The Great American Copywriting Outsource Conspiracy

CopperCopy · 06-03-2009, 03:36 PM

Three cheers for the red, white, and blue!

Now, I know this Warrior Forum is international, and I would like to preclude my statements by saying it is not my intention to offend anyone on this forum.

However, have any of the rest of you noticed that tons of the copywriting jobs on freelance websites are consistently snatched up by people in India and other countries that bid low and get projects when they don't know the first thing about copywriting?

I saw a post in the IM portion of the Warrior Forums "Why 95% of Internet Marketers fail"... and I thought to myself, "Self, wouldn't it be possible that a lot of internet marketers fail and give up because they don't know the ins and outs of copywriting, or they're too stubborn or economically disadvantaged to pay for one?"

But more importantly, "What about those people who go to these freelance sites looking for a decent copywriter only to get duped by these "faux" copywriters that promise the best at a low price?"

The trust level of copywriters is degraded by these people, and quite frankly it makes it harder for those that actually are passionate about Internet Marketing in their beginning stages.

Not only that, but it has saturated the market with horrendous sales copy.

What's worse, people are wasting their money on these "high quality, low price" services and it's taking work away from the honest copywriters that can actually provide the services that make people money.

My admonition to anyone just starting out in Internet Marketing is to be very careful about choosing the right copywriter for your project, because you don't want to get stuck with an incompetent copywriter.

Be very careful soliciting work from freelance sites.

Cherilyn Woodhouse · 06-03-2009, 03:56 PM

Be careful posting this... I have learned that if you post out of concern for internet marketers about the dangers of hiring the "copywriters" you speak about, you'll get a backlash of people telling you either A) that's because good copywriters charge more than they're worth or B) you're not charging enough if you view these people as competition.

No one thinks of C) thank you for trying to help the newbies, because we all see them getting hurt by this kind of behavior every single day...

I choose C in response to your post. Yes, these "copywriters" can mean a lot of work for those of us passionate about copy and able to help them, once they realize what that low price really means... But at the same time, I'd like to see fewer people having to pay hundreds of dollars to learn that lesson, no?

Thanks CopperCopy - I know exactly where you're coming from. There are some good copywriters from countries like India, that isn't to say they're all bad... I know a few spectacular ones myself.

But they charge reasonable fees, too.

It is only the "I write letter for sales for you good now, $97 please advance." copywriters that really hurt some of the newbies to IM... *sigh*

- Cherilyn

travlinguy · 06-03-2009, 04:04 PM

The reading level of the average American is grade 6.4. That means, sixth grade, month four. The majority of people looking for copywriters wouldn't recognize a decent writer if they bit him on the nose.

So it doesn't really matter if a clueless marketer pays an American $3 for an article or if they pay a foreigner $1 for an article, the article usually still sucks. I can't tell you how many times I've been doing research for a piece and had an article from EZA show up in my search. And four out of five times the article is terrible. Yes, it's loaded with the absolute perfect keywords but as far as legit, useful content goes, it's useless.

I deal with upcoming marketers all the time. They usually back off when they find out my rates. And that's okay because I often get the same people back a month or two later when they discover that bargain basement crap doesn't sell. Live and learn.

Am I a little cynical? I don't think so. I'm realistic. And I'm thankful that there are still a few wise marketers out there that recognize that you can get it cheap or you can get it good, but you can't get it both cheap and good.

Alexa Smith · 06-03-2009, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CopperCopy

Three cheers for the red, white, and blue!

Not trying to blow the wind out of your nationalism, but you know these are also the Union Jack colours too? Not to mention the Russian and French flags.

Cherilyn Woodhouse · 06-03-2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexa_s

Not trying to blow the wind out of your nationalism, but you know these are also the Union Jack colours too? Not to mention the Russian and French flags.

And don't forget, a Canadian flag in the winter! (hehe, get it - red, white, and BLUE?? LOL! Ahh I crack myself up...)

Back on topic...

CopperCopy · 06-03-2009, 05:48 PM

Haha! Yes, other flags are indeed red white and blue...

but...

The Red, White, and Blue waves before us,
The flag of the brave and the free,
Its stars and its stripes, forever glorious,
Gleam bright on the land and the sea.
Oh! look where the sunlight is falling,
And gilding the colors anew,
The stars and the stripes, they are calling,
Three cheers for the Red, White, and Blue!

In lands far away when we're roving,
And flag of our country we see,
Our hearts, filled with pride, begin a-glowing,
As we cheer the flag of the free.
Oh! look where the sunlight is falling,
And gilding the colors anew,
The stars and the stripes, they are calling,
Three cheers for the Red,
Three cheers for the Red,
Three cheers for the Red, White, and Blue!

lol... Thanks to everyone for their sincere responses.

Ken Strong · 06-03-2009, 05:57 PM

So no Canadian, British, Irish, Australian, or New Zealander copywriters with their warm beer and funny spellings... got it.

