Don't go to Odesk. There's plenty of advice on how to freelance here on Hacker News. I've actually been on both sides of the table - as a freelancer I never go

Don't go to Odesk. There's plenty of advice on how to freelance here on Hacker News. I've actually been on both sides of the table - as a freelancer I never got work through Odesk, I was actually hired through Hacker News once, and when it comes to hiring freelancers, I've recruited through my network (recommendations, etc.) and haven't considered Odesk. If I were to go freelance again I would make it known in the local entrepreneurship community.