Cheap Content Sux: Calling All High-Quality Content Writers

99 replies
Before I even start, let me just say that this is by no means a way to shamelessly self-promote. My intention here is to get as much input from as many forum members/writers who support what I'm saying, to the benefit of actual writers who keep getting stiffed, and those who don't know the difference between junk and high-quality writing. Please contribute in any way possible and let's make this as educational as possible. I'm really hoping you guys will help me blow this up.

I've been a member of this forum for a while now (as well as a few others) and find that I continually come across threads/posts where deluded webmasters and newbies constantly inquire about or offer idiotic advice on cheap content/writing solutions.

I still see words like "spinning," "scraping," "duplication" and "cheap," being thrown around willy-nilly. Why is that? Why are people still stuck on the idea that one can apply or use the same 'Black Hat' tactics of old and succeed? I mean, I just recently read through a post where some dude was looking to have an eBook written for $20 -- that's right, no typo, $20 for a WHOLE eBook -- I nearly soiled myself! This is a slap in the face of writers who work really hard to deliver quality. The sad part is that he'll probably find someone.

But I don't really blame Mr. Dont-Know, nor do I blame the Eastern (no offense intended here) 'content' providers desperate enough to supply him. I blame the writers who stand quietly in the corner as buyers and potential buyers are mislead and enticed into buying junk again and again. I understand that everyone needs to make a living, but why should these so-called content suppliers steal our thunder and sales. In most cases they don't even write, they just use software. So while you bust your a** to deliver just one piece that can take you hours, they simply churn them out by the dozens in a matter of minutes.

Don't get me wrong, competition is indeed healthy and I'm all for it; I even supply affordable content on this forum myself, but writers need to take a stand in order to inform those who don't know better and route out these spinning street vendors of the online world. These people are not only taking your sales and spamming the web, they are also cheapening the writing profession.

I, for one, am annoyed, and so I'm calling all writers to take a stand with me on this. Let's educate the newbies and show them that high-quality content is the only way to go.

Let's take back our sales and dignity
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Anyone who's with me say "I" and leave your mark.
#calling #cheap #content #highquality #sux #writers
  • Profile picture of the author NddS777
    Let me get the ball rolling here...

    What is High-Quality Writing?
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    • Profile picture of the author Ralph Moore
      Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

      Let me get the ball rolling here...

      What is High-Quality Writing?
      In my opinion, that would be writing that gets results.
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      • Profile picture of the author NddS777
        Originally Posted by Ralph Moore View Post

        In my opinion, that would be writing that gets results.
        Positive results, no doubt.
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    • Profile picture of the author JanelleJ
      Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

      Let me get the ball rolling here...

      What is High-Quality Writing?
      In my humble opinion, high quality writing shows care for the reader. Other motives can get in the way of the piece reaching its highest potential.
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      • Profile picture of the author NddS777
        Originally Posted by JanelleJ View Post

        In my humble opinion, high quality writing shows care for the reader. Other motives can get in the way of the piece reaching its highest potential.
        I agree totally.
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    • Profile picture of the author onSubie
      Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

      Let me get the ball rolling here...

      What is High-Quality Writing?
      Well, grammatically correct would be a start. Spinning often produces poor grammar but so do a lot of $5 article writers.

      Mahlon
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  • Profile picture of the author theolatic
    I can't agree more, i say you get what you pay for and cheap articles usually are just that, cheap and tacky. You may pay more for high quality articles but the actual content is normally more to the point, flows better and really can make a difference to your seo. Spun articles are unreadable so you can gurantee your visitors wont return.

    Spot on Nelson
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  • Profile picture of the author PatriciaS
    There was a time when I'd have jumped right in to support what you're saying. But frankly, as someone who USED to write for a living (and earn decent money offline), I eventually got so demoralized by the total lack of respect shown by IMers for workers of ANY kind online -- thinking quality can be had for pennies an hour and that it's OKAY to hire people a world away for what would be slave wages here when people in your own country are starving -- that at this point I don't really care any more. They'll get what they pay for and what they deserve. And more power to them.

    As I see it, you're fighting a losing battle, the battle against Greed. But good luck with it anyway.
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by chi-whiz View Post

      There was a time when I'd have jumped right in to support what you're saying. But frankly, as someone who USED to write for a living (and earn decent money offline), I eventually got so demoralized by the total lack of respect shown by IMers for workers of ANY kind online -- thinking quality can be had for pennies an hour and that it's OKAY to hire people a world away for what would be slave wages here when people in your own country are starving -- that at this point I don't really care any more. They'll get what they pay for and what they deserve. And more power to them.

      As I see it, you're fighting a losing battle, the battle against Greed. But good luck with it anyway.
      Thanks for the input. I hear what you're saying, but I'm gonna fight this anyway.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lucian Lada
    Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

    nor do I blame the Eastern (no offense intended here) 'content' providers desperate enough to supply him.
    Hmm... well you are not offending anyone, you're just telling the truth .
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by canyon View Post

      Hmm... well you are not offending anyone, you're just telling the truth .
      Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author Micah Medina
    If somebody wants to offer you $20 to write a book, I suppose you could just... not do it?

    And it's my experience that people will pay for quality if you promote yourself.
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by Micah Medina View Post

      If somebody wants to offer you $20 to write a book, I suppose you could just... not do it?

      And it's my experience that people will pay for quality if you promote yourself.
      True, but how do you 'not do it,' and not be annoyed by the assumption that you or any real writer would, all at the same time? --That's the question.

      I agree that one must promote, but that isn't really my issue. In fact I have shown many discount seekers the light, some of which buy from me weekly now.
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      • Profile picture of the author Zabrina
        Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

        True, but how do you 'not do it,' and not be annoyed by the assumption that you or any real writer would, all at the same time? --That's the question.

        I agree that one must promote, but that isn't really my issue. In fact I have shown many discount seekers the light, some of which buy from me weekly now.
        Just say "no thanks, my rate for this project would be X, and I can't discount without the quality of my work suffering". Let them go their way and go your own.

        It's easy to avoid being annoyed if you keep this in mind: those who would write for that amount are not your competitors. In a similar vein, people are free to shop for cheap dollar-store dishes that damage their health if price is the most important factor, or go for "real" dishes from a boutique. They're all dishes, and both companies are still in operation. The ones who would buy from the dollar store are not the ones who would buy from the boutique, and vice versa.

        It's not your responsibility to "show them the light" and you can't force anyone to pay more if they don't want to. The right clients will find you.
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        • Profile picture of the author NddS777
          Originally Posted by Zabrina View Post

          Just say "no thanks, my rate for this project would be X, and I can't discount without the quality of my work suffering". Let them go their way and go your own.

          It's easy to avoid being annoyed if you keep this in mind: those who would write for that amount are not your competitors. In a similar vein, people are free to shop for cheap dollar-store dishes that damage their health if price is the most important factor, or go for "real" dishes from a boutique. They're all dishes, and both companies are still in operation. The ones who would buy from the dollar store are not the ones who would buy from the boutique, and vice versa.

          It's not your responsibility to "show them the light" and you can't force anyone to pay more if they don't want to. The right clients will find you.
          Point taken. But its like saying that we should turn a blind eye to the vendor selling bogus 'Air Jordans' down the street -- We can't. These sales hurt the actual store and brand, so is it not our responsibility to get involved?

          Don't get me wrong; not all affordable services supply junk, I mean even I sell content here at decent rates, but let's face it, most do. Have you seen the dribble that some services deliver nowadays? --Plagiarized to the core and just awful.

          This is partly what I am aiming to achieve; that people know why they should stop seeking out the 'cheapest' content. The quality is poor and not worth the few dollars investment. Let's stop feeding these spammers of the world.


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          • Profile picture of the author Zabrina
            Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

            Point taken. But its like saying that we should turn a blind eye to the vendor selling bogus 'Air Jordans' down the street -- We can't. These sales hurt the actual store and brand, so is it not our responsibility to get involved?

            Don't get me wrong; not all affordable services supply junk, I mean even I sell content here at decent rates, but let's face it, most do. Have you seen the dribble that some services deliver nowadays? --Plagiarized to the core and just awful.

            This is partly what I am aiming to achieve; that people know why they should stop seeking out the 'cheapest' content. The quality is poor and not worth the few dollars investment. Let's stop feeding these spammers of the world.


            Problem is, you can't get involved in this fight without looking like you have an agenda.

            I think you'll find most business owners hate "bad content". The problem is, we all disagree on what "bad content" is.

            Pretty much all of the Warriors that I respect here -- the ones who run solid businesses, give solid advice, and also usually write well -- advise others not to get cheap content. They're the ones who will change minds, because of the number of people they come into contact with every day asking for help with various business problems, and they're not the ones you need to convince.
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            • Profile picture of the author NddS777
              Originally Posted by Zabrina View Post

              Problem is, you can't get involved in this fight without looking like you have an agenda.

              I think you'll find most business owners hate "bad content". The problem is, we all disagree on what "bad content" is.

              Pretty much all of the Warriors that I respect here -- the ones who run solid businesses, give solid advice, and also usually write well -- advise others not to get cheap content. They're the ones who will change minds, because of the number of people they come into contact with every day asking for help with various business problems, and they're not the ones you need to convince.
              Yep, I do in fact have an agenda --> low-quality content and content suppliers suck and offer no value; I want everyone to see this and know this well. If even 5 people take this to heart and understand, then we've already made a difference for the better in the fight against spam.

              I agree fully with what you say in your second point, but I'm not trying to convince the educated, ethical Warriors who offer solid deals and advice here, I'm asking those very people to back me on this; I'm trying to convince those who DON't know or are misinformed and still believe that spun content and junk will do the trick.

