Content and Article Writing - how to start out | Warrior Forum - The #1 Digital Marketing Forum & Marketplace

12 years ago

I say you look around at craigslist.org for any writing gigs that you can apply for. Usually these gigs last for weeks up to months if you are lucky. Probably somehow, you can find a good client that will hire you. Look also at problogger for blogging jobs. Try elance.com, if your language is good, which i think it is, you can get some gigs. Check also aboutfreelancewriting.com for their job boards. About the pricing, jobs can range from $3 to $8. Hope this helps.

Thanks

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BudaBrit

12 years ago

Thank you for the response.

To be honest, elance and the like are not exactly what I am looking at. I understand that it is the price plan I was putting in place for myself, but every job is either looking for someone incredibly cheap or someone with a lot of experience. There does not seem to be much of a market on these sites for good quality writers who do not have that huge body of work behind them.

I have a couple of ongoing jobs on oDesk, but they don't provide much work.

I have a problem with Demand Media, they're not accepting my application for some reason, still waiting for a response from my help query - not sure what the problem is, maybe it doesn't support Opera...

Thanks
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tantivy

12 years ago

Originally Posted by BudaBrit

...but every job is either looking for someone incredibly cheap or someone with a lot of experience. There does not seem to be much of a market on these sites for good quality writers who do not have that huge body of work behind them.

then you can start building an online portfolio... make a free blog in wordpress or blogger where you can show your best article writing examples. it will be better if you can get these articles submitted to ezinearticles since most of these people looking for writers want their articles pass the quality control of ezine.

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laurencewins

12 years ago

Check out this thread as there is some great info there for you instead of retyping it all here.
Check out vworker as there are lots of jobs there you can apply for although some are not as well paying.
I would recommend buying my ebook which covers a lot of what you need to know in better detail.

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Michael Mayhew

12 years ago

To start out. Fiverr?

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anthonytori1

Banned 12 years ago

[DELETED]

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Gail_Curran

12 years ago

Learn how to write kick-ass press releases that real businesses can use. Not the garbage people are offering for $5, but a genuine, newsworthy press release. Charge $50-$300 per press release.
.

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1 reply

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BudaBrit

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Gail_Curran

Learn how to write kick-ass press releases that real businesses can use. Not the garbage people are offering for $5, but a genuine, newsworthy press release. Charge $50-$300 per press release.
.

Thanks for the advice, Gail. I wrote my first real press release last month (also my first for 4 years), and the client said it was good. But I don't know how good it really was, and I was working through a middle man, too. I'm charging $15 for the press releases, but working through oDesk, so they take a chunk atm (until I can get my business set up, I can start working for it from the beginning of next month, but I cannot invoice until June 1st.

What is it that you think would make a really good, kick-ass press release?

Thanks

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Arroway

12 years ago

The easiest place to start out at is Fiverr. If done properly, income is pretty much guaranteed. That'll give you experience, motivation and funds do expand.

Allen

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BudaBrit

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Arroway

The easiest place to start out at is Fiverr. If done properly, income is pretty much guaranteed. That'll give you experience, motivation and funds do expand.

Allen

How would you go about getting jobs on Fiverr, though? Who will offer £5 for 100 words there when they can offer £5 for 500 from another?

I think I've bypassed Fiverr - I have a writing degree, and I have experience writing and editing documentation at my previous workplaces, I just don't have much official stuff.

I'm working on oDesk, and it provides a few hours work a week for a few $10's of dollars. How do you make yourself noticed, starting out, outside of these sites?

Thanks
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Alexa Smith Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by BudaBrit

How do you make yourself noticed, starting out, outside of these sites?

By deciding at the outset to compete in entirely different markets, Tom. As you should, with your qualifications, experience and literacy.

Starting cheap and increasing prices is not the answer. The content and article writing business simply doesn't work that way, and there are good and valid reasons for that, mostly related to the type of work sought by different groups of clients and the status of those clients' own businesses.

Some of the resources listed in this post may be helpful to you: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post6064316
- [ 5 ] Thanks
- 1 reply
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- hogoku 12 years ago
  
  hi,
  
  anyone know where can i get reliable people to write articles?
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  BudaBrit 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by hogoku
  
  hi,
  
  anyone know where can i get reliable people to write articles?
  
  Well, there's one here
  
  Thanks
  
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im4noobs

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Arroway

The easiest place to start out at is Fiverr. If done properly, income is pretty much guaranteed. That'll give you experience, motivation and funds do expand.

Allen

Fiverr is always the best for beginners!!!

