A Question for Content Writers...

Why don't you guys do eBooks? Or do you in addition to content writing? I'm just curious as once their sales take off, I regularly lose the best content writers to their eBook projects.

BLIXX said:

Why don't you guys do eBooks? Or do you in addition to content writing? I'm just curious as once their sales take off, I regularly lose the best content writers to their eBook projects.

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Well, I think you should pay good and your writers will stick to you.
On a serious note, it depends upon person to person. For instance, I have come across writers who earn $25 per article, so they hardly bother about anything else because they're already making big. These guys make make $50 in an hour, so why should they look for anything else. While there are others who want to try out something different, as they're either bored or want to try something different, so they opt for ebooks. Cheers

Beingakrant said:

Well, I think you should pay good and your writers will stick to you.
On a serious note, it depends upon person to person. For instance, I have come across writers who earn $25 per article, so they hardly bother about anything else because they're already making big. These guys make make $50 in an hour, so why should they look for anything else. While there are others who want to try out something different, as they're either bored or want to try something different, so they opt for ebooks. Cheers

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I pay well, but I'm not necessarily losing them because of money; I'm losing them because they can't take writing another article about trash cans or new and innovative ways to make a tuna fish sandwich.

BLIXX said:

I pay well, but I'm not necessarily losing them because of money; I'm losing them because they can't take writing another article about trash cans or new and innovative ways to make a tuna fish sandwich.

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There was a guy here recently selling his website with 280 unique article he wrote about gum disease.....hook up with him he could write the tuna sandwich encyclopedia !

Duffers5000 said:

There was a guy here recently selling his website with 280 unique article he wrote about gum disease.....hook up with him he could write the tuna sandwich encyclopedia !

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lmao... I must meet this enigmatic cyborg of whom you speak.

BLIXX said:

Why don't you guys do eBooks? Or do you in addition to content writing? I'm just curious as once their sales take off, I regularly lose the best content writers to their eBook projects.

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As a content writer myself, it's all about the money and nothing more! Sure, we have to start somewhere, and it's usually $5 per article until we get more experience, which is usually 6 or so articles. It's a process of constantly getting better jobs; more money. At the moment I charge $25 per article, so I'm getting about $50 per hour. But I do know writers who charge up to $200 per article + promotion on social media etc.

I've been a writer since 2006. For me, I find it's actually the opposite scenario. Most of my clients usually are requesting content for a start up blog or start up website only to abandon it a week later and then I no longer have work for that client.

When I hit up Warrior Forum for clients, I find that they take FOREVER to respond to their e-mails. I currently have 7 people.. (yes, 7) that I'm waiting to hear back from about writing content for. One person even wants a sales page done but I don't have any of the details and I hear that's an important part of writing. I would figure someone who needs a sales page would at least be in a little bit of a hurry. I commonly have to wait a few days to a week to hear back from potential clients then they usually only last a couple of jobs.

It's not that they're unhappy with the quality, but they usually abandon whatever project they're doing after they find out it's not churning out cash as fast as they thought it would. At least that's all in my experience though.

Now on the hiring side (I've been there)
I notice it's near impossible to keep cheap writers online or devoted to any kind of writing. The ones who are devoted or actually do deliver work deliver some of the most jumbled up and messed up language I've ever seen. I have a different definition of quality than what other people would call quality so I'm sure there will be people who say they find quality writers at $1.00 or less per 100 words.

As for topics, I'll be honest. Writing sucks... It's something that I'm good at however which is why I provide it. Writing isn't fun, it's usually on a topic you don't care about or want to do and sometimes the clients can be like bosses. They can be a real pain in the ass but I've had some positive experiences as well. I see your Trash Can and Tuna Fish articles and I raise you "Diabetic Socks".

Yep, that was a real request from a real client I had to write about, Diabetic Socks. There was one guy from iWriter (Shiver... iWriter) who requested articles on Sexual Positions and Sex Moves. I've never written articles so quickly before.

Good points

I charge $25/article minimum on average. (Currently offering BHW a $5/article rate for REwrites though.)

And I write eBooks. One book published (print and digital) and working on another (Practice Safe SEO) that will be strictly digital.

I'll never stop writing for clients, because I love building success stories. I'll also never stop writing ebooks because I love the back burner income.