              Its easy to look away and go about one's business, and I can certainly see why someone would, but that's not how 'wars' are won I'm afraid. Writers need to stand up and make it harder for 'spinners' and 'scrapers' who exist because people still believe in their so-called product.
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              • Profile picture of the author packerfan
                Oh man, why doesn't anyone understand the basics anymore.

                All different types of content have their place depending one particular person's strategy.

                Secondly, price is no indication of quality. In fact, I have an article writer right now that writers for $3 for 500 words, and I'd bet you $500 her articles are as good as yours depending on the subject matter.

                Now, if you're talking about something that takes real research, you know like actually interviewing people, going places, etc. it's a different ball game.

                But if you're going to try to convince me that it takes a genius to write a an article like "6 crazy ways to get free food" or whatever, then give me a break.

                As far as what defines quality content. Funny thing about that... Readers get to do that. It has nothing to do with grammar, sentence structure, etc.

                Hell, stupid cat videos get 10,000,000 views on you tube all day long. Obviously people think that's quality content.

                Sweeping generalizations do no good, only cause flame wars, and really add no value to the forum.

                Sorry if that was a little snippy. I've been up like 3 days straight with insomnia (a niche I need to look into apparently).
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                • Profile picture of the author NddS777
                  Originally Posted by packerfan View Post

                  Oh man, why doesn't anyone understand the basics anymore.

                  All different types of content have their place depending one particular person's strategy.

                  Secondly, price is no indication of quality. In fact, I have an article writer right now that writers for $3 for 500 words, and I'd bet you $500 her articles are as good as yours depending on the subject matter.

                  Now, if you're talking about something that takes real research, you know like actually interviewing people, going places, etc. it's a different ball game.

                  But if you're going to try to convince me that it takes a genius to write a an article like "6 crazy ways to get free food" or whatever, then give me a break.

                  As far as what defines quality content. Funny thing about that... Readers get to do that. It has nothing to do with grammar, sentence structure, etc.

                  Hell, stupid cat videos get 10,000,000 views on you tube all day long. Obviously people think that's quality content.

                  Sweeping generalizations do no good, only cause flame wars, and really add no value to the forum.

                  Sorry if that was a little snippy. I've been up like 3 days straight with insomnia (a niche I need to look into apparently).

                  Oh man, why doesn't anyone understand the basics anymore. Basics :confused:

                  All different types of content have their place depending one particular person's strategy. Wrong -- no place for junk.

                  Secondly, price is no indication of quality. In fact, I have an article writer right now that writers for $3 for 500 words, and I'd bet you $500 her articles are as good as yours depending on the subject matter. Wrong again -- let's put him/her to the test.

                  Now, if you're talking about something that takes real research, you know like actually interviewing people, going places, etc. it's a different ball game. All part of high-quality writing; just depends on the price, topic and type of content needed.

                  But if you're going to try to convince me that it takes a genius to write a an article like "6 crazy ways to get free food" or whatever, then give me a break. Not a genius, just someone who actually cares about what they're putting out there.

                  As far as what defines quality content. Funny thing about that... Readers get to do that. It has nothing to do with grammar, sentence structure, etc. True to a certain degree, but grammar and sentence structure are essential. This is a very arguable point. What's the point/value of a paid education then, one could ask.

                  Hell, stupid cat videos get 10,000,000 views on you tube all day long. Obviously people think that's quality content. As I say, people are misinformed. Besides, not everyone is amused by crazy cat vids.

                  Sweeping generalizations do no good, only cause flame wars, and really add no value to the forum. I disagree. There's a bigger picture here. There is a 'fight' to be fought, one against spun writing and crappy content in this case; thats how we as writers can move ahead and make the world a better place for our offspring. Would you want them researching/referencing trash when doing their homework, for example?

                  Sorry if that was a little snippy. I've been up like 3 days straight with insomnia (a niche I need to look into apparently). You're forgiven.
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                  • Profile picture of the author packerfan
                    Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

                    Oh man, why doesn't anyone understand the basics anymore. Basics :confused:

                    Okay - There are a lot of different reasons to use content. Say what you will, but not every piece needs to be a masterpiece. It all depends on what the purpose of the content is for.

                    All different types of content have their place depending one particular person's strategy. Wrong -- no place for junk.

                    - Wrong again. Perfect example is for something like a link building network. I don't need Steven King writing my BMR posts.

                    Secondly, price is no indication of quality. In fact, I have an article writer right now that writers for $3 for 500 words, and I'd bet you $500 her articles are as good as yours depending on the subject matter. Wrong again -- let's put him/her to the test.

                    Considering some have been syndicated on sites you've heard of I'd leave this one alone. Believe me, she's a very good writer. Engages with her audience as well as anyone I've seen. I pay her a lot of bonuses. She's a stay at home mom and likes the steady work I give her.

                    Now, if you're talking about something that takes real research, you know like actually interviewing people, going places, etc. it's a different ball game. All part of high-quality writing; just depends on the price, topic and type of content needed.

                    But if you're going to try to convince me that it takes a genius to write a an article like "6 crazy ways to get free food" or whatever, then give me a break. Not a genius, just someone who actually cares about what they're putting out there.

                    As far as what defines quality content. Funny thing about that... Readers get to do that. It has nothing to do with grammar, sentence structure, etc. True to a certain degree, but grammar and sentence structure are essential. This is a very arguable point. What's the point/value of a paid education then, one could ask.

                    -- This is not up for debate. The only thing that matters is what the readers think. This isn't college English class. And I never said there's a lot of value in a paid education (if you're going to major in English that is).

                    Hell, stupid cat videos get 10,000,000 views on you tube all day long. Obviously people think that's quality content. As I say, people are misinformed. Besides, not everyone is amused by crazy cat vids.

                    -- People aren't misinformed. They know what they like. Your job as a writer is to engage them in a way that gets the point of your writing across.


                    Sweeping generalizations do no good, only cause flame wars, and really add no value to the forum. I disagree. There's a bigger picture here. There is a 'fight' to be fought, one against spun writing and crappy content in this case; thats how we as writers can move ahead and make the world a better place for our offspring. Would you want them researching/referencing trash when doing their homework, for example?

                    -- There's no fight to be fought. Look at any other medium, print, TV, Radio. Different strokes for different folks. I wouldn't be caught dead watching a move on the lifetime network, my wife loves them.


                    Sorry if that was a little snippy. I've been up like 3 days straight with insomnia (a niche I need to look into apparently). You're forgiven.
                    --thanks! I hope this displays right. I keep getting some error message. If not, well you know my thoughts already.
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                    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
                      Originally Posted by packerfan View Post

                      --thanks! I hope this displays right. I keep getting some error message. If not, well you know my thoughts already.
                      Well, I guess you're entitled to your own opinion. Thanks for contributing.
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              • Profile picture of the author Zabrina
                Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

                Yep, I do in fact have an agenda --> low-quality content and content suppliers suck and offer no value; I want everyone to see this and know this well. If even 5 people take this to heart and understand, then we've already made a difference for the better in the fight against spam.

                I agree fully with what you say in your second point, but I'm not trying to convince the educated, ethical Warriors who offer solid deals and advice here, I'm asking those very people to back me on this; I'm trying to convince those who DON't know or are misinformed and still believe that spun content and junk will do the trick.

                Its easy to look away and go about one's business, and I can certainly see why someone would, but that's not how 'wars' are won I'm afraid. Writers need to stand up and make it harder for 'spinners' and 'scrapers' who exist because people still believe in their so-called product.
                The thing is, when you offer high-quality content services, it looks pretty suspicious to be calling out all the others. To use another comparison, the boutique home furnishing store I referred to in my last one now publishes an article in a local business newsletter "calling out" dollar stores for selling cheap dishes. Do other businesses think they're heroes, or biased?

                No one person can make everyone aware that high-quality content is the way to go. It happens naturally for everyone -- they start a business, try using bad content, get bad results, try using better content, get better results, and experience the "aha!" moment.

                I disagree about it being a war. It's not. It's not a matter of us standing up and making it harder for them. They have their function, we have ours, and other businesses have every right in the world to do business with us, them, neither, or both. Some people only want or need semi-coherent articles. Some want or need carefully-structured, meticulously-researched articles. Some prefer an article in between these extremes.

                I pick my battles very carefully. I fight enough of them on a daily basis that I don't get involved lightly in others. As soon as I enter a battle, my ego will get involved. It likes the strife, the wins and losses, the pain of having someone disagree and the victory of winning someone over. I enjoy my life a lot more without getting caught up in defending what I offer and why.

                There's always going to be people who need or want to buy cheap content, and people who can provide it and still live happily. There's always going to be people who need or want expensive content, and people who can provide it and live happily.
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                • Profile picture of the author fin
                  I agree with Packerfan.

                  Unless you're completing research/experiments, etc, in your niche, I can't see why there would be anything new and exiting you could say - unless you made it up, or guessed.

                  No offence, but I hardly think a freelance writer is going to be coming up with ground-breaking articles for every niche you write in. I hardly think you're in a position to mention plagiarism.

                  I also think your taking it a little seriously. Chill out, dude.
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                  • Profile picture of the author bikramksingh
                    Originally Posted by fin View Post

                    I agree with Packerfan.

                    Unless you're completing research/experiments, etc, in your niche, I can't see why there would be anything new and exiting you could say - unless you made it up, or guessed.

                    No offence, but I hardly think a freelance writer is going to be coming up with ground-breaking articles for every niche you write in. I hardly think you're in a position to mention plagiarism.

