Ghostwriters: Turn Down Bulk Discount Offers

11 replies
UNLESS you're desperate for work, the electricity's about to get turned off, etc., I want to remind you guys NOT to see a marketer offering a bulk discount promise as a perk for you.

It's just the opposite.

Let's say you write for $10 a page. To make $500, you'd need to write 50 pages, right?

So a marketer comes along and promises you a 100-page order - but they want a discount to $5. You're going to write TWICE as much content for a much lesser amount. ANd it's going to take you TWICE as long.

Don't see "100 pages" and get all dreamy eyed. Even if they're willing to pay $7 per page and you'd wind up making slightly more, ($700), let it all boil down to the per page rate when you make a decision.

You're better off working hard to drum up more $10 per page business in that spare time than letting a $5/page marketer gobble up all of your days.

I remember I had a client who always emailed me promising on-going work, but he was so cheap - always wanting to pay much less than anyone else. Initially, I saw it as a perk - kind of an exchange - like job security for cheaper payment.

But if you get out there, you'll find there are SO many marketers willing to pay top rates (not this $1.25 to $5 crap) and you can fill your schedule with those buyers who appreciate quality.

But like ANY other IM endeavor, you have to spend time BRANDING your business and getting buyers in the door
Tiff
#bulk #discount #ghostwriters #offers #turn
  • Profile picture of the author Kieran R
    I don't really see the logic behind this though. Surley getting a 500 dollar offer is much better than getting some 10 dollar purchases that are hardly going to cover anything.

    Unless you are a very popular seller with a large amount of demand then bulk selling discounts is a very good idea.
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    • Profile picture of the author TiffanyLambert
      Originally Posted by Kieran R View Post

      I don't really see the logic behind this though. Surley getting a 500 dollar offer is much better than getting some 10 dollar purchases that are hardly going to cover anything.

      Unless you are a very popular seller with a large amount of demand then bulk selling discounts is a very good idea.
      Here's the logic - and I write 5 pages an hour, fyi:

      I have one buyer (who pays $5/page) taking up let's say 20 hours of my time to write 100 pages for him and I earn $500.

      OR...

      I have one buyer (who pays $10/page) taking up 10 hours of my time to write 50 pages - and I still earn the $500.

      Which would you rather have as a service provider?

      The other 10 hours that aren't being taken up by the 100 hour client can be spent on securing MORE clients. Marketing your services, etc.
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    • Profile picture of the author AprilCT
      Originally Posted by Kieran R View Post

      ....

      Unless you are a very popular seller with a large amount of demand then bulk selling discounts is a very good idea.
      "...very good idea from the buyer's point of view." This is my version of your sentence. $10 for a 500-word article is not sufficient compensation. You might find someone starting out and accept that rate, but guess what? If they are able to produce quality, they won't be around long at that price.
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      • Profile picture of the author TiffanyLambert
        Originally Posted by Kieran R View Post

        If you have the client base, or potential clients then you are completely right. But unfortunately most ghost writers don't have a full list of buyers or a full working schedule so this doesn't apply to them.

        Sometimes (especially if you are just starting out) bulk deals are extremely worthwhile and if it's a very large order than I am all for giving a good discount.

        But like I said you are totally right in some (minority) cases.
        Hence the first line If you're desperate, this isn't the right stance to take. I'm all for rolling up your sleeves and taking whatever pays the bills if it's needed. But if you don't HAVE to, spend that time building your business, not settling for bulk discount work.

        Ghostwriters often forget the business side of their business. They concentrate on services. Promotions and branding and customer "getting" should be a HUGE portion of your day, too.

        Originally Posted by George Wright View Post

        True, true, true Tiffany.

        And once you figure that out it's not a far leap to 10c, 50c or even $1 a word.

        Thanks for not only ground breaking this, but, sharing over the years. Whenever I write I get paid more because I listened to you back in my ghost writing days.

        George Wright
        Thanks George It took me awhile to learn my lesson, too.

