I have been looking for GOOD copywriter for 6 months

[Blacksnow]

There is one interesting fact. If you publish advert here to hire copywriter you will receive 10s replies and offers, but when you start working with any one you start understanding that the picture is not so bright.
When people offer you their service they start from 3 things
1. I am the cheapest I charhe only $5 per 1000 - I am always trying to avoid such "copywriters"
2 Time, peple promiss to do this work for 2 days, take order and vanish after that, they may appear again in one week, with explanation about troubles what happend to them and give word to fix everything in 24 hours disappear for ever.
You should understand me SEO is professional business for many of us. It means every day cost money
3. People ask for prepayment and show articales what they wrote. How I can know that this artical was written by him

[Trusted Writer]

How I can know that this artical was written by him


There are several hints to keep in mind when it comes to hire a copywriter and while cheap is not necessarily associated to poor writing, it is either guarantee of a good job if other criteria rules are not carefully analyzed before proceeding http://foolstown.com/sm/lam.gif
Having a well-developed and established website with rates, samples and a solid portfolio of clients to look contributes to carv a writer's profile for further reference http://foolstown.com/sm/ven.gif

How can you get to know if a writer has written a sample article?

As simple as doing a quick copyscape check or Google research you may get unvailed almost any "copy and paste" pseudo writers as you can also find genuine writers whose work is submitted to articles directories or published elsewhere under their real name, pen name or an original and unique forum nickname http://foolstown.com/sm/gaz.gif

[what]

Do understand that there's a difference between mere article writers and copywriters. Professional, longtime copywriters can even charge thousands of dollars.

[Jackuul]

Personally I do three things.

1. I do not charge the customer until I have completed the order, or large section of orders (such as if I get 20 500 word articles to do, I will charge one half at the completion and sending of one half, then the second half when I finish and send the second half). That means the customer does not pay until after they get a chance to read it.

2. I always, as a courtesy, copyscape pro my work. I do it because it gives me a wordcount, I have a bunch to burn, and I can be sure that nothing else matches what I write. I know it would not in the first place, but I figure that adds a bit of a guarantee to it.

3. I make sure I know as much as possible what the customer wants. So much so, that I have a sample excel sheet I send to all customers so that they can better describe exactly what they want to have, how many words it needs to be, and finally the keywords (if any) that they wish to have along with density.

Also I respond to all questions as promptly as possible, and because I do it this way, any delay only hurts myself - no money is on the line for the customer. I believe this is the most moral way of actually conducting oneself with business. The seller takes the risk, not the buyer.

[Trusted Writer]

Do understand that there's a difference between mere article writers and copywriters. Professional, longtime copywriters can even charge thousands of dollars.

When it comes to writing both aspiring wrirters and professional writers share a common bond and there are common features you can find in each of them, though following different paths.

Obvious a content writers usually does some research work in order to put together a few given ideas or keywords into an article, while a copywriter has a degree of specialization and usually a background in marketing that does not mean lack of a website, a portfolio or public material publishedl on the web.

A ghostwriter can also charge thousand of dollars if we are talking about professional markets but there is not point of comparison as niche, skills and final results differ in every writing context
http://foolstown.com/sm/val.gif

[wilhb81]

If you're searching for a quality copywriter at DP forum, you might consider that:

1. You always in the control of your own choice, means you will evaluated them based on their itrader and all of the feedbacks.

2. If you think there might be safer to pay once the task is completed, then you stick to your own principle to only pay after the article was submitted.

3. You can always use the copyscape to check whether the article is duplicate content or not, easy and no hassle...

Wilson.

[boron]

I will write a health related article (topic needs to be agreed), which will be the best free accessible online article on that topic at the time. It will include:

- list of references (sources: clinics, health institutes)
- SEO (according to keyword suggestion)

Delivery time (roughly): 2 weeks for 2,000 words.
Price: determined after deciding a topic, not cheap, payment after article delivery.

