Seriously, I give up....what is the deal with writers?

59 replies
I have a job that I need done. i have made deals with more than one person who after all is said and done and I'm expecting them to start writing, I will email them to see how things are going......no reply, no reply, no reply. This has gone on with 3 ppl now and it was all agreed, their prices, etc.

What is the deal? Can no one live up to their word around here? Ok I'm just venting but this is ridiculous.
#deal #give #upwhat #writers
  • Profile picture of the author pavondunbar
    These writers you contracted to do business with...

    Are fellow Warriors here?

    I'm just asking...

    Pavon
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    • Profile picture of the author Tim Whiston
      Writers are friggin' flakes. I can say that because I am one.

      I tried the ghostwriting deal but just couldn't pull it off. It's easy to take on a lot of work and end up too stacked with projects to efficiently deliver.

      Of course look for a slew of writers to burst in here saying they'd never do that and blah blah but the fact is many service providers get into the problem of selling too many gigs. This is true of writers, designers, landscapers, plumbers, and anyone else who sells their time.

      Sorry you're having a rough time finding someone to square your projects away.
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      • Profile picture of the author pavondunbar
        Originally Posted by Tim Whiston View Post

        Writers are friggin' flakes. I can say that because I am one.

        I tried the ghostwriting deal but just couldn't pull it off. It's easy to take on a lot of work and end up too stacked with projects to efficiently deliver.

        Of course look for a slew of writers to burst in here saying they'd never do that and blah blah but the fact is many service providers get into the problem of selling too many gigs. This is true of writers, designers, landscapers, plumbers, and anyone else who sells their time.

        Sorry you're having a rough time finding someone to square your projects away.
        Tim's right...

        I design websites for clients on the side...

        And several times I'm afraid to take on too many projects at once...

        Because it's just me...

        I've had to tell many people to wait a month or two because I am busy, blah blah blah, etc...

        But some of them couldn't...so they had to walk...

        Sometimes in our quest for riches we forget that we still have work to do after the customer has paid us...

        And that can be overwhelming sometimes because, face it, there's only 24 hours a day...

        And you are only human.

        Time management is key...something I constantly strive to improve everyday.

        Pavon
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        • Profile picture of the author Clyde Dennis
          Originally Posted by pavondunbar View Post

          Tim's right...

          I design websites for clients on the side...

          And several times I'm afraid to take on too many projects at once...

          Because it's just me...

          I've had to tell many people to wait a month or two because I am busy, blah blah blah, etc...

          But some of them couldn't...so they had to walk...

          Sometimes in our quest for riches we forget that we still have work to do after the customer has paid us...

          And that can be overwhelming sometimes because, face it, there's only 24 hours a day...

          And you are only human.

          Time management is key...something I constantly strive to improve everyday.

          Pavon
          I have some what the same deal with video production. I deal with it by establishing the size of my production queue and then staying within it.

          Really comes down to basic time management in the end.
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      • Profile picture of the author robinana
        Originally Posted by Tim Whiston View Post

        Writers are friggin' flakes. I can say that because I am one.

        I tried the ghostwriting deal but just couldn't pull it off. It's easy to take on a lot of work and end up too stacked with projects to efficiently deliver.

        Of course look for a slew of writers to burst in here saying they'd never do that and blah blah but the fact is many service providers get into the problem of selling too many gigs. This is true of writers, designers, landscapers, plumbers, and anyone else who sells their time.

        Sorry you're having a rough time finding someone to square your projects away.

        Haha,

        Funny thing is that I'm a part time IM and a FULL time freelance writer. I just needed help with a large project so I thought I'd hire someone. First I tried someone from another forum, and then the other 2 that I contacted were Warriors, yes....I found them here. They paid 20 dollars to put an ad up and then didn't deliver. But I'm just venting.......no names, no bad feedback....I'm a silent seether........lol
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        • Profile picture of the author LeeMasterson
          Originally Posted by robinana View Post

          Haha,

          Funny thing is that I'm a part time IM and a FULL time freelance writer. I just needed help with a large project so I thought I'd hire someone. First I tried someone from another forum, and then the other 2 that I contacted were Warriors, yes....I found them here. They paid 20 dollars to put an ad up and then didn't deliver. But I'm just venting.......no names, no bad feedback....I'm a silent seether........lol
          I'm not tarring all writers with the same feathers here, but from experience I know that good writers don't need to advertise their services at all. They're constantly busy, they're earning plenty and new clients are sourced by referrals from other happy clients. I'm in this category. My good friend Cheryl Wright is another. There are plenty of us who don't advertise for new clients and can remain consistently busy every day writing and running our businesses.

