Need a good writer but not sure where to look? Let me offer some suggestions to help get you going. Here’s my rundown of the good and the bad when it comes to looking for a good freelancer.
Your Network – YES! The first place to look is your professional network. If you know a graphic designer or marketing professional, chances are they already have a freelance writer in their network. And because good writers are so hard to find (ask anyone about their freelancer frustrations and you’ll see what I mean), you’re better off getting a recommendation from someone who has worked with the writer already. Questions to ask:
Remember that writing for businesses is different than writing for consumers, just as writing for social media is different than writing for training purposes. Good writers are pretty diverse and can write for just about any medium or audience, but do your research to make sure they've got what it takes. LinkedIn – YES! You can often find a writer by searching LinkedIn for freelancers and seeing if you have any connections in common. This is the next best thing to a personal recommendation from your network, because you can check out their professional presence and get a feel for how they interact with others in a business setting. Most career freelance writers will have a solid profile on LinkedIn. Be sure to take a look at how well connected they are and how thorough their profile is. It’s a good indicator of how they run their business and if they do, in fact, run their writing business as a business. If you’re looking for a writer that will get the job done, you need one who is serious about what they do. Freelancing Sites – NO! If you want bottom of the barrel writing that generally requires massive edits or rewrites, then go to a freelancing site like Elance or Freelancer. I have worked with many clients who initially hesitated to pay for professional writing, and instead went to one of these sites and hired cheap help. Can you guess what happened for most of them? It wasn't pretty, and in some cases it was downright ugly. The reality is that it often takes a hard lesson like getting completely dropped from Google or a sharp decline in conversions to make companies realize that writing is powerful and worth paying for. You’ll hear this story time and again when it comes to graphic designers, too. But here's what you need to know. A writer who works through a freelancing site is likely to be:
Think about it this way: if a writer is only charging $5 or $10 to write a blog post, how many of those do they have to write a day in order to buy their groceries? And do you think the writing will be thoughtful, targeted, powerful, and solid? Or will it be slapped together as quickly as possible? Professional writers charge fair fees that allow them to take time to understand your business, draft the copy, edit it, and make sure it's effective. You simply can't get this level of work for $5 or $10 (or $25 or $50, for that matter). Agencies – NO! Agencies like Creative Circle will most definitely offer high quality talent, but you will pay a whole lot more for it than you would if you just worked directly with a writer. And to be honest, a lot of professional writers choose not to work with agencies because they take such a huge cut of the fees. I am one of those. I think an agency is fine as a temporary fix or as a last resort if you can’t find someone a different way, but remember that the hit to your budget will be significant. Agencies always have a steep markup for any type of contractor they source; it's how they thrive. But luckily, freelance writers almost always work 1099. So why not save yourself some money by cutting out the middle man? But what if I need to hire someone as a vendor, you ask? Does this mean I have to go through an agency? The answer is absolutely not! Just look for a writer who has an LLC or something smiliar, because they will have an EIN and you can bring them on as a vendor without any issues. Problem solved. Google – MAYBE. Google can be notoriously difficult for freelance writers because we really don’t have heavy website traffic like news or retail sites do. So while you can use Google to find a writer, beware that the great ones may still be buried somewhere in cyberspace. Sometimes writers will pay for ads and sometimes they’re lucky enough to make it onto page 1. But I find that of all the independent professionals I know - from design to photography to writing to personal training - none of them are easily found on Google. So working your network is still the best way to go. Craigslist – MAYBE. I admit that I’ve posted my information on Craigslist more than a few times over the years. So yes, I think you can find a good writer that way. But I also think you have to be very selective, because most of the writers you find there will be similar to (or a step above) the ones on the freelancing sites. Here's what to look for on Craigslist:
Writers who say, “I’m a great writer! I can write anything!” are probably not the ones you want. Desperation and lack of career focus, with only a subjective opinion about themselves to back up their qualifications, are not what you should be looking for in a writer. Your Best Resource is Your Own Investigation To sum everything up in one sentence, the best way to find a great writer is through word of mouth or by researching them yourself (without a middle man like an agency or freelancing site). But maybe you've found a great resource for writers that I haven't listed. Would you like to share it? Add your favorite spots in the comments below!
