I hired a writer - I don't know what I got | Warrior Forum - The #1 Digital Marketing Forum & Marketplace

13 years ago

I think what she is doing, giving a quick search in google. Then pasting that thing in word doc and finally rewriting it quickly. From what i read in your post, this is what it looks like.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3710986].message }}

Nigel Greaves

13 years ago

Sounds like Ankur has it nailed. A lot of low priced writers do just that and hope it passes your acceptance point!

I think, unless you happen to strike lucky, the chances of getting articles which have the "pop" factor from low priced writers is slim. This "she's pumping these things out in pretty sizeable batches" would suggest she's having to work fast just to earn a living wage. That being the case she, and this is just a guess, won't have time to go back to the article and add in the "pop" factor.

Nigel

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3711033].message }}

Kirk Ward 13 years ago

Originally Posted by Nigel Greaves

Sounds like Ankur has it nailed. A lot of low priced writers do just that and hope it passes your acceptance point!

That ties with what I'm thinking. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

I am lucky in that I have a use for this stuff that doesn't really require the "pop," but it does need to be better than G-scrape. Which is why I am spending a minimal amount of time doing my own modifications. The one thing positive I can say for her is that she writes with a more US based sound. Which is better than some of the "stilted" lingo I used to get from offshore low priced writers.
- Thanks
Signature
"We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."

Dr. Samuel Johnson (Presiding at the sale of Thrales brewery, London, 1781)
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3711088].message }}

AFI

13 years ago

Your thread title amused me. I can SOOOO relate!!

Thanks

Signature

Learn about Internet Marketing from my dofollow comment blog.....Make Extra Money At Home...
I WILL BUILD YOU YOUR OWN CUSTOM AMAZON REVIEW SITE - HUNDREDS SOLD!

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3711227].message }}

John Romaine

13 years ago

May I ask what you are paying per article? Also word count per article?

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

BS free SEO services, training and advice - SEO Point

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3711258].message }}

Kirk Ward

13 years ago

Originally Posted by ramone_johnny

May I ask what you are paying per article? Also word count per article?

$5 per article.

It started as a cross between a "test" to remind myself want $5 articles were like, and to see if they could be used for anything. It takes me a bit of time to write with the voice I want, and there is just soooo much to do in building a content based membership site. Sigh.

After I got the articles, I remembered that I have an "associate" who isn't particular about his content (the dummy) and wanted me to fill up his site with "starter" content "for the search engines." (Again, the dummy.) I'm going to give these to him for free and let him do what he wants with them. He'll be getting what he paid for.

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

"We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."

Dr. Samuel Johnson (Presiding at the sale of Thrales brewery, London, 1781)

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3711348].message }}

John Romaine

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Kirk Ward

$5 per article.

There's your problem dude.

For the few bucks you save, you lose in wasted time messing around. Believe me, its just NOT WORTH IT.

I have a great writer in the Phillipines, who is originally from Canada, so her first language is English - and I pay her $15USD per article. From my experience, anything under $15USD tends to be garbage.

The whole purpose of hiring writers is to leverage your time, not waste it.

[ 2 ] Thanks
1 reply

Signature

BS free SEO services, training and advice - SEO Point

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3711398].message }}

Kirk Ward

13 years ago

Originally Posted by ramone_johnny

There's your problem dude.

For the few bucks you save, you lose in wasted time messing around. Believe me, its just NOT WORTH IT.

I have a great writer in the Phillipines, who is originally from Canada, so her first language is English - and I pay her $15USD per article. From my experience, anything under $15USD tends to be garbage.

The whole purpose of hiring writers is to leverage your time, not waste it.

If I thought I was going to get a good article for $5, I think my subject line and question would have been a lot different. I know it is not what I want on my site. I was trying to remind myself of what articles are like at that price, it's been so long since I bought one.

Quality does have a price.

For site content, I have regularly paid $50 plus per article. But that writer is a full time reporter for two major US dailies, and writes on news in my field. For pitch pages, I have paid as much as $1,500 for a nationally recognized copywriter. (Don't see much use for a $10,000 per page copywriter on the internet.)