          That leads me to wondering why other writers feel the need to constantly advertise their services. Are they not receiving repeat orders from clients? Are they still new and aiming at finding new clients to get them going? Why aren't they very busy if they're really as good as their ads claim? Are their fees so low that they need to overload themselves with more and more work, which threatens to compromise quality?

          When I see so many different threads on different forums wondering why the writers they hired didn't come up with the goods - maybe it's time to search for your writers by asking for referrals from friends or fellow Warriors instead. At least you'll know what you're getting rather than being tempted by a sales pitch.
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  • Profile picture of the author SergeantWeb
    I'm curious also. Where did you find them?
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    • Profile picture of the author robinana
      Originally Posted by SergeantWeb View Post

      I'm curious also. Where did you find them?
      Two were here from paid ads, one was from another forum. Yep...
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  • Profile picture of the author Buildingfutures
    I'm no flake, I always try to get my stuff to people on time.

    but I never have more than four clients at once, and telling them to wait 1-3 days isn't a big deal for them or me. They know I have life and other things to take care of, and I've always given very good quality work.

    I guess you just found the guys who like to take money and run, because work is the devil for them.
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  • Profile picture of the author dndoseller
    That is exactly how writers are. You are not crazy. They take on too much and ditch.

    Your best bet is to find people in a situation where their rating is excellent and writing is their living - like on elance or a site like that.

    Still, I hate writing the kind of extensive articles I need, so I just have fun with it and keep looking. I find people to get the work done eventually. If they are not responsive I just move on.

    Also I do jobs in small batches and resign myself to losing a few bucks here and their in a worse case scenario. The alternative is to do something that I don't enjoy so that is not an alternative at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author Cosmo Demopoulos
    Most people are flakes. Although I had decent luck, I hear writers are worse than most!

    Sorry you've had such troubles.
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  • Profile picture of the author joshfromwid
    I can do your job for you. I do really good work and keep communication throughout the project.check out my website at www.articleexpressway.com to see what people are saying about me.

    Let me know if I can be of assisstance.

    Thanks,
    Josh

    QUOTE=robinana;665914]I have a job that I need done. i have made deals with more than one person who after all is said and done and I'm expecting them to start writing, I will email them to see how things are going......no reply, no reply, no reply. This has gone on with 3 ppl now and it was all agreed, their prices, etc.

    What is the deal? Can no one live up to their word around here? Ok I'm just venting but this is ridiculous.[/QUOTE]
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  • Profile picture of the author MeTellYou
    I think the deal is you have to set up with your writer and then kind of assume that they are going to be late. If you expect the work to be done in seven days, then tell them to do it in three days. I think this might take care of your frustration

    I know this might not be the best attitude to have, but I am striving to help out!
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    • Profile picture of the author robinana
      Originally Posted by MeTellYou View Post

      I think the deal is you have to set up with your writer and then kind of assume that they are going to be late. If you expect the work to be done in seven days, then tell them to do it in three days. I think this might take care of your frustration

      I know this might not be the best attitude to have, but I am striving to help out!
      Hey...I already know that trick from working at a print shop. I always told the press guys the job HAD to be shipped by 5 pm on a certain day, and I would act so stressed....and then they would come through for me and in the back of my mind I knew I was looking like a shining star to my client cuz the job wasn't due for 2 more days.........ahhh the good old days...lol
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  • Profile picture of the author imontie
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    • Profile picture of the author robinana
      Originally Posted by imontie View Post

      Whew, on the home page, all that showed of the thread title was "Seriously, I give up..."

      I thought this was going to be another newbie thread saying...

      omfg you guys all suck if someone doesn't send me $50k via paypal right now i'm quitting IM...
      Now THAT made me laugh.........lol
      Yea I've read those too.....It always makes me say to myself, "okay, good bye bye......go flip some burgers at mcdonalds if you don't want to put the effort into this"
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      • Profile picture of the author Eric Lorence
        If you still need the job done try here...