                    I also think your taking it a little seriously. Chill out, dude.
                    I agree with you and Packerfan that a freelance writer cannot produce a ground breaking article in every niche he or she works in, and even if he can in a particular niche, he will not do that simply because he is not paid enough to do so

                    having said that, I would emphasize that it is not the "content of the article" it is the style and how persuasively a writer can say it is what matters...after all none of the buyers are going to sell the article or product to NASA scientists, for them to get well-researched articles, and nor they are going apply for PhD degree with those articles.
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                  • Profile picture of the author NddS777
                    Originally Posted by fin View Post

                    I agree with Packerfan.

                    Unless you're completing research/experiments, etc, in your niche, I can't see why there would be anything new and exiting you could say - unless you made it up, or guessed.

                    No offence, but I hardly think a freelance writer is going to be coming up with ground-breaking articles for every niche you write in. I hardly think you're in a position to mention plagiarism.

                    I also think your taking it a little seriously. Chill out, dude.
                    Well-researched information can be presented in an original, exciting way; experiments aren't always necessary. Anyway, perhaps I have come on a little strong, but I really think its necessary. I'm chilled.
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                    • Profile picture of the author fin
                      Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

                      Well-researched information can be presented in an original, exciting way; experiments aren't always necessary. Anyway, perhaps I have come on a little strong, but I really think its necessary. I'm chilled.
                      I hope you're using article marketing to try and build your own business, as well as writing for clients.

                      I had a look at your site and your articles are pretty good.

                      Seems a shame to waste your skills writing for others instead of doing it at the same time as building your empire.

                      I agree with what you say above, only it's still rehashed content what ever you want to call it. I'm not denying how great it can be presented.
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                      • Profile picture of the author NddS777
                        Originally Posted by fin View Post

                        I hope you're using article marketing to try and build your own business, as well as writing for clients.

                        I had a look at your site and your articles are pretty good.

                        Seems a shame to waste your skills writing for others instead of doing it at the same time as building your empire.

                        I agree with what you say above, only it's still rehashed content what ever you want to call it. I'm not denying how great it can be presented.
                        Thanks. I plan to do just that. However, I take pride in supplying great content for my clients, and will probably always put their needs ahead of my own. Its not all about the money. Well, perhaps for some.
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                • Profile picture of the author NddS777
                  Originally Posted by Zabrina View Post

                  The thing is, when you offer high-quality content services, it looks pretty suspicious to be calling out all the others. To use another comparison, the boutique home furnishing store I referred to in my last one now publishes an article in a local business newsletter "calling out" dollar stores for selling cheap dishes. Do other businesses think they're heroes, or biased?

                  No one person can make everyone aware that high-quality content is the way to go. It happens naturally for everyone -- they start a business, try using bad content, get bad results, try using better content, get better results, and experience the "aha!" moment.

                  I disagree about it being a war. It's not. It's not a matter of us standing up and making it harder for them. They have their function, we have ours, and other businesses have every right in the world to do business with us, them, neither, or both. Some people only want or need semi-coherent articles. Some want or need carefully-structured, meticulously-researched articles. Some prefer an article in between these extremes.

                  I pick my battles very carefully. I fight enough of them on a daily basis that I don't get involved lightly in others. As soon as I enter a battle, my ego will get involved. It likes the strife, the wins and losses, the pain of having someone disagree and the victory of winning someone over. I enjoy my life a lot more without getting caught up in defending what I offer and why.

                  There's always going to be people who need or want to buy cheap content, and people who can provide it and still live happily. There's always going to be people who need or want expensive content, and people who can provide it and live happily.
                  I understand your position, and understand why It might all seem a little suspicious, but I can assure you my intentions are pure. I'm afraid I don't agree with you though; a passive stance is not the way to victory, and this is a war -- Google will back me on this. Its is important to understand exactly what I mean by 'cheap' content though, but I've already addressed that I think.
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  • Profile picture of the author adammaxum
    I'm a professional writer on all the freelance websites, and it's sickening the rate people work at. I can understand why employers would hire at these rates, but for writing, it's not a good idea.

    You get what you pay for in the world of writing. By hiring foreign workers to write content for you, you're going to receive garbage as a result

    1. The content is directly copied from somewhere else = google will notice
    2. The content is fragmented (poor English) = needs to be edited
    3. They have no idea what you're trying to get accomplished = waste time

    There are many more reasons why hiring these types of writers is no good.

    It's hard out there for freelance writers. To be successful you have to wait for the good jobs, and/or promote yourself to businesses willing to pay for high quality work.
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by adammaxum View Post

      I'm a professional writer on all the freelance websites, and it's sickening the rate people work at. I can understand why employers would hire at these rates, but for writing, it's not a good idea.

      You get what you pay for in the world of writing. By hiring foreign workers to write content for you, you're going to receive garbage as a result

      1. The content is directly copied from somewhere else = google will notice
      2. The content is fragmented (poor English) = needs to be edited
      3. They have no idea what you're trying to get accomplished = waste time

      There are many more reasons why hiring these types of writers is no good.

      It's hard out there for freelance writers. To be successful you have to wait for the good jobs, and/or promote yourself to businesses willing to pay for high quality work.
      Agreed -- Thanks for contributing.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeyDreamboat
    Poor writing is usually a red flag to get off the site you are reading. Maybe it's because I'm a writer myself, but badly written content will jump out right at me like it was in bright red letters and I will immediately move on to a different search result for what I was interested in.

    I don't know if some marketers are so focused on all the other areas for success that they don't pay attention to the writing, or if they are just trying to hold onto that last bit of money for other requirements, but you can immediately spot the "$20 for an E-Book" writing.
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by MikeyDreamboat View Post

      Poor writing is usually a red flag to get off the site you are reading. Maybe it's because I'm a writer myself, but badly written content will jump out right at me like it was in bright red letters and I will immediately move on to a different search result for what I was interested in.

      I don't know if some marketers are so focused on all the other areas for success that they don't pay attention to the writing, or if they are just trying to hold onto that last bit of money for other requirements, but you can immediately spot the "$20 for an E-Book" writing.
      I agree, it hurts every time I see it.
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  • Profile picture of the author nm5419
    The current state of 3rd grade prose isn't going to last for too much longer. Google's new content requirements, (defined here: Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: More guidance on building high-quality sites) re-prioritize quality, so just hold on for a little bit. Content employers will want their products to live up to these standards, so now is a good time to ensure writers have what it takes to provide them.
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by nm5419 View Post

      The current state of 3rd grade prose isn't going to last for too much longer. Google's new content requirements, (defined here: Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: More guidance on building high-quality sites) re-prioritize quality, so just hold on for a little bit. Content employers will want their products to live up to these standards, so now is a good time to ensure writers have what it takes to provide them.
      Will certainly do that, but let's start educating marketers here and now. No time like the present.
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  • Profile picture of the author ezmystic
    Quality is slower creating than quantity rattled out, but it will drive real good traffic to you not just junk
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by ezmystic View Post

      Quality is slower creating than quantity rattled out, but it will drive real good traffic to you not just junk
      That's what I'm trying to get across.
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  • Profile picture of the author NddS777
    Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill View Post

    When and if Google's algorithm can distinguish style, the crap will stop. Until then, there will be an artificial market for machine-oriented filler.

    Most of the people who hire "article writers" cannot read well enough to tell the difference, anyway.

    The market will sort itself out. It will take time.

    In the mean time, anyone who can actually write and accepts less than a nickel a word for blog posts and the like should be shot.

    Let the bottom feeders eat garbage.
    "The market will sort itself out. It will take time." The sooner the better.


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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
    Ken,
    machine-oriented filler
    A much nicer way to say it than mine: "keyword spew."

    If someone truly is good enough to command Real Writer's rates, they're better off creating content for their own use. Or selling it as higher-priced PLR with limited licensing. Dealing with clients who want the moon for the price of a reflection isn't any way for a self-respecting person to live. Unless they have a broad masochistic streak...


    Paul
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by Paul Myers View Post

      Ken,A mich nicer way to say it than mine: "keyword spew."

      If someone truly is good enough to command Real Writer's rates, they're better off creating content for their own use. Or selling it as higher-priced PLR with limited licensing. Dealing with clients who want the moon for the price of a reflection isn't any way for a self-respecting person to live. Unless they have a broad masochistic streak...


      Paul
      You might be right.
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  • Profile picture of the author nm5419
    Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill View Post

    When and if Google's algorithm can distinguish style, the crap will stop. Until then, there will be an artificial market for machine-oriented filler.
    Not too long ago, I heard they've increased the number of their employed human quality raters. With so many sites to evaluate, being unable to catch each splog and spam library isn't surprising, but I think they're working hard to change that considering the clear standards they've now set.

    And I don't know about you, but I'm excited about it.
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by nm5419 View Post

      Not too long ago, I heard they've increased the number of their employed human quality raters. With so many sites to evaluate, being unable to catch each splog and spam library isn't surprising, but I think they're working hard to change that considering the clear standards they've now set.

      And I don't know about you, but I'm excited about it.
      I'm excited too. But I doubt they'll ever eradicate the problem totally -- there's always a loophole or spammer counter-strike. That's why we must help fight this war.
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  • Profile picture of the author NddS777
    Be back to fight again tomorrow. Thanks to all the contributors so far.
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    • Profile picture of the author Lloyd Buchinski
      Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill View Post

      When and if Google's algorithm can distinguish style, the crap will stop.
      I've been impressed with how good they are at sending traffic to the best content, at least in my experience.

      Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

      Be back to fight again tomorrow. Thanks to all the contributors so far.
      To use the multiquote feature, just click the multiquote button for each post in the order that you want them, and then click the quote button on the last post.

      Just saying (I'm an efficiency freak.)
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  • Profile picture of the author drmani
    Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

    I, for one, am annoyed, and so I'm calling all writers to take a stand with me on this. Let's educate the newbies and show them that high-quality content is the only way to go.
    Not 'writing', but the analogy is apt.