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It's inevitable that some clients will want me to quote an hourly rate. But in most cases I prefer to charge by the project rather than by the hour (at least for shorter-term projects). Why? Let me explain.
Writers Have a Process Writing is an entire mental, creative process. And this process can vary depending on the day, subject, format, audience, and any number of other factors. The reality is that some pieces are easier to pull together and others are more difficult. And sometimes we don't know this until we get there. When you ask a writer to work by the hour you're essentially asking them to interrupt their natural process and conform to requirements for a specific payment time frame. And what this means is that sometimes you won't get their optimum product. Why? Because if a piece proves more challenging than expected, you force the writer to make shortcuts to stay within time limits. And is that what you really want when you're paying for professional copy? Writing Times Vary Every project is different, and when I quote a flat fee I'm agreeing to write until the job is done. This frees me up to spend as much time as I need to on a project without having to worry about it costing more than expected for the client. Because honestly, sometimes targeted writing is a slow process that requires time to do well. And as a professional I want to be able to take that time. Let me give you an example. I write quite a few book jackets these days that require me to not only wade through books and pull information together, but to write copy that targets a specific reader and sells the book effectively. My client pays me by the project and not by the hour, which gives me the freedom to write in the way I need to. So completing each book jacket looks something like this:
If you look at my process, I've actually spent several hours of my day getting this project done. But my client has given me the freedom to break up my writing in the way that allows me to produce the best copy without me having to worry about tracking time and staying within a certain limit. So what he receives is the best copy I can produce. If I were to charge him by the hour I'd have to eliminate the "gelling" time in between writing and try to pump it out in one or two sittings. Which means he'd get a sliver of my full writing potential, and in the end it would negatively affect his ability to sell the book and undersell myself as a professional. Which brings me to... Things Need Time to Gel As writers we need the freedom to step away from a project (sometimes multiple times) to let it gel together. We write all day long, and sometimes our brains need a break to figure out how to pull the final copy together. Have you ever heard about the importance of downtime for creativity, and how the most creative insights come when you're not actually working? This is especially true for writers. Sometimes I will write something that just doesn't work and I won't be able to fix it in that sitting. So I'll have to step away for a while to let my brain detach, refresh, and come up with something new. It's just what we do. So when I have to worry about time and hourly fees this freedom is mostly taken away from me. And I end up having to focus more on the clock and less on the writing, which isn't good for anyone. Have more questions about my process? Feel free to reach out and ask! Or browse my website to learn more about some of the projects I've worked on and what I can do for you. Working off-site is frowned upon by some companies, who insist on the "security" of having someone sitting across the room. But this antiquated mindset limits your talent pool severely. And for most writers, you SHOULD let them work off-site. And here's why.
It's a solo pursuit. Writers are creative people. Even the most analytical writer spends a lot of time in his or her brain figuring out what to write, what to omit, how to say it best, etc. So the reality is that writing is a solo activity. And that means we need lots of solo time to produce great material. And honestly, offices can be a big distraction. We gather information, then run with it. Once we gather our information from SMEs or other resources, we don't need to interact with people much anymore. We only need to circle back when a question arises, a draft is ready for review, or a status update is required. Most of what we do from that point on is just sit down and write. And this can be done anywhere. I find that in most projects I spend about 10-15% of my time interacting with people. This might be through SME interviews, review cycles, or project status updates. I spent many a year in corporate America at my computer, in my cubicle, writing all day...and not interacting with anyone unless it was for some water cooler chat. Did it really matter that I was sitting in the office? Not really. I could have easily done the same