (unlimited bids), but it doesn't seem worth it unless I'm on there all the time.

 

I've actually gotten some freelance gigs through Craigslist. Obviously, those are more city-centric, but if you live in or near a city, you can catch some work.

 

It's really easy to get online work - for freelance features anyway.
I usually pitch to the sites I most often read.
If you have a good idea, they'll often say yes.

The "contact us" tab often has names and, if you're lucky, you'll find a phone number.
OR- you can click a byline on the site and ask the writer via email whom to contact.

The web doesn't pay much.
And your work might lose visibility.
But at least you won't be rejected because there's not enough space.