Writers are paid peanuts? It gets even better...

E. Brian Rose

12 years ago

A good writer doesn't have to get paid peanuts. Those that do, choose to.

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Founder of JVZoo. All around good guy :)

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internetsecretbook 12 years ago

The web is big, there are many options to choose, it will make you feel better as a writer to do what you really want...
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Grazina Ajana Szewczyk

12 years ago

A good writer doesn't have to get paid peanuts. Those that do, choose to.

That's true, you always have a choice. I know from my own experience that the difficult thing is to make people know that you're good when you don't have a big portfolio, or testimonials, and you don't have them because you can't get the clients as you don't have a big portfolio, or testimonials...

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Quick and effective life and business coaching was never that much fun.
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I write articles, press releases, PLRs and sales letters that have a sparkle, too

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E. Brian Rose

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Grazina Ajana Szewczyk

That's true, you always have a choice. I know from my own experience that the difficult thing is to make people know that you're good when you don't have a big portfolio, or testimonials, and you don't have them because you can't get the clients as you don't have a big portfolio, or testimonials...

It doesn't cost any money to build up your portfolio, just time, if you are willing to invest that in yourself.

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Grazina Ajana Szewczyk

12 years ago

It doesn't cost any money to build up your portfolio, just time, if you are willing to invest that in yourself.

I know, you're right, Brian (if you want me to use E. Brian, tell me, I'd rather ask a stupid question than annoy you using the wrong name ).

I have just me and my skills to impress the potential clients, and I'm slowly building my portfolio; and it's a bit tough when you start from writing for $2.70/ article, I mean, how good can they be if you write them 14 hours a day just to survive? And mine were still pretty good because I don't write rubbish

Now I write web content for $30/half a page or a bit more for a friend who's a web designer. I'm getting positive response about my writing, just about my posts, here on the Warriors forum, and that means a lot to me!

I think I should listen to people who know what they're talking about and create my own product, that would give me an advantage. My website is almost finished, too, and I'm writing my landing page using Jason's copywriting tips.

I just thought that - no matter choice or choice - offering some points instead of proper payment... that's really crazy.

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Quick and effective life and business coaching was never that much fun.
Get the sparkle back into your life!
I write articles, press releases, PLRs and sales letters that have a sparkle, too

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Grazina Ajana Szewczyk

12 years ago

I'll take one ton of Valencia Peanuts per article...

Weekly Market Price of Peanuts
January 26, 2011
* $599.54 per ton for Runner peanuts
* $591.68 per ton for Spanish peanuts
* $603.06 per ton for Valencia peanuts
* $603.06 per ton for Virginia peanuts

I think it's hilarious

hit the thanks button, too. We should have "how smart" button as well, you'd get two thanks from me, Barry.

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Quick and effective life and business coaching was never that much fun.
Get the sparkle back into your life!
I write articles, press releases, PLRs and sales letters that have a sparkle, too

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Grazina Ajana Szewczyk

12 years ago

I'm currently spending $5 on two 600+ word articles of very good quality.

I feel sorry for some writers, feel like I'm robbing them

don't feel that way, GoodnightSweetRatRace

When my man moved out, I was left with no job and half-cooked business, and I wanted to make money on my writing and my coaching. I know I'm good at both. I was dealing with all the emotional stuff, of course, so it was tough. Still is. Hardly can pay rent on time. But when I was little, my father used to say, "you can do anything you want, Pinky", and I'm stubborn like wombat, so I chose to write, even for very little money.

I'm actually grateful to people who gave me a chance; there was a proofreader to check my articles - she told me that my writing was really good as long as watched my commas. I got some experience, have learned what expectations the clients had, how to schedule my work and more. I got so much work at the beginning that I stuffed up a few deadlines - that was very bad.

Brian's right, it is a choice, and if you have writers from other countries, apparently that money is reasonably good. I'm I Australia, so that's different.

You know in your heart if you can afford to pay more; if you building your business and you don't have money - there's no need to feel guilty. When I was writing articles for $4/article I was paying a friend, a single mum, to quickly edit my articles, just to make sure that there're no major dramas there. You can imagine how much I could pay her, but she's happy, it was taking very little of her time, and I knew I did everything to provide my clients with quality.
an update: my editor was kind of busy, then back to editing, then thinking again, and she finally decided it's a boring job and she's not interested anymore; I don't think it's about money because I just got higher paying articles and web content writing jobs, and told her the fee is going up for her, too.