Thanks
2 replies

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Joseph Robinson Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by im4noobs

Fiverr is always the best for beginners!!!

Nothing is always the best for beginners. In this specific case, fiverr would be a complete waste of time for the OP to start with.
- Thanks
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BudaBrit 12 years ago

Originally Posted by im4noobs

Fiverr is always the best for beginners!!!

Perhaps if you've never really written before, but considering I am earning more than $5/article already, and I only started with 3-5 hours per week about 6 weeks ago...

My problem is that I want to start right away, but I can't, as I have some legal issues to sort out here.

How important is your website to your business? How should I make mine? I do not really want to use a creator, but as what I want is very simple, would anyone recommend a tool to use?

Other than that, I guess I should have a blog going on the topic of writing? And I need to submit articles to places for links to my website when it is up and running? What are the sites in question? To be honest, the problem with searching for this type of information nowadays is that the web is full of these articles already, and they add no value - they're just repeating information in another way.
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- Shadowflux 12 years ago
  
  Hi BudaBrit!
  
  I sent you a PM with some information and my email address so you can get back to me.
  
  Thanks
  
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audrey77

12 years ago

Like you, I'm also trying to branch out into offering writing services. I have signed up at oDesk but I find that it is quite time consuming going through all the postings and placing bids, when I could have spent the time writing instead. I don't know, maybe I just don't have the experience yet bidding for jobs.

So, I'm now thinking of setting up my own website and offering PLR articles. The good thing about this is I can choose when and what to write and there is potential recurring income. I'm also checking if Fiverr could be an option for offering PLR articles as well.

On the downside, I have yet to establish a name for myself and if I set up a site, I still need to promote it in order to earn some money. And that takes time and along with it a certain amount of risk, as in any business venture.

So, I'm still exploring my options and going through this forum for ideas.

Thanks

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BridgetSielicki

12 years ago

I would suggest you take a look at some of the linked threads here to give you more focus. If you are looking to make a name for yourself, Fiverr and Odesk really aren't the way to go.

Why not get your site set up and offer to write a few articles for people for free in exchange for testimonials? Start getting your name out there and getting good feedback, and then you will be in a better position to market yourself at the prices you want to receive.

In answer to some of your other questions - I always think that pricing per word is better than per page. And there is no way I would pay that money for the domain you are looking at. No way. I assume this domain is for your writing site, no? If so, the domain name is quite insignificant in the big picture of things.

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BudaBrit

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

By deciding at the outset to compete in entirely different markets, Tom. As you should, with your qualifications, experience and literacy.

Starting cheap and increasing prices is not the answer. The content and article writing business simply doesn't work that way, and there are good and valid reasons for that, mostly related to the type of work sought by different groups of clients and the status of those clients' own businesses.

Some of the resources listed in this post may be helpful to you: link removed as I can't post it yet...

Thanks, Alexa.

What do you consider cheap and not cheap, then? I am currently charging the equivalent of $0.02/word, I assume that is considered cheap still. Is 5 cents a better price, or should I charge by article - eg: 500 words for $25 - meaning if I write 485 words, I still get $25?

Originally Posted by BridgetSielicki

I would suggest you take a look at some of the linked threads here to give you more focus. If you are looking to make a name for yourself, Fiverr and Odesk really aren't the way to go.

Why not get your site set up and offer to write a few articles for people for free in exchange for testimonials? Start getting your name out there and getting good feedback, and then you will be in a better position to market yourself at the prices you want to receive.

In answer to some of your other questions - I always think that pricing per word is better than per page. And there is no way I would pay that money for the domain you are looking at. No way. I assume this domain is for your writing site, no? If so, the domain name is quite insignificant in the big picture of things.

My aim is to transfer a couple of current clients to my own business. I can offer them the same rates I am currently charging for the first 3 months, for instance. This way I will have a steady, if small, income for the first part of the business. I also have a couple of friends who would appreciate content and would give me testimonials.

TBH, I am a writer. I have tried to get into internet marketing, and have researched SEO, article marketing, keyword research, etc., but I still do not think I have a great idea of the technical side of the business. I believe I can write good quality articles and content, and I believe I can write things that would make people contract me, but I'm not sure of the methods to get myself out there...

Which one one of the main reasons I have joined here

On the website question, it isn't essential, but it would be nice to have. Hopefully I can go back to it for a fraction of what he is asking for in the future. How much would you say a short, single word .com domain is worth?

Thanks

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Joseph Robinson

Banned 12 years ago

Let me go ahead and second Alexa's opinion for you. By far my biggest regret as a writer was thinking that I had to "work my way up the ladder" to what I thought my time and efforts were worth. It doesn't have to work like that. Charge what you're worth now, there is a market for your talents (and yes, it is quite obvious that you have the talent, at least from the way you have composed your posts so far).

