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Advice on Article Wrting Biz

by dyaonna
23 replies
I would like on starting an article writing biz ? How did you pick a niche ? Also, how much should I charge ? How do I research the topics given ?
#advice #article #biz #wrting
  • Profile picture of the author Joel O
    I don't write articles for other people, but here's some tips which might help...

    - Pick a niche that people are looking for articles in. Why spend time writing articles which no one wants? Look at WSO's and search for PLR articles in Google to see what other article critters are writing about.

    - If you will be having clients, then they will tell you what they want done. But if you are writing articles to sell as packages, then follow my first idea.

    - Charge what you are worth. If you write in proper English and have experience in writing, then charge what you think you should receive. There is a lot of competition, so you will find many cheap sellers, but are their articles read-able? Check to see what other writers are charging.

    You might have to cut prices a bit at first in order to become recognized as a good writer.

    - If you are selling article packages (not to specific clients), then your price will also vary, depending on how many articles, the topic, and what kind of rights will be given. (PLR, personal use).

    - To research topics, I would simple search Google and check out authority sites. Big sites like Wikipedia, About.com, and others might be good places too.


    Hope that helps,
    Joel Osborne
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  • Profile picture of the author Robin E. Anderson
    GetAFreelancer pays pretty poorly, but it gives you a good opportunity to come in the back door to article writing by starting out with article rewriting. You will be given PLR articles to rewrite (again, the pay is poor) but you will see what kind of PLR articles there are out there and will help you in your own writing.
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    • Profile picture of the author Barry Walls
      Originally Posted by Robin E. Anderson View Post

      GetAFreelancer pays pretty poorly, but it gives you a good opportunity to come in the back door to article writing by starting out with article rewriting. You will be given PLR articles to rewrite (again, the pay is poor) but you will see what kind of PLR articles there are out there and will help you in your own writing.
      Which niches you write about is a big decision...maybe the biggest.

      Write about things you love, know or want to learn about.

      There isn't too much real competition out there if you do it right.

      The $2 articles guys are idiots. They are easy to crush. You should encourage this behaviour, not be frightened of it. They have a near ZERO negative effect on your earnings...and perversely, can actually enhance what you make in the long run.

      They'll be too busy working for a living to figure out how to make real money at article writing....meaning even less competition in the long run.

      All the best

      Barry
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  • Profile picture of the author Star Riley
    Offer to write article here on the Forum see what people request even do something like next (10) article free in exchange for testimonials if you like them.

    Then $5 an article and increase your price or try to write more articles in less time. Why start with finding out who buys articles and then doing 1 free 100% original article because if it is good then you will have a client and if not you can use it as sample to get new business.

    If the person hires you to say do 5 articles let them keep the sample and do not use it as a sample for others. This way they get a discounted rated without you lowering your price.

    good Luck and Never give up.

    Star Riley- Your Online Friend
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  • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
    The biggest problem you will have is locking into being a cheap article writer. Yes, article writers can earn higher rates, but not very often, because buyer have preconceived ideas what rates they should pay an article writer, a content writer and a ghostwriter.

    Giving free samples isn't the way to go, because if you were to offer free here, you would get all the freebie seekers who more often than not don't turn into buyers.

    Many will say great article, but they say the same to many when the article is anything but great.

    Take advice from people like BigJock and other writers who know what they are talking about.

    Bad advice will cost you dearly

    Bev
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    • Profile picture of the author Eric Lorence
      I agree with Bev, lots of "low ballers" wanting something for nothing.

      Don't do freebies and try to steer clear of those who would have you believe you should work for minimum wage.

      Don't sell yourself short, in anything you do.

      The "Write about what you love" thing is kind of over-rated, unless you happen to "love"- FOREX, poker, and any other high selling and high paying niche. Writing can suck after a while, just make sure your really getting paid to do it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Star Riley
      Originally Posted by Bev Clement View Post

      The biggest problem you will have is locking into being a cheap article writer. Yes, article writers can earn higher rates, but not very often, because buyer have preconceived ideas what rates they should pay an article writer, a content writer and a ghostwriter.