Getting good content for $15 or $20 per article is hard. It might be well written, but good content comes from a writer that REALLY knows the subject. And, that usually takes time to learn. You can pay them to learn it, or you can hire someone who has learned the subject on their own. Either way, someone has to pay for the knowledge acquisition, and then they have to be able to write so other folkses will read.

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

"We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."

Dr. Samuel Johnson (Presiding at the sale of Thrales brewery, London, 1781)

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3711502].message }}

bnwebm

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Kirk Ward

Getting good content for $15 or $20 per article is hard. It might be well written, but good content comes from a writer that REALLY knows the subject. And, that usually takes time to learn. You can pay them to learn it, or you can hire someone who has learned the subject on their own. Either way, someone has to pay for the knowledge acquisition, and then they have to be able to write so other folkses will read.

Exactly! When I write for someone, they not only get an excellent article, they benefit from either the research i've done or my master's degree education. I won't accept a writing job that involves a topic about which i'm not familiar, because it would be impossible to write an article that has value.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3713363].message }}

NicoleBeckett

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Kirk Ward

I hired a writer.

Her works not bad. It's sort of generic, but it's not bad.

No offense, but it sounds like you're dealing with the wrong writer. "Not bad" simply isn't good enough. After all, this your business we're talking about! Quality content has always been important. It seems to have taken more of a priority now, in light of the Panda update. If you really want to have the presence you want, "not bad" isn't going to cut it.

Originally Posted by Kirk Ward

It doesn't have the "pop" that I feel my own articles have when I write about my stuff. That's okay, because she just started, and she's pumping these things out in pretty sizeable batches.

It's really *not* okay. If you're dealing with a professional writer, everything they do should "pop". Would you be willing to eat subpar food at a restaurant just because you had a table of 10 people? After all, that's a sizeable amount of people to serve at once... but it doesn't mean that the chef can slack off

Originally Posted by Kirk Ward

Takes me five or ten minutes each to rewrite them to a salvageable level.

I hate hearing this, and, unfortunately, I heard this alot. Hiring a professional writer *should* mean that you can take what they've given you and publish it as-is. Going back to the restaurant example, would you be satisfied knowing that once your meal came out you'd have to add some oregano to it? It's no different!

Originally Posted by Kirk Ward

The question I have is ... how do low end writers pull together the stuff that they do?

I've often wondered this myself. At the rate many writers are charging, the focus goes from creating quality content to simply churning something out so that you still make a profit. Unfortunately, by trying to work that fast, you're right, you don't get the "pop" that you need.

[ 1 ] Thanks

Signature

Sick of blending in with the crowd? Ready to stand ahead of the pack? The right content writing services can get you there...

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3711305].message }}

calfred

13 years ago

Hehe, if you paid her peanuts, you certainly got what you paid for.

But here's the thing.

Most of the time, hiring a writer and expecting him / her to perform exactly how you want them to be off-the-bat is not ideal.

You will have to give them specific instructions. You have to train them. This is your part as an employer.

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

Please do not use affiliate links in signatures

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3713285].message }}

NicoleBeckett 13 years ago

Originally Posted by calfred

You will have to give them specific instructions. You have to train them. This is your part as an employer.

Specific instructions?
Yes.

Training them?
Absolutely not.

Like Lindsey said, no one's a mind reader. A couple of quick sentences about what you're looking for is enough for a quality writer to take and run with.

When I take orders, I ask clients for a few things - their target keywords (for obvious reasons ), their URL (so that I can see, for myself, what they're all about and what their style is, so that I can match it), and any special instructions they might have.

After that, the client is done with it. They don't need to "train" me. I know how to create compelling content. I know how to spell properly and how to use proper grammar. If I needed someone to "train" me, I would seek the advice of an English teacher, not an internet marketer.