CopperCopy · 06-03-2009, 06:26 PM

Especially not the Canadian, British, Irish, Australian, or New Zealander copywriters with their warm beer and funny spellings...

Cherilyn Woodhouse · 06-03-2009, 08:41 PM

Pfft - Canadians don't like warm beer. But we don't like American beer, either - so we're in a class all our own - ice cold, high alcohol content, and oh so tasty.

Now to get this thread back on topic!

Alexa Smith · 06-04-2009, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cherilyn Lester

Now to get this thread back on topic!

I thought this was the topic?!

copywarrior · 06-04-2009, 05:15 AM

Well I've to agree with Cherilyn and Alexa...this thread is best taken lightly...cheers..no offense to the thread starter :P

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Tyrus Antas · 06-04-2009, 07:54 AM

This isn't a problem with any specific nationality and it certainly isn't a problem just specific to copywriting.

People who don't have a clue about what they need will just grab the lowest offer they're made.

Quote:

unlike technology, copywriting cannot be plug and played.

You'd be surprised! Fail are hiring the right person and paying him the right price and you'll probably left with substandard quality work. That is, if you actually get anything delivered.

Tyrus

copywarrior · 06-04-2009, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyrus Antas

This isn't a problem with any specific nationality and it certainly isn't a problem just specific to copywriting.

People who don't have a clue about what they need will just grab the lowest offer they're made.

You'd be surprised! Fail are hiring the right person and paying him the right price and you'll probably left with substandard quality work. That is, if you actually get anything delivered.

Tyrus

I agree with Tyrus...And I would like to add......If people stopped buying poor copy, the number of greenhorn/ wannabe copywriters would surely fall...It's the Client's prerogative to deal with who they believe are professional, talented and reliable writers irrespective of nationality or the prices they charge....You just cant write off any service provider based on where they were born...besides with the whole world moving towards a greater singular entity...there's no such thing as half good writers coming only from a certain part of the world...

Ken Strong · 06-04-2009, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copywarrior

GOD BLESS AMERICA

God bless everybody everywhere.

copywarrior · 06-05-2009, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenStrong

God bless everybody everywhere.

Amen to that

Hesster · 06-06-2009, 04:44 AM

I wouldn't trust 99% of native English speakers to write copy, let alone someone who hardly speaks the language.

Really, there's not much you can do to prevent people buying the crap, if that's what they want. You can point out the pitfalls as much as you want, and people will still keep running into them. It's just human nature to want as much as you can get for as little as you can get it. Doesn't matter if an all you can eat buffet serves nasty food, some people will buy it just because it's cheap.

Just like the kid who has to touch the hot stove even after being told it burns just so they can see for themselves. Some people just have to learn from painful experience.

06-03-2009, 03:36 PM	#1
CopperCopy Highly Conductive Writing Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 33 Thanks: 7 Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts	The Great American Copywriting Outsource Conspiracy Three cheers for the red, white, and blue! Now, I know this Warrior Forum is international, and I would like to preclude my statements by saying it is not my intention to offend anyone on this forum. However, have any of the rest of you noticed that tons of the copywriting jobs on freelance websites are consistently snatched up by people in India and other countries that bid low and get projects when they don't know the first thing about copywriting? I saw a post in the IM portion of the Warrior Forums "Why 95% of Internet Marketers fail"... and I thought to myself, "Self, wouldn't it be possible that a lot of internet marketers fail and give up because they don't know the ins and outs of copywriting, or they're too stubborn or economically disadvantaged to pay for one?" But more importantly, "What about those people who go to these freelance sites looking for a decent copywriter only to get duped by these "faux" copywriters that promise the best at a low price?" The trust level of copywriters is degraded by these people, and quite frankly it makes it harder for those that actually are passionate about Internet Marketing in their beginning stages. Not only that, but it has saturated the market with horrendous sales copy. What's worse, people are wasting their money on these "high quality, low price" services and it's taking work away from the honest copywriters that can actually provide the services that make people money. My admonition to anyone just starting out in Internet Marketing is to be very careful about choosing the right copywriter for your project, because you don't want to get stuck with an incompetent copywriter. Be very careful soliciting work from freelance sites.

06-03-2009, 03:56 PM	#2
Cherilyn Woodhouse Formerly Cherilyn Lester War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chilliwack, BC, Canada Posts: 2,215 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 78 Thanked 260 Times in 67 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: The Great American Copywriting Outsource Conspiracy Be careful posting this... I have learned that if you post out of concern for internet marketers about the dangers of hiring the "copywriters" you speak about, you'll get a backlash of people telling you either A) that's because good copywriters charge more than they're worth or B) you're not charging enough if you view these people as competition. No one thinks of C) thank you for trying to help the newbies, because we all see them getting hurt by this kind of behavior every single day... I choose C in response to your post. Yes, these "copywriters" can mean a lot of work for those of us passionate about copy and able to help them, once they realize what that low price really means... But at the same time, I'd like to see fewer people having to pay hundreds of dollars to learn that lesson, no? Thanks CopperCopy - I know exactly where you're coming from. There are some good copywriters from countries like India, that isn't to say they're all bad... I know a few spectacular ones myself. But they charge reasonable fees, too. It is only the "I write letter for sales for you good now, $97 please advance." copywriters that really hurt some of the newbies to IM... sigh - Cherilyn
	Take your product from idea to profit in less than 90 days! Work with me to develop and implement a step-by-step plan for success! Coaching & Consulting @ BCWebMedia.com