      Giving free samples isn't the way to go, because if you were to offer free here, you would get all the freebie seekers who more often than not don't turn into buyers.

      Many will say great article, but they say the same to many when the article is anything but great.

      Take advice from people like BigJock and other writers who know what they are talking about.

      Bad advice will cost you dearly

      Bev
      I have personally used writers from the forum. While you are right about freebie seekers I am saying be selective if someone looks like a duck then you know the answer to that.

      However you can find good people on this forum and how will they know you can produce?

      Bev if you are implying I do not know what I am talking about shame on you, PM me and I'll share with you the last person who proved their writing ability to me we now have a ongoing relation ship and their PayPal account thanks me for it.

      My recommendation is only that and it is from experience not everyone in this Forum is scum. Before you shot someone else down on the sly next time find out if they are speaking from actual experience or out the air.

      Do you think that getting the right person to validate your skill is bad advice?

      Is my opinion without any value because it is mine and not yours?

      dyaonna, I still say if you take the time and find people who show themselves to be movers and shakers and have a business model that can incorporate your skills, you will lose nothing by having a spirit of abundance what will you really lose?

      Check this forum you will find many people offering FREE value and building their credibility did Bev Clement not just waste life energy providing you with FREE advice, of course you can find high priced consultants who will charge you for mentor-ship or advice.

      Hopefully when I have the experiance level of BC I will continue to give good advice and not shoot someone down for speaking from their own experience especially when it is not harmful to a fellow Warrior.
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      • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
        Star did I mention you by name here, that you seem to think I was talking about you personally?

        I wasn't and didn't.

        You have done exactly that you have assumed that I have no experience in what I am talking about, and assume that I was taking a sly shot at you, yet you have taken a shot at me because you have made a massive assumption.

        I was talking from personal experience dealing with over 200 writers who were all told to give free samples and less than 5% got testimonials back and ongoing work. You might be in that 5% but that leaves 95% of people not doing what you did.

        You're right, I wasted my time giving advice, because you know better, so I will let you give the best advice possible.

        Try telling those writers who have worked hard giving free samples and got nothing the advice given wasn't harmful to their business.

        But, I know nothing about the writing business, so over to you Star.



        Originally Posted by Star Riley View Post

        I have personally used writers from the forum. While you are right about freebie seekers I am saying be selective if someone looks like a duck then you know the answer to that.

        However you can find good people on this forum and how will they know you can produce?

        Bev if you are implying I do not know what I am talking about shame on you, PM me and I'll share with you the last person who proved their writing ability to me we now have a ongoing relation ship and their PayPal account thanks me for it.

        My recommendation is only that and it is from experience not everyone in this Forum is scum. Before you shot someone else down on the sly next time find out if they are speaking from actual experience or out the air.

        Do you think that getting the right person to validate your skill is bad advice?

        Is my opinion without any value because it is mine and not yours?

        dyaonna, I still say if you take the time and find people who show themselves to be movers and shakers and have a business model that can incorporate your skills, you will lose nothing by having a spirit of abundance what will you really lose?

        Check this forum you will find many people offering FREE value and building their credibility did Bev Clement not just waste life energy providing you with FREE advice, of course you can find high priced consultants who will charge you for mentor-ship or advice.

        Hopefully when I have the experiance level of BC I will continue to give good advice and not shoot someone down for speaking from their own experience especially when it is not harmful to a fellow Warrior.
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        • Profile picture of the author Star Riley
          Believe me Bev I am well aware you are more experienced than I am if you read what you said right after my post with no one else saying the things I said it is not a far stretch to assume you spoke of me.

          I have seen you help many people on this forum and have found your insights to be invaluable what i was saying was in response to what I thought was an attack instead of letting my advice and your advice share the same space.