    In January 2004, I launched a product. It would make content
    unique. A simple script. I charged $297 for it. And sold
    dozens of copies on this forum - in a week.

    In March 2004, there were at least a dozen clones. Not the
    exact same script, but different ones. Some did more than
    mine. They sold dozens too - at $27.

    Yep, the missing '9' was in the middle of '2' and '7'.

    That's the diminishing value of a commodity.

    It applies to writing as well.

    Want to retain premium pricing? Do this. POSITION yourself
    as a premium writer - and back it up with skills and results.

    Want people to pay you what you charge? Get out there and
    get hustling. Marketing and differentiating are the keys.

    Another trend many writers seem to have completely overlooked
    is the reality of 'robot GENERATED' content - which even at
    a rudimentary level of development is able to deliver quite
    remarkable value (when value is defined in information terms,
    rather than aesthetics).

    'Good writing' will not remain just stylistic and syntactic
    superiority for much longer. Great research, plus an ability to
    synthesize opinion and collate data to present as meaningful
    insights, will grow increasingly important to qualify as good
    writing... and that's leading to an era of specialization,
    where you write in your niche, because you're a MASTER in it!

    My 2 dollars worth ;-) (I stopped writing for 2 cents!)

    All success
    Dr.Mani
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by drmani View Post

      Not 'writing', but the analogy is apt.

      In January 2004, I launched a product. It would make content
      unique. A simple script. I charged $297 for it. And sold
      dozens of copies on this forum - in a week.

      In March 2004, there were at least a dozen clones. Not the
      exact same script, but different ones. Some did more than
      mine. They sold dozens too - at $27.

      Yep, the missing '9' was in the middle of '2' and '7'.

      That's the diminishing value of a commodity.

      It applies to writing as well.

      Want to retain premium pricing? Do this. POSITION yourself
      as a premium writer - and back it up with skills and results.

      Want people to pay you what you charge? Get out there and
      get hustling. Marketing and differentiating are the keys.

      Another trend many writers seem to have completely overlooked
      is the reality of 'robot GENERATED' content - which even at
      a rudimentary level of development is able to deliver quite
      remarkable value (when value is defined in information terms,
      rather than aesthetics).

      'Good writing' will not remain just stylistic and syntactic
      superiority for much longer. Great research, plus an ability to
      synthesize opinion and collate data to present as meaningful
      insights, will grow increasingly important to qualify as good
      writing... and that's leading to an era of specialization,
      where you write in your niche, because you're a MASTER in it!

      My 2 dollars worth ;-) (I stopped writing for 2 cents!)

      All success
      Dr.Mani
      "Another trend many writers seem to have completely overlooked
      is the reality of 'robot GENERATED' content - which even at
      a rudimentary level of development is able to deliver quite
      remarkable value (when value is defined in information terms,
      rather than aesthetics)
      ."
      <<-- not sure what you mean here, so I'll give a chance to explain before I bash ur comment.
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      • Profile picture of the author drmani
        Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

        "Another trend many writers seem to have completely overlooked
        is the reality of 'robot GENERATED' content - which even at
        a rudimentary level of development is able to deliver quite
        remarkable value (when value is defined in information terms,
        rather than aesthetics)
        ."
        <<-- not sure what you mean here, so I'll give a chance to explain before I bash ur comment.
        Gee, now EVERYONE wants to bash my comment!

        Several folks have voiced it in different ways. What one calls quality
        may be what tomorrow's 'smart' machines may churn out automatically
        (if they aren't already doing it today).

        Positioning yourself (as a writer) HIGHER than that standard is going
        to be tough - yet the only way to future-proof yourself in a 'writing'
        career.

        In other words, I'm carrying coals to Newcastle!

        Bash away

        All success
        Dr.Mani
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        • Profile picture of the author George Wright
          Originally Posted by drmani View Post

          Gee, now EVERYONE wants to bash my comment!

          Several folks have voiced it in different ways. What one calls quality
          may be what tomorrow's 'smart' machines may churn out automatically
          (if they aren't already doing it today).

          All success
          Dr.Mani
          Dr. Mani,

          So true. I asked my friend for directons to an address the other day. She gave me excellent instructions on how to get to this place, it was about 20 miles away and she didn't I miss a turn. In fact when I failed to follow her instructions she corrected me and told me to make a u turn and put me back on course. Thanks to her excellent instructions I wasn't late for my appointment. My friend gave me instructions in perfect English however if I need her to she would have given me the instructions in Spanish, German or Japanese or any other language I wanted. My friend is the GPS on my telephone.

          George Wright
          Signature
          "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
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    • Profile picture of the author George Wright
      Dr. Mani,

      I'd add that the same is true of "bad" writers who present good information.

      George Wright

      Originally Posted by drmani View Post

      Not 'writing', but the analogy is apt.

      In January 2004, I launched a product. It would make content
      unique. A simple script. I charged $297 for it. And sold
      dozens of copies on this forum - in a week.

      In March 2004, there were at least a dozen clones. Not the
      exact same script, but different ones. Some did more than
      mine. They sold dozens too - at $27.

      Yep, the missing '9' was in the middle of '2' and '7'.

      That's the diminishing value of a commodity.

      It applies to writing as well.

      Want to retain premium pricing? Do this. POSITION yourself
      as a premium writer - and back it up with skills and results.

      Want people to pay you what you charge? Get out there and
      get hustling. Marketing and differentiating are the keys.

      Another trend many writers seem to have completely overlooked
      is the reality of 'robot GENERATED' content - which even at
      a rudimentary level of development is able to deliver quite
      remarkable value (when value is defined in information terms,
      rather than aesthetics).

      'Good writing' will not remain just stylistic and syntactic
      superiority for much longer. Great research, plus an ability to
      synthesize opinion and collate data to present as meaningful
      insights, will grow increasingly important to qualify as good
      writing... and that's leading to an era of specialization,
      where you write in your niche, because you're a MASTER in it!

      My 2 dollars worth ;-) (I stopped writing for 2 cents!)

      All success
      Dr.Mani
      Signature
      "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
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  • Profile picture of the author NFN8
    Let's face it... the market is changing. Not too long ago, I was getting paid $300 an article (800+ words) from one outlet. I have the reputation and authority to get that. But I frequently was at a loss for ideas, and I started going to Constant-Content and buying articles off of there for anywhere from $25-$75, tweaking them to my own personal taste/style, maybe adding a little tidbit of information, and submitting that. Every bit as good as the articles I wrote from scratch, and I make $250 for about half an hour of work vs. $300 for 4-5 hours (or more) of work.

    And for some of what I'm doing now, I'm finding I can get a 500-word article done on Fiverr and get it up to my standards in 5-10 minutes. That beats the hell out of spending 1-2 hours (or more) on it myself.

    I have a client who needs an e-book. I've had excellent writers quote anywhere from $2,000-$5,000 for a 30-page e-book. I found someone who'll do it for $150. It won't be as good as the $2,000 version, but based on the sample I had him do, a couple of hours of my time should get the whole thing up to an acceptable level. What makes better sense?

    The market's changing, and writers are going to have to figure out how to deal with it. You may think your writing is "worth" a certain rate, and you may be right that it's better than what can be gotten for half, or a fourth, or an eighth of the price, but is it ENOUGH better? Does the increase in quality justify the increase in price? From a buyer's point of view, in most cases I think the answer is "no".

    Want to keep making money from writing? Slash your price by 50% or more, sub-contract one of those cheap writers to do 80% of the work for 20% of the price, spend a couple of hours on it yourself to get it up to your standards, and pocket the difference.
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by NFN8 View Post

      Let's face it... the market is changing. Not too long ago, I was getting paid $300 an article (800+ words) from one outlet. I have the reputation and authority to get that. But I frequently was at a loss for ideas, and I started going to Constant-Content and buying articles off of there for anywhere from $25-$75, tweaking them to my own personal taste/style, maybe adding a little tidbit of information, and submitting that. Every bit as good as the articles I wrote from scratch, and I make $250 for about half an hour of work vs. $300 for 4-5 hours (or more) of work.

      And for some of what I'm doing now, I'm finding I can get a 500-word article done on Fiverr and get it up to my standards in 5-10 minutes. That beats the hell out of spending 1-2 hours (or more) on it myself.

      I have a client who needs an e-book. I've had excellent writers quote anywhere from $2,000-$5,000 for a 30-page e-book. I found someone who'll do it for $150. It won't be as good as the $2,000 version, but based on the sample I had him do, a couple of hours of my time should get the whole thing up to an acceptable level. What makes better sense?

      The market's changing, and writers are going to have to figure out how to deal with it. You may think your writing is "worth" a certain rate, and you may be right that it's better than what can be gotten for half, or a fourth, or an eighth of the price, but is it ENOUGH better? Does the increase in quality justify the increase in price? From a buyer's point of view, in most cases I think the answer is "no".

      Want to keep making money from writing? Slash your price by 50% or more, sub-contract one of those cheap writers to do 80% of the work for 20% of the price, spend a couple of hours on it yourself to get it up to your standards, and pocket the difference.
      "I found someone who'll do it for $150." This is exactly the kind of attitude/thinking I'm fighting here.

      While I can understand how this could make sense sales/profit-wise, I cannot support this unethical practice. Sorry.
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      • Profile picture of the author NFN8
        Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

        While I can understand how this could make sense sales/profit-wise, I cannot support this unethical practice. Sorry.
        a) What's unethical about this? Someone is willing to do work at a price we're willing to pay. That's the free market.

        b) Something is worth what someone else will pay for it, period. You might be able to make a passable argument that it's worth the value it creates. It is NOT worth what the creator thinks it's worth. That's the fatal arrogance of creative people, whether it's web content, art, music, whatever.