If you find a better article published online, you get mine for free.

[Blacksnow]

If you're searching for a quality copywriter at DP forum, you might consider that:

1. You always in the control of your own choice, means you will evaluated them based on their itrader and all of the feedbacks.

2. If you think there might be safer to pay once the task is completed, then you stick to your own principle to only pay after the article was submitted.

3. You can always use the copyscape to check whether the article is duplicate content or not, easy and no hassle...

Wilson.

Let me answer you,
1. iTrader - no problem, some people know each other well and happy give positive iTrader comments
2.Copyscape - if you take artical and spin software, Copyscape will be powerless, bit Google split such artical out

Sorry for comments, but this is life

[webgal]

I think what confuses so many people who hire is the different kinds of writers and copywriters.

Advertising copywriters
Web copywriters
Article writers for the web
Article writers for newspaper
Article writers for magazine
Article writers for SEO only
Sales letter copywriters
PR writers

[Blacksnow]

I think what confuses so many people who hire is the different kinds of writers and copywriters.

Advertising copywriters
Web copywriters
Article writers for the web
Article writers for newspaper
Article writers for magazine
Article writers for SEO only
Sales letter copywriters
PR writers


Well done, but what is different between:
aricales writers for the web ( I suppose content writer?), PR writers,writer for SEO.

[mixke]

There is one interesting fact. If you publish advert here to hire copywriter you will receive 10s replies and offers, but when you start working with any one you start understanding that the picture is not so bright.
When people offer you their service they start from 3 things
1. I am the cheapest I charhe only $5 per 1000 - I am always trying to avoid such "copywriters"

It's cos DP is a high-traffic forum and everyone wants to make more and more money. So, they try to quote less just to outbid the others and at the end, it's not worth it and they don't complete the task. I believe you already know cheapest is not always the best.


2 Time, peple promiss to do this work for 2 days, take order and vanish after that, they may appear again in one week, with explanation about troubles what happend to them and give word to fix everything in 24 hours disappear for ever.
You should understand me SEO is professional business for many of us. It means every day cost money

Try to go through the profile, itraders, posts to see if the individual is professional enough to make a deal or not. Sometimes people do face problems and are not able to complete the work though they should inform clients on time.

3. People ask for prepayment and show articales what they wrote. How I can know that this artical was written by him

Again you may go through their threads and references. Definitely, you cannot ignore the possiblity of itrader exchange but I don't think it's possible to exchange loads of em. Also, you need to trust the person as well.


Btw, what's the niche? I do write articles but not on every topic. Good Luck ;) :)

[WebWriter]

3. People ask for prepayment and show articales what they wrote. How I can know that this artical was written by him


When I took on clients (I don't anymore) I charged 50% upfront, and that's not unreasonable for a new client in which someone has no prior relationship with.

People get stiffed for their writing all of the time so asking for a deposit is not unusual.

Also it would help if you specified what you are looking for in the DP threads because everyone uses the term "copywriter" and that's not always appropriate. If you just want someone to write SEO articles for the web then that is not a "copywriter".

[webgal]

Well done, but what is different between:
aricales writers for the web ( I suppose content writer?), PR writers,writer for SEO.

I think I'll write a blog about this.

Anyway,

Web copywriters can be content writers.
Article writers can write content.

The difference is that the article writers will write an article for a site meant to present articles and not sell merchandise or a service.

Copywriters write content in such a way to sell things. Lots of subheads, parts of copy isolated in blocks to highlight features, pictures with captions.

I've seen sites written by article writers. They just don't work because it's not copy and doesn't break it down for a consumer.

SEO writers just pack articles with key words. Sometimes they are so packed they're hard to read and you don't get much out of them. It's actually better to write a good article, then go back and add keywords. But seo packed articles that aren't good won't convert visitors into buyers. So people use them more for google ad sites where they could care less if the content is good because all they want to do is create a venue for people to click on ads.