thing remotely and saved the company some overhead. We need a creative environment. Which brings me to point number three: We need an environment that allows us to be creative. For many of us creativity doesn't come within office walls, meeting interruptions, or standard 8-5 hours. Sometimes writers need the freedom to stop and do something else, then come back to the project. Sometimes writers work best in the middle of the night while the candle burns. It all depends on the individual. For me, I need access to a window. I need an environment that isn't sterile or cubed in. I need to have my cat purring on my lap while I work, which is what she's doing now. I need the freedom to stop when my brain is tired, and start again when it's ready to go. Because sometimes you just run out of juice and need the freedom to stop so that you can come back and polish your work into something spectacular. Does this mean I watch TV all day? No. I turn the TV on during lunch for about 10 minutes, and back to work I go. Working off-site just means I have the flexibility to work in a way that allows me to produce my best material. And my work environment isn't dictated by someone else who isn't in my brain. You will find better employees if you are open to off-site work. I think the most important thing to remember is that work ethic determines how hard you work, not physical location. So I would advise companies to focus more on finding candidates with a good work ethic rather than candidates who can be on-site all the time. I sometimes see jobs posted indefinitely because the work location is a bit off the map, but the client insists the candidate be on-site. The result? They don't get any work done, the job sits open, and they lose out on good talent when someone like me could come in and knock it out. So if you're ready to re-examine off-site consultants or employees, start looking! There is so much talent out there, ready to work hard and knock those projects out of the ballpark. And it's a great ROI for your business to hire the best person you can, regardless of their physical location. Those of us who work as freelance writers know the effort it takes to produce quality copy. It's not just splatting words on a page. It's actually quite a bit of effort to craft effective copy and to maintain a business to boot. So I'd like to share how I deliver top notch service to my clients. I don't outsource, I don't have assistants...it's just me.
I wake up everyday to emails in my inbox just like every other professional. I also have a calendar of scheduled work to do, just like every other professional. If I wanted to break down my day it would look something like this:
When you hire a professional writer, you aren't just hiring a hobbyist who throws something together quickly (because they aren't being paid much). Professionals - whether moonlighting or writing full-time - take the time to properly target, research and edit your copy so that it is exceptionally effective. This is what you are paying for when you hire a professional (for a professional rate) rather than "Writer Extraordinaire John Doe" at the content mill who will write it for $10. Think about the value and ROI of using a proven professional. Words last a long time; years, or decades even. If your copy is good, how will that positively impact your business long-term? How much more traffic will your website get? How much better will it rank with search engines? How many more conversions will you get from a marketing campaign? And if it's bad...well, you can see where I'm going. Websites can completely tank and even be dropped from search engines from mediocre or bad copy. Marketing campaigns can fall flat on their face because the reader immediately trashes or deletes the material after a lackluster headline and ineffective intro. Professional writers are not only writing exceptional copy to help you grow your business, but they are running an effective business themselves. So they understand the importance of targeted content for your potential customers. And this is true whether it be in a blog format or a newsletter or a marketing brochure. So the next time you are looking to hire a freelancer, see if they conduct themselves as a professional. Do they properly scope the work? Do they meet deadlines? Do they follow up on projects and check in with you from time to time? Do they invoice your promptly? Do they provide a contract if you don't have one in place? This is what I do for my clients, and I have a very satisfied clientele. If you need your words to do the same for your customers, shoot me an email at info@writerliz.com and let's get started. When you hear the word "technical writer" what comes to mind? Computers? Engineering? Complicated subjects? I want to challenge the writing world: have you considered the idea that a technical writer can be the best resource for all of your communications projects? Let me explain why.