Calculate how much you can pay and pay that much, and don't worry, you probably put food on someone's table

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Quick and effective life and business coaching was never that much fun.
Get the sparkle back into your life!
I write articles, press releases, PLRs and sales letters that have a sparkle, too

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Grazina Ajana Szewczyk

12 years ago

I prefer to be called Zorbo, King of the Zorbinians. Please let everybody know.

you're nuts, Zorbo :p

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Get the sparkle back into your life!
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Grazina Ajana Szewczyk

12 years ago

Grazina, Quote:
I know from my own experience that the difficult thing is to make people know that you're good when you don't have a big portfolio, or testimonials, and you don't have them because you can't get the clients as you don't have a big portfolio, or testimonials...

I used to write for clients, lo, these many years ago. In 1998 and 1999 I was getting $150 or more per article, and I never - not once - advertised for them.

I wrote so much stuff in so many places that Chris Knight once told me I had the most widely recognized email address in the business. People asked me if I'd help them out with projects and what my rates were. That wasn't my main business (I was doing lead generation for offline businesses mostly), but it was fun and I got to meet a lot of really cool people and learn from them.

If you want a portfolio, don't wait around. Create one. Do samples that show your different styles and talents. Wow them with effective writing that leaves them feeling like they've learned something, or been entertained or moved or enriched in some way.

Make them feel your message and they'll gladly pay you in elephants, rather than peanuts.

Paul

thank you Paul, I always write to make people think or feel, but different styles and talents? Talents, yes, but I would never think of different styles. Actually, you write using different styles writing for different targets, is that what you mean?

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Quick and effective life and business coaching was never that much fun.
Get the sparkle back into your life!
I write articles, press releases, PLRs and sales letters that have a sparkle, too

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genietoast 12 years ago

Wow. That place had 15 bids on it, too.
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E. Brian Rose 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Grazina Ajana Szewczyk

Brian (if you want me to use E. Brian, tell me, I'd rather ask a stupid question than annoy you using the wrong name ).

I prefer to be called Zorbo, King of the Zorbinians. Please let everybody know.
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Founder of JVZoo. All around good guy :)
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drmani

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Grazina Ajana Szewczyk

I have just me and my skills to impress the potential clients, and I'm slowly building my portfolio; and it's a bit tough when you start ...

Now I write web content for $30/half a page or a bit more for a friend who's a web designer. I'm getting positive response about my writing, just about my posts, here on the Warriors forum, and that means a lot to me!

Some tips that may help:

1. Ask your friend (and their clients) if it's ok for you to link to their sites (which you created content for) from your portfolio, to showcase your writing skills

2. Ask those who give you positive feedback about your writing if you'd mind them using their comments/remarks as 'testimonials' on your portfolio

3. Pro-actively ask your writing clients for such feedback - and even make it easy for them by asking short questions which they can answer, and you can then cobble into a cohesive testimonial (after getting explicit permission from them, of course)

4. Point to your growing 'testimonials' page from your personal branding website/domain, and any social network profiles you have (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc.)

5. Add the link to that page to your Warrior forum (and other forum) signatures (like I've done

)

All of this spirals up very quickly, and within 6 months you'll have a nice collection of reviews and a client base to go with it

All success
Dr.Mani

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Paul Myers

12 years ago

Grazina,

I know from my own experience that the difficult thing is to make people know that you're good when you don't have a big portfolio, or testimonials, and you don't have them because you can't get the clients as you don't have a big portfolio, or testimonials...

I used to write for clients, lo, these many years ago. In 1998 and 1999 I was getting $150 or more per article, and I never - not once - advertised for them.

I wrote so much stuff in so many places that Chris Knight once told me I had the most widely recognized email address in the business. People asked me if I'd help them out with projects and what my rates were. That wasn't my main business (I was doing lead generation for offline businesses mostly), but it was fun and I got to meet a lot of really cool people and learn from them.

If you want a portfolio, don't wait around. Create one. Do samples that show your different styles and talents. Wow them with effective writing that leaves them feeling like they've learned something, or been entertained or moved or enriched in some way.

Make them feel your message and they'll gladly pay you in elephants, rather than peanuts.

Paul

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GoodnightSweetRatRace

12 years ago

I'm currently spending $5 on two 600+ word articles of very good quality.

I feel sorry for some writers, feel like I'm robbing them

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E. Brian Rose 12 years ago

Originally Posted by GoodnightSweetRatRace

I'm currently spending $5 on two 600+ word articles of very good quality.

I feel sorry for some writers, feel like I'm robbing them

You are not robbing them. They are robbing themselves.
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Benjamin Ehinger

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Barry Unruh

I'll take one ton of Valencia Peanuts per article...

Weekly Market Price of Peanuts
January 26, 2011
* $599.54 per ton for Runner peanuts
* $591.68 per ton for Spanish peanuts
* $603.06 per ton for Valencia peanuts
* $603.06 per ton for Virginia peanuts

This is simply funny. I would be willing to write 4 articles for a ton of peanuts, but I am not paying the delivery costs.