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prasanth5

12 years ago

First try some article rewriting. There are a few freelancing sites on the Internet that post article rewriting jobs. You may take a few jobs to get used to writing articles and content. I hope this helps.

Thanks

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danr62

12 years ago

Tom, I can see that you are a good writer and that you realize the value you have to offer, unlike so many others who are willing to work for almost nothing.

My thoughts when it comes to pricing is that anyone who wants to take writing as a career seriously should start at no less than $0.10 per word. From there, you can begin to build your reputation and raise your rates further.

Recently, I have began to read a blog by Carol Tice, a respected freelance writer, who suggests that you should aim to make $100 an hour writing in order to cover additional costs that a job would normally take care of for you, such as health and life insurance.

You can read her blog to get some ideas of how to start out:

Make A Living Writing

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1 reply

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BudaBrit

12 years ago

Originally Posted by danr62

Recently, I have began to read a blog by Carol Tice, a respected freelance writer, who suggests that you should aim to make $100 an hour writing in order to cover additional costs that a job would normally take care of for you, such as health and life insurance.

One of the benefits of living here in Hungary is healthcare will cost me around $30/month...

Thanks for the tips, guys, I am going to gather as much material I can on online marketing, and I will let everyone know when the site is live

Any other feedback is welcomed with open arms, and I hope that one day I will be able to give advice back.

Thanks

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calculon

12 years ago

Originally Posted by BudaBrit

Lastly, I would like to get hold of a domain, but it is owned by a Korean guy. I decided to enquire about it - he gets 140 hits a day from misspells and doesn't rank anywhere on google, bing, yahoo, etc. I used my real name, which may be a problem - it is Tom Smith - so he may think I'm not a nobody. But he asked for $25,000. How much would you pay for a one word .com domain? Should I just purchase a different one and go back if my business takes off?

I would pass on the $25,000 domain for now, if not forever. I certainly would not pay that much for a one-word domain, unless I was flipping it and knew for sure I could sell at a nice profit.

Thanks
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BudaBrit

12 years ago

Originally Posted by calculon

I would pass on the $25,000 domain for now, if not forever. I certainly would not pay that much for a one-word domain, unless I was flipping it and knew for sure I could sell at a nice profit.

Aye, I have passed on it, and would only go back to it if it was a fifth of the price and my company was growing well.

I am starting to get bogged down a bit, I think - how would you go about targeting your audience? Where would you place yourself to attract the kind of people who would want your service and pay you well for it?

Thanks

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calebmann

12 years ago

Just get a simple domain and make a company, add a writing service to it for webmasters. You can find people to help you write the articles. I am always looking for writers.

Thanks
1 reply

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BudaBrit

12 years ago

Originally Posted by calebmann

Just get a simple domain and make a company, add a writing service to it for webmasters. You can find people to help you write the articles. I am always looking for writers.

If this is so, calebman, perhaps you'd be interested in working together?

Drop me a line, I can't send PM's yet :p

Thanks

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Omar Saady

12 years ago

I suggest you start in Iwriter where you can write or get quality articles

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Joseph Robinson Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Omar Saady

I suggest you start in Iwriter where you can write or get quality articles

The OP's not going to get what they are worth there.

Listen, writers, you need to get this through your head. There is no ladder that you have to climb before you can charge premium prices. This isn't like the MLB, where you have to work your way up through each level of the minors before getting that nice fat payday. As soon as you have the talent, newbie to IM or not, go get what you are worth.

Never work for less than what your time is worth.
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vik1000

12 years ago

fiverr odesk or elance i have only used fiverr though with good results i got 1000 word for $10 but it was good quality

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samuraig

12 years ago

Hi Tom,

I wouldn't pay $25,000 for a domain unless it was really worth it. Why not stick your middle initial in with tomsmith.com or thetomsmith.com or writertomsmith.com or something like that?

.02 cents is low to me, but if you need money fast, I suppose that would work for you. You can always search on Freelance.com and Craigslist for writing jobs that you can get for maybe even more than 0.02 cents a word.

Also, check out Work Place Like Home. They have a writing section on the forum that you can find higher paying writing jobs and apply.

Thanks
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BudaBrit

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Joe Robinson

The OP's not going to get what they are worth there.

Listen, writers, you need to get this through your head. There is no ladder that you have to climb before you can charge premium prices. This isn't like the MLB, where you have to work your way up through each level of the minors before getting that nice fat payday. As soon as you have the talent, newbie to IM or not, go get what you are worth.

