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Outsource Article Research?

by GuerrillaIM
15 replies
I have discovered recently that outsourcing articles meant for my money sites is not so easy. If I pay around the $5 price I usually compromise on either research or quality (sometimes both).

When its an SEO article for distribution I don't care, but if its for content on my own domain then I have to re-write it myself to a higher standard.

I find I need to pay $15+ to get something that resembles what I would write myself. This is just not economical, especially seeing as I can write 3-4 decent articles an hour if it is a topic I already know about.

So I was thinking, can I outsource the research needed for an article?

I know I can outsource anything, what I mean to say is, can I do this effectively? How much should I pay?

I am thinking that for each keyword I provide I should get links to relevant sources and key points copy pasted into a document. This way I could digest all of the information quickly and create a nice article quickly.

Do you do this, or tried it before? I'd be interested to know if you have worked out an easy way to structure it and format the research.
#article #outsource #research
  • Profile picture of the author E. Brian Rose
    Quality writing cannot be purchased for $5 or less. I don't care what anybody says. Real writers do their own research when they are given an assignment. This is why they are paid well for their efforts. I once ran a magazine with a low budget. The lowest I was able to spend on quality articles was ten cents a word... and that was bottom of the barrel acceptable content. The more well known writers demanded $1.25 a word.

    You are able to find some bargains out there though. Many good writers think that they have to lower their rates to compete against the guy living in the grass hut somewhere on the other side of the planet. This is faulty thinking on their part, but good news for those of us that need quality work for less.

    The key is to audition lots and lots of writers. There are some gems in the dust.
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    • Profile picture of the author GuerrillaIM
      Originally Posted by E. Brian Rose View Post

      Quality writing cannot be purchased for $5 or less. I don't care what anybody says. Real writers do their own research when they are given an assignment. This is why they are paid well for their efforts. I once ran a magazine with a low budget. The lowest I was able to spend on quality articles was ten cents a word... and that was bottom of the barrel acceptable content. The more well known writers demanded $1.25 a word.

      You are able to find some bargains out there though. Many good writers think that they have to lower their rates to compete against the guy living in the grass hut somewhere on the other side of the planet. This is faulty thinking on their part, but good news for those of us that need quality work for less.

      The key is to audition lots and lots of writers. There are some gems in the dust.
      OK, fair enough. So reading between the lines you are saying outsourcing research is a bad thing?

      I am not a writer, I just take extra care over something when it is for myself, so I get better results than outsourcing. Paying lots of money for an article is not an option and my time is precious so I thought this could be a way to speed things up.

      I am creating a lot of adsense/EPN/Leadgen/CPA sites but I am trying to make them as good quality as possible, and not just reworded junk.
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    • Profile picture of the author Frank Ayres
      Sorry but your quote is rubbish.

      I have a brilliant USA writer who does great research and writes great articles and only charges me $4 each.

      So your blanket statement is totally untrue.

      She has worked with me for about 3 years now and everyone that has seen her writing has commented how good it is and how lucky i am to get such a good writer at such a low price.

      Originally Posted by E. Brian Rose View Post

      Quality writing cannot be purchased for $5 or less. I don't care what anybody says. Real writers do their own research when they are given an assignment. This is why they are paid well for their efforts. I once ran a magazine with a low budget. The lowest I was able to spend on quality articles was ten cents a word... and that was bottom of the barrel acceptable content. The more well known writers demanded $1.25 a word.

      You are able to find some bargains out there though. Many good writers think that they have to lower their rates to compete against the guy living in the grass hut somewhere on the other side of the planet. This is faulty thinking on their part, but good news for those of us that need quality work for less.

      The key is to audition lots and lots of writers. There are some gems in the dust.
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  • Profile picture of the author NicoleBeckett
    If you're going to outsource the research, why not outsource the writing, too. I understand that you don't want to pay $15+ for an article, but isn't that better than paying for research time and having to write the article yourself?

    Plus, quality research is going to cost you more than $15. Most of the $5 articles are $5 because they have no research to them. The research is the time-consuming part. I can write a 500 word article in 10 minutes, but I'll spend 45 minutes researching it.
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    • Profile picture of the author GuerrillaIM
      Originally Posted by NicoleBeckett View Post

      If you're going to outsource the research, why not outsource the writing, too. I understand that you don't want to pay $15+ for an article, but isn't that better than paying for research time and having to write the article yourself?