PR writers write press releases. Some specialize in the web. Some specialize in the traditional media. Some do both. But their job is to get you free press and publicity. While you pay them to do this, the consumer likes to read an article in a news column about you. It sells you, your service or your product because it's a news story.

So what happens is PR writers send the release to the right reporter because their contacts are part of the package. A news reporter gets a press release and writes an article because they have to have daily content, and you get some press. It's not a guarantee that every release will turn into a story, though.

[Seymour Cash]

With writers, you generally get what you pay for.

[Lexiseek]

With writers, you generally get what you pay for.

Sad, but true. And as the website owner you have to edit the content you publish anyway.

[smileydog]

Using one of those services you can see ratings, get lots of bids at different prices, and the writer is protected because you put $ in escrow, you are protected because you don't release the escrow until you're satisfied with the work. They also have dispute mechanisms.

Why take a chance on someone you dont' know, who's lowballing you, and wasting your time? There are other freelance job sites like these also, Getacoder, Getafreelancer, etc. etc. I'm putting a list together for my newsletter readers, when I'm finished Ill post it here on freebies.

[World_Peace]

There is one interesting fact. If you publish advert here to hire copywriter you will receive 10s replies and offers, but when you start working with any one you start understanding that the picture is not so bright.
When people offer you their service they start from 3 things
1. I am the cheapest I charhe only $5 per 1000 - I am always trying to avoid such "copywriters"
2 Time, peple promiss to do this work for 2 days, take order and vanish after that, they may appear again in one week, with explanation about troubles what happend to them and give word to fix everything in 24 hours disappear for ever.
You should understand me SEO is professional business for many of us. It means every day cost money
3. People ask for prepayment and show articales what they wrote. How I can know that this artical was written by him

When ever you look for a good writer and get proposals, then just ask them to prove them that they are genuine. Now they will do all the stuff themselves that you need to do, so your work is half cut right away.

As of the quality i'll say you to give a simple paragraph to that person (who is willing you work for you) and ask him to re-write it. Now if he do as you say him and provied the quality that you are looking for them it is good to go.

I dont think that this method takes that much time as all the work need to be done by the people who wants to get his hands on your money and if they are genuine and are really looking to work for you they will go as per according to your wishes.

REgards,
World_PEace

[internetauthor]

Instead of posting looking for writers, take the time to browse through this section where the writers tend to congregate. Most qualified writers have websites and portfolios in their signature and posts by these writers are a good indication of quality.

Read through threads. Browse portfolios. When you find a few you like, contact the writers directly through PM or their websites. Doing things this way might take a bit longer initially, but writers with a strong presence on the forum and samples (especially with bylines) on their websites will give you peace of mind that the individuals are sound.

After all, it's unlikely someone with hundreds or thousands of posts is going to ruin his DP reputation by giving you the run-around. And the portfolio and samples on websites, especially those with a byline, give you a good idea of what quality the writer actually provides.

Rebecca

[#include]

You're absolutely right. I've not even completed 24 hours at this forum, but I've been spammed by these so called copywriters about their cheapest and bestest offers. They make more typos than words spelt right.

[YMC]

Your concerns about hiring a writer are well-founded.

Testing a writer's website with Copyscape will only tell you whether or not the content can be found elsewhere. It does not tell you if the writer actually wrote that content or paid another writer to write it for them. One "real good writer" approached me to assume some of my workload should I "have work more than could do" (or some similarly poorly worded phrase). His website contained English teacher perfect grammar - there was no possible way the same person wrote the email and the website content. So, your concern on that issue is not without merit.

The truest sense of how a someone writes comes from their forum posts and their email correspondence. Whenever I receive an inquiry from a customer, I treat every email as a writing sample. They should be evaluating those emails for my ability to communicate as well as for my grammar and style. At the same time, I am looking to see how well they answer my questions and how much thought they have given to what they want.