          If I was wrong then I humble ask for forgiveness and provide my sincerest apologize it is not hard to see that you have been an extremely valuable asset to this forum and myself with your dead on feedback and insights.

          I may have been up too late suffering from insomnia again i am glad you cleared the air as I was really not looking towards a shooting match with you, I've dodge enough bullets in my life. thanks for your understanding in advance :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Audrey Harvey
    Fellow warrior Jenn Dize offers a ghostwriting course - details here Power Ghostwriting (not an affiliate link). I can highly recommend it, it covers everything you need to know.
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  • Profile picture of the author nasim55
    Hi,

    Article writing is not just to earn $2 or $5 per article.

    Here is some information which I want to share:

    Can We Make Money Writing Articles?

    Yes ! Article Marketing does work !!! There is no doubt about it PERIOD

    It's a three step method. Firstly you select a product and become its affiliate (it's FREE). Secondly pick up a few optimized keywords and thirdly write an article a day and place it in a few FREE article directories.

    If your product is right, if your keyword phrases are optimized and if your article is of good quality ...Bingo!! You are bound to receive visitors and can easily make a few sales.

    Becoming a successful Article Marketer requires a lot more than picking a product at random and writing an article about it. Yes, it may bring you a few results here and there.

    In order to earn some serious money, at first you need to do some research and find a product that people will want to buy. You will also need to check quality of the landing pages. Next you need to choose keywords that you can use to promote the product. It also requires checking things like the existing competition and number of searches per month for your keywords.

    This can be a tiresome process.

    Now that you have your product and your keywords.... What next?

    You see although the Article Marketing seemed to be a simple task, yet you need someone to hold your hand and move you ahead.

    Anybody interested can PM me for more information.

    Regards

    Enkay
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  • Profile picture of the author ultraeternity
    A lot of good advice has already been given in this thread and I would like to just stress what bigjock and Eric have said, don't ever sell yourself short. In the beginning it might be a little difficult to get clients but once you get a good reputation, you won't have that problem.
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  • Profile picture of the author Nigel Greaves
    Dyaonna,

    I would listen to the things that Bev mentions in her posts. I've tried the "write for free" route and found it a waste of time except for 2 Warriors, Nick Arthur & Nick Thacker (thanks guys!), so I can vouch for Bev's advice.

    Don't assume the WF is some kind of club where everyone plays nicely because it simply isn't like that. Keep in mind what Bev said about freebie seekers. I agreed to do a re-write for one Warrior who didn't even bother to send the article through, just to give you an idea of the commitment levels you will find.

    Joel and Barry have both mentioned making sure you place value on your work and that is very important. If you value your work at low prices so will others. Certainly you can find tightwads who will give you bucket loads of work at knock down prices but that's only until you put your prices up to a reasonable level and then they will disappear like mist in the sun. Again remember there are people on this forum who will happily take your work and sell it as their own but for a more realistic price than you charged them. Which isn't wrong but just somewhat dumb for a writer to allow, at least in my opinion.

    Given your OP I'd say the same as Audrey, look into Jenn Dize's Power Ghostwriting course. It will cover everything you need plus you'll get personal coaching from a writer who has walked the walk.

    Nigel
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  • Profile picture of the author distantship
    In my opinions, you need to:
    1. Have a bunch of sample articles to send out quick cos' most people would need to see some sample of your works before they would hire you.
    2. Accept competitive rates since there are a lot of experienced SEO content writer charging only $.50 per 100 words etc...
    3. Comfortable in writing about almost any niche and do enough research on the niche to produce high quality aritcle
    4. promise a quick turnaround time. (I have used a bunch of freelance writers but finally decided to terminate our partnership in resulf of slow turnaround time!)
    5. Find your clients instead of just waiting for them to contact you. (The writers I am using right now found me, not the other way around)

    Hope this helps and all the best with your business :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
    Star thanks for your insights, seems that nobody using your logical can post anything which might be different to the post above because they assume that anything is posted about them personally.