        Elance | Connect with Qualified Professionals

        Plenty of writers there, and they have a built in escrow system for protection.

        Good luck!
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        • Profile picture of the author Nathan Hangen
          The thing is, most writers hang around in the shadows because they have a client list that keeps them busy and knows what to expect. As a result, the new writers come in and try to set up shop, but they don't know how to run a business.
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  • Profile picture of the author artwebster
    Maybe, like everything else, the results you are getting are down to the price you are willing to pay.

    It distreses me to see that a series of articles, say ten articles of resonable length, is seen as a bargain basement purchase by most people who out-source AND they expect original content!

    Maybe your three writers received better offers, did not consider that you had a contract (did any money change hands?) or even decided that your offer was a joke and to be ignored.

    I often see knee jerk acceptances of bids for articles and others, like Josh, who actually publish a fixed price list. How can they possibly make fixed price offers if they have no idea what it is that you want articles about? The research alone for many topics would make the deal unprofitable.
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    • Profile picture of the author robinana
      Originally Posted by artwebster View Post

      Maybe, like everything else, the results you are getting are down to the price you are willing to pay.

      It distreses me to see that a series of articles, say ten articles of resonable length, is seen as a bargain basement purchase by most people who out-source AND they expect original content!

      Maybe your three writers received better offers, did not consider that you had a contract (did any money change hands?) or even decided that your offer was a joke and to be ignored.

      I often see knee jerk acceptances of bids for articles and others, like Josh, who actually publish a fixed price list. How can they possibly make fixed price offers if they have no idea what it is that you want articles about? The research alone for many topics would make the deal unprofitable.

      AHHHH....sweet wisdom. You are right, of course. Thank you for reading my little vent session and responding. I will take on the new day, doing these myself....I'm sure it does come down to the dollar. I was the first client for one of the writers and he accepted my job......then I noticed someone else a few hours later offered him more money to take on their project. I guess I can't blame him....but why couldn't he answer my email and tell me straight up, hey I'm dumping the project....oh well....
      New day, new outlook!
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  • Profile picture of the author traces2757
    Okay, let's not generalize about writers, people. Some of us are very conscientious about meeting our deadlines. I tell my clients not to give me a cent until I hand over the finished product (this means each 'batch' of articles they want me to do.) I don't overbook, which means I do have to turn people down sometimes or ask if they'd be willing to wait, but when I take on an article project I deliver. Frankly, I'd feel terrible if I didn't. But then I'm addicted to guilt.

    And let's not forget the clients who skip out on writers without paying what they owe. Though I'm glad to say that it has only happened to me rarely, it does happen. And I'll bet that any writer you talk to will say it has happened to them too.

    It all comes down to work ethics (or any ethics for that matter.) Some people are sorely lacking in that area.
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    • Profile picture of the author Karen Blundell
      Originally Posted by traces2757 View Post

      snip....

      And let's not forget the clients who skip out on writers without paying what they owe. Though I'm glad to say that it has only happened to me rarely, it does happen. And I'll bet that any writer you talk to will say it has happened to them too.
      that's why I get a deposit from my clients..that way I haven't lost everything if they do skip out
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  • Profile picture of the author Craig Fenton
    Hi Robinana:

    Sorry you have had the situation come up that doesn't end with writers. How many times per day do we find people that can't answer email or phone calls?

    If you would like send me a private message I can make some recommendations. As an author, writer, public-speaker I have seen it all (the good, the bad, and the ugly).

    Don't let any bumps in the road prevent you from finding the finish line.

    Have a great weekend.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Taylor
    I must admit I'm surprised to see you complaining about
    other writers being late to respond when you posted
    this thread because you were "behind again".

    I hire a lot of writers, but I'd be very reluctant to hire
    someone who repeatedly failed to deliver on time.

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author robinana
      Originally Posted by John Taylor View Post

      I must admit I'm surprised to see you complaining about
      other writers being late to respond when you posted
      this thread because you were "behind again".

      I hire a lot of writers, but I'd be very reluctant to hire
      someone who repeatedly failed to deliver on time.