        Originally Posted by Tiptopcat View Post

        The logic would definitely be to hold out for the better offer. However, it can be really hard for those who are sort of living hand to mouth. Getting that lower offer may seem like a godsend when you have mouths to feed.

        The only option then is to somehow find extra time to market yourself so that you can get the pay that your work deserves.
        Exactly That's why I put the disclaimer about the desperate people at the very first. But when you start having a stable of clients, even if you're not at the goal income level you want to be - but the lights aren't being turned off - that's the time to be more selective and start working for better clients.

        Originally Posted by RyanGillam View Post

        I agree. I absolutely loathe when people say "I am ordering this amount, please give me a discount'. I do offer 'special rates' for bulk orders, but these are set in stone. If people ask for even bigger discounts then I just tell them no.
        There's always someone who will try to get you to basically pay THEM to let YOU write for them. LMAO!

        Originally Posted by AprilCT View Post

        "...very good idea from the buyer's point of view." This is my version of your sentence. $10 for a 500-word article is not sufficient compensation. You might find someone starting out and accept that rate, but guess what? If they are able to produce quality, they won't be around long at that price.
        You're right, they won't. IF they're smart. Some people never gain the confidence to believe they can charge more - not with all the $5 writers they see as competition. What they don't know is that if they make their services cost more (and they're good writers), they get sought out more by more successful marketers.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kieran R
    If you have the client base, or potential clients then you are completely right. But unfortunately most ghost writers don't have a full list of buyers or a full working schedule so this doesn't apply to them.

    Sometimes (especially if you are just starting out) bulk deals are extremely worthwhile and if it's a very large order than I am all for giving a good discount.

    But like I said you are totally right in some (minority) cases.
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    • Profile picture of the author katherineolga
      Writers are chronically undervalued because they undervalue themselves (says the girl with the $5 a page content special but it is only for a limited time and I MEAN it!)

      It is WAY too easy to get stuck at the beginner level for a very long time.

      One thing I learned is that people will pay what you're worth as long as the writing is good. I raised my regular rates a while ago because I am at the point where I am better off pouring my energy into my own projects (PLR, blogs, etc) than writing for others.

      So, if I can't find clients to pay my regular per page rate (unless I am running a special) then it doesn't break my heart because I can do something else which will, frankly, pay off more spectacularly in the long run.
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    • Profile picture of the author writeaway
      Originally Posted by Kieran R View Post

      If you have the client base, or potential clients then you are completely right. But unfortunately most ghost writers don't have a full list of buyers or a full working schedule so this doesn't apply to them.

      Sometimes (especially if you are just starting out) bulk deals are extremely worthwhile and if it's a very large order than I am all for giving a good discount.

      But like I said you are totally right in some (minority) cases.
      Excellent point, Kieran. The content creation/copywriting market is just like any other market-it is SEGMENTED. What may make sense in some segments won't make sense in others. There is no 'one size fits all' rule for all content writers. Nor should there be. Different people write for different reasons.
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  • Profile picture of the author George Wright
    True, true, true Tiffany.

    And once you figure that out it's not a far leap to 10c, 50c or even $1 a word.

    Thanks for not only ground breaking this, but, sharing over the years. Whenever I write I get paid more because I listened to you back in my ghost writing days.

    George Wright
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    "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
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  • Profile picture of the author Tiptopcat
    The logic would definitely be to hold out for the better offer. However, it can be really hard for those who are sort of living hand to mouth. Getting that lower offer may seem like a godsend when you have mouths to feed.

    The only option then is to somehow find extra time to market yourself so that you can get the pay that your work deserves.
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  • Profile picture of the author RyanGillam
    I agree. I absolutely loathe when people say "I am ordering this amount, please give me a discount'. I do offer 'special rates' for bulk orders, but these are set in stone. If people ask for even bigger discounts then I just tell them no.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    When I first started I offered a discount for ten articles if they were all in ONE niche. My logic was I saved a little time in research.

    However -- I constantly got clients who wanted the ten article discount but wanted articles written in three or four (sometimes even ten) niches.

    Needless to say, I do make this offer anymore.

    Rose
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