Writing for the web can be a fascinating and exciting career for avid writers. It provides a way of earning a living and communicating your thoughts and feelings to the world. That’s something a writer would have a hard time, even ten years ago. While internet content drives the market, freelance writers are often undervalued and disrespected. Below I discuss why experienced writers should refuse to write for low-paid gigs.
An online business requires two things:
We all know that anyone doing business online needs two things: a website and content. They have to provide content for their website or blog and then promote it. Likewise, they have to constantly update their website with new information. It’s an endless cycle.
Outsource writing tasks? :
They can do it themselves or outsource these tasks. Many people end up having to outsource them because they don’t have the time or ability to write them themselves. So many website owners and bloggers are clamoring for writers. Especially since Google and other search engines have massively raised the bar for web content. The problem seems to be that many people want freelance writers to write their hearts out.
I realize there are a lot of people who really appreciate what freelance writers do for their website and page ranking. These bloggers are great for writing and make the profession worthwhile. This post is for those who don’t, and for experienced writers who write for them.
Why do people expect to pay a dollar or two for five hundred words? :
Maybe it’s because they don’t have enough room in their budget to pay for the service. This is something they should consider before starting a business on the internet.
Maybe because they still believe that quantity is the key, not quality. Regarding the update to the new algorithm, Google’s Matt Cutts was very clear about what to expect from content. A good article with information, tips or tutorials is better than ten articles that just scratch the surface of the subject.
Or they think writers are a dime, so they can categorize them all under the McJob (low salary) umbrella. The reality is that good people are not so easy to find.
New writer:
To gain experience, I recommend writing for auction-style freelance sites that have hundreds of clients but pay next to nothing. Suffice it to say, when you start a new career, you need to learn the ropes. You can go to college and become an engineer, but you never really know what the job is like until you actually work in the field. The same goes for writers. It takes a while to understand how providing such a service works and the ups and downs of dealing with different types of customers.
With a freelance website you have the opportunity to write for hundreds of people, hundreds of industries and niche markets. You quickly understand how the process works. This way you can see if writing is for you. It turns out you hate writing all day long.
In the end, you can see if this is a career you like. You can also judge your writing skills by the feedback you get from freelance sites. If it turns out that this is a career that you enjoy, then you should look for gigs that will pay you the value of your services. All jobs have experience increases, even McDonald’s.
You may be lucky enough to find clients on these valuable freelance sites. Someone with whom you can develop a relationship of mutual respect. However, they expect a greater chance of continuing to pay you. Some people will even think they need to get their content faster after a while.
Professional experienced freelance writers:
The only way things can change is if we, as writers, take steps to change them. If you are a quality writer, please don’t write for people who don’t want to pay you. If you’re stuck in the loop of writing top-notch articles for next to nothing, you’ll get stuck.
If you spend all your time writing for a few bucks, you won’t have the energy to find writing assignments that pay well. You have heard the saying, “Seek and you shall find”. If you set your standards too low, you’re missing out.
Clients Hiring Freelance Writers:
When you hire writers and they provide you with high quality articles, you have to pay them properly. Don’t confuse them with authors who write articles with poor spelling and grammar, because you have to spend a lot of time editing.