      John
      JUST TO CLARIFY JOHN-

      Me saying that I'm behind again just means that I can see that I may need some help. It does not mean that I have missed a deadline.
      I think anyone with a bit of planning skills that works alone (as I do) can see that if they have 100 articles to write within the next 5 days that it might help to outsource 25 of them to relieve a bit of stress.

      With that said.......I DON'T OUTSOURCE ANYMORE EVER. IT HAS NEVER WORKED OUT FOR ME AND I'M SURE IT NEVER WILL. I will just take on less clients, period. The thing is that I am very particular about my writing, so expecting to outsource and have it work out was a pretty dumb idea.

      I will say that I have outsourced to Mac Cassity and a few very intelligent Warriors in the past that have come through for me with flying colors. But besides that, I will stick to doing my own work.

      It is best for my customers as well. They deserve writing that is straight from MY brain, not someone else's.
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  • Profile picture of the author twocolor
    This thread is going here, there and everywhere in between. Robinana posted about service providers...in this case article writers who do not fulfill their end of the bargain...to deliver the articles.

    I can relate...I am going through the same situation right now. Sad to say a warrior...who after stringing me along...now cannot produce. Great WSO...just send the beer money which I did up front. Now waiting on a refund. So the person has had use of my money and wasted valuable time..I should have had project completed.

    And I have had 2 skip with my money. And had to pull teeth to get a refund from another one...a sizable job. I waited 3 months!

    So...the point here is that many are just unreliable. They post an offer with their price...you buy at that price and you expect delivery....simple. Now if you ask a person to come down on their price and they keep giving you excuses instead of delivering...then I can see how your job got placed on the back burner.

    I have tried Elance and some other freelancing sites...I have not had great results. So I continue looking here. I am sure that there must be some reliable providers here.

    All the best!

    Sonia
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  • Profile picture of the author MarkWrites
    This thread raises a lot of good points and common complaints about some people selling their writing services (not everyone who sells their writing services is a "writer").

    I am sure if you went to a writers forum you would find a similar thread complaining about clients who ask for endless revisions at no charge, change their mind about the scope of an article or what keywords to use either while the project is being written or once its complete, or skip town without paying for the work that was done for them.

    It doesn't matter the industry, there are bad apples every where... and unfortunately they stick out more than the good ones.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anna Johnson
    I reject the insinuation that all writers are flakes. We run a professional writing service at Blue Sea Articles and have never missed a deadline. Having said that, we have erroneously hired flaky writers and have, as a result, ended up rolling up our sleeves to ensure work goes out when it's due. That's what being professional is about and I do think there are service providers who lack the professionalism to agree to realistic deadlines and meet those deadlines.
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    • Profile picture of the author Brad Mc Bard
      As others said before: it's not just writers, but also coders, site builders, graphic designers and most other freelance creatives.

      One of the first affiliate marketing books I ever read, Rosalind Gardner's Super Affiliate Handbook stated:

      "Hire a Designer - Unless you personally know a Web site designer and are totally confident in his or her work, this option is mostly a crapshoot. ... My partners and I hired programmers to develop proprietary 'matchmaking' software...The final product was more than a year overdue, and...it took many more months to 'tweak' the site to perfection...
      If time and money aren't issues for you, then 2 great places to find designers are Elance and RentaCoder."


      Some jobs I hired out were delivered on-time, but this required A LOT of supervising to ensure that.
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  • Profile picture of the author GuerrillaIM
    Hiring writers from the freelance websites like guru and elance is much better because if they don't deliver they will receive a bad review. I only employ people who have good reviews on freelance websites.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Taylor
    If you don't know anything about a new
    writer ask them if they would be willing
    to work through RentaCoder.

    You pay the cash up front which goes
    into escrow. They are assured of being
    paid and you are assured of the job being
    completed.

    Neither party need to be at risk.

    John
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  • Profile picture of the author clarissa25
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    As a writer myself I think a major reason why writers are flaky is because they are often underpaid for the job they are asked to do. They accept the job because they need the money, but as they begin to see how much work it is and realize how little money they are getting, they figure the person paying them must surely be able to understand if it's a little late. afterall they are paying them peanuts.......Not like i am flaky, but often I realize I am being cruelly underpaid.
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    • Profile picture of the author ShayB
      Originally Posted by clarissa25 View Post

      As a writer myself I think a major reason why writers are flaky is because they are often underpaid for the job they are asked to do. They accept the job because they need the money, but as they begin to see how much work it is and realize how little money they are getting, they figure the person paying them must surely be able to understand if it's a little late. afterall they are paying them peanuts.......Not like i am flaky, but often I realize I am being cruelly underpaid.
      Then you need to adjust your rates.