Technical writers are skilled at creating clear, concise text that translates complicated ideas into simple ones. This skill is great for areas like computer software, manuals, engineering documents, and other communications that need to be clear and to the point. This is a given. But what it's also great for is a wide range of communications, the most obvious of which is training materials. Training is a close cousin to end user documentation; it's just a different format. Really good training materials have not only stellar instructional design behind them, but also clear language. What if your design and ideas are great but your text comes out muddy? How will that affect your learners? Wouldn't technical writing skills be helpful in this scenario? So let's take this a step further. Would you hire a technical writer to create your marketing or web communications? Maybe? Maybe not? It may seem counter-intuitive to put a technical writer in this role, but in order for marketing or web copy to sell it has to grab attention quickly. This means not rambling. This means making sense to a wide audience. This means getting to the point, but in a creative and catchy way. Now here's where things get squishy. Have you ever seen marketing text with a bunch of flowing, embellished words that honestly aren't coherent and don't really get to the point? This is a classic case of "attempting to be creative and catchy, but in the process completely erasing any semblance of quality content" syndrome. When I was employed as a technical writer, I would often fix the work of the marketing communications person for this very reason. And honestly in the end I wound up completely taking over, because as a technical writer I was just able to create something much more effective. So when you're looking around for writing help, think about the technical writer. And not just for technical projects - but for a wide range of projects. Their unique skills can sometimes be advantageous to your communications endeavors, if you just take the time to find one who has a bit of a creative bug in their arsenal. So it's been a while since I wrote a blog. Today I wanted to talk about the benefits of hiring an independent professional, because we all need to know why we're doing what we're doing, right? If you find a good one, you'll reap some serious benefits and set up a mutually satisfying long-term relationship. And in time, that relationship will help your business continue to grow at a lower cost than you may have thought possible.
So think about this: You need some communications work done. Or maybe you need some training programs developed and rolled out. Or maybe you need a help system built, or some media work completed like press releases, blogs, articles, and social media content. Or maybe you're not quite sure if your website is working. You have three options at this point:
So where am I going with this? Well, I'm going straight to this message: A skilled consultant/freelancer can provide professional quality work for a fraction of the overall cost, and can dramatically increase your business and profits through an as-needed expense rather than a daily one. Think about the thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of dollars you could save and re-invest in your business. It's all about return on investment. Pay for what you need, when you need it, knowing you will get the same professional quality you would get if you hired a full-time employee. And pocket that money you would have paid on a salary, taxes, benefits, bonus structure, computer software, training...the list goes on. I create a lot of postings dedicated to business, marketing, or other elements of communications that are necessary for companies to succeed. But today I’d like to talk a little bit about my writing process and philosophy. Because we all want to know, if we’re paying for a service, what that person can do for us.
I have been writing for a long time now. So long that I can’t imagine not doing it. And each project, whether from a new client or a repeat customer, brings its own special challenge that I enjoy using my brain to solve. Over the years I have become skilled at writing quickly and at creating solid first drafts. This not only makes me more productive, but it makes me better able to meet the needs of my clients because I have to spend less time editing. An added bonus is that it gives me the opportunity to tackle more challenges that interest my ever inquisitive brain. I truly enjoy producing quality pieces for my clients. I have a perfect track record for customer satisfaction because I take the time to edit, tweak, and otherwise rewrite my pieces. And I’m really proud of that. Because writing is not just an occupation for me – it’s a passion. Every piece I create is done with the same level of care and creativity as the one before it, and this devotion continues for every project that comes along afterwards. This is why I write, and this is why I own my business. To share my talent in a way that affects the community, that helps businesses grow, and that makes people smile. Why do you do the job you do? How do you conduct yourself within your business? Have you thought about it today? Need help growing your business or nonprofit organization? Browse my website to learn about how I can help you with your particular needs. So you have contacted a writer, gotten an estimate, and your first reaction is that you don’t understand what that money is paying for. After all, it’s just writing right? Well actually a lot goes on behind the scenes. And when you hire a stellar writer who charges professional rates, you are getting a lot more than just writing for that investment. Let’s do a comparison.