06-03-2009, 04:04 PM	#3
travlinguy Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Northern Hemisphere, for now. Posts: 4,265 Thanks: 2,573 Thanked 3,232 Times in 1,736 Posts Contact Info	Re: The Great American Copywriting Outsource Conspiracy The reading level of the average American is grade 6.4. That means, sixth grade, month four. The majority of people looking for copywriters wouldn't recognize a decent writer if they bit him on the nose. So it doesn't really matter if a clueless marketer pays an American $3 for an article or if they pay a foreigner $1 for an article, the article usually still sucks. I can't tell you how many times I've been doing research for a piece and had an article from EZA show up in my search. And four out of five times the article is terrible. Yes, it's loaded with the absolute perfect keywords but as far as legit, useful content goes, it's useless. I deal with upcoming marketers all the time. They usually back off when they find out my rates. And that's okay because I often get the same people back a month or two later when they discover that bargain basement crap doesn't sell. Live and learn. Am I a little cynical? I don't think so. I'm realistic. And I'm thankful that there are still a few wise marketers out there that recognize that you can get it cheap or you can get it good, but you can't get it both cheap and good.

06-03-2009, 05:48 PM	#6
CopperCopy Highly Conductive Writing Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 33 Thanks: 7 Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts	Re: The Great American Copywriting Outsource Conspiracy Haha! Yes, other flags are indeed red white and blue... but... The Red, White, and Blue waves before us, The flag of the brave and the free, Its stars and its stripes, forever glorious, Gleam bright on the land and the sea. Oh! look where the sunlight is falling, And gilding the colors anew, The stars and the stripes, they are calling, Three cheers for the Red, White, and Blue! In lands far away when we're roving, And flag of our country we see, Our hearts, filled with pride, begin a-glowing, As we cheer the flag of the free. Oh! look where the sunlight is falling, And gilding the colors anew, The stars and the stripes, they are calling, Three cheers for the Red, Three cheers for the Red, Three cheers for the Red, White, and Blue! lol... Thanks to everyone for their sincere responses.

06-03-2009, 05:57 PM	#7
Ken Strong Marxist (Groucho) War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Seattle, WA, USA. Posts: 5,199 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 874 Thanked 1,863 Times in 842 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: The Great American Copywriting Outsource Conspiracy So no Canadian, British, Irish, Australian, or New Zealander copywriters with their warm beer and funny spellings... got it.
	The RETURN of OBI: Learn IM From the Experts Who Are Already Doing It! "Sammy-approved, baby!" -- Offline Brat Pack

06-03-2009, 06:26 PM	#8
CopperCopy Highly Conductive Writing Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 33 Thanks: 7 Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts	Re: The Great American Copywriting Outsource Conspiracy Especially not the Canadian, British, Irish, Australian, or New Zealander copywriters with their warm beer and funny spellings...

06-03-2009, 08:41 PM	#9
Cherilyn Woodhouse Formerly Cherilyn Lester War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chilliwack, BC, Canada Posts: 2,215 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 78 Thanked 260 Times in 67 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: The Great American Copywriting Outsource Conspiracy Pfft - Canadians don't like warm beer. But we don't like American beer, either - so we're in a class all our own - ice cold, high alcohol content, and oh so tasty. Now to get this thread back on topic!
	Take your product from idea to profit in less than 90 days! Work with me to develop and implement a step-by-step plan for success! Coaching & Consulting @ BCWebMedia.com

06-04-2009, 05:15 AM	#11
copywarrior HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 123 Thanks: 10 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts Contact Info	Re: The Great American Copywriting Outsource Conspiracy Well I've to agree with Cherilyn and Alexa...this thread is best taken lightly...cheers..no offense to the thread starter :P GOD BLESS AMERICA

06-06-2009, 04:44 AM	#16
Hesster Copywarrior War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 113 Thanks: 9 Thanked 28 Times in 19 Posts	Re: The Great American Copywriting Outsource Conspiracy I wouldn't trust 99% of native English speakers to write copy, let alone someone who hardly speaks the language. Really, there's not much you can do to prevent people buying the crap, if that's what they want. You can point out the pitfalls as much as you want, and people will still keep running into them. It's just human nature to want as much as you can get for as little as you can get it. Doesn't matter if an all you can eat buffet serves nasty food, some people will buy it just because it's cheap. Just like the kid who has to touch the hot stove even after being told it burns just so they can see for themselves. Some people just have to learn from painful experience.