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Experienced Article Writers

by Jay Emo
23 replies
What is the best way to get your name out there and build a reputation so you can eventually charge for your writing services?

So far I've thought about offering a free service to warriors who need articles written which will give me plenty of practice and will be simple enough.

The second is submitting to article directories. I'm aware that many charge for you to submit articles whilst others (Ezine articles) will only allow you to post if you have experience.

What free popular article directories would you recommend? Finally what other methods do you consider to be the most effective strategy in getting your articles viewed for feedback and for potential future clients ?

thanks in advance
#article #experienced #writers
  • Profile picture of the author AlexanderBeloev
    Originally Posted by Jay Emo View Post

    What is the best way to get your name out there and build a reputation so you can eventually charge for your writing services?

    So far I've thought about offering a free service to warriors who need articles written which will give me plenty of practice and will be simple enough.

    The second is submitting to article directories. I'm aware that many charge for you to submit articles whilst others (Ezine articles) will only allow you to post if you have experience.

    What free popular article directories would you recommend? Finally what other methods do you consider to be the most effective strategy in getting your articles viewed for feedback and for potential future clients ?

    thanks in advance
    I can give you some advices, but have very little experience with Article Marketing, Alexa Smith is the guru, she knows as much as encyclopedia about Article Marketing! Cheers
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Blades
    So far I've thought about offering a free service to warriors who need articles written which will give me plenty of practice and will be simple enough.
    This is the best way to build a rep on the WF, by offering your services to warriors. Start a thread in the warriors for hire section, and start giving away samples to get some reviews and new clients.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    1. Make a blog. If you have a website, write on the subject of your site. If not, choose a subject that you are highly familiar with and interests you enough to do hella research about.
    2. Write an extremely informative piece on the blog. Ping it.
    3. 24 - 48 after posting on your site put the article on a submission site - tweet it and bookmrk it.
    Rinse Repeat - compile portfolio for examples of work.

    Advertise your services (wherever - you have to decide that one). Use portfolio to market yourself to prospective clients.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      This...

      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      1. Make a blog. If you have a website, write on the subject of your site. If not, choose a subject that you are highly familiar with and interests you enough to do hella research about.
      2. Write an extremely informative piece on the blog. Ping it.
      3. 24 - 48 after posting on your site put the article on a submission site - tweet it and bookmrk it.
      Rinse Repeat - compile portfolio for examples of work.

      Advertise your services (wherever - you have to decide that one). Use portfolio to market yourself to prospective clients.
      If you want to be a service provider you need to create a "service" website. Get a free weebly site to start, or whatever you prefer.

      You will need the pages:

      -Home: main info about your service, add a capture form here too. If you are up to offer free work, make that your gift to register and also say you will request a testimonial (you can change this by a plr package later). To build a list, use your favorite service provider. I am playing with Mad Mimi these days, and happy.

      -Samples: this will have different pieces, you can insert a blog here. Write samples for your clients to see. It is important that you find your niche. Your niche can be a market or a style. When I was writing for others I was the one to go for crazy personality projects or things that took a lot of research, for example. If you find something that you do better than anyone else (willing to write for the money you are willing to write for), then you have a winner. This has to do with the marketing side of the business.

      -Contact: contact form and/or email address.

      -About: something that explains why you think you can offer that service.

      -Testimonials: once you have them, put them here.

      Just my take... I wouldn´t offer work for free. You will attract freebie seekers. Offer a deep discount for testimonials, but make sure they do have a credit card.
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  • Profile picture of the author TanyaRebrov
    I suggest you to stick with ezinearticle, building reputation can be tough with so many competitors out there who don't have the any qualification. I am sure having a good reputation in ezines will help you during your reputation quest in warrior for hire. People will hire only the best for the their site, the more expensive the site, the more willing the site owner to pay a good quality writing. They will even hire two people for the same article and pay both of the equally just to dispose the least good article.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jay Emo
      thanks for the tips everyone, what other directories would you recommend as well as Ezinearticles??
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  • Profile picture of the author faisalmaximus
    Jay Emo, I have a lot of clients who request for quality articles, pm me if you are interested.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Jay Emo View Post

    So far I've thought about offering a free service to warriors who need articles written which will give me plenty of practice and will be simple enough.
    Yes - it's one way to start. However you look at it, if you're going to charge money for writing articles, at some point you're going to need to have a little "portfolio" of previously written articles available on your website (or at least linked to from your website), so that prospective customers can see your writing before they decide whether or not to use your services.

    Originally Posted by Jay Emo View Post

    The second is submitting to article directories.
    I can't really see how you'd gain from that, in these circumstances? Bear in mind that the only purpose of submitting to article directories is for other people to re-publish the articles: there's no point at all in trying to use an article directory for its own traffic: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post5068872

    Originally Posted by Jay Emo View Post

    I'm aware that many charge for you to submit articles
    Really? Not the ones I've seen ... :confused:

    Originally Posted by Jay Emo View Post

    whilst others (Ezine articles) will only allow you to post if you have experience.
    Not so - Ezine Articles has absolutely no "experience requirement" at all. It will accept someone's first ever article, as long as the article complies with the editorial guidelines.