        A $3,000 e-book would make the cost per lead too high, period. It's not that we're taking away work from that writer -- we simply either wouldn't do it, or my client would do it himself, much more slowly, and then pay an editor.

        Seriously, dude, you need to get over it. "Adapt or die." Find your niche, change your business model, but it's just silly to rant about the fact that the market for content has become commoditized.
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        • Profile picture of the author drmani
          Originally Posted by bluetechseo View Post

          Maybe we can have something on this forum so that writers will need to pass some kind of standard so that high quality writers are easier to find?
          Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

          That might not be a bad idea.
          So... why not stop debating this here and get to work setting up a
          rating service or even a 'standards' body that "good" writers will join
          - to be found by those discerning clients?

          Talk's cheap.

          "Be the change you want to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi

          All success
          Dr.Mani
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          • Profile picture of the author NddS777
            Originally Posted by drmani View Post

            So... why not stop debating this here and get to work setting up a
            rating service or even a 'standards' body that "good" writers will join
            - to be found by those discerning clients?

            Talk's cheap.

            "Be the change you want to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi

            All success
            Dr.Mani
            I agree. Any ideas here people?
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            • Profile picture of the author The Copy Warriors
              Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

              I agree. Any ideas here people?
              Personally I just try to find the right clients, see my post above.
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            • Profile picture of the author Kurt
              Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

              I agree. Any ideas here people?
              Yeah...Rate this...It's only 278 words, which is far less than most suggest is needed to provide "high quality" content.

              Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

              Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

              But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

              The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

              It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
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              • Profile picture of the author NddS777
                Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                Yeah...Rate this...It's only 278 words, which is far less than most suggest is needed to provide "high quality" content.
                Nice. Now take that piece, spin it 146 times, replace a few words with irrelevant synonyms and you get...

                146 filler articles ready to be sold to suckers at $0.50 a pop. lol.

                Kidding -- thanks Kurt.
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        • Profile picture of the author NddS777
          Originally Posted by NFN8 View Post

          a) What's unethical about this? Someone is willing to do work at a price we're willing to pay. That's the free market.

          b) Something is worth what someone else will pay for it, period. You might be able to make a passable argument that it's worth the value it creates. It is NOT worth what the creator thinks it's worth. That's the fatal arrogance of creative people, whether it's web content, art, music, whatever.

          A $3,000 e-book would make the cost per lead too high, period. It's not that we're taking away work from that writer -- we simply either wouldn't do it, or my client would do it himself, much more slowly, and then pay an editor.

          Seriously, dude, you need to get over it. "Adapt or die." Find your niche, change your business model, but it's just silly to rant about the fact that the market for content has become commoditized.
          I understand what you're saying, but I'm afraid I mostly don't agree, so let's let it be.

          I am over it. Just hurts my eyes every time I see these 'spinner' ads peppered all over reputable forums and sites. It hurts even more knowing that writers allow people to think that its okay to expect them to produce decent content at $2 an article (or whatever.)

          As for me personally, I have found my business model, and it works well for me. I'm not here ranting cause I need business, or a business strategy, I'm simply trying to open some eyes and make a difference online.

          It seems, however, as expected, that those who support these low-quality suppliers and spinning tactics, are the very people bashing my cause every chance they get. "The guilty always proclaim their innocence the loudest." -- I think I read that in the Bible or something, not sure.

          Anyway, I hope you see what I'm fighting here. No hard feelings.
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    One of the reasons why many won't pay for content is that they are seduced by the low entry cost for having an online business. So they figure that they can boot strap their way to millions. This comes as a result of a glut of products and promoters having to create a product which is easy, affordable and gives fast results. You seldom if ever read an ebook or go to a seminar and are told that you need real quality content to succeed.

    Next...

    People start this and realize that hey, it's not so easy after all. Then they start looking for magic solutions. It makes sense to them to spin and buy cheap articles, because once again, they are fed the kool aid about such methods.

    And...

    Becasue they aren't amking a zac, they won't pay up for quality content. Simple.

    On the flipside...

    Running a freelance biz is no different to any other. Truth is that most writers are cr@p at worst or average at best. so they rely on churn and outsourcing articles for a pittance... hence making a small amount on the mark up.

    Reality is...

    Any freelancer worth their salt should have a base of regular, good customers who understand the benefits of quality content.

    And don't try an compete with the masses. Yes, it take time... but then again, what business doesn't?

    Sal

    PS: I find it amusing that people try tens of writers based on price... trying to get the lowest cost. you can join a site like need-an-article and get very good articles, unique for the same you'll pay on here for cr@p.
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

      One of the reasons why many won't pay for content is that they are seduced by the low entry cost for having an online business. So they figure that they can boot strap their way to millions. This comes as a result of a glut of products and promoters having to create a product which is easy, affordable and gives fast results. You seldom if ever read an ebook or go to a seminar and are told that you need real quality content to succeed.

      Next...

      People start this and realize that hey, it's not so easy after all. Then they start looking for magic solutions. It makes sense to them to spin and buy cheap articles, because once again, they are fed the kool aid about such methods.

      And...

      Becasue they aren't amking a zac, they won't pay up for quality content. Simple.

      On the flipside...

      Running a freelance biz is no different to any other. Truth is that most writers are cr@p at worst or average at best. so they rely on churn and outsourcing articles for a pittance... hence making a small amount on the mark up.

      Reality is...

      Any freelancer worth their salt should have a base of regular, good customers who understand the benefits of quality content.

      And don't try an compete with the masses. Yes, it take time... but then again, what business doesn't?

      Sal

      PS: I find it amusing that people try tens of writers based on price... trying to get the lowest cost. you can join a site like need-an-article and get very good articles, unique for the same you'll pay on here for cr@p.
      "It makes sense to them to spin and buy cheap articles, because once again, they are fed the kool aid about such methods." <<--Let's feed them fruit juice then.
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    • Profile picture of the author bikramksingh
      Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

      Any freelancer worth their salt should have a base of regular, good customers who understand the benefits of quality content.

      And don't try an compete with the masses. Yes, it take time... but then again, what business doesn't?
      I second that.

      Many times in my 5-year long freelance-writing career, I met people who said something like: "there are many who can write 500 words for 50 rupees (USD 1 or less)..."

      It was frustrating, but as Sal said, you do not have to compete with cheap writers if you do not want to.

      There is a whole spectrum of price points on which people work. working on $1/100 words may not be profitable for me, and it may not do justice to the quality I offer, but there are people who will be more than happy to work on this price -- for them it is the best they can get. And I do not have any problem with that.

      When I meet a person offering a lower rate, instead of being mad at him or feeling sorry about his lack of discerning faculty, I tell him how he can find a writer who will work on that rate because he never was my client.
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      • Profile picture of the author NddS777
        Originally Posted by bikramksingh View Post

        I second that.

        Many times in my 5-year long freelance-writing career, I met people who said something like: "there are many who can write 500 words for 50 rupees (USD 1 or less)..."

        It was frustrating, but as Sal said, you do not have to compete with cheap writers if you do not want to.

        There is a whole spectrum of price points on which people work. working on $1/100 words may not be profitable for me, and it may not do justice to the quality I offer, but there are people who will be more than happy to work on this price -- for them it is the best they can get. And I do not have any problem with that.

        When I meet a person offering a lower rate, instead of being mad at him or feeling sorry about his lack of discerning faculty, I tell him how he can find a writer who will work on that rate because he never was my client.
        Yes, It's true that you can find less-talented writers at cheaper rates who will still get the job done, but don't expect the same results. Anyway, these are not the people I'm targeting. I have an issue with people who plagiarize, use software, and generally deliver unreadable content that offers no value.
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        • Profile picture of the author packerfan
          Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

          Yes, It's true that you can find less-talented writers at cheaper rates who will still get the job done, but don't expect the same results. Anyway, these are not the people I'm targeting. I have an issue with people who plagiarize, use software, and generally deliver unreadable content that offers no value.
          Please post an original piece of yours. I'm willing to bet, in fact I guarantee it's nothing more than rehashed ideas based on the works of others.

          Unless you're conducting experiments, interviewing people, reporting on breaking news it's all but impossible to be "original". So easy on the plagiarizing stuff. Copy one persons work and it plagiarizing, copy 3 and they call it research. Very fine line.
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          • Profile picture of the author NddS777
            Originally Posted by packerfan View Post

            Please post an original piece of yours. I'm willing to bet, in fact I guarantee it's nothing more than rehashed ideas based on the works of others.

            Unless you're conducting experiments, interviewing people, reporting on breaking news it's all but impossible to be "original". So easy on the plagiarizing stuff. Copy one persons work and it plagiarizing, copy 3 and they call it research. Very fine line.
            I'd rather not, though I could. Besides, it was never my intention to fight it out with fellow Warriors, I was simply asking writers on this forum to educate people who think that low-quality writing and recycled hash still make the cut.

            I agree, to some extent, on point 2. While I acknowledge that there is a fine line, there are various ways to research, and not all of these involve interviews, breaking news and what have you. Also, you CAN be original every single time.

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      • Profile picture of the author John Coutts
        Originally Posted by bikramksingh View Post

        ...you do not have to compete with cheap writers if you do not want to.

        There is a whole spectrum of price points on which people work..
        I found this to be true. When I competed with writers at $5/500 words, I lost, mostly.

        When I raised my prices to a minimum of $25/500 words, the competition was lower, the clients were still plentiful, and they were nicer and less demanding too.

        Yesterday I wrote a couple of articles at $95/500 words. The client treats me as a professional, with respect and dignity. That never happened at $5/500 words.

        I know you are saying we should strive to stamp out cheap, low quality writing, and I agree - believe me, I do - but I found rising above it to be easier and much more satisfying.

        John
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        • Profile picture of the author NddS777
          Originally Posted by John Coutts View Post

          I found this to be true. When I competed with writers at $5/500 words, I lost, mostly.