If you're spending time training your writers, you're wasting your time... and your writers are more trouble than they're worth.
- [ 1 ] Thanks
Signature
Sick of blending in with the crowd? Ready to stand ahead of the pack? The right content writing services can get you there...
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3713488].message }}

RhondaG

13 years ago

There is also one other point you should think about. Did you let the writer know what style and format you like, or show her examples of the types of work you like?

I know as a writer myself, when I get a new client, I go and study their website to see what is on it, then before I write the article I asked how they want the article to be slanted. Do you want general information, or articles that have a call to action in them.

Sometimes a writer is only as good as the instructions they get from the client.

Thanks

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

Content Management with Subscription Bundles!

Pay Bills by Getting Paid To Write - Free download!

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3713311].message }}

LindseyRainwater 13 years ago

I can see the point of the last couple posts, but at the same time writers need to make sure they have a "checklist" that they set forth right from the get-go.

I've been scoffed at when I tell people my unique articles are a minimum of $15 for 400+ words, but before I even get started I cover tone, research depth, SEO, and anything else I can think of. That is MY job, as the professional writer.

And if a client doesn't want to communicate their needs to me, (such as, they think I'm just supposed to KNOW what they want) I generally tell them they need a mind-reader, not a writer. That gets the point across.

A writer-client relationship is give and take. Yes, the client needs to provide some specifics. But when you're the writer, it's YOUR job to make sure things get done right.

Just my two cents.
- Thanks
- 1 reply
Signature
Limited Time: Grab the "Pay Your Way" option, and get a complete website with content created - without having to pay the full amount up-front! Pay what you can today, and make payments from there! Click HERE for more info!
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3713352].message }}
- RhondaG 13 years ago
  
  Lindsay, I totally agree with what you said and I do that very thing. I also charge more for my articles, but I think the way the thread started was that this writer was new to it, so I just thought maybe she needed more instructions.
  
  Thanks for your two cents, lol. It's always good to hear from other writers.
  
  Thanks
  
  Signature
  Content Management with Subscription Bundles!
  
  Pay Bills by Getting Paid To Write - Free download!
  
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3713374].message }}

Rob Marr

13 years ago

It is hard to find great workers and you can only find them if you are paying them well enough.

What I normally do is create a quick note to structure my article. I tend to write a quick note for each section within an article which they must pay attention to. This way they understand what they need to do even they don't know your niche or the topic you want them to cover.

If you are vague with information you send to them they will give you a very generic article.

As mentioned by RhondaG give your writer what kind of style you like done at least they have an idea.

Thanks

Signature

Automatic Article Submitter - Submit hundreds of Articles Everyday Fully Automated with Article Demon

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3713378].message }}

Talltom1

13 years ago

Kirk,

A number of people have mentioned that the writer was doing a bit of surfing on Google, and plagarizing the content.

Sooo, take the first sentence of a paragraph, and do a Google search and see what drifts to the surface, jes wunnerin'

Talltom

Thanks

Signature

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3713461].message }}

Ken

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Kirk Ward

The question I have is ... how do low end writers pull together the stuff that they do?

There is a piece of software on the market (Instant Article Wizard) that
will do exactly the scraping and homogenizing you speak of.

Ken

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3713769].message }}

Transcripts

13 years ago

I sometimes write for content sites when my other work is low. I don't really consider myself a writer, but this is what I do. I'll Google the subject if I'm not familiar with it, so at least I know what the heck I'm talking about, then I just write off the cuff.

Some of the places I work for I can at least pick the project. So, I'll, of course, try to pick something that I know about, so I can churn it out quickly. One of the places I write for I have zero control over what I get. Got stuck doing 15 articles on industrial lubricants and grease last time I worked there...and haven't been back since :-)

Thanks
2 replies

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3713874].message }}

Obelisk 13 years ago

If I had to venture a guess it would be as mentioned above.

Instant Article Wizard is probably the culprit! Simply google it and watch the demo video on the homepage, it creates the content exactly as you have described it...Not bad, but just generic...

Depending on your use, these articles can still be of use, I just wouldn't use them on a sales page or a page that is trying to push an action. If you were building out a Wiki type site then this would be a pretty good solution I guess.