    Originally Posted by Jay Emo View Post

    What free popular article directories would you recommend?
    For your purposes, none at all. I think that would be a misguided approach. You need your own website, even if it's just a 2-3-page blog on free hosting somewhere. It's what all your competitors have, and you'll be hugely disadvantaged without one.

    Making income from writing articles for other people depends on two things ...
    (i) Your writing skills
    (ii) Your marketing skills

    These threads will probably help/interest you ...

    Would you still do freelance writing?
    Can anyone suggest good pay, high quality writing jobs?
    Content Writing - Still Viable?
    Are There Many Clients Who Pay $50/Article?
    How do I make money writing articles???
    The appropriate rate for written content is ?
    You must be a superstar professional writer BUT I can only pay you $2 per article - say WHAT?
    Any point in trying to find clients on Warrior Forum..?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jay Emo
    Thanks Alexa for the advice and the links. My thinking behind the article directories was that my name would be penned to an article which would then be used on numerous websites for content hence increasing my reputation as my articles would hopefully be popping up on various sites. Also I could then point potential clients to these sites to show where my articles had been used. What are your thoughts on this?
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Jay Emo View Post

      My thinking behind the article directories was that my name would be penned to an article which would then be used on numerous websites for content hence increasing my reputation as my articles would hopefully be popping up on various sites.
      It's certainly possible, by passive syndication, if you write about subjects for which there's a high demand for content.

      I'm not sure that showing clients that your articles have been passively syndicated from Ezine Articles will really confer any advantage over simply having them available in a little "portfolio" on your site, though? :confused:

      I don't suggest there's any harm in submitting them to Ezine Articles, anyway.
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      • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        It's certainly possible, by passive syndication, if you write about subjects for which there's a high demand for content.

        I'm not sure that showing clients that your articles have been passively syndicated from Ezine Articles will really confer any advantage over simply having them available in a little "portfolio" on your site, though? :confused:

        I don't suggest there's any harm in submitting them to Ezine Articles, anyway.
        He will be writing samples, and article submission is a good form to get back links. That is the main value of article submission in this context, I think.

        To the OP, As service provider you don´t want to become a celebrity in a niche market. You will not get works that way. People will see you as possible competition.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jay Emo
    Thanks Sandra and Alexa. The website will come across way more professional and that is how I want to be viewed. On checking the links mentioned, it strikes me that cheap and free is not the best place to begin.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Jay Emo View Post

      On checking the links mentioned, it strikes me that cheap and free is not the best place to begin.
      I'm sure this is right!
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    Stay away from bargain basement venues. I wouldn't spend a lot of time developing a clientele on Warrior Forum because there's only a very small percentage of people here willing to pay for good writing. Same goes for fiverr and similar sites.

    Put up a blog and then load it with original articles. Shoot for 20 or more to start and continue to add one or two a week. Then when you begin to market yourself point your potential clients to your writing. If it's good you'll get some takers. Set firm prices and don't compromise.

    Lots of people come here complaining because they can't find people willing to pay a fair rate. That's because they start off by offering their services in venues where people are used to very low prices. Most of these clients wouldn't recognize good writing. The BIGGEST mistake any writer (or service provider of any kind) can make is not charging enough right from the start. Once you establish yourself as a discount writer it's nearly impossible to break free of that. Good luck.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

      The BIGGEST mistake any writer (or service provider of any kind) can make is not charging enough right from the start.
      Exactly so.

      Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

      Once you establish yourself as a discount writer it's nearly impossible to break free of that.
      Impossible. But pretty often, people who are starting out imagine that it's "logical" or "sensible" to start with very low prices and then increase them after attracting some clients. It's a totally mistaken and fallacy-based approach. The reality is that what attracts customers to writers of $5 articles is the fact that they're charging $5. As soon as you put the price up to $7/$8 the customers will all disappear, because in the $5 article marketplace, there are nearly as many service-providers as customers.

      The writers whose own businesses survive are the writers whose clients' businesses survive, and those aren't people who use $5 articles. (Not even if they're good $5 articles, because they're still clients who don't know how to use them.)

      You see writers of $5 articles continually advertising for new clients. You don't see writers of $100 articles doing this - not (as some mistakenly imagine) because there aren't any, but because their clients regularly return for more, and are people who know how to use the product, whose own businesses survive, and who are capable of appreciating the difference between those two radically different types of product and the uses to which each can be put. Those writers don't need to advertise. They have a real business, not a constant "churn and burn" like "Fiverr writers".