          When I raised my prices to a minimum of $25/500 words, the competition was lower, the clients were still plentiful, and they were nicer and less demanding too.

          Yesterday I wrote a couple of articles at $95/500 words. The client treats me as a professional, with respect and dignity. That never happened at $5/500 words.

          I know you are saying we should strive to stamp out cheap, low quality writing, and I agree - believe me, I do - but I found rising above it to be easier and much more satisfying.

          John
          Thanks. I certainly agree that the higher the rate, the less frustrating the customer. Normally anyways; this isn't always true, lol. Better raise my rates I guess.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill View Post

    When and if Google's algorithm can distinguish style, the crap will stop. Until then, there will be an artificial market for machine-oriented filler.

    Most of the people who hire "article writers" cannot read well enough to tell the difference, anyway.

    The market will sort itself out. It will take time.

    In the mean time, anyone who can actually write and accepts less than a nickel a word for blog posts and the like should be shot.

    Let the bottom feeders eat garbage.
    I don't give a damn about style. I prefer substance.
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    • Profile picture of the author UncleDearest
      Nice Post. I buy a lot of content. I HATE cheap content! I'm looking for quality. Something that has a point, is focused, organized and easy to read while educating at the same time. I can't even imagine that someone would consider paying $20 for an ebook or $10 for a 1,000 word article. At those prices, I would totally expect crap. I don't mind paying a good writer who actually cares, researches and proof reads. I wish I could find more!
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      • Profile picture of the author NddS777
        Originally Posted by UncleDearest View Post

        Nice Post. I buy a lot of content. I HATE cheap content! I'm looking for quality. Something that has a point, is focused, organized and easy to read while educating at the same time. I can't even imagine that someone would consider paying $20 for an ebook or $10 for a 1,000 word article. At those prices, I would totally expect crap. I don't mind paying a good writer who actually cares, researches and proof reads. I wish I could find more!
        That's the spirit. Keep hating the bootleggers; support the writers who actually add value to the web.
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  • Profile picture of the author Black Hat Cat
    Banned
    I hope the crap content never goes away. It just makes my content look even better.
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  • Profile picture of the author packerfan
    Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill View Post

    When and if Google's algorithm can distinguish style, the crap will stop. Until then, there will be an artificial market for machine-oriented filler.

    Most of the people who hire "article writers" cannot read well enough to tell the difference, anyway.

    The market will sort itself out. It will take time.

    In the mean time, anyone who can actually write and accepts less than a nickel a word for blog posts and the like should be shot.

    Let the bottom feeders eat garbage.
    What exactly is style? Google can easily determine things like reading level, grammar, proper sentence structure, etc. The thing is none of that has anything to do with good writing or quality content.

    So not sure exactly what you mean.
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  • Profile picture of the author NddS777
    OMG. Even as I sit here and preach what should be general knowledge, there is a neighboring thread entitled "the best free article spinner online." Its has 13 posts and 1582 views. My thread, which features the words 'high-quality content' in the title, has 47 posts and only 309 views. Do you see what I'm getting at here people?

    Writers, PLEASE, Stand Up and Educate these people. SPINNING SUX, AS DOES ANY OTHER KIND OF LOW-QUALITY CONTENT!!
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    • Profile picture of the author NFN8
      Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

      SPINNING SUX, AS DOES ANY OTHER KIND OF LOW-QUALITY CONTENT!!
      Again, that's a pretty wide brush. I just shelled out $77 for The Best Spinner to make it much easier to spin myself so that I can put out multiple unique copies of the same basic article for SEO purposes. I hand-check or hand-pick every synonym or sentence rewrite though. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to go through a 500-word article, and when I'm done, I can generate hundreds of variations with the click of a button.

      That's not low-quality content -- that's pushing the envelope and doing everything you can to maximize your SEO under the search engines' current algorithms. In a few months, or a year or two, it may not work any more, but right now it does.
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    • Profile picture of the author WilsonJ
      I agree.Spinning sucks.So does low quality content..
      But dont you think guys who require cheap articles get cheap content and hence they get true value for their money. While on the other hand people and buyers who understand quality content dont search for cheap writers or spinning softwares. They know it costs a lil more but they will get something worth their bucks and hence they invest properly..
      So I think if you believe you are a good writer you will get someone who will appreciate you and will be willing to pay you accordingly..
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    • Profile picture of the author nitin22
      Banned
      [DELETED]
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      • Profile picture of the author NddS777
        Originally Posted by nitin22 View Post

        I work as a professional writer with a number of freelance sites and it is disgusting to see the rates at which people work. It is understandable from the point of view of employers, but as far as writing is concerned, it is not a good suggestion. Moreover the quality of content also sucks.

        Low grade content works like a red flag to ignore the website you are going through. May be because I am a writer, the poor quality content will recoil at me like it is written in BOLD letters. I will definitely move on to a different website and look for authentic and high quality information.

        In order to be successful as a writer, you should wait till you get some exceptional work and should try to put a good show of your writing skills to the employers. As an employer, you should have a closer look at the writers profile and writing samples so as to ensure the quality of the content.

        Thanks
        Nitin
        Right on! ...Nail on the head.
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      • Profile picture of the author packerfan
        I actually love talking about "quality" content.

        I'm wondering if you consider the writing in the National Enquirer high quality?

        -------

        Now, did you know those are some of the highest paid writers in the world? And they reach an audience bigger than 99.9999999% could ever dream of.

        -------

        Anyway, I'm not arguing that taking an article and spinning is a worthwhile task. In fact, it's worthless for ALMOST anything. I just have a hard time with people trying to justify what "Quality Content" is.

        The bottom line is the content has a purpose. It could be to educate, entertain, engange an emotion, get the reader to take an action, whatever. If it accomplishes that goal then it's done its job. Nothing more to ask for...
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        • Profile picture of the author NddS777
          Originally Posted by packerfan View Post

          I actually love talking about "quality" content.

          I'm wondering if you consider the writing in the National Enquirer high quality?

          -------

          Now, did you know those are some of the highest paid writers in the world? And they reach an audience bigger than 99.9999999% could ever dream of.

          -------

          Anyway, I'm not arguing that taking an article and spinning is a worthwhile task. In fact, it's worthless for ALMOST anything. I just have a hard time with people trying to justify what "Quality Content" is.

          The bottom line is the content has a purpose. It could be to educate, entertain, engange an emotion, get the reader to take an action, whatever. If it accomplishes that goal then it's done its job. Nothing more to ask for...
          Hmm, apparently "The content of this website is not available in you area," so I cannot comment on the writing quality of those writers. I understand the whole 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder theory,' and I even agree with what you say in your final point, but there are basics that must be in place for a piece to be considered 'high-quality.' Basic writing skills.
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  • Profile picture of the author Don Luis
    Banned
    Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

    Before I even start, let me just say that this is by no means a way to shamelessly self-promote.
    And now you have your signature promoting your article writing service. Yeah, right. :p

    Seriously, you can't force anyone to follow your line of thinking just by saying that "cheap content sucks" (which may or may not be true because it doesn't necessarily follow that the cheaper the article, the lower the quality of content will be). Whether you like it or not, there will always be people looking for cheap filler content, and it's hopeless to go around and say that they're doing it wrong. It's just like going around and saying that people shouldn't buy cheap products made in China because they're mostly of low quality.
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by Don Luis View Post

      And now you have your signature promoting your article writing service. Yeah, right. :p

      Seriously, you can't force anyone to follow your line of thinking just by saying that "cheap content sucks" (which may or may not be true because it doesn't necessarily follow that the cheaper the article, the lower the quality of content will be). Whether you like it or not, there will always be people looking for cheap filler content, and it's hopeless to go around and say that they're doing it wrong. It's just like going around and saying that people shouldn't buy cheap products made in China because they're mostly of low quality.
      Not sure what you mean by "And now." I've (almost) always had my signature; I didn't set it up for this thread, lol. I can see why some people would see a hidden agenda, but that's why I excused myself in my first post. Btw, yours speaks volumes.

      I'm not trying to force anyone to do anything, I'm simply trying to open some eyes here. Anyway, when I mention the word cheap, I'm actually referring to the very low quality writing and spun content still spamming the web. As mentioned, I too sell affordable content, but I don't supply junk. Let's face it, the garbage is normally cheap, not always though.

      As for the cheap products in China, yes, not all of it is junk, but MANY are.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Writers often take a very ego-centric view of the Web. So how about writers tell us what they would write for the following search queries/topics:

    download podcasts
    convert 32F to celsius
    pictures of snow
    cheapest airfare from Denver to Las Vegas
    how many homeruns did Babe Ruth hit?
    free screensavers
    twitter backgrounds

    Or...How about this site:
    Latent Semantic Indexing

    Is this useful "content"? The writing at the bottom of the page is basically a sales letter. The "content" I'm refering to is what the page DOES, not what it says.
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      I think it's useful for people with insomnia:p.
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  • Profile picture of the author bookmarkman
    Haha . Manual spinning is Ok in my terms for using it for seo purposes . Straight to money site content is always the "native writer + lsi " combo .
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  • Profile picture of the author Ashley Redcliff
    You have to be strict with yourself. You should say no to anyone who is trying to rip you off - hold out for the good clients!

    There will always be many people after cheap content. They either can't afford higher prices, or simply don't see the value. If they're submitting articles for the sake of building backlinks, I can't blame them for not wanting to pay $20+ per article.

    I target bloggers as they really do need quality content. I won't lie, I do cut down my prices at times, but mainly for web design businesses that outsource to me (plenty of their clients request their web page content to be written for them). It's common for web design firms to not have copywriters in-house.