      Plus, quality research is going to cost you more than $15. Most of the $5 articles are $5 because they have no research to them. The research is the time-consuming part. I can write a 500 word article in 10 minutes, but I'll spend 45 minutes researching it.
      Well, my logic was that someone who cannot write well, i.e. english is not their first language, could still research a subject properly and cut and paste relevant facts and statistics citing the sources. So, it would work out cheaper and I save myself time.
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  • Profile picture of the author RipeBanana
    Unfortunately it is hit or miss, and for me, it's about 85% miss :-( But, with patience, i was able to get a few good folks from ODesk, and the price is right.



    Originally Posted by GuerrillaIM View Post

    I have discovered recently that outsourcing articles meant for my money sites is not so easy. If I pay around the $5 price I usually compromise on either research or quality (sometimes both).

    When its an SEO article for distribution I don't care, but if its for content on my own domain then I have to re-write it myself to a higher standard.

    I find I need to pay $15+ to get something that resembles what I would write myself. This is just not economical, especially seeing as I can write 3-4 decent articles an hour if it is a topic I already know about.

    So I was thinking, can I outsource the research needed for an article?

    I know I can outsource anything, what I mean to say is, can I do this effectively? How much should I pay?

    I am thinking that for each keyword I provide I should get links to relevant sources and key points copy pasted into a document. This way I could digest all of the information quickly and create a nice article quickly.

    Do you do this, or tried it before? I'd be interested to know if you have worked out an easy way to structure it and format the research.
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    • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
      Well, my logic was that someone who cannot write well, i.e. english is not their first language, could still research a subject properly and cut and paste relevant facts and statistics citing the sources.
      The problem is that it rarely works out that way. If they don't have a good grasp of the English language, they are going to have difficulty deciphering exactly what the relevant facts and statistics are. If they can't write English well, the chances are they also can't read it as well as they would if they were native.

      Tina
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      • Profile picture of the author GuerrillaIM
        Originally Posted by TMG Enterprises View Post

        The problem is that it rarely works out that way. If they don't have a good grasp of the English language, they are going to have difficulty deciphering exactly what the relevant facts and statistics are. If they can't write English well, the chances are they also can't read it as well as they would if they were native.

        Tina
        I think there is a difference between being able to read a language and being able to write well. I know several people with their first language as english who could not write a passable article.

        Has anyone ever tried to outsource their reseach?
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        • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
          I probably should have added that yes, I have tried to outsource research and the comment that I gave above is a result of that.

          I agree that being a native doesn't ensure that one can write. But in order to research in English, you need to be able to understand what you're reading enough to comprehend it.

          Just something for you to keep in mind and not trying to suggest not to give it a try.

          Tina
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        • Profile picture of the author havplenty
          Originally Posted by GuerrillaIM View Post

          I think there is a difference between being able to read a language and being able to write well. I know several people with their first language as english who could not write a passable article.

          Has anyone ever tried to outsource their reseach?
          I think NicoleB's point is gold. If you are going to pay for research, you might as well pay to have the article written as well. In a way, I suspect your main frustration is finding a writer that really puts together an article in a 'spirit' you can really identify with.

          One of the things I usually do when I write articles for people is take a look at their writing. Once I get a grasp of how they express themselves, I then formulate my content in tandem with their 'spirit' of expression. It's really not that difficult to do once you get a feel for 'how' they write. Can you provide a link to some of your writing?
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  • Profile picture of the author rmolina88
    There seem to be some good Warriors for Hire here who can write good articles and provide the research from what I've seen. I do plan on outsourcing my article writing since I just don't have the time to do it myself.
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    • Profile picture of the author jeswods
      Banned
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      • Profile picture of the author ASCW
        Email me at AndyWilson22(at)gmail.com

        Maybe we can make a deal.
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        • Profile picture of the author E. Brian Rose
          Originally Posted by ASCW View Post

          Email me at MontyHall(at)gmail.com

          Maybe we can make a deal.
          Sorry, but I couldn't resist.
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  • Profile picture of the author ninjawarrior
    So the OP's objective is to find skilled writers at cheap rates, preferably at $5, is that it. Sounds good. Is this per article or per hour? How much are your rates, MontyHall, er AndyWilson22? PM me!

    E. Brian Rose, you crack me up! lol
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  • Profile picture of the author JonAlfredsson
    Hi there =) I do agree that you can outsource the research plus the write ups. Well, lets not generalize. I mean, there are still good writers out there. All you need is give them trial days to ensure of their quality before commit. Warriors for hire section is the best place where you can outsource your tasks (research plus writing). I do believe that paying for the research plus writing would worth your money. =)
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