Cheap writers Let’s start with the super cheap, below minimum wage writers. You see them all over Craigslist and freelance sites like eLance or Guru.com, and their unbelievably low rates are very tempting. Especially for growing organizations who don’t have a large budget. But what are you paying for when you hire a writer like that? Well, you are likely getting someone who:
Writers like this sacrifice quality and effectiveness for quantity and speed. These subpar writers want to hook the client with a super cheap rate, deliver something quickly, collect the fee and then move on to the next prospect. Many of these writers, obviously, do not maintain repeat customers because of the poor writing quality they deliver. So what you get is a writer who relies on his or her cheap rates – rather than client satisfaction – to continue to get work. Keep these things in mind when considering a writer of this type. You may end up having to get the work fixed by a professional (I am often contacted for this reason), or if left untouched the work may actually decrease your revenue by tarnishing your image. This will definitely cost your organization much more money in the end, and cause you additional headaches. Professional writers Now, let’s talk about a professional writer – a writer who charges real fees and who yes, will cost you a bit more up front. But let’s look at what you get for those fees, and let’s talk about the case for going ahead and hiring a professional even if you are on a tight budget. When you hire a professional writer, you are getting someone who:
Isn’t this a better option long term, when you think about how you are investing in your organization? Professional writers know their craft, they know what it takes to create something that meets your goals and objectives, and they take the time to produce quality because their rates ensure that they can. They conduct themselves professionally and maintain a stable client base, because they deliver good work and provide prompt service for their customers. Wouldn’t you rather pay $500 for something that will bring you $15,000 in revenue, than $50 for something that might only garner you $2000? Think about what you are paying for and how you are investing your money when you hire a writer. And remember, you can always do a trial run with a small project if your budget is tight. See if you like their work, if it increases your revenue, or ups your professional image. If it does, you can move forward slowly with more projects as you get the funds. Need help growing your business or nonprofit organization? Browse my website to learn about how I can help you with your particular needs. There are thousands upon thousands of writers out there. The rates they charge are anywhere from dirt cheap to really expensive. How can you find a good freelance writer? And what should you look for?
The first thing is a polished website. If the website is not appealing, think about the skills of the person who created it. In general a writer will have created their own website, or at least the copy within it. Is it visually appealing? Does it catch you and draw you in? Is it informative and persuasive? If not...well, don't expect the work they do for you to be of any higher quality. A writer's website is their calling card, and their marketing tool. It should be an example of their best work. If it doesn't look impressive to you, move on. Because your potential clients may react similarly to your materials/website if they are looking at work from that particular writer. Another important thing to look for is breadth of knowledge. Can this writer only write articles? Can they only write marketing copy? Can they only write blogs? But why would you care, anyway, if all you want is a blog writer? Well...a good writer can write for any medium and any audience. Specializing in something is great, being limited to one or two areas is not. Why? Because writers need to be able to get into the minds of their intended audience. And to craft whatever type of writing is necessary in order to meet the client's objectives. If the writer you are considering can only write in one area, will they really be able to effectively sell YOUR particular needs? And what if you find that your business grows, and you want to expand to other areas? Do you really want to have to go out and find another writer all over again, because your current one cannot deliver? A final thing to look for is professionalism and confidentiality. Does the writer willingly give out client samples to anyone and everyone who asks for them? Are there links to proprietary information on their website? Or is the writer careful about maintaining disclosure agreements and guarding their clients' key business information? You want a writer you can trust. If they don't portray trust and professionalism in their interactions and work samples, move on to the next one. And always remember: you get what you pay for. A cheap writer is like immediate gratification - the low up front cost is nice, but the long-term effects on your business end up costing you more. Need help growing your business or nonprofit organization? Browse my website to learn about how I can help you with your particular needs. A lot of businesses think they can cut corners in the writing department. They try to outsource it to a cheap provider overseas, delegate it to a current employee, or look for quick help through a freelancing site that they feel will provide the most content for the cheapest dollar amount.
But rarely in this world do good things come cheaply. Most often, you have to work for what you get. And the cliche "you get what you pay for" just about always rings true in this line of work. The problem with thinking you can cut corners on the writing is that even if you have paid top dollar for a snazzy look and feel, the artwork and design can only go so far in selling your image. Great writing and great design go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. If your potential customer is impressed by the design, but then appalled by the written content, you have instantly lost a sale and potentially any referrals that may have come afterward. Have you made the best investment possible to grow your business? Think carefully about why you should pay more for quality writing. What kind of ROI do you want? There are plenty of aspiring writers who would be willing to do work at extremely low rates. But think about how you want to represent your business. The image you portray through your materials is like investing in the clothing you wear to an interview. Are you going to show up in shorts and flip flops, or in a polished suit that really shines? Which option will provide a better return on investment? Get their attention. Make your business shine. Hire a great writer. Need help growing your business or nonprofit organization? Browse my website to learn about how I can help you with your particular needs. |
Contact me at info@writerliz.com.
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