Content Writing as a Service Sucks

[JeanLuc]

I hear you OP - content writing for a living can prove a thankless venture. If you need to make income from it I'd suggest trying Upwork. It'll be tough at first but once you get a few reviews you can set reasonable prices and work on your own terms.

I used to have a Filipino girl on there write for me. She was decent - not fantastic by any means - but after about six months I couldn't afford her prices anymore. She was just consistent, had what I'd say is a high school command of English and always met her deadlines. Last time I checked she was charging $25 for a 1000 word article and had something like 30 orders.

 

[quest1426]

Literally just started it, hadn't looked into anything regarding it until yesterday. Haven't had an order on there yet.

How is your Fiverr account going? How often do you get work, how many gigs do you offer, how many reviews do you have, do you buy fake ones, how much impressions do you have on your main gigs?

If I may ask, of course!

 

[quest1426]

I understand how it sounds retarded, but I put more into bidding and getting jobs than anything else, hadn't ever created a website for it as a brand and simply tossed anything I had written in a folder and periodically deleted them. I am by no means stupid, but never had the thought to collect and use them for a portfolio because I hadn't been asked for an "old one" often at all, just to write a new one, thus the reason I had gone through a lot of people who take it and run with it and never pay for it. A couple times I had been asked for a look at an old one, but I write so often "old" could mean that morning or the day before.
I hadn't looked at it from your point of view regarding setting the pricing. I just thought of, alright, I need to pay this bill, that's this many $2 and $3 articles I have to get.
Usually I look on freelancer, similar sites, or sites with crappy content for people to hire me, contact them on or off those sites, and see what I can get out of it.

You have been freelancing for "quite a long time now" and you don't have a portfolio yet? Joking? Hiring a new writer is a risk in itself. If you don't have samples, there's no way anyone can see your skill and be willing to take a risk on anything but bottom-of-the-barrel pricing. When I'm hiring writers I only ask for a portfolio of samples and I instantly delete anything that doesn't include that. You should also set your own prices and never sway from them - everyone ordering content is looking to get the most for the least. You have to be the one setting the rules.

 

[quest1426]

Yeesh, $25 for a 1000 word article? That price I had never even thought of at all, and I wouldn't have thought that common at all. haha. I do have an upwork account but only see the $2 to $3 jobs on there as well.

I hear you OP - content writing for a living can prove a thankless venture. If you need to make income from it I'd suggest trying Upwork. It'll be tough at first but once you get a few reviews you can set reasonable prices and work on your own terms.

I used to have a Filipino girl on there write for me. She was decent - not fantastic by any means - but after about six months I couldn't afford her prices anymore. She was just consistent, had what I'd say is a high school command of English and always met her deadlines. Last time I checked she was charging $25 for a 1000 word article and had something like 30 orders.

 

[shottem]

use fiverr, you can get pay about $4 per 500 word articles and most of the employers are site owners and they will discuss long term contracts.

 

[Total Noob]

I understand how it sounds retarded, but I put more into bidding and getting jobs than anything else, hadn't ever created a website for it as a brand and simply tossed anything I had written in a folder and periodically deleted them. I am by no means stupid, but never had the thought to collect and use them for a portfolio because I hadn't been asked for an "old one" often at all, just to write a new one, thus the reason I had gone through a lot of people who take it and run with it and never pay for it. A couple times I had been asked for a look at an old one, but I write so often "old" could mean that morning or the day before.
I hadn't looked at it from your point of view regarding setting the pricing. I just thought of, alright, I need to pay this bill, that's this many $2 and $3 articles I have to get.
Usually I look on freelancer, similar sites, or sites with crappy content for people to hire me, contact them on or off those sites, and see what I can get out of it.

Nah, I didn't think it was retarded or anything. I just assumed you were doing the freelance site thing. The problem with freelancing sites is that anyone can do exactly what you did - hop on and start bidding on projects. The HS kid who doesn't want to work at a grocery store, the guy overseas with a US IP, etc. This drives the price way down, and since there is so much junk on there, no real clients - the ones you want - even use these sites. It's not worth wading through all of the junk.

If you want professional clients, become a professional yourself. I would spend a day or two writing 5-10 sample pieces to show clients (so you have something to show... never agree to free work) and creating a basic but functional website for yourself.

Then, of course, the challenge is finding clients - but if it were easy, everyone would do it. Honestly, if you are looking for $2-3 / 100 words and your writing isn't total junk, post a thread on BHW and your schedule will be filled almost immediately. That's not just generic advice, either.

Of course, this is assuming that your writing isn't full of errors like your OP is... if you write without paying attention to grammar, you should never expect to rise above $0.01/word (or whatever). Grammar is the difference between $0.01/word (and under) and $.02 or $0.03 a word. And honestly, you should make a habit of using proper grammar all of the time, because then it will become natural and you'll sound like a writer when you post (your OP didn't inspire confidence).

Cheers

 

[blackbeans]

As a fellow writer, I can definitely empathize with you, TS.

