Warriors,Would You pay $150 Per Article.

If it is really good and if it does make your site look authoritative, $150 is a good deal.

And trust me, there will be a bunch of people in this forum who will say that they can do the job at $3 a piece.

If they are a really good writer then it may be worth it. However dont pay anything up front and if it's not absolutely first class then dont pay anything.

For that price you should be getting an expert in the article topic and an incredibly talented writer. If they dont have both those skills and they're not flexible to your needs then move on.

If they meet that criteria then it may be worth the price, but do shop round.

That's about right for a very high-quality piece of content - meaning something you will find in a magazine. I know personally I charge $50/article and there a plenty of people who are paying, and they are the ones who are looking for good quality content that gets read - not just a piece of content designed to get someone to click a link.

If you truly want an authority site, you're going to have to either be a great writer yourself with plenty of knowledge on the subject, or be willing to pay someone who does have these skills.

As for Joseph's comment about the $3 articles... When I first started out online many years ago I did hire people to write me articles at about $5/article, and it was an absolute joke. No proper English skills, no grammar skills, no writing skills. You really will get what you pay for - and those individuals who are charging high-end will not stop until you are satisfied, trust me I don't.

Good luck with your site!

Paul

You get what you pay for. By your own admission he is a talented writer so if you believe he will do a good job of creating great authority content for your blog then go ahead and hire him for the quoted price.

Damn I had no idea people could charge so much for an article. You could drop all that money and you are already down $600 a month and the site is not bringing in anything yet. Sounds like a lot to me when there are very skilled individuals out there that could probably do a just as great job for like 95% less

hmm $150 per article, I should stop what I doing and jump into writing.

I wouldn't pay that much for an article, otherwise it is cheaper to hire full time writer from Philippine (English is as close to them as their first lang).

I would understand paying that amount for Press Release or a really really professional writer with an impressive resume (probably a journalist )

If someone claim he charge this amount, his resume and writing samples should start to speak first.

150$ for a article is tooo much. Also just a article or two cant make your site authority site. It number of well written article that can make you authoritative and not just a few expert articles. I wont advice you to go for such high rate unles you have about 5000 daily reader.

I'm a writer - and not cheaply (and I'm not advertising becuase I'm fully booked:p) - but here's my take on this....

No, $150 isn't too much for an authoritative article in a specific niche....

BUT....BUT....BUT - I write for several authority sites and to start a new site with the amount of content you will need....I strongly advise you to do some more research before hiring.

Does the niche really require all of the content to be by "experts" rather than "knowledgeable and good writers"? If so - is this writer a true expert in the field with credentials to prove it?

It's not "too much to charge" but I question whether you need that level of writing when launching a brand new site. I say this because you don't launch an "authority site" - you build a site into becoming an authority site.

If you can afford this level of payment - and can satisfy the writer is indeed an expert in the field...it might be a great idea.

But you can also find writers who specialize in various fields that write for $25-$50 and produce excellent work.

One thing I would strongly suggest is posting the project on elance or other decent freelance site - emphasizing the need for experience writers IN THE NICHE (there are many specialized writers there - not just the $5 stuff) and see what they would charge. You don't have to accept a bid but it's a good way to evaluate pricing. Look only at bids from top rated (5 star) providers on a freelance site for this purpose. (Just a suggestion as a way to get a feel for prices).

I'm having problems writing this post because I don't want to interfere with a writer's potential work - but I have to be honest and say I think that's far too much to pay for a new site where you will need a considerable amount of content to move into the "authority" area. If it were me starting such a site I'd be looking in the $25-$50 range - but I don't know the specific niche or how much expertise is required in that niche so I could be wrong. Just check several potential writers before jumping into anything.

If you do the above - you may hire this writer in the end but it will be due to a carefully considered process after evaluating all your options and needs.

kay

EDIT: Let me give you an example. I have a client who pays me $35-$50 per article - but these are 800+ word articles. On occasion he needs a more involved, expert article and I write those for him, too - for $70-$100. Not all content on his huge sites has to be "best of the best" - most of his content just needs to be "factual/entertaining and well written".

Assuming a 800 word piece, $150 per article is a fair price for an extremely technical niche or one requiring extensive research. In popular niches like weight loss or MMO, you can procure a mighty fine article for $50 and a decent one for $25.