    Like others have said here... the low-end writers are not competition, unless you're writing for low prices too. And remember that one of the main keys to selling is targeting the right customers, rather than wasting your time trying to convert the low-end buyers.
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  • Profile picture of the author Pinster56
    I like to write, and I am good at it. But how can I apply this skill to internet marketing and make money at it? How do I start? I feel that my talent is being wasted by not being utilized. Can anybody help?
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  • Profile picture of the author steve72b
    Panda started to weed out content farming. Make sure you got me right, it just started. I think we'll see more slayers of low quality content shortly
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  • Profile picture of the author bluetechseo
    I got to join in on this thread, I run a small team of writers as part of my seo services and I think that we have been squeezed out by these $3 writers.

    I mean if you think that you can get decent content for $3 then you are on drugs. I have tested out some of the competition on various forums and to be honest most of them were of a low standard and did need some work to them. I have only found one or two of these content companies to be worthy.

    But the fact is people only see price, there are more over night seo gurus born every day which has flooded the market and confused people. This has lead to the price of services to fall which has a knock on effect down the line and content will suffer.

    I think that poor quality blogs and articles will suffer in the rankings war which will bring good writers back. I see 300, 400, 500 word articles as a thing of the past, I use 700 to 1000 words as a minimum standard for my back links.

    Maybe we can have something on this forum so that writers will need to pass some kind of standard so that high quality writers are easier to find?
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by bluetechseo View Post

      I got to join in on this thread, I run a small team of writers as part of my seo services and I think that we have been squeezed out by these $3 writers.

      I mean if you think that you can get decent content for $3 then you are on drugs. I have tested out some of the competition on various forums and to be honest most of them were of a low standard and did need some work to them. I have only found one or two of these content companies to be worthy.

      But the fact is people only see price, there are more over night seo gurus born every day which has flooded the market and confused people. This has lead to the price of services to fall which has a knock on effect down the line and content will suffer.

      I think that poor quality blogs and articles will suffer in the rankings war which will bring good writers back. I see 300, 400, 500 word articles as a thing of the past, I use 700 to 1000 words as a minimum standard for my back links.

      Maybe we can have something on this forum so that writers will need to pass some kind of standard so that high quality writers are easier to find?
      That might not be a bad idea.
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  • Profile picture of the author NddS777
    Lol, Read this and have a laugh with me people :p:

    Total XP Security: A Guide to the removal
    Total XP Security is one of many hopeless and injurious programs to your PC, This is exterminator Fake Antivirus, which is a fake virus that spreads like a true Antivirus trick the user indicating infection on the victim's computer (but the only true contagion is given by Total XP Security), After the counterfeit scan from XP Total Security, has shown a unremitting alert that reports to a website to purchase the license of the program (do not buy anything, you just rub the money and not to conclude anything). The symptoms are the usual, slow system, unable to surf the web, run presentations and so on. In case of infection of virus, try remove the blockage of your PC in a very meek way. Downloaded from the PC, if any, permits the program Malware bytes Antimalware. Is the free version of software that will help in removing Total XP Security or with one of the best free anti-malware on web, once downloaded version Free do a full scan and remove all wicked threats detected and summon your PC. The result is guaranteed, as it has been tested several times.

    IS THIS WHAT WE'RE DEFENDING? HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY FOR THIS ARTICLE??
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by NddS777 View Post

      Lol, Read this and have a laugh with me people :p:

      Total XP Security: A Guide to the removal
      Total XP Security is one of many hopeless and injurious programs to your PC, This is exterminator Fake Antivirus, which is a fake virus that spreads like a true Antivirus trick the user indicating infection on the victim's computer (but the only true contagion is given by Total XP Security), After the counterfeit scan from XP Total Security, has shown a unremitting alert that reports to a website to purchase the license of the program (do not buy anything, you just rub the money and not to conclude anything). The symptoms are the usual, slow system, unable to surf the web, run presentations and so on. In case of infection of virus, try remove the blockage of your PC in a very meek way. Downloaded from the PC, if any, permits the program Malware bytes Antimalware. Is the free version of software that will help in removing Total XP Security or with one of the best free anti-malware on web, once downloaded version Free do a full scan and remove all wicked threats detected and summon your PC. The result is guaranteed, as it has been tested several times.

      IS THIS WHAT WE'RE DEFENDING? HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY FOR THIS ARTICLE??
      I bought this here recently btw. I dare anyone of you to edit it and post it on your site.

      I wouldn't want this junk anywhere near mine, that's for sure.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Warriors
    I'm just going to throw an idea that goes ever so slightly against the grain here.

    I do a good portion of my work on freelance websites. Yes, I have had the experience of having my heart start to palpitate as I browsed through listing after listing that advertised "$0.79 per 500 words," and I've even had moments of weakness where I thought that that was just the way the market is.

    But then I realized something.

    When I actually look back on jobs that I ultimately ended up applying to, I never lost out on when my bid was higher than the average. I only lost when my bid was lower than average.

    My rate on elance and odesk is $25/hr.

    There have been times when I've applied for a job where only one person aside from me was bidding... and they were bidding at less than $10/hr!

    I'd always think, "gee, if that person can actually meet the employers qualifications at $10/hr, I'm screwed!"

    But I'd stick to my guns, apply at $25 an hour, and get the job.

    And yet there were many other times when I'd go up against someone charging $50 an hour, and not even hear a word back on the employer, because they hired the more expensive worker instantly. Or, I'd check out a job posting that was averaging $27/hr for applicants, and I'd notice that the average rate for the "interviewees" section was $30/hr, then bump my bid up to $35/hr, and get the job.

    Now, there's an important qualifier I should throw in here. With all these experiences, I was browsing the jobs CAREFULLY, and making sure that every single job I applied to was for a real employer with a real business who had hired people for real jobs in the past. If I had thrown in my $25/hr bid over at random SEO fodder job postings where the client specifically claimed he wanted $.79 content, then yeah, I'd probably end up a little disappointed.

    But I don't think disproves my experience, it just proves that actually searching for and picking out the high paying gigs is part of our jobs.

    And I've developed a theory, based on my experiences.

    There is a chance that all those higher bidding freelance site workers I lost out to really were better than me. There is a chance that all the $50/hr guys really are better than a $25/hr guy like me.

    But I don't think that's true all the time.

    What I actually think is that in many cases, you will do better with a higher bid than a lower one simply because your bid is higher. By that, I of course don't mean that you can suck and throw out an outrageously high price and then suddenly have everything be cool. But I do think that, psychologically, people see price as a quality indicator. Therefore, you can make a case for the idea that, given two comparably priced contractors of equal skill level and a results-oriented employer who can't quite determine which is best, the employer will err on the side of high quality and pick the higher priced contractor.

    Now, I can just hear people saying,

    "if that's true, then why are there so many buyers in the freelance writing marketing who buy on price points?"

    My answer is that these employers just aren't serious businesspeople. I don't think they're actually making any money of the crap content they purchase, and further, I don't think they even really know what they're really doing in business. I think they're typical "weekend warriors" who read some "how to make money online" e-book, heard that you need hundreds of articles to get ranked in google, and went online to get as many articles as they could get for as cheap as possible from last week's mcdonald's paycheque.

    Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I think you can see my point. These employers aren't people who would be willing to pay for quality in any market, be it writing or car repairs. They have short term outlooks that prevent them from seeing what real value means in anything, so they keep looking for way to get something for themselves without investing something themselves. As a result, they live profitless lives, in every sense of the word, with businesses that make no money, cars that are always breaking down, and clothes that are never washed. In a world without low priced eastern writers, these people would just forget about article marketing and focus on whatever hair brained scheme they thought could make them quick money without having to pay anything up front, like stock speculation on margin or rubbing their hands on a magic penny before purchasing lotto tickets.

    Is it bad that some people think READABLE, ENGLISH LANGUAGE writing could go for $1 per 500 words?

    Perhaps. But I would submit to you that if those people were offering, say, $25 an article, you wouldn't even want them as clients then, because they'd be too dumb to actually use your content in an intelligent way, and would go all over the internet writing stuff like "i bought articles from so and so, posted on ezinearticles, made no money, so and so sucks."

    So basically, at the end of the day, the low priced writing market is nothing to worry about. Yes, seeing it in action is gross, but it's like watching people play slot machines when you could just as easily give them a simple business idea that would make them real money. Just leave them alone, they're already too far down the path to be reasoned with.
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    • Profile picture of the author NddS777
      Originally Posted by Andy Button View Post

      I'm just going to throw an idea that goes ever so slightly against the grain here.

      I do a good portion of my work on freelance websites. Yes, I have had the experience of having my heart start to palpitate as I browsed through listing after listing that advertised "$0.79 per 500 words," and I've even had moments of weakness where I thought that that was just the way the market is.

      But then I realized something.

      When I actually look back on jobs that I ultimately ended up applying to, I never lost out on when my bid was higher than the average. I only lost when my bid was lower than average.

      My rate on elance and odesk is $25/hr.

      There have been times when I've applied for a job where only one person aside from me was bidding... and they were bidding at less than $10/hr!

      I'd always think, "gee, if that person can actually meet the employers qualifications at $10/hr, I'm screwed!"

      But I'd stick to my guns, apply at $25 an hour, and get the job.

      And yet there were many other times when I'd go up against someone charging $50 an hour, and not even hear a word back on the employer, because they hired the more expensive worker instantly. Or, I'd check out a job posting that was averaging $27/hr for applicants, and I'd notice that the average rate for the "interviewees" section was $30/hr, then bump my bid up to $35/hr, and get the job.

      Now, there's an important qualifier I should throw in here. With all these experiences, I was browsing the jobs CAREFULLY, and making sure that every single job I applied to was for a real employer with a real business who had hired people for real jobs in the past. If I had thrown in my $25/hr bid over at random SEO fodder job postings where the client specifically claimed he wanted $.79 content, then yeah, I'd probably end up a little disappointed.