Using iTrader as a guide is problematic because many folks are conducting business via DP privately. I'm working with a fellow DP'er right now. There will be no public record that we even know each other much less are working together on his website.

I primarily write content for small business websites that is designed to sell their product or service. That content blends keyword strategies needed for good SEO with sales copy. Many here lump that style of writing into what they refer to as web content or SEO writing. To me straight web content or SEO writing is what I refer to as 'essay' content - articles and other topical writing mainly designed to attract the search engines and not really sell anything. There is a big difference between the two types of content and most of the folks offering their writing services in the solicitations area are essayists.

Were I looking for a web service provider of some kind, rather than post in the solicitations areas, I would lurk in the area where folks with that skill set gather. I would look to see who is helpful and who, like at least one poster in this thread, simply comes and promotes their service.

Writing is a very saturated and competitive market. If I ever do have a need to find some help, I would also hit the search engines. If they can get their own site ranking well for a highly competitive field like writing then hopefully they know what they are doing when it comes to SEO and marketing a product or service on the web.

[lightless]

Instead of posting looking for writers, take the time to browse through this section where the writers tend to congregate. Most qualified writers have websites and portfolios in their signature and posts by these writers are a good indication of quality.


I don't put much effort or thought into my experimental blog like i do for any work. The articles in my blog are quick concoctions. It is just a sandbox for me.

I hope nobody looks at my blog to judge my writing standards. :D

[bulldog62]

Instead of posting looking for writers, take the time to browse through this section where the writers tend to congregate. Most qualified writers have websites and portfolios in their signature and posts by these writers are a good indication of quality.

Read through threads. Browse portfolios. When you find a few you like, contact the writers directly through PM or their websites. Doing things this way might take a bit longer initially, but writers with a strong presence on the forum and samples (especially with bylines) on their websites will give you peace of mind that the individuals are sound.

After all, it's unlikely someone with hundreds or thousands of posts is going to ruin his DP reputation by giving you the run-around. And the portfolio and samples on websites, especially those with a byline, give you a good idea of what quality the writer actually provides.

Rebecca

This is very sound advice. There are no guarantees, but a writer with a website which offers writing samples and spells out how they conduct their business is likely to produce quality work.

[webgal]

I hope nobody looks at my blog to judge my writing standards. :D

They do. Trust me. I've been freelancing for 16 years and had a website for the last 9 years. It makes a difference.

[Jackuul]

There are no guarantees

Well, actually there are. It is upon the writer to offer them - as I do. I only ask for payment once an article has been reviewed and is acceptable. If it needs correction, which is rare for me, I will make it and resend it with an updated word count and such.

I've been stiffed only once, and that was months ago. However, I can proudly say I have never stiffed a client - because they only pay once I deliver. I think if more writers adopted the pay after policy, there would be more reliability on the creation of content end.

However, the trade off is that clients might be attempting to stiff the writers after they deliver... which then becomes a problem. That is why I prefer to deal with people who have higher iTraders and a reputation in the community rather than someone who has 2 posts and registered yesterday.

[YoungSmeagol]

I've never had anyone stiff me.

However, I always look for threads instead of creating them myself. If a writer has a thread and it turns out that he is a scammer someone will expose him in the thread.

[bulldog62]

Well, actually there are. It is upon the writer to offer them - as I do. I only ask for payment once an article has been reviewed and is acceptable. If it needs correction, which is rare for me, I will make it and resend it with an updated word count and such.

I've been stiffed only once, and that was months ago. However, I can proudly say I have never stiffed a client - because they only pay once I deliver. I think if more writers adopted the pay after policy, there would be more reliability on the creation of content end.

However, the trade off is that clients might be attempting to stiff the writers after they deliver... which then becomes a problem. That is why I prefer to deal with people who have higher iTraders and a reputation in the community rather than someone who has 2 posts and registered yesterday.