I definitely agree with the other posters regarding comparison shopping before committing.

This is kind of a silly question. If I have the money and I deem it's an article of value, and will bring value to my site, then of course I would pay it.

If you don't even know if it's going to add value, then you are simply gambling. Gambling is not necessarily bad IF you can afford to lose the money. I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're not quite ready for that.

Best of luck.

Wow! He must be a world class writer. I'm a great writer and I only charge 5 cents a word.

Hmmm, I use a guy that charges anywhere to 10-20. I use elance.com to find outsourcing contacts. I would just ask for one article to review and if you like, keep the writer! GL!

Al, you know I like you, and I'm saying this only in a friendly, tongue-in-cheek way, but where on Earth do you get this nonsense from?!

How do you know what the quality even is, let alone whether it can be matched for $15/$20?!

What do you think the story is, then, with all the clients of all the writers here (and elsewhere) who are charging $150+ for an article, who keep coming back for more all the time, keeping those writers (of whom there are so many) pretty fully booked up?

Do you think they're all repeatedly paying $150 for something they could buy elsewhere for $15 and somehow, mysteriously, not a single one of them has worked this out?!

Do you think they're all unaware that there are $15 articles available, too?

Or might it possibly be that they actually know something you don't know?

I think the shock reactions of "Oh my goodness, $150 per article?" comes largely because of the mentality of the IM crowd.

For the most part, people in IM are opportunity seekers, have little or no capital, don't really have a business or know what it takes to run a business and to make matters worse they are taught by a bunch of self-proclaimed gurus who further confuse them and empty their wallets.

Say you have a website providing advice to couples on how to save a marriage. You need content for your website and come across a couple of writing samples.

1. http://ezinearticles.com/?Prevent-In...Tip&id=6308063

2. Nip Infidelity in the Bud

Which would you prefer?

Do you think the writer, Denise Mann who worked on the WebMd piece would agree for a $5 or $10 or $50 or $100 for that piece?

It is not just about the number of words, look at the way the article has been organized, take note of the number of sources she referred to in her article and how engaging and thorough the article is.

You may not need such high quality writing because not all niches need such articles and I am not here to tell you what is a fair price and how much to pay.

I just want people to know that writers do get paid $100+ for an article.

No way i can pay this for single article. My 20 pages sites cost me 75 dollars total and bring me a monthly profit of $100. Too much..

I think $150 is a tad on the high side.

Shop around;
Get people to send you examples of their work;
Check out what other people have said about their work;
Do plenty of research on the writer;
Then make a decision.

I'm pretty sure you will get a really good article for less than $150. Try Odesk.

Also, as someone has already said in this post, building a top-class authority site is not just about getting superbly written articles - there's much more to it. First and foremost, you must give quality to your users. Yes, your articles should be well researched and well written, but you don't have to get top-of-the-range material. Just concentrate on giving value to your users - basically, just make sure you give them what they want. This doesn't necessarily mean giving them articles written by someone with a Phd in English.

So my advice is, shop around and test things out before committing.

Good Luck.

The OP said 750 - 1200 words - not 500.

Do you know the writing quality of the writer in question? How? And where do you get $15 - $20 from? Was that just plucked out of thin air?

Thank goodness I am not the one depending on your "advice".

John.

$150 is a bit much for someone you've never worked with. What kind of a reputation do they have? Have you seen any samples?

High price isn't always an indicator of high value. Yes, you might get a well written article. But take this from someone who runs a copywriting team, there are some writers who charge a lot that have no business doing so...I get contacts from them on a consistent basis.

You can get a really good writer who has niche specific expertise for $50 per 500 words. I wouldn't suggest going lower though. I don't care what anyone says, a good 500 word article takes 45 minutes to an hour to write...and that's if you're really fast and already have enough knowledge to forgo the research.

Consider the money taken out for taxes and a "writer" who agrees to work for a penny or so a word is pretty much agreeing to work 12 hour days, seven days a week or starve. Do you want someone in that condition writing your content?

BTW: don't pay attention to the people on this thread who say they "would" pay it. Would means nothing. Seriously guys, how many of you have honestly paid $150 for an article?