    It is a great assumption to not knowing how I spend my time, assuming that I decided to shoot you down, and maybe just maybe, I had the reply open, and got a call on skype which took me away from answering, and maybe I didn't bother to read if there had been any additional posts since I had written my reply.

    It has taught me one thing, don't bother to give good advice because someone who disagrees because they have done something different will automatically decide it is about them.

    You replied exactly as expected as a buyer, I replied as a supplier, and how many writers have you dealt with who didn't have people responding back to them?
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  • Profile picture of the author reikidad1961
    Originally Posted by dyaonna View Post

    I would like on starting an article writing biz ? How did you pick a niche ? Also, how much should I charge ? How do I research the topics given ?
    Why do you want to start an article writing biz when you don't know the first thing about it? If you don't know how to even reasearch you can't write articles.
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  • Profile picture of the author traian29
    Maybe he wants to start this business because he heard you can make good money from it and probably he doesn't know other things either. So he thinks it might be easy.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      What you charge will be proportional to the quality of your writing. I know of many good writers who began by offering their services for $5 an article in order to get some business started - and then used testimonials from those jobs to advertise at higher rates per article.

      However - you must be able to write! That means proper spelling, sentence structure, grammar. First thing I would recommend is care when posting in forums as if posts are poorly written it's not a good ad for a writer.

      Before starting a full business based around writing articles, I'd suggest doing a few writing jobs for others (not freebies - but perhaps minimal $5/article jobs to gain experience.

      Writing sometimes sounds easier than it is and until you've written 40-50 articles based on keywords provided to you by site owners, you won't know if you can do it well (i.e., can please the customer). You also won't know if you like writing for others day after day and whether it's something you truly want to do long term.

      kay
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  • Profile picture of the author billythekid
    I couldn't agree with Michelle more and reiterate what other posters have said. Small steps first, and hopefully onto bigger and better things. With the current economic downturn how are people finding requests for work?
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  • Profile picture of the author Debbie Allen
    Here's my 2 cents --

    Before I first started writing for others I did a little research and read some ebooks about how to write articles that will be both, reader friendly and that please the search engines. I had written a lot prior to working online, but the requirements here are a little different than the typical offline stuff you might be used to.

    I wrote a lot of web content and articles for myself before I ever offered my writing services to others. When I felt ready I started out slowly, only taking on a few clients at a time. My rates started at $7 per article and I never had trouble finding customers. Every three months I increased my rates a little. Did I lose some clients along the way? Of course, but my business is thriving.

    I have written for both individuals and large online companies. In the past year I added ebook writing as a specialty and I am in the midst of moving into some other areas of writing. My point is that it will probably take a little time to build a substantial business. Build one step at a time and your business will have a solid foundation.

    The good news is that you can find clients willing to pay more than a few dollars for your efforts. I suggest that after you feel confident with your work you raise your rates to match the quality of the final product(s) you are selling. Time is precious and when you are writing for others they are paying you for the article itself and the labor that went into it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gunter Eibl
    There are thousands of writers out there. Most don't follow through and don't deliver what they promise. The key is to be reliable, fast and have a reasonable pricing. Then you will be able to build up a customer base with regular customers. Go the extra mile for your customers.

    Gunter
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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    • Profile picture of the author Barry Walls
      I agree. You need to be able to spoke proper england to maximise your income, but even if you can't, there are ways you can get around this.

      If you do speak English and learn to write for the web properly (which should take about 2 hours if you have any clue what you're doing), theres no reason you can't be charging $20 per 500 word article and be turning work away in less than 2 months. NO reason at all.

      $100 per hour is perfectly achievable if you approach it right, which thankfully, the vast majority of writers don't.

      The recession is increasing the volume of work, not decreasing it. Freelance sites are reporting expected project growth rates of over 60% in 2009...thanks to the recession. Many are reporting much faster growth rates.

      All the best

      Barry
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