Writing for others CAN be tough.

My advice to you is keep at it.

Keep learning.

You'll figure out how to maximize your profit while keeping your clients happy.

Before you can run, you have to first walk.

Oftentimes, we all have to stumble before we can even walk.

Crawling doesn't have to suck. It's all about keeping our eyes focused on the BIG PICTURE.

 

[ChanzGrande]

Indeed, as a copywriter and general all around content creation guy I can definitely concur with your sentiments. It's hard and tiring work for little reward. Finding the right guy for someone like you may often come down to simply increasing your own perception of your own value. I have often found that I've undersold my services consistently throughout my career. Always under-promise and over-deliver.

However, at some point one has to ask oneself how much their time is actually worth. If you are not earning what you hope to - you are probably also selling yourself short. I've had great success over the years simply resisting my initial temptation to massively underprice a bid. Just try bidding what you actually think something is worth, and you might be surprised to find others ALSO think you are worth that price. Whatever you do though ... don't undersell yourself forever. It makes for a very miserable living.

P.S. I've drummed up article work in the Hire-A-Freelancer section here almost every year since joining, and I don't work for $2/article under any circumstances, so you can definitely line up the work if you put in the effort to land some recurring customers. Do yourself a favor. Any time you feel like you are about to underbid a job ... don't bid.

 

[quest1426]

Haha, I did write that a bit off hand more of a crappy rant I would say. My writing is a lot better but you are correct, I definitely should focus on maintaining proper grammar in all of my writing. I think I see BHW as a place that I can "talk", not to compare it to Facebook or Twitter, but not always focusing on 100% professionalism either. Thus the OP as you see it.

I will say that I had thought of a thread here on BHW, but that was a while back and again, my whole life had been in English and did actually achieve an MIS (which is worthless now that I am back in my own country). That education did include high school English and English l and ll in college. As well as creative writing in college. Though I speak Spanish on a daily basis here at home, I still work in English.

I want to say that the main reason I did not want to start a thread here in BHW is because its the last place I would want to F*(* up, if that makes sense. I would rather go put up some trashy WSO's than to dare do something here and not be able to live up to it.

Of course, this is assuming that your writing isn't full of errors like your OP is...

Cheers

 

[quest1426]

I appreciate your contribution. I would like to thank everyone else again as well. This thread could have easily just been ignored, but instead I have been able to gather a plethora of feedback and ideas from it.

There are things I haven't thought about, and things I have but didn't gather an entire idea out of until now.

You are definitely right, taking it slow is probably the way I should go, as well as everyone's idea that I need to take a step back and look at things professionally instead of like a bidder. Someone just out there chasing a buck because its needed.

As a fellow writer, I can definitely empathize with you, TS.

Writing for others CAN be tough.

My advice to you is keep at it.

Keep learning.

You'll figure out how to maximize your profit while keeping your clients happy.

Before you can run, you have to first walk.

Oftentimes, we all have to stumble before we can even walk.

Crawling doesn't have to suck. It's all about keeping our eyes focused on the BIG PICTURE.

 

[quest1426]

Thanks davers,

I think its because the difference between myself and all of you is that I have been looking at it as "freelancing" and what I see from everyone here is "a business".

$2 is what I have been doing mostly, and I think part of it is because I have been invisible online until I pop out there with a message or a bid.

There is a lot I hadn't seen and I do believe it is time I start reading up more on threads here that talk about making this into a brand/business. I know there has to be some here. I think there is even a thread on how to sell fake celebrity nose hairs on eBay so there has to be great ones on content as a business.

I really do appreciate it, not one of anyone's words have been wasted in this thread.

Indeed, as a copywriter and general all around content creation guy I can definitely concur with your sentiments. It's hard and tiring work for little reward. Finding the right guy for someone like you may often come down to simply increasing your own perception of your own value. I have often found that I've undersold my services consistently throughout my career. Always under-promise and over-deliver.

However, at some point one has to ask oneself how much their time is actually worth. If you are not earning what you hope to - you are probably also selling yourself short. I've had great success over the years simply resisting my initial temptation to massively underprice a bid. Just try bidding what you actually think something is worth, and you might be surprised to find others ALSO think you are worth that price. Whatever you do though ... don't undersell yourself forever. It makes for a very miserable living.

P.S. I've drummed up article work in the Hire-A-Freelancer section here almost every year since joining, and I don't work for $2/article under any circumstances, so you can definitely line up the work if you put in the effort to land some recurring customers. Do yourself a favor. Any time you feel like you are about to underbid a job ... don't bid.

 

[Eternal1912]

Aha, well if you are a Fiverr newbie, then you can check my guide - http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackh...82873-my-personal-fiverr-experience-tips.html

I hope that it gives you some directions. You can ask there if you have any questions, i'm willing to help a fellow writer

 

[Faith]

As a content provider, I feel you. There are great clients and pain in the a** clients.
Set your price, stick to it, and deliver on time.