No way I would pay that. Articles aren't worth that much, they just aren't. Second, you would only pay that kind of money for copy, not an article. Articles don't convert much of anything so I can't fathom why you would do this deal unless they are revealing alchemists secrets or the location of the fountain of youth.

Yeah- providing that they're high quality - I'd happily pay that much for an article. After all, they only write them once, and I get to profit from them time and again.

Wow, honestly i have never even seen anyone selling articles for that much. I bought all my mine for $2-$6 each.. and they work perfect for me.

An article for $150 should come with a name. A name your visitors would recognize as an authority and a celebrity. And, in that case it could even cost (and be worth for your business) a lot more. But just 800-1000 words of text, however good it may be--no...

I have paid $50 and even $100 for written content but the content was high quality. I mean well researched, proper spelling and grammar, semantically related words, and read at a proper grade level that corresponds to my niche, according the Flesch-Kincaid readability test.

The content was engaging and attracted people which allowed them to participate, learn, laugh and become followers. This is known as magnetic content in the marketing world.

If the article provided the above then yes it would be well worth the cost. Would I pay more than $10 for just an article that may only read well and have proper spelling ? Nope!

Certain elements would apply. Based on the utility of the articles the price should be based on that. If you wanted articles that were highly specialized and would take a lot of time to structure, expertly research, and would bring you a definite result, then $150.00 would be low.

Take someone who does copywriting. If their content made you a thousand dollars then at one hundred and fifty dollars you are getting them for a steal. Even when it comes to promoting affiliate products. If an article makes you on average one sale where you get a thirty dollar commission, then you paying five dollars is also a steal.

However any writer you paid a lot of money to would have to demonstrate past results that are similar to what you want now. They might have references for example to prove their abilities. Just think of it in terms of the value you expect to get.

would simply say, its a little too much

the price seems sky high to me. the standard articles come in $5 to $25 max.

It's a good question and is hot for asking in these days.

the problem is not in the high price that you pay for the articles but the articles that reinvest your money and make you profit.

I pay no more than $20 but I get a magnetic content; articles that attract people, enjoy reading, become followers and I make profit as a result.

The problem is not paying well but paying who deserves. Don't suicide yourself by buying the fish in the sea.

i am an affiliate to a really talented writer and she doesn't charge near that. The warrior forum is supposed to be marketers helping marketers what in the world has happened here it a shame when the warrior is more expensive than others.

Let's say that the article is going to be around 1500 words, extremely well researched and well written. All this being so, selling it at $150 is undervaluing the piece. S/he could probably pitch the same article to a trade journal and get $300+ so why are they offering so cheaply?

Personally, I wouldn't advise someone starting out to pay $150 for a single article. The truth of the matter is that your readers won't appreciate the quality. Instead try to buy 3-4 good solid articles for the same money.

Remember that when you buy articles for under $10 all you'll get is 500 hastily written words. You can expect the sentences to be grammatically correct and the words to be spelled correctly but that's about it.

Writers charging $30+ for articles will actually research the pieces (not just a quick look on EZA to see what other people have been writing). When you buy an article from a quality writer offering good content you get a lot more for your money. When you buy a batch of articles you will get the articles and a strategy for using them. Part of what you are paying for is the writer's experience in the niche they write for.

May I simplify this for just a moment? Rather than trying to guess at "quality" and "cost per word"...
(I'm guessing everyone knows my opinion on the worth of a writer by this point?)


If each article helps you make an average of $151 then it was "worth it."
If each article helps you make an average of only $149 then it was not "worth it."


As a businessperson, I have found that asking myself these two questions has been extraordinarily useful:

"To the best that I can calculate,
1. How much money will this help me to make, over time?
2. How much money would I lose over time by using the cheaper option?"


As I understand it, the stated goal is to build an "authority site". I have little idea what that means, and no way to judge what kind of money it will make for you. But, if you plan to be alive for another 30 years for example, how much money could an "authority site" make for you?

"Article" is such a dirty word these days. It's value has
deteriorated. I need another word for what I write at
$150 a pop.

Blog fodder and articles are quite different entities.

-Ray Edwards

Sorta'. Copy is essentially an article and I have paid a couple hundred for copy before. However this was before I discovered that I am actually a pretty good copywriter.

"One swallow doesn't make the summer"

And one great article alone will not make an "authority site".
Sure, it can set the tone - like Randy Ingermansson's article
about his 'Snowflake Method' does, with over 2 million views.