      Writing can be a very lucrative profession.

      There is nothing wrong with charging lower rates when you first start out - you are building up your resume - but you need to charge what your time and skill are worth.

      I charge more than some and less than others. I am quite happy with what I make. Writing pays me much more than a full time job where I live would.
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    • Profile picture of the author Taylor French
      Originally Posted by clarissa25 View Post

      As a writer myself I think a major reason why writers are flaky is because they are often underpaid for the job they are asked to do. They accept the job because they need the money, but as they begin to see how much work it is and realize how little money they are getting, they figure the person paying them must surely be able to understand if it's a little late. afterall they are paying them peanuts.......Not like i am flaky, but often I realize I am being cruelly underpaid.
      I absolutely agree. I almost never take freelance writing jobs these days because the vast majority of writers are charging so little for their writing that I just can't compete without putting myself into a poverty income bracket. Even when I do offer to do work at reasonable rates, I am often completely ignored. If I send a quote of $8 per article, I rarely ever hear back from the person.

      I can't go lower than $7 or $8 for an article. With the amount of time I spend thoroughly researching and making sure everything is accurate, to go any lower would put me into the realm of 'cruelly underpaid'.

      So now I produce articles mostly for myself, because I know the type of quality I produce will earn more than I would make writing them for someone else, anyway.
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  • Profile picture of the author helenaja
    I'm so sorry Robinanna and others who have had negative experiences with writers. I must admit, it does make it more difficult for those who are willing to be professionals, yet find it harder to get writing assignments. I would feel very hesitant to place all writers in one barrel. There are good and bad in every occupation and business. Good luck to all of you!!! Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author elle56
    I don't take more than 4 projects at the same time, too. Beyond that, which I tried in the past, is not going to be easy to pull off. I ended up sleeping 2-3 hours just to meet deadlines.

    Couldn't blame writers for leaving one project to another one that pays more. The same thing happens everywhere.

    In your case, the writers should have given you notice rather than vanish just like that.
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  • Profile picture of the author RGS54
    I can sympathize with both sides. As a writer, charging by the hour or project is a losing proposition. No leverage. So of course we are going to try to maximize income by trying to do more, faster. That rarely works. But writing once and getting paid once sucks too.

    Here's another idea. Do any Warriors here ever partner with writers?? Share future revenues in exchange for product creation?? You be "Steve Jobs" and let them be "Woz"? One is the marketer the other is the product developer?

    I've written several ebooks and then self published them on Amazon so I know how to do all that stuff. But I'm not the greatest marketer so I'm just doing OK. I've often thought about partnering with a kick-ass marketer since I'm really good at product creation and enjoy the process.
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  • Profile picture of the author FreelanceSally
    I'm not a flake. Before I even accept a project, I discuss all terms with my clients. My terms are simple, "Project will be delivered within 7 business days." That's all it takes.

    If I ever feel like I'm going to miss a deadline, I work on my days off or I drive to Wal-Mart and stock up on energy drinks to pull an all-nighter. I can't tell you how many times I've come close to crunch time and I pull all nighters just to make sure I deliver quality work. But hey, it's part of my job. Sacrifice a little sleep to build a good rapport with clients.

    There's no reason for a writer (as many noobs loosely call themselves), to miss a deadline. If you take on work, get your ass researching, outlining, citing, typing and revising until it's done. There's no way to build a good rapport with clients unless you deliver the set upon materials on or before the deadline. That's just unprofessional, man.
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  • Profile picture of the author magic456
    I hired Dwayne on this forum to write articles for me. He is really good. Excellent communication, does keyword research for articles before writing them and delivers on time. He goes by the handle "yumeryu3". I would highly recommend checking his reviews.
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  • Profile picture of the author MsDebra
    Now I know why it's so difficult to find clients. Some flaky writers have made the whole writing community look bad. I am "ol' school" so I was taught work ethics. I have been in the workforce for more than 30 years believing that I was to show up to work every day and on time. I've carried that over into my article writing business. I can say that I would not take on more jobs than I can get done. I can help anyone who is reading this thread unless I have too much work.
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  • Profile picture of the author yaji
    Give another try... You are doing your own business. It's part of your job to find the good contractor you want to build long-term relationship with. Do you expect to find your second half only knowing 3 friends... That's the same to build long-term relationships with your contractors...