      I haven't written a word for anyone else for 4 years, now, but when I started (2007/8) I charged $25 per article, and rapidly increased that toward $50 when I realized how much I'd underpriced the service I was offering.
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      • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        You see writers of $5 articles continually advertising for new clients. You don't see writers of $100 articles doing this not (as some mistakenly imagine) because there aren't any, but because their clients regularly return for more, and are people who know how to use the product, whose own businesses survive, and who are capabale of appreciating the difference between those two radically different types of product and the uses to which each can be put.
        ^^This. If people would only embrace it. Read it over and over and over. This is the eternal kernal. Hmmm... wonder if that domain is taken.
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    Originally Posted by Jay Emo View Post

    What is the best way to get your name out there and build a reputation so you can eventually charge for your writing services?

    So far I've thought about offering a free service to warriors who need articles written which will give me plenty of practice and will be simple enough.

    The second is submitting to article directories. I'm aware that many charge for you to submit articles whilst others (Ezine articles) will only allow you to post if you have experience.

    What free popular article directories would you recommend? Finally what other methods do you consider to be the most effective strategy in getting your articles viewed for feedback and for potential future clients ?

    thanks in advance
    I wrote a book on freelance writing and would advise you to set up a portfolio. There are a number of free portfolio sites that cater to writers or ideally use a self hosted site. Include samples of your writing, contact information, etc. The samples should be the type of writing you want to do i.e. SEO optimized articles, press releases etc.

    There are a number of sites that post writing jobs. You can also bid on jobs on freelance sites. You may have to start low but you will build up as your reputation does.

    There really is no need for you to give away your work if you have a strong samples. People are always looking for good writers.

    Don't get scammed. Collect at least half up front. Never write free samples specifically for a potential client (there are a few exceptions). They should be satisfied to look at the work you have online.

    A typical scam might be someone asking you to review a dating website. They get a commission when you sign up to the website and will use your review somewhere without paying you.

    Anyway if you need more tips pop me a message.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Alexa - - I'm going to differ with ya on this one.

    I can't really see how you'd gain from that, in these circumstances? Bear in mind that the only purpose of submitting to article directories is for other people to re-publish the articles: there's no point at all in trying to use an article directory for its own traffic: How do Article Directories work?
    The purpose of putting articles on an article directory isn't really a backlink -- it's to get other people to use the article -- with YOUR author credits on them. Watch and see who puts your article up..............and then snag that URL for your portfolio. Don't put all the URLs that post your article - just the most credible one that posts the article. Do this for each article submitted. By doing this you have a writing sample, but you also have a portfolio of articles that are posted by OTHER websites. It's an authority thing.

    -- You don't use the submission site in your portfolio - you use your own blog and the authority URLs where your article has been used. Unless you are listed as "expert author" on EA, there's really no reason to list the submission site in a portfolio.
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    When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
    Beyond the Path

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  • Profile picture of the author jgant
    Check out WritersAccess.com. I use them and they pay good rates for writers. It's one way to build a portfolio and earn money fast for better than bargain basement prices.

    If I were to start a freelance writing business, I'd choose a niche or 2 to focus on. I'd get articles published on the most authoritative websites I could. I'd make these the focus of my portfolio.

    I would start building relationships with A-list websites and bloggers in my chosen niches. I'd offer both freelance writing services and guest post services. People will pay a premium for guest post articles published on A-list websites and magazines. This is where your relationship-building works for you.

    To market your services, I'd start a blog/build a website offering services as outlined above by Sandra Martinez.

    You'll have to hustle for better paying work, while building up your portfolio by getting published on the best sites in your niches.
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  • Profile picture of the author Intrepreneur
    Originally Posted by Jay Emo View Post

    What is the best way to get your name out there and build a reputation so you can eventually charge for your writing services?

    So far I've thought about offering a free service to warriors who need articles written which will give me plenty of practice and will be simple enough.

    The second is submitting to article directories. I'm aware that many charge for you to submit articles whilst others (Ezine articles) will only allow you to post if you have experience.

    What free popular article directories would you recommend? Finally what other methods do you consider to be the most effective strategy in getting your articles viewed for feedback and for potential future clients ?

    thanks in advance

    Find sites that PAY you to write for them and fill in their application process.

    Then build your own site/blog and brand yourself on there.

    Good luck.
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    SEO, copywriting and backlinks service UK
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    • Profile picture of the author Jay Emo
      I think I will submit articles initially just to test the quality of my articles in relation to the authority of the site as some of you have said and most definitely have my own site which everyone has recommended. Thanks everyone.
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  • Profile picture of the author TimothyTorrents
    Once you have a professional website set up you can advertise the link in your signature and post it in your Warriors for Hire thread. I have been bumping my thread in the Warriors for Hire section almost every month - I almost always get new clients every time I bump it. Don't forget to send out a email every now and then reminding your previous clients that you are still working as a freelance writer. Once you have a large list of clients you will almost always have work coming in.
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