Your Opinion re: an Interesting Twist on Article Writers

13 replies
Hi everyone,

I have an idea that I'd like to bounce off. I'd love to have your input and opinion.

I have a few good article writers that charge $2. for a 400 - 600 word article. (They're not excellent, but they're good and they follow directions.)

I have an untouched sample article for each, so that their writing style can be seen.

Do you think internet marketers would be interested to sort of "buy" a writer? I would assume these writers are not for one article. They're more for 5+ articles or for continuous article needs.

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks,
Debbie
#article #interesting #interestingarticle #opinion #twist #writers
  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    Yes, they would be willing to "rent a writer".

    The low budget customers will balk at your markup on the writers, and the higher-budget customers won't be satisfied with the work.

    But you can hire some editors to run buffer between your writers and your customers, therefore justifying a higher rate to your customers.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by tpw View Post

      The low budget customers will balk at your markup on the writers, and the higher-budget customers won't be satisfied with the work.
      ^^^^ This.

      Originally Posted by tpw View Post

      But you can hire some editors to run buffer between your writers and your customers, therefore justifying a higher rate to your customers.
      And this ... if they can (between them?) write reliably enough on a wide enough range of subjects, it may be possible to do some "arbitrage" by regularly employing an editor, and re-selling the articles at considerably higher prices. It will undoubtedly carry with it some of the problems of business management/employment/responsibility that any "service providing business" inevitably entails, though. Not to mention some possible risks, over maintaining regularity and reliability of payments to the writers even when clients mess you about over paying you (as, at some point, some will). Together with the potential for any/all of them eventually to realise that they can earn twice as much on Fiverr.
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      • Profile picture of the author DebbieD
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        ^^^^ This.



        And this ... if they can (between them?) write reliably enough on a wide enough range of subjects, it may be possible to do some "arbitrage" by regularly employing an editor, and re-selling the articles at considerably higher prices. It will undoubtedly carry with it some of the problems of business management/employment/responsibility that any "service providing business" inevitably entails, though. Not to mention some possible risks, over maintaining regularity and reliability of payments to the writers even when clients mess you about over paying you (as, at some point, some will). Together with the potential for any/all of them eventually to realise that they can earn twice as much on Fiverr.
        I wouldn't sell articles; I would sell an article writer, sort of. (just kidding)

        I would sort of be the broker between the article writer and the one searching for an article writer.
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        • Profile picture of the author tpw
          Originally Posted by DebbieD View Post

          I wouldn't sell articles; I would sell an article writer, sort of. (just kidding)

          I would sort of be the broker between the article writer and the one searching for an article writer.

          I have thought about doing this myself. I just never followed through.

          Do I think it would work as a business model. No.

          Do I think it would work for candy money. Yes.
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          • Profile picture of the author DebbieD
            Hey tpw,

            I honor your opinion. I do not plan on doing it for a long-term business model. Also, I won't know if I try, right?

            I might give it a try in a day or two. Do I do a WSO or put it in the Warriors for Hire section? Or, just put up a quick site and link to it in my signature? Or both?

            Thanks,
            Debbie
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            • Profile picture of the author tpw
              Originally Posted by DebbieD View Post

              Hey tpw,

              I honor your opinion. I do not plan on doing it for a long-term business model. Also, I won't know if I try, right?

              I might give it a try in a day or two. Do I do a WSO or put it in the Warriors for Hire section? Or, just put up a quick site and link to it in my signature? Or both?

              Thanks,
              Debbie

              I would do Warriors For Hire, and put up a quick site with a link in the signature.

              I suspect it would be a waste of the extra money to get into the WSO section, considering the actual offer and how fast those listings move off of page one.
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              • Profile picture of the author sylviad
                I'm not quite getting it.

                You have writers in your rotary card file who charge $2 per article. You want to "rent" out these writers to IMers in need of their services. So... you'd get paid from the IMers who accept one of these writers?

                So the IMer would pay $2 for the article and whatever your fee is for bringing them together?

                Let's say that you're charging $2 - the IMer would pay $4 minimum for this writer to do one article?

                But then, you say you're going to give the IMer the writers' direct contact info so they can bypass you, at which point you'd not receive any payments?

                I'm not seeing the benefit to you for this "service".

                Plus, if as you say, "(They're not excellent, but they're good and they follow directions.)", how is that going to reflect on you? Or will you be telling the IMers up front that they're "not excellent"?

                I guess I'm wondering why you would want to promote people who are "not excellent", unless you expect the IMers to not care about the quality of the work they receive.

                It just sounds a bit odd to me.

                If you wanted to run such a service, why not find top quality writers and promote them instead? Then, you can take a higher fee for creating these unions. You could charge the IMers or the writers, although I do not know any services that charge on a one-on-one basis. Elance, for example, does charge a fee, but it covers more than one connection.

                Sylvia
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  • Profile picture of the author ArwenTaylor
    I don't understand your question. Do you mean hire an individual writer based on their sample? They would only work with that one particular writer? If so, I'm sure there are internet marketers who would be interested in doing that. The main benefit is the writer would become familiar with their style and churn out content according to their specific needs.
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    • Profile picture of the author DebbieD
      Thanks for your replies.

      I forgot to mention that I would sell access to the writer for approx. $10.

      In other words, if you like the sample and you think that for a $10 access fee this writer, who charges $2 per article, is valuable to you, I give you his/her e-mail address and you get in touch.


      Again, any feedback is appreciated.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    LOL - pimping on the net.

    Just kidding - it sounded funny the way it was worded. Actually there are a lot of businesses that run by hiring out people for work and then take a cut for themselves (finders fee type thing). It's not a new idea and it's done offline as well as online and in many different fields. Don't have a full time job? Let someone pimp your services.

    Seems to be a successful business. It's spreading so someone's making money at it.
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  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    Sylvia: The clients who pay crap for articles will always pay crap for articles. You cannot change their minds, but rather market yourself to the people who pay decent wages.

    It is candy money for hooking up the client with the writer. The client is probably having a difficult time finding a writer who gets the job done, and the writer is charging pennies per article, because they don't know how to get clients.

    It is a service that caters to the lowest common denominator clients in this industry.

    There is nothing wrong with the model, except for -- in my mind -- too little reward for the time invested.

    If I had set up this service, I would be selling it at a premium to premium clients, but that is just me. :p
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    • Profile picture of the author sylviad
      Well, I guess that's my point. The payment for time doesn't seem justified. And what happens if the client is not satisfied with the work? Does that reflect on the writer or on you for recommending that writer?

      Like you, I would rather find quality people and match them up to clients who want quality work - not so-so work that needs to be edited. And charge an appropriate finders' fee.

      Sylvia
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      • Profile picture of the author DebbieD
        Hey Sylvia,

        What I'm saying is this: I won't rent a writer, I'll sell you access to one. One that charges just $2. per article.

        The buyer pays me approx. $10 to get access to a writer that writes very good articles for $2. an article. They get to see a sample from the writer. The articles are good enough to submit to Ezine Articles. I'm not saying "excellent" because I don't want people to come crying that they're not getting what they paid for.

        Once they pay me $10., they get the writer's e-mail address and communicate directly with the writer. I'm out of the picture then.

        Get it? What's your opinion?
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