    Keep trying, never say give up.
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  • Profile picture of the author johnmags
    I suggest you cite the names of the writers to warn others. Your lucky you did not paid any initial downpayment as others made that mistake. You're right, if you are a writer, do it yorself and negotiate with your buyers to extend the deadline. Maybe next time when you bid for a project, be sure to state a longer timeframe based on your capacity.
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  • Profile picture of the author akyak
    ... I can relate to what you're going through, it's frustrating huh. I've had many writers simply vanish on me after making deals with them, but these were usually the times I've attempted to spend less on production. Big mistake in my experience

    I've come up with an equation that will probably explain this outcome...

    spend<$8/article = delivery rate<30%
    (if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys)

    When you consider the wasted time on the 'ghost' writer (get it, they disappear) and then the delay in finding someone else, I think the best plan of attack is stay away from the lowest bids on your projects at guru, ifreelance, rentacoder, etc and try out the ones who are around the middle price bracket.
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  • Profile picture of the author lacraiger
    Originally Posted by robinana View Post

    I have a job that I need done. i have made deals with more than one person who after all is said and done and I'm expecting them to start writing, I will email them to see how things are going......no reply, no reply, no reply. This has gone on with 3 ppl now and it was all agreed, their prices, etc.

    What is the deal? Can no one live up to their word around here? Ok I'm just venting but this is ridiculous.
    boo hoo... these people have lives too... the world doesnt revolve around your demands.
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    • Profile picture of the author FreelanceSally
      Originally Posted by lacraiger View Post

      boo hoo... these people have lives too... the world doesnt revolve around your demands.

      I disagree. If you take on a client, you damn well better move your personal issues to the side to meet your deadline. It's just unprofessional if you put your needs first. How many freelance writers would be successful if they put their deadlines aside to watch the new season of LOST? Not many.
      Signature

      My name's not Sally.

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      • Originally Posted by FreelanceSally View Post

        I disagree. If you take on a client, you damn well better move your personal issues to the side to meet your deadline. It's just unprofessional if you put your needs first. How many freelance writers would be successful if they put their deadlines aside to watch the new season of LOST? Not many.
        Exactly.

        You have to build trust in this business if you ever expect to have repeat clients and a successful operation.

        Making a promise to someone and not coming through on that promise when it comes to ghostwriting is a good way to put you into "that other category" of writers who apparently don't want your business bad enough.

        Who's a client going to remember when they need those extra 10 articles done for a quick deadline? The writer that made false promises and didn't deliver on time? Or the writer that went above and beyond and lived up to their promises that they provided.

        I think it all comes down to time management and being truthful and honest with your clients. If you lack either one of those abilities, you probably aren't best suited for the freelance writing business.

        Just my .02
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  • Profile picture of the author akyak
    ouch, that was a bit harsh
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  • Profile picture of the author Emmanuel Betinis
    Unless I'm completely missing something here,
    why don't you use Articlez.com

    You submit the project in your control panel
    (free registration), watch the "status" of the project,
    and BAM - within one or two days - DONE.

    I have had them write hundreds (literally) of articles
    for me with not ONE single problem with timeliness.
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  • Profile picture of the author VeronicaD
    I'm sorry, but I think grouping all writers together and saying writers are all flakes is going a bit overboard. Unfortunately, there are self-proclaimed writers who 1.) Aren't professional and manage time effectively 2.) Are aspiring writers who just hasn't had the experience in managing time effectively 3.) Aren't writers at all, but just people who fall into the common misconception that anyone can write for a living online.

    When you're thinking about hiring a writer, don't just go with the first one, cheapest one, or take them on their "word". Here are some tips taken from an article I wrote a while back for my Squidoo Lens...

    Ask to chat with them - just about everyone at least has some kind of instant messenger they like to use. This is one of the best ways to weed out potential writers. You'll get a sense of who they are, and you'll know right from the start if they are professional at all. You'll be surprised how many times you will see something like "hi, i sure can do best for you". Request to see samples of previous work and references. Use a written agreement, especially on your first order.

