Hire a native english writer or someone from the freelance marketplace

[jayden.fellze]

I am confused whether to go in for a conventional writer who is of native origin for a bunch of my websites or post my project at some freelance websites. any advice?
I want the articles for a handful of things I want to accomplish.
1. Optimized website content
2. For article submission
3. For other purposes which I may evolve

[ndcole78]

If you have the cash, then I always suggest that you go with good native English writers. But if you're strapped for cash and you have the time to read back over all of the articles, then get a freelancer for cheap.

I say have the time to read back over the articles because often times you'll get articles written by writers whose first language is not English--many times the language barrier shows up in the articles, so you'll have to be willing to read back over them all and edit if necessary.

I personally don't like to have to do all of that.

[ZelimirGraf]

Hi, I am article and content writer from Croatia. I write SEO optimized articles and website content, helping website owners achieve more targeted and quality traffic, and of course, MORE traffic all together. I can provide advice and help with constructing landing pages and capture forms, autoresponders and email followups, since I am experienced in that field also. The thing is, even though I am from Croatia, rest assure my english is close to perfection, so this is my advantage over most people from outside US, but also I assure you I can compete with native english writers. Since I am in the process of acquiring customer base and testimonials, I have decided that I will prove my competence in advance, so I am willing to write an article or two for free for you, to assure you that I have the necessary skills for you to hire me for this assignment. I work part time as a translator in Croatia, so that`s a reference I should mention.
I look forward to working with you, if you should decide to contact me, you can mail me at: zelimir.graf@gmail.com or skype me at: zelimir83. All the best to you,
Zelimir Graf

[Derek Pankaew]

I wrote an article comparing $2-5 articles on elance.com/guru.com to what you can expect hiring someone for $6-$9 an article on the Warrior Forum.

You can read more at: http://www.72-Hour-Articles.com/comparison.html
(Note: There is a bit of self-promotion there, but the information is valid.)

Cheers,

- Derek

[ryda]

I am from Singapore and even though we are not native speakers, we use English in our daily communication. There are many competent non-native writers in those freelance websites. But it is important that you ask for samples first and view their track records. Sometimes you can gauge their language prowess based on their replies or bids to your offer. If you can't even understand their one-line messages, then steer clear!

[Cherilyn Woodhouse]

ryda - That is a valid point, but ask anyone who has ever had to call Dell customer support - just because you use English daily doesn't mean you do it well. Sometimes, you'll find a diamond in the rough, or an ESL writer who actually writes really well. Unfortunately, you will have to babysit/edit/completely rewrite work from most of them, especially at the $2 price point.

Think about it - if they were an ESL writer who had perfect English, why wouldn't they charge more than the ESL writers who didn't?

And the post above by Zelimir from Croatia is a perfect example of why NOT to believe they have perfect English just because they say so. Look for proof, first.

Remember, for the most part you get what you pay for. Even a novice writer who has low rates because they're building a portfolio will charge according to their skill level.

It all comes out to how you want to balance money vs. effort. Spend more, work less. Spend less, work more.

And if you spend more, you can work more on profitable activities - making you more money.

Shift your mentality. This isn't like paying $4 for a gallon of milk at one store and $2 at another - this is a business, and you get back what you put in, whether that is time or money.

- Cherilyn

[ndcole78]

Well said Cherilyn--I hardly ever understand a word the Dell support teams says.

As a matter of fact, I got a call from Terminex this morning and I couldn't even understand the word Terminex when the guy said it. I finally figured it out because I was expecting a call from them today. I didn't know that Terminex had started using non-English workers, but I guess with the economy no one is immune to cutting cost. This again proves your point----Saying that you use English everyday does not mean that you use it well.

[ZelimirGraf]

Originally Posted by Cherilyn Lester

ryda - That is a valid point, but ask anyone who has ever had to call Dell customer support - just because you use English daily doesn't mean you do it well. Sometimes, you'll find a diamond in the rough, or an ESL writer who actually writes really well. Unfortunately, you will have to babysit/edit/completely rewrite work from most of them, especially at the $2 price point.

Think about it - if they were an ESL writer who had perfect English, why wouldn't they charge more than the ESL writers who didn't?

And the post above by Zelimir from Croatia is a perfect example of why NOT to believe they have perfect English just because they say so. Look for proof, first.

Remember, for the most part you get what you pay for. Even a novice writer who has low rates because they're building a portfolio will charge according to their skill level.

It all comes out to how you want to balance money vs. effort. Spend more, work less. Spend less, work more.

And if you spend more, you can work more on profitable activities - making you more money.

Shift your mentality. This isn't like paying $4 for a gallon of milk at one store and $2 at another - this is a business, and you get back what you put in, whether that is time or money.

- Cherilyn

Did I ever mention what my rate was? I sure as hell am not going to write articles for $2, I`ve got better things to do, so...I don`t have any contacts overseas, so I`m trying to establish that part, thus the reason for my offer. Don`t be so mean :-)