Factoring in the cost of content development in any Web business
is good planning.

Your content budget is NOT an expense - it's an INVESTMENT!

And there's a lot more to an authority site than just quality
content. "Community" is important. "Brand" is another.

Think of the Warrior Forum. Or Huffington Post. Or About.com

Quality content is an important part of the equation - though
not all of it.

What to do when/if you can't afford to pay in cash for the best
writers?

Try this (It won't always work) -

Barter services or goods in exchange.

You could offer something of value to your chosen writer in
exchange for them contributing an article to your site.

* Do something for them - directory submission, social media buzz etc.
* Find them something - a set of resources, people they can work with.
* Give them something - ad space on your blog, mention in your ezine.
* Introduce them to something useful to them - people, memberships etc.

You'll have to get creative. You're employing leverage, using what
you've got to get what you WANT.

It will be a uniquely individual situation with each writer - but
it can work very nicely... if you get it right.

Or you could feed their ego - sometimes that'll work

All success
Dr.Mani

P.S. - One more comment:

A well-recognized/respected/celebrity name would come with a price tag
that's 10x to 1,000x that amount, I'm afraid!

P.P.S. - If you don't want to pay premium rates for quality content,
there's one other solution that works.

LEARN to create premium content.

No, it isn't instant or easy. Yes, it's worth doing.

It's also the reason you don't have more "Yes" responses to the original
question of "Would YOU pay $150 per article?" Many Warriors write or
create their own content.


.

Mate, you don't need to pay that much until you are having a decent income from your online business.

Well, if you do have the budget, then it's up to you. Quality contents are very important but I believe there are some elements/aspects of your business that need more that amount.

Keep in mind that quality contents are not enough, you should consider the "driving traffic" aspect, from that you could budget and decide wisely on how to spend your money.

I hope you could really come up with a wise decision.

Cheers,
Louie Tugas

It depend how long is the article, but usually they charges too expensive for $150 per article. Unless your one article is more than 2 to 3 pages long !!!

Even you paid it , you also unable to know that how quality is the article until you submit it.

You should ask for some samples of what you can expect to receive from your writer.

If you believe the writer is a professional and he or she can produce great articles for your site, then go for it! However in my own perspective, $150 is just too much. But just like you admitted earlier, the writer is an expert. If you've seen samples of his/her articles and you think he or she is a good deal, then what's holding you back? Go for it.

To summarize further, this thread amounts to nothing more than

I used to write for less than $0.01 a word until I discovered that there are lots of people who are willing to pay big amounts for money for quality content. Now I won't write for less than $0.05 per word. I have written 500-1000 word articles and there are always people eager to buy my articles for $40-$100 each. They are not even editors of newspapers or magazines, just website owners and businessmen.

If you are a talented writer and you are charging less than $0.05 per word, you are doing yourself a great disservice. You don't even have to be on the level of Shakespeare to be paid $30-$100 per article. My articles often contain bad grammar (but not too much) and my choice of words might make your average English professor cringe (since I love to use slang words ), but hey, people are lining up to hire me to write for them. Your articles don't need to have spotless grammar or perfect sentence construction; all you have to do is to provide useful and valuable information, and lay them out in an easy-to-understand manner.

Well, if somebody hires me to write a book or a magazine article, I'll charge a minimum of $0.50 per word without batting an eyelash.

$150 for an article is worth it under two conditions:

1) if the writer is really, really, really, really, really good (as in, an expert in the field, with magazine-like writing skills)

and

2) If you have a decent enough targeted traffic in place to make that kind of premium content worth it.

Basically what I'm saying is that it's worth it if you can afford it and you know what you're doing with it.

This is just a totally ignorant statement.

While $150 are certainly not the norm for an "article", ANYTHING is "worth that much" if it gives the ROI back many-fold.

A site which makes several hundreds or thousands PER MONTH is well worth a "$150 article".

You can spot a serious marketer and an unprofessional marketer right away..because the amateur/unprofessional marketer will buy $3 articles and then fail with whatever he wants to do..while the serious guy will ALREADY know that even if he will spend $50, $100 or $150 he will get that back many, many times over. If he wouldn't know that he would not buy a $150 article in the first place.