5 Red Flags in Freelance Writing Ads

Another one is, "Hey, there's a lot more work just around the corner. Trust me..."

I see so many of those and similar other statements that it is laughable.
I love it when they say.." my team will run your work through Copyscape and our own testing software and won't pay for plagiarised work. As if I am not going to do that just to double check myself anyway.

I think the worst one is the person who claims to have tons of work at a rate of $2 and thinks you will be excited at doing "so much work" when you can make 10 or 20 times the amount for one article.

I remember seeing a gig sometime last year that offered something like 30 websites and he was paying $500. I knew the niche real well, and I wasn't demanding the fees I am now.

So I approach him, knowing he wants all 30 done for $500.

"I'd love to write you 30 home pages for $500 each"

Didn't go over too well. Started asking me why I messaged him in the first place.

You waste our time, we waste yours.

"Best rates in the business" tends to be a red flag, too. This ALWAYS draws in newbies.

Last time I fell for it I was informed the best rate in the business was 3c/word.

Yes, these are definitely a conspicuous red flag.

On sites like a Elance, a good sign that your time is going to be wasted is that they are offering $50/hour or more--inevitably this is either a confused job poster (meant to write $50 for the entire project) or a tire kicker who never actually awards the job. Inevitably they get 50 plus bids and the job just sits and sits until it times out.

I have never seen a job go for more than $40/hour on Elance. (Not for writers anyway.)

Thanks for the thread, and ditto Lawrencewins point (quantity only means anything when you are first starting out)--once you're established find a higher paying jobs is what matters.

Thank you!

I had a guy on skype today
He had messaged me or vice versa and I had told him his pay rate what he was offering was probably not enough for me, etc
He kept sending me pm's saying ARE YOU INTERESTED
so i finally added him to skype, never saying I was interested just to hear what he had to say

He starts off right way
Ok these are the rules.........
1. 100% copyscape passed
2. no errors
3. He doesnt have to correct any spelling, Grammar etc
4. on time etc etc

Odd I thought, to be so up front with these "rules" as he called them

then he proceeds to tell me
"well these articles must be bookmarked by the readers"

ahh, I thought, a bit of a slimey back way out for him not to pay
He continued to blab on for a few minutes, and asked me
do you understand?

I had finally had it and said
Look I am not some uneducated English as a second language slave, willing to accept any salary. With all these "rules " you have, are you willing to pay a fair wage?

oh oh, he says I thought you agreed on 1 dollar for 200 words

No I never said that, I replied.

He was a bit taken aback since I am sure he is used to dealing with people who eagerly wanted to take his offer. and thought this was good money.

I said my minimum is 1 dollar per 100 words.

I said, for all the demands you have, I am surprised your pay rate is what it is.
I added, my clients paying me 1c per word, are much gentler and more professional and less demanding than you are, at your low rate.

OH OK BYE he said
LOL
I said hey good luck fool

I believe the best way here is to have your own writing blog. Make clients find you through your blog. Normally they'll be serious clients with good offers.

I've tried freelance job sites like freelancer.com before. They're filled with con men.

Seen a lot of this in Odesk. Actually I check out the page too. But yeah you are right. I did not pay much.

There's another one: "this is for a long term contract, if you do better the rates will increase."

Dream on, I say.

One thing i've noticed with such clients is that they have too many guidelines or rules... They also threatens writers with lines such as " if your articles do not pass 90% in CS we will immediately end the contract..." on the other hand, polite and professional clients on a tight budget can work on it still...For these types of post where writers from other countries might find sufficient, it should be written to their post that they prefer writers from such countries....just saying...

How about "Looking for High Quality Content, Paying $3/500 Words". I don't understand some people. Sadly I think it's the fault of other writers who essentially write for next to nothing. People have become satisfied with mediocrity. SMH.

"PERFECT FOR A STUDENT OR SOMEONE LOOKING TO GET EXPERIENCE!"

Also, anything mentioning copyscape generally signals that the poster is posting low rates and is used to attracting spun article scammers (as you inevitably will when you post low rates).

Got one on elance today....
"We love your work but our budget is only $10/500 words -- but we have lots of work available. I awarded you the job but set the milestones to the budgeted amount". (My bid was $195 for 4 blog posts)

Want to know how fast I hit "decline"? As soon as I got done laughing.
1. Your budget = not my problem.
2. Awarding the job doesn't mean I'll accept it if you switch the rates around.
3. Lots of work at $10 a page is not a good thing -- it means I'll be tied up and not able to accept jobs at my normal rate.

I totally get that budgets differ, and will happily refer someone with a beginner's budget to some good, solid beginner writers -- but to assume that I'll be thrilled just to "win" the assignment and work for whatever you deem acceptable? I don't think so!

Lots o crazy out there today!

Interesting to hear ya'lls take on this as I've been hiring a lot of ghostwriters lately - and i am sorry to say I threw up at least one of the red flags you mentioned...

only i made good on my promise to pay more on the second gig if he did good on the first...

First time around I was not trying to be cheap - I was worried about being ripped off by some amateur writer I've never tested... So I offered $10 a page and 'lots more work' (which I had/have) lol

When I got my work back ahead of schedule and higher quality than anything I'd experienced in the past with English as a second language writers, I immediately hired him to write two more ebooks and paid a much higher rate...

He told me that he loves working for another writer because I understand what the writing process is like and stay out of the way... I just tried to treat him like I wish my clients would treat me and it's been a great experience for me...

And I've made a great ROI selling these little ebooks so I'll keep coming back for more...

anyhoo - i know from experience that there are a lot of douche bags out there with unrealistic expectations from writers - there are just as many for us sales copy writers...

i've written many a high dollar sales letter and had the clients never give me a copy of the product I'm selling... lol

and the worst for me is when some utter newb - who has just learned about interweb marketing and has an 'idea for a website' - wants me to partner with him...

they'll have the idea, i'll tell them how to make the product, pay for tech to set up the website, write all the copy and marketing and we'll split the profits 90/10 - where they get 90% and i get 10%...

happens to me and my clients all the damn time - and you just learn to graciously say 'no - but good luck'...

anyhoo - writers are totally under-appreciated - and most are under-paid - and usually it's their own fault

glad to hear that ya'll have more self respect than the average writer!!!