    When you talk with them, find out if they know anything about SEO. This is particularly important if you don't know much about it. Good web content writers should have, at least, some basic SEO knowledge and how to effectively write content that helps with SEO.
    Signature

    Contact me if you need to!

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  • Profile picture of the author drm50
    Robinana,

    I have to agree with you on the outsourcing. I have never had a good experience outsourcing probably because my expectations and standards are very high. I have paid good money to work with what appeared a reputable source only to be disappointed. I finally decided to do everything myself and just succumb to the learning curve way of getting things done.

    There were a few comments in this thread indicating that some writers are very responsible and also a few comments from warriors that were a little insulted by the statement that "all writers are flakes." I understand where those people are coming from. I am a writer, but only for my own projects. I am just not cut out to serve others as a writer.

    However, people can be irresponsible and flaky in more ways than one and unfortunately that is a sign of our times.

    I hope things work out for you and maybe handling the writing yourself is the way to go. That way things get done and you can have peace of mind.

    I guess there is some wise wisdom in the thinking that if you want things done right you should do it yourself.

    Good luck,

    Dennis
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  • Profile picture of the author ecoverartist
    I do writing work through Rent a Coder and always live up to my deadlines. Not all writers are flakes!
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  • Profile picture of the author JonStein
    Originally Posted by robinana View Post

    I have a job that I need done. i have made deals with more than one person who after all is said and done and I'm expecting them to start writing, I will email them to see how things are going......no reply, no reply, no reply. This has gone on with 3 ppl now and it was all agreed, their prices, etc.

    What is the deal? Can no one live up to their word around here? Ok I'm just venting but this is ridiculous.

    Maybe the problem is the amount of pay. Many writers take on more than they can handle simply to be able to meet their monthly expenses.

    Writers, like anyone else, have bills, mortgages, kids to feed, and so on.

    I know from personal experience I have in the past taken on more projects than I could complete, because I needed so much money to meet monthly expenses.

    The solution is simple:

    If you are paying less than $10 an article, then you will have problems. Pay more for the speed, quality and efficiency.
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  • Profile picture of the author ragnartm
    I doubt that there are a larger percentage of flakes among writers than anywhere else, and if it actually is so I'm ashamed on behalf of them, said Ragnar when realizing that if all his offers on elance get accepted he is going to drown in a lake of articles of his own creation.

    Better luck with your next writers, ask people you know and trust to recommend someone to you. If you decide to write it yourself best of luck with that too.
    All the best,
    Signature

    Ragnar.

    Quality over quantity. Hire me to write highly shareable, user focused blog posts or articles.

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  • Profile picture of the author Sxperm
    It's about the time too. I had many bad experiences with writers that claimed they can outsources my work and deliver quality content in timely fashion. However, most of them are none and one thing I learn is - You will got for what you've paid. I recommend you to outsource the work to some reliable provider, which may not cheap as you like. I have best experiences with CommunicateBetter. They are not cheap but honest service and the content quality is superb. Grace Chen is the great editor too.

    I never met or know Grace as personally. I have met her by chance when I did search for content writer on some webmaster forum. I also paid her full upfront with a risk as I know nothing about her really, except the example she agave me. Luckily that the delivered contents are great quality and I found an honest writer provider in the same time. I do use their service until now.
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  • Profile picture of the author sm97os
    Finding a good writer is one of the hardest things I have had to do in this business. I end up writing a lot of my own stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anomaly1974
    Wow, so many comments, so many sides to different stories. I guess now I have to throw in my two cents too ... being both a PROFESSIONAL writer and someone who has in fact, missed deadlines.

    I have lost everything I owned twice and when I did, I "disappeared" on my clients. They were rightfully upset and while I did contact them once I was in a position to get back online, obviously, they were not interested in resuming our previous business relation. Lesson learned - keep a list of client information in at least three spots to avoid disappearing on them :">

    If you have writers (or people from ANY profession) here who are not delivering as promised, the Mods are very good about getting rid of them. I have personally been ripped off by a few people here ... including one person I discovered to actually be selling two of my book on Lulu.com while I was not online) Apart from the 1200 copies we sold when we launched, he has had over a year selling my products and not paying me anything. Mind you, while he is still working with many "reputable" Internet Marketers, he is no longer on the Warrior Forum ... at least not by the same name. If there are ANY people here not delivering, PLEASE make sure the mods know.

