The way companies are hiring freelance writers is not very efficient. Posting an ad on craigslist is inexpensive but also costly in work hours. Posting ads to journalism websites will give you journalism school graduates, who may or may not be great writers. What is the best way to find a great freelance writer?
Craig’s Listings and Other Writer Listing Services
Expect to get hundreds if not thousand of responses from a “freelance writer wanted ad,” especially if you include the words, “telecommute,” “work-at-home,” or pay rates.
You will spend several hours, or even weeks combing through the massive email spam results, many of which will not have a return email address, because sometimes the email address gets stripped from the response from craigslist.
If you ask for clips/samples, you may get them as links, attachments or in file formats that you can’t read or understand.
Since the invention of Indeed and freelance writing websites such as Freelancewriting.com, Online Writing Jobs, eLance and oDesk, the hiring pool has been diluted by dilettantes, newbies, non-native speakers, poor writers and just about anyone with an internet connection.
Most web ads will be circulated around the globe. You may get too many replies to handle. The less detailed, your ad is, the more responses, you will have. On the other hand ,the more-detailed your ad is, the fewer responses you will get, and it take much more of your time and effort.
Why You Want Original Professional Writing
Recently, I was asked to write original content for a health care industry client. She wanted a fresh approach for her website and brochures. When I researched her competitors through Google and Bing, I found that the competing websites not only had similar photos, but often the same words, just moved around and rephrased which meant the writing was completed by a plagiarist. Low-paid web content writers who need the pay the bills, not matter what content they live on, can speed up the process by copying and pasting competitors words and then moving them around a bit. They leave you with a website that does not get traffic.
SEO Writing is Best When Creative
Copy cat writing does not work for the latest search engine algorithms. The search engines are able to tell which article was written first and where it came from, if it was taken from a website that was published in the last two years.
WTI— Way Too Information and Work
There are freelance sites that advertise writing for as little as a $1.29 for hundred words, with the headline, “Learn how cheaply you get a writer.” In order to get that writer, you will have to:
- Give your email and personal information to a company, you have no idea about.
- Give financial information for payments.
- Get too many responses to handle.
- Authors and writers who a rated may not be rated by reputable sources.
- Not be able to talk to candidates over the phone.
- Not be able to meet your writer.
- Have a difficult time communicating.
Unfortunately, you get what you pay for. I have a friend who hired a writer for five-dollars to write a news release. Say his time is worth $20 an hour. He spent $40 of his hours writing the ad. Giving the assignment. Then paying for the assignment. The $5 ad actually cost him $45, because the delivered writing was useless and a waste of his time and money.
How to Screen the Good Writers from the Bad Writers
One way, I have been able to screen writers who want to work for my editorial staff at Wireless and Mobile News is to state, I will only respond to phone messages. The writer had to leave a message on a voice mail answering service. I could tell in 5 seconds if the writer could deal with the advanced kind of technical and technology writing, we needed.
At Freelance Writer Now, we have a phone number where you can leave a message twenty-four hours a day. (626 921-6397)
A good writer or editor will know immediately if he/she can writer what you need. I often get calls from people who say they are writing a book and they want a ghost writer. If they already have thousands of words written, they don’t need a writer, they need an editor, to edit the writing.
The best way to find a writer is to look for a writer who specializes in what you need.
Copy Writer Wanted?
A copy writer writes material usually to promote products. This style of writing, requires that the writer know your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). You’ll want to see examples and when you talk to him/her make sure that you hear poetry, humor and creativity. Samples should also be available in the same genre.
Technical Writer Wanted?
A technical writer, takes complex information and communicate sit , concisely and without jargon. A technology journalist writes about technology. If you call a either one of these types of writers, they will tell you immediately, if they can write what you need. Technical and technology writers can be hard to find, because sometimes they understand the technology but not how people read.
Find a Writer with a Website with Links and Samples
A writer should have current samples as well as samples that show experience over time. Someone who has written for twenty years, will be able to write better, faster. You want to see that there are over twenty samples of excellent writing and a resume.
Seek and Ye Shall Find
Writing is an art and craft with a little bit of science. When you find the right writer, you will know it by the way she writes and communicates.
For more information about Freelance Writer Now, Contact LW[at]FreelanceWriternow.com or call 626 921-6397, your call will be returned in one day.