I guess every writer is different. Sorry you lost yours, those types of articles can be tedious but they pay the bills. I wouldn't say I'm desperate but I'm less picky because writing is my sole source of income and as a single mom... I don't have the luxury of picking and choosing. (Which is probably why I'm offering the cheap rewrite packages now, on a dare. Seems to be working well though!)

Personally, I don't write ebooks because I feel it is easier to recieve money upfront. The long term comittment isn't worth it to me. However, different writers have different feelings about it.

Wriot said:

As a content writer myself, it's all about the money and nothing more!

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This is exactly what I do not understand; this line of reasoning, that is.

I've seen the math. Since I remain at least acquainted with the writers that move on, they, themselves, have shown me the arithmetic. One even makes quite nearly what I do with no more than 50 eBooks.

As near as I can tell there are only two probabilities:
1.) A lot of you content writers are seriously selling your selves short, being unawares of other (read: superior) income generating avenues.
2.) A lot of you aren't nearly as great at writing as you believe yourselves to be (no offense intended). Or, have self-esteem issues (i.e. self-doubt: Again, no offense intended).

Wriot said:

At the moment I charge $25 per article, so I'm getting about $50 per hour.

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x 24 hrs...? I think not. Surely you are averaging this at some or another 6,7,8-hour-day work day (if that). Further, that you are spending a half an hour on writing an article is indicative of not only what you are writing about, but also who you are writing for.

I'm not insulting you, by any means. Just making an observation.

But I do know writers who charge up to $200 per article + promotion on social media etc.

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With this, I can see the potential of good money. But, nothing that out-weighs the math I've seen with my own eyes regarding the truly talented taking their fate by the proverbial reigns.

Its all in the money, writers start small and as they go up they find employers who are willing to pay more. I started of with $1.5 for a 500 word article! And now I usually just charge my employers around $10 for a 500 word article.
Writers also get employed on a monthly basis these days and maybe that's why they leave.
I usually stay in contact with old employers just in case the amount of work goes down.

If you suck at writing content, I wouldn't spend a dime on you. For those that have fluid writing style, I wouldn't go over $10 per 500 words. I can simply go out and find hurting college kids that I can buy 3-5 of (no really let's go grab a few occupy kids) and pay them $3 per 500 words and work them 160 hours a month. Content writers are a dime a dozen, so it doesn't surprise me that on here people try to over inflate the prices.

To answer your original question, I write articles for extra family/household income. This goes towards Christmas, Birthdays, etc. I write books for pleasure but don'e have the confidence or have one completed to my satisfaction for any type of publishing. I would write as a career if it didn't take away from my family, or my career path as a devoted computer nerd. If, however, I ever get a book published, I'll probably still write articles on occasion just for the fun of it.

therage said:

If you suck at writing content, I wouldn't spend a dime on you. For those that have fluid writing style, I wouldn't go over $10 per 500 words. I can simply go out and find hurting college kids that I can buy 3-5 of (no really let's go grab a few occupy kids) and pay them $3 per 500 words and work them 160 hours a month. Content writers are a dime a dozen, so it doesn't surprise me that on here people try to over inflate the prices.

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.... deep breath, calm down.

Ok, mr. therage I would like to comment that yes, content writers do seem to be a dime a dozen and (when all you wanna spend is a dime) you might as well get a dozen and hope for something that makes sense. No, that does not mean everyone should "over inflate the prices" as you so eloquently described. But please understand that some writers are actually worth more because they give you more than just a bunch of counted words jumbled up together.

There is a BIG difference between writers that are a dime a dozen (cough, $5 writers) and copy writers who can take your SEO goals, branding, user engagement, psychology, conversions, and design all into account. Writers who not only raise your SERP, increase traffic, grow your web presence, multiply your conversion rate, and ultimately build lasting brand loyalty.

Those are things that make people successful by the way- whether you're the writer or the client. No client is worth your time if they "would never spend more than $10 for 500 words" because they don't want anything more than a certain word count... and that's just a waste of time and money. No offense, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors but I strongly encourage you to consider that one amazing copywriter can do so much more for your investment than a handful of cheap, mediocre article writers. Slave driving clients like ^^ are a dime a dozen, because they are always working harder (not smarter) on the wrong things. All it takes is a few good clients who get it because a truly successful copywriter has truly successful clients.

Just saying.

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