    I would not even consider writing 20 articles a day. If you have an e-book or other larger project, than I can safely figure on writing between ten and fifteen thousand words a day but for me to write twenty articles in a day ... It would not be possible and I could not do it. Therefore, I would never take on that much work ... at least not of that nature. I may do five or even ten on a good day in between writing books or courses but but to write so many short articles is beyond my capacity ... at least with any kind of writing that I would want to have my name associated with. I understand though, that some people really can write decent articles in ten minutes ... and some of them can and some can not write e-books or other larger products so this is purely a matter of the writer's personal skills more than a broad commentary on writers overall. Conversely, I see "writers" here with spelling and grammatical errors in their work. While it may be understandable in most posts, when I am claiming to be a "perfessional" in any field, I want to make sure that at least the post where I lay my claim to those skills is in line with what I am claiming. Again though, I have been "accused" of being an old-school Purist when it comes to writing and I must say, I took it as quite the compliment actually.

    At this point in time, I am only recently back online so now I am working on the lance sites (For frighteningly pathetic and skimpy rates) and explaining to my clients that I am working at less than Introductory rates and if they have more work to do, I will be happy to continue working for them at my introductory rates while I build my client base up. I am currently between two and three hundred bucks short every month and have to continue to supplement that on the lance sites, but again, somebody referenced the price we pay for being professional and in my case, it is the price that I have to pay for rebuilding the list that my careless actions (and not a small amount of hindrances by Mother Nature) have left me facing.

    When clients do not pay? I have (or had, but since I am rebuilding, will once again have) a section on my site for my fiction and non-fiction writing samples. I guarantee you that unless they are really good, I can beat them in the SERP ... and generally use that traffic to get more clients LOL I do not waste time worrying about them but working on solutions to move on with my life.

    As for partnering with people here, I have had my products ripped off by five warriors to date. It is dangerous but that does not mean it cannot be done. While they were busy selling those products, I was busy giving them away for free. So why would I continue to look here? I have built up some excellent client lists among the Warriors. I have had many good paying jobs ... and even two "best sellers" I wrote ... only one for a former Warrior though ... so it has continued to be a valuable resource. Yes, I have asked for help here, but help to find work and not handouts. To this day, I can think of no better place to go online for help in finding quality answers and help with projects than right here.

    I will not advertise my services here but once I am adequately re-established (This week I hope LOL) I will have a paid classified ad here on the Warrior Forum ... and I still will not take any money until the job is complete and I will continue to look for people who are interested in getting a writer to partner with them. In fact, I just had one person here offer me the opportunity to do some writing for him in exchange for a script that I desperately need.

    Ranting is understandable and I am sorry that you had difficulties with hiring someone ... and I have to agree at least in a sense that most PROFESSIONAL writers do have certain idiosyncrasies that may make them appear "flaky" to some, in many cases, this is just because we are constantly (and actively) focusing on many different issues at the same time and effectively multi-tasking which does not always leave much room for "pleasantries" or other idle chatter which may make us seem more personable.

    That being said, other than when I lost my home and computers in the storms here, I have never missed a deadline. Never sign the contract unless you know what the deal is and if you do not like or can not agree to the terms, do not sign. Once you sign, cowboy up and get 'er done. I now keep multiple records of my client base. (I actually use GMail to email an updated contact list so that it is always available no matter where I go or what happens) As for plagiarism and poor writing ... I have seen some examples online that left me more than a bit skeptical about "writers" online ... too many in fact ... to comment on here.

    There is good and bad everywhere but speaking from personal experience, if there are service providers here that do not deliver, please let the appropriate mods know. They are hurting business for all of us.

    Sorry about the verbosity of my post! The coffee is done now though so I will shut up :">

    Just my two cents
    Signature

    “They did not know it was impossible so they did it”
    -Samuel Clemens" (As Mark Twain)

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  • Profile picture of the author Quilst
    I see your frustration but post another thread asking other warriors to give you list of good relailable writers and problem solved.
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