 How to Find
and Hire a Great Freelance Writer/Copywriter
by
Lynn Walford
Seek and Ye Shall Find?
Sometimes finding a good writer can be harder than finding a soul mate
because writing and copywriting are subjective arts and if you are not a
writer, you can not see the difference between a good writer and an
excellent writer. If you are looking for a writer on the Web by searching on
terms such as writer and copywriter, there are few things you should look
for once you find a writer’s website:
Excited, Delighted or Uninvited?
Excellent writing entertains and excites, quickly and concisely. When you
read the writer’s website you should be drawn in. Does she ask the reader
questions? Does he understand what you want? Does she seem friendly? Does
he have relevant experience? Does she list what kinds of services she
offers?
Location, Location, Location
Often businesses hiring a writer want to look for someone nearby so they
search, writer,
Los Angeles
if they live in
Los Angeles, if the
writers don’t show an address or location where they work, you’ll never find
then. You’ll be able to get a general idea of where the writer is by either
the contact page or by references to work completed.
A Bad Writer Ain’t Hard to Find
If you notice grammar and spelling mistakes you are probably on the wrong
page. Also if the style and design of a writer’s website looks bad, even if
there writing looks good, you should be wary. Good writing is neat and
pleasant looking.
Ample Parking and Samples
Excellent writing on the Web, gives the reader plenty of potential to stop,
park, click and look for a while. If the writer doesn’t link to more
writing and industry resources, she/he is less professional than the ones
who do know that linking is best form of networking around. You ought to
find several kinds of writing samples. If you don’t find the kind of samples
you like, e-mail or call the writer and ask for exactly what you want.
RSVP
Response is also important to you and the writer. Although a few second
e-mail response-time is possible, a day or overnight return time is
reasonable. If you want a faster response, be sure to tell the writer that
you are in hurry and on a deadline. When writers don’t respond in a timely
manner, they miss out on your work.
Check References
Once you locate the name of the writer, do not hesitate searching for other
references of the writer on the Web. Type the name in a search engine with
an appropriate word such as writer. For example, when I searched my name
Lynn Walford
with the word writer, a photo of me standing next my former editor Michael
Goldstein at a
Justice Magazine party appeared. I never saw the photo until I searched
my own name! Of course writers and authors names should also appear on
magazine articles and bylines in other media. I also found myself in an
article on naming books by Robin Quinn at the
PMA website. While you’re at you might as well go Google yourself, to
check your own references.
J
Titular Savvy or Tense---What’s in a
Name?
Look at the title of the writer’s website. Is it catchy? Memorable? Does
it Make Sense? Of course when someone is born Anna Matto Poeeah, (pronounced
just like onomatopoeia, the poetic word for when something also
sounds like its name such as whispering or clang) you can’t hold it against
her. However, when writers don’t take the time to name their websites
appropriately they can’t write a title for you.
The Price is Write
Some writers charge by the hour, by the piece or by the word. Whomever you
choose, she/he should be able to give an estimate on how much your project
will cost. Vagueness usually means no experience.
Rewrite Right?
Most excellent writers and copywriters will give a free rewrite if you don’t
like what they do. Always ask if they will rewrite it for you if you don’t
like it.
Test, Quiz
If you are planning a major project such as a white paper, which can be
expensive, look for a writer in advance and ask him/her to write a small
project for you first, then you can see if you can work with him/her and
also test knowledge.
Well, Well, Well.
Writing well is a precise art with a sense of urgency and a taste of the
divine. You should be able to tell good writing when you find it. It comes
to life, sings and shines. When you read something like "Avoid cliches like
the plague,” found on
26 Golden Rules for Writing Well you are definitely in the wrong place.
###
Lynn Walford (lw@freelancewriternow
) is a freelance writer, copywriter and author in
Los Angeles. She has
written for numerous publications and loves to write for business. She runs
the website
http://www.freelancewriternow.com. She is currently working on the book
“Dance like the Stars – Learn from the Pros.”
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