      But I don't think disproves my experience, it just proves that actually searching for and picking out the high paying gigs is part of our jobs.

      And I've developed a theory, based on my experiences.

      There is a chance that all those higher bidding freelance site workers I lost out to really were better than me. There is a chance that all the $50/hr guys really are better than a $25/hr guy like me.

      But I don't think that's true all the time.

      What I actually think is that in many cases, you will do better with a higher bid than a lower one simply because your bid is higher. By that, I of course don't mean that you can suck and throw out an outrageously high price and then suddenly have everything be cool. But I do think that, psychologically, people see price as a quality indicator. Therefore, you can make a case for the idea that, given two comparably priced contractors of equal skill level and a results-oriented employer who can't quite determine which is best, the employer will err on the side of high quality and pick the higher priced contractor.

      Now, I can just hear people saying,

      "if that's true, then why are there so many buyers in the freelance writing marketing who buy on price points?"

      My answer is that these employers just aren't serious businesspeople. I don't think they're actually making any money of the crap content they purchase, and further, I don't think they even really know what they're really doing in business. I think they're typical "weekend warriors" who read some "how to make money online" e-book, heard that you need hundreds of articles to get ranked in google, and went online to get as many articles as they could get for as cheap as possible from last week's mcdonald's paycheque.

      Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I think you can see my point. These employers aren't people who would be willing to pay for quality in any market, be it writing or car repairs. They have short term outlooks that prevent them from seeing what real value means in anything, so they keep looking for way to get something for themselves without investing something themselves. As a result, they live profitless lives, in every sense of the word, with businesses that make no money, cars that are always breaking down, and clothes that are never washed. In a world without low priced eastern writers, these people would just forget about article marketing and focus on whatever hair brained scheme they thought could make them quick money without having to pay anything up front, like stock speculation on margin or rubbing their hands on a magic penny before purchasing lotto tickets.

      Is it bad that some people think READABLE, ENGLISH LANGUAGE writing could go for $1 per 500 words?

      Perhaps. But I would submit to you that if those people were offering, say, $25 an article, you wouldn't even want them as clients then, because they'd be too dumb to actually use your content in an intelligent way, and would go all over the internet writing stuff like "i bought articles from so and so, posted on ezinearticles, made no money, so and so sucks."

      So basically, at the end of the day, the low priced writing market is nothing to worry about. Yes, seeing it in action is gross, but it's like watching people play slot machines when you could just as easily give them a simple business idea that would make them real money. Just leave them alone, they're already too far down the path to be reasoned with.
      That's quite a mouthful, but thanks for the contribution.

      While I still think that these low-quality suppliers do play a role in taking business from decent writers to some extent, I hear what you're saying and agree that the impact is probably minor. What I'm really saying though is that they're filling the web with junk, and cheapening a profession that some in fact take seriously and rely on for a steady income. I mean, take a look at the sample I posted -- painful man, Painful.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Warriors
    le I still think that these low-quality suppliers do play a role in taking business from decent writers to some extent, I hear what you're saying and agree that the impact is probably minor. What I'm really saying though is that they're filling the web with junk, and cheapening a profession that some in fact take seriously and rely on for a steady income. I mean, take a look at the sample I posted -- painful man, Painful.
    Yeah, I agree that they definitely do fill the web with junk, but post-Panda, I think a lot of their stuff has been driven into obscurity at least.
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  • Profile picture of the author chrislangley
    I agree that writers should make a stand, if they all did, then they would get reasonable prices for their efforts
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    • Profile picture of the author John Coutts
      Originally Posted by chrislangley View Post

      I agree that writers should make a stand, if they all did, then they would get reasonable prices for their efforts
      I honestly don't think it's that simple, though I wish it were.

      I believe there will always be people seeking a shortcut to riches who mistakenly believe they will get there with cheap content. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that after they throw up hundreds or thousands of cheaply written articles, they often do start to make a trickle of money. Encouraged by this, they throw up more in the mistaken belief that the good life is just around the corner.

      However, they never try testing the results of publishing quality content, so they continue to mistakenly believe that crap is good enough as they are now earning $50 a day, or whatever, after publishing several thousand articles that only cost them $0.50 each. At least, this is how it sometimes was before Panda.

      By contrast, those who publish content written by writers who know what they are doing, and who charge accordingly, invariably find that they need far, far fewer articles published in order to do well - very well indeed, often.

      At the high end of the scale, those who write for themselves and syndicate their articles to discerning site owners, find that even after only a few dozen very high quality articles have been published, they can start to enjoy a ROI that soon becomes truly life changing.

      John.
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      • Profile picture of the author mrdomains
        I buy a bunch of content.

        Somewhere along the purchasing process I make a decision on what it is I want delivered and what I am going to pay for it.

        Honestly, I don't care who or what is writing my articles, as long as I get value for my $. Value for my $ means getting what I expected, which requires some thinking about what I am going to use the content for, and some basic research about the writer in question before I jump in.

        Inexperienced buyers may be shocked at the low quality gibberish they got, or they may be delighted at the outstanding grammatical elegance and acrobatic prose of the delivery. But was it useful? Buying 25 buck articles for backlinking, or 5 buck articles for money-site content, are both bad investments.

        My answer to your original question “What is High-Quality Writing?” is:

        Writing That Suits The Purpose

        All backwards
        I have recently noticed that many writers in the 5 buck gang deliver articles which have optimized keyword inclusions, first & last sentences, lsi sprinkling, etc, etc. Never mind the grammar and a couple of bad spellings. These writers have perfected the SEO writing style. The funny thing is... :

        these are not the writers who should be outputting this type of content...

        Most 5 buck articles are (should be) purchased with the intent of using them for backlinks, article directory submissions, linkwheels, etc. This is where you probably Do Not Want To Use A SEO Optimized Article.

        At the same time, many pricy writers write with perfect grammar, in very readable style, and do good research... but lag on the SEO details. This may be ok if the ordered writing is for a product or e-book, but I bet most content from the pricy writers is also ordered on an article per article basis - for use as content on websites.

        Some people try too hard. Other people believe too much in themselves. Both camps of writers are doing the opposite of what they should be.

        - Cheap writers are do too much work for what they are being paid. Increase your profits by doing less. Skip the seo masterclass and just deliver a on-topic 500 word article with basic research.
        - Many (not all) pricier writers are being careless, over-estimate themselves and probably contribute more to the devaluation of the “pricy writer services”, than the cheaper writers do.


        So, who is to blame if you didn't get value for your $? Most of the time: the buyer. Think before you order a writing job, understand the limitations of who you are buying from and be very explicit on exactly what you want, or you may be hitting your head against the wall and throwing money away.

        Writerss
        To the writers out there who want to be paid above a certain level, all I can say is that most of you are digging your own grave. Anyone can spit out words and as mentioned in the thread, grammar-perfect automation will eventually get there too.

        Sure, the well researched content has value, but so does a brand new car without wheels. Unless you deliver the full package with all the bells and whistles someone, or something, else will undercut you.

        I have a couple of “pricy” writers that I work with and I understand why it costs. It feels ok to pay the price because they give me exactly what I hoped for. They write with “client empathy”.

        Suck on that one for a while...

        What does “client empathy” mean?

        When they write, they have me and my needs foremost in their mind. They put themselves in my shoes. They are creating a tool for me, a tool has a purpose, what is my goal with this content? What, where, how will I use it?

        Understanding how the client-business-side-of-things works helps them deliver High-Quality Writing.

        Any writer that wants to get paid over a certain level needs to find a reason for your price-tag that satisfies the right buyers (every time) and the gets you the right assignments.

        Figure out what those assignments are.
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  • Profile picture of the author NddS777
    That's right John, this is what I want people to know; one doesn't need 1000 lame articles to be seen by search engines -- 10 good ones will achieve better results. And who knows, you might even attract a human following; potential customers just itching to buy whatever you're selling.
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  • Profile picture of the author NddS777
    Here's Google's take:


    "Of course, we aren't disclosing the actual ranking signals used in our algorithms because we don't want folks to game our search results; but if you want to step into Google's mindset, the questions below provide some guidance on how we've been looking at the issue:
    • Would you trust the information presented in this article?
    • Is this article written by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is it more shallow in nature?
    • Does the site have duplicate, overlapping, or redundant articles on the same or similar topics with slightly different keyword variations?
    • Would you be comfortable giving your credit card information to this site?
    • Does this article have spelling, stylistic, or factual errors?
    • Are the topics driven by genuine interests of readers of the site, or does the site generate content by attempting to guess what might rank well in search engines?
    • Does the article provide original content or information, original reporting, original research, or original analysis?
    • Does the page provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
    • How much quality control is done on content?
    • Does the article describe both sides of a story?
    • Is the site a recognized authority on its topic?
    • Is the content mass-produced by or outsourced to a large number of creators, or spread across a large network of sites, so that individual pages or sites don't get as much attention or care?
    • Was the article edited well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?
    • For a health related query, would you trust information from this site?
    • Would you recognize this site as an authoritative source when mentioned by name?
    • Does this article provide a complete or comprehensive description of the topic?
    • Does this article contain insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond obvious?
    • Is this the sort of page you'd want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?
    • Does this article have an excessive amount of ads that distract from or interfere with the main content?
    • Would you expect to see this article in a printed magazine, encyclopedia or book?
    • Are the articles short, unsubstantial, or otherwise lacking in helpful specifics?
    • Are the pages produced with great care and attention to detail vs. less attention to detail?
    • Would users complain when they see pages from this site?"
    Source: Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: More guidance on building high-quality sites
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