Never work for less than what your time is worth.

How do you find the clients willing to pay large sums, though? How do you go about finding these as a newcomer?

Originally Posted by samuraig

Hi Tom,

I wouldn't pay $25,000 for a domain unless it was really worth it. Why not stick your middle initial in with tomsmith.com or thetomsmith.com or writertomsmith.com or something like that?

.02 cents is low to me, but if you need money fast, I suppose that would work for you. You can always search on Freelance.com and Craigslist for writing jobs that you can get for maybe even more than 0.02 cents a word.

Also, check out Work Place Like Home. They have a writing section on the forum that you can find higher paying writing jobs and apply.

I definitely won't be buying it - I wish I had $25,000!!!

What pricing scheme would you recommend? It's not.02 cents, it's 2c that I am charging at the moment, but I was thinking of charging 4c when the business is live. The problem is that I cannot yet invoice, and will not be able to until June. I was recommended to say that due to some difficulties with registration I was currently unable to invoice, but I can complete the work and invoice at the beginning of June. I don't want to work without being paid upfront, however - which brings me to the question: Are you paid upfront, always?

Thanks
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cashp0wer 12 years ago

You can actually post on the Warrior for Hire section of this website (which is I think about $20) and find some good clients. Craigslist looks for writers all the time. Try to stay away from the content mills if you can.
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danr62 12 years ago

Originally Posted by BudaBrit

How do you find the clients willing to pay large sums, though? How do you go about finding these as a newcomer?

You go out and look for them. Just the other day I emailed a business in my area that I would like to work with. I got a response and will be meeting with the owner tomorrow.

It could be that he wont want to pay my rates, but maybe he will.

If not, I can send out more emails to more businesses until I find someone who is. And I can keep in touch with this business owner to nurture a relationship that might lead to a job in the future.

Don't expect to find many clients willing to pay well on the WF, or Elance, or any of those other sites. Sure, they are out there, but how many other providers are bidding on those jobs?
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Joseph Robinson

Banned 12 years ago

Figure out where they are, and start establishing a reputation for yourself. I'd put great money on there being a sizable contingent here who are hunting for top quality writers. Put together an excellent for hire ad, establish your writing style with some great posts, and have samples prepared that show you produce nothing but the best.

From when I hit $.05 per word and upwards, I've solely pulled in clients from here (with the exception of one or two who pay me whatever I ask from Odesk). So establish yourself as someone worthy on the forum and they'll find you.

Thanks

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Nixgan

12 years ago

BudaBrit,

would you like to write for me ? Basically I am looking for good article writers and intended to get to freelancers.com and look for them. But since you are in this niche and write pretty well, would you like to write for me? I am considering long term cooperations and if you are good why not give it a try. The articles I require must pass ezinearticles editorial guidelines though and I only require 400 word articles. I will be giving you the details and references but you will have to post it on ezine for me after I approve your articles. How about it ?

How much do you charge for an article of 400 words ? I am interested in getting ten articles soon and if you are interested do pm me or email me at nixgan1270@gmail.com.

Looking forward to working with you !

Thanks

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BudaBrit

12 years ago

OK, I thought I'd post it here, as this is where I was asking questions before.

Basically, I wanted to know how others process their payments, etc.? How do your clients pay you and what options do you offer for them? When do you get them to pay, and what kind of fees do you incur?

Thanks

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Sophia M

Banned 12 years ago

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BudaBrit 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Sophia M

I'm not a writer but most of the writers I've dealt with charge by article. ranging from $20~$300 for press release.

I have a pricing scheme set up and ready, but I'm not sure on how to process any of these payments, which options work, and how to go about it. I thought I'd ask here because people are generally helpful
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BudaBrit

12 years ago

Thank you Marianne.

As I've just purchased my domain and hosting, I will hopefully have a site, or at least a landing page for now, up soon. I will look for your advice

And when you come here, check me out in the city, it's beautiful here, atm, although I wish I got outside more!

Originally my idea was to have a rate per 100 words, but I'm coming to the idea of having a rate per 100 words in my head, as a guide, and charging on a project by project basis, but based upon word count and the amount of research I need to do. I like the idea of being able to give clients a pretty firm outline of cost from the offset.

Thanks

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ExpertSEOServices

12 years ago

You could start a thread here on the WF. Offer some review prices to get people interested until you have reviews. You could also create some fiverr gigs and other gigging sites for free.
This is a great way to get started.
Try to offer something unique or a bonus.

You could also try writing and selling PLR

Thanks

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