Originally Posted by GoodnightSweetRatRace

I'm currently spending $5 on two 600+ word articles of very good quality.

I feel sorry for some writers, feel like I'm robbing them

You must have a good thing going on with this writer because I would never write 1200 words for $5. That is about 36 minutes of writing for me (based on 2,000 words per hour, which is my average). If I were to write for this rate I would be making a little more than minimum wage. That is not what I got into writing for.

My rule, because I have only been writing for others for a few months (been writing for myself for over 8 years however) is that I refuse to make less than $20 per hour.

I charge $1 per 100 words right now and have built up a nice little group of regular clients. Once I get to a point where I feel more comfortable with my business and have more business than I can handle, then I am going to raise my rates by $0.25 per 100 words and see how that goes. $1 per 100 words is the going rate right now in the warrior for hire forum.

If IMers would stop outsourcing their writing to other countries we could make more money, but it is hard to compete with a writer from another country that can charge so much less.

My rule is my time is very valuable and if you want quality articles you will pay for my time.

Benjamin Ehinger

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Barry Unruh

12 years ago

I'll take one ton of Valencia Peanuts per article...

Weekly Market Price of Peanuts
January 26, 2011
* $599.54 per ton for Runner peanuts
* $591.68 per ton for Spanish peanuts
* $603.06 per ton for Valencia peanuts
* $603.06 per ton for Virginia peanuts

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Brain Drained...Signature Coming Soon!

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E. Brian Rose

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Barry Unruh

I'll take one ton of Valencia Peanuts per article...

Weekly Market Price of Peanuts
January 26, 2011
* $599.54 per ton for Runner peanuts
* $591.68 per ton for Spanish peanuts
* $603.06 per ton for Valencia peanuts
* $603.06 per ton for Virginia peanuts

I don't know why, but apparently peanut prices make me laugh. I hit the thanks button for that.

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Founder of JVZoo. All around good guy :)

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Paul Myers

12 years ago

Grazina,

When you speak with someone in a formal setting, do you use the same style as with a close friend over drinks? Or as when you're asking help from a person in a store? Or telling a joke over dinner with your family?

Style is the clothing you put on the message. It can be jeans and boots or a three piece suit.

Show off the wardrobe, ma'am.

Paul

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Stop by Paul's Pub - my little hangout on Facebook.

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Grazina Ajana Szewczyk

12 years ago

Grazina,

When you speak with someone in a formal setting, do you use the same style as with a close friend over drinks? Or as when you're asking help from a person in a store? Or telling a joke over dinner with your family?

Style is the clothing you put on the message. It can be jeans and boots or a three piece suit.

Show off the wardrobe, ma'am.

Paul

OK, I know you mean, thanks, Paul.
And if I'd used in a formal setting the same style that I use over drinks, someone would get upset, bless their pure Victorian hearts

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Quick and effective life and business coaching was never that much fun.
Get the sparkle back into your life!
I write articles, press releases, PLRs and sales letters that have a sparkle, too

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Grazina Ajana Szewczyk 12 years ago

People amaze me as to how they have no problem asking for a lot and giving a little. I guess you have not because you ask not, right?

I do the opposite, ask sometimes and give much more. I used to coach people free of charge, for months, because I thought they had no money to pay me until I learned that one of them had no problem to pay for a romatic getaway with her lover :rolleyes:

Silly cow, when will I learn?

I was driving my mentor bananas, and she explained to me that that's why my "clients" don't respect my time.
PS. And you're right, jaegirl, asking doesn't hurt: will me hire me when you need a writer?
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Quick and effective life and business coaching was never that much fun.
Get the sparkle back into your life!
I write articles, press releases, PLRs and sales letters that have a sparkle, too
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jaegirl75

12 years ago

People amaze me as to how they have no problem asking for a lot and giving a little. I guess you have not because you ask not, right?

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Julie McElroy

12 years ago

I have seen this type of ad quite a bit - Brian Scott of Freelancewriting.com has fun videos on his site titled, "Job ads that make writers laugh" - that should be in there!

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drmani 12 years ago

I rarely write articles for others these days. When I do, I typically
charge $35 to $50 for a 350 word piece.

Others very possibly charge 5x to 10x as much.

It's all about the 'positioning' and 'brand building'.

I've also sent you a PM with a little gift you may find useful

All success
Dr.Mani
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Ernie Lo

12 years ago

It's not robbing at all from any party. Lowly paid writers are desperate for cash and the people who pay them usually cannot afford to pay more.

It's win win for both sides.

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the6thplayer

12 years ago

These peanuts are for the newbies .... i agree that without a good profile or testimonial number, you cannot take a big piece of cake ....
Peanuts are for those who actually love peanuts

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