Take care,

Chris
- Thanks
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3719504].message }}

Kirk Ward

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Transcripts

Got stuck doing 15 articles on industrial lubricants and grease last time I worked there...and haven't been back since :-)

That's sort of the problem I have. My topic is sort of a non-IM specialty.

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

"We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."

Dr. Samuel Johnson (Presiding at the sale of Thrales brewery, London, 1781)

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3719518].message }}

Transcripts

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Kirk Ward

That's sort of the problem I have. My topic is sort of a non-IM specialty.

I don't think the subject matter is a problem. As I said, I have one place I write for in which I have zero control over what I get assigned. What a writer does have control over is how much time they invest in a project.

I know lots of work-at-home parents that earn a living writing content. The key is to not spend a lot of time per project, that doesn't mean they write garbage, but it does mean if you want uniquely turned phrases on technical subject matter, you probably won't get it at pay which requires a person to turn out several articles an hour to make a decent income.

Thanks
2 replies

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3727860].message }}

Kirk Ward

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Transcripts

I don't think the subject matter is a problem. As I said, I have one place I write for in which I have zero control over what I get assigned. What a writer does have control over is how much time they invest in a project.

I know lots of work-at-home parents that earn a living writing content. The key is to not spend a lot of time per project, that doesn't mean they write garbage, but it does mean if you want uniquely turned phrases on technical subject matter, you probably won't get it at pay which requires a person to turn out several articles an hour to make a decent income.

After reviewing some of the responses in this thread, I took a second look at how I was working with this writer, and why I hired her in the first place. I hired her because while her samples were not in my field, they were rather decent.

We've started a conversation and discussed what I'm looking for, and she has offered to rework the first batch and work harder on the second batch. I told her not to spend time reworking the first batch, as that was like a first date. We were just getting to know each other. I've tried to point her to writing that reflects what I want, and given her ideas about how I think she can meet my needs.

We'll be working together to see what we can do, and as I learn how to communicate my needs, and as she learns my wants, I feel confident we can reach a point where she makes enough to cover her time, and I get satisfactory content.

First step in this was me communicating my needs to her. If there's no improvement on the second batch, I can quietly slip away.

Thanks

Signature

"We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."

Dr. Samuel Johnson (Presiding at the sale of Thrales brewery, London, 1781)

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3727987].message }}

laurencewins 13 years ago

Speaking as a writer who has written on a wide range of topics, it is up to the employer to provide information about their requirements.
As a writer, I always ask certain questions before I even start so I know where I am going as I don't want to waste my time either.

Employers do need to be aware that any writer won't write exactly the way they wish at first. It takes time to get a feel for how the employer wants articles to be.

The bottom line is that give and take and communication are all essential.
- Thanks
Signature

Cheers, Laurence.
Writer/Editor/Proofreader.
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3728015].message }}

peter gibson

13 years ago

Judging by your reply to Ramone J it seems you understand full well that paying 5.00 is gonna see copy/paste style nonsense delivered. So I'll only add what my writer tells me, which is ...

You'll get what you pay for from me every time. If you think my time is worth $5.00, you'll get what I think $5.00 is worth from the skill set I bring to the table. I normally get 60.00 for 1 article (roughly an hours work), so divide 5.00 into a 60.00 per hour wage and that's roughly how much time I'd have to spend on such a request, especially if I was desperate enough to need a 5 dollar gig.

That basically tells me not many writers of ilk will accept a job @ 5.00, but if they do I should only expect something that takes them a few minutes of their time to complete. For someone who needs to make money accepting 5.00 jobs they really haven't the time to spend providing a quality product - if making money is their motivating factor, even if they have chops up the wazoo.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3719582].message }}

I hired a writer - I don't know what I got

Trending Topics

Any thoughts on golf's latest phenom...Scottie Scheffler??

Should i Index Author pages?

best high quality crypto traffic.

What's the Best IM-Related Skill to Learn Today That Can Help in the Future?

Some interesting stats about brand comms