Good point Jackuul. I think both the writer and buyer can be at risk in getting stiffed, but there's a lot one can do to protect oneself- do your homework! Anyone out to stiff someone is very short sighted. Obviously honest writers such as yourself will continue to build your reputation and client base. That's not only honest, but the smart way to do business.

[jhmattern]

That's not only honest, but the smart way to do business.

Billing after delivery has absolutely nothing to do with being honest. I bill both ways depending on the project. I'm no more or less honest based on how I bill. If Jackuul is an honest writer who has never stiffed a client, he would be regardless of how he bills out his time. The same is true of any writer. You can still screw over clients if they pay after the fact - their time is worth money just as ours is. If you suddenly decide not to take the work after sitting on it for a while (say a week), you've still "stiffed" them by hurting their bottom line for a week that they'd otherwise have been able to monetize with new content. Be honest, and bill however you want.

[bulldog62]

Billing after delivery has absolutely nothing to do with being honest. I bill both ways depending on the project. I'm no more or less honest based on how I bill. If Jackuul is an honest writer who has never stiffed a client, he would be regardless of how he bills out his time. The same is true of any writer. You can still screw over clients if they pay after the fact - their time is worth money just as ours is. If you suddenly decide not to take the work after sitting on it for a while (say a week), you've still "stiffed" them by hurting their bottom line for a week that they'd otherwise have been able to monetize with new content. Be honest, and bill however you want.

I meant not stiffing clients and offering a guarantee on one's work was not only honest but smart business. I wasn't referring to billing, sorry if I wasn't clear. I think as long as the billing is agreed upon ahead of time, then that's honest and fair to both parties. I would want at least a partial payment upfront myself. You could also stiff someone by sitting on their work and not delivering what you said you would. I absolutely agree.

[anthonyn]

Everybody have already given a lot of feedback with regard to the main thread. Well, I just want to sum up by saying that based on your own instinct and experience, you should select a person to write just one article. Once you are satisfied with the article, you should pay him instantly. You can then follow the same procedure all over again. In short, do not place a big order with one person only. You may feel tempted based on his iTrader count etc but all I am asking you is to test him through your eyes only. I hope you got the point.

[Jackuul]

I consider doing 10 at a time on a similar subject easier than 10 sets of 1 on different subjects. I end up learning everything I can, and then am able to write quite a bit - so cutting down everything to 500 words and squeezing it in can actually be more difficult for me. However, having the open ended nature of a 10 article order that has a 500~700 range in words per article size is pretty much the best way for myself to be efficient and also to cover everything I learned.

Otherwise I end up talking to people about it so I can use it and not feel as if I wasted a few hours of research for ten dollars.

[PearlyWrites]

I will probably repeat what others have already posted.

Look around and check the writer's signatures and review their portfolio or Website they have posted. See if they have testimonials, samples and ASK for referrals. The payment issue is all dependent on how each writer runs their business. Some ask for payment upfront while others wait to invoice after the completion of the project. This can also be a point which can be discussed between both parties before entering into a commitment.

Any questions you may have, ask the writer. Allow yourself to become comfortable with the individual or company who is completing your work. Each writer has a different style and not every writer and client are a match. There are writers with many different specialties and just make sure you get a writer who focuses on your needs.

OK, my two cents added...

Lisa

[Annea]

Everyone has made good points, no point in me reiterating.

I think the problem stems from the surge of "writers" online who will now practically give the work away. It's flooded the market with people who take no pride in their work, and some are only in it to make a few bucks. No wonder it's hard for those needing a writer to trust, and to be able to separate the wheat from the chafe.

[ProjectY]

Personally I do three things.

1. I do not charge the customer until I have completed the order, or large section of orders (such as if I get 20 500 word articles to do, I will charge one half at the completion and sending of one half, then the second half when I finish and send the second half). That means the customer does not pay until after they get a chance to read it.

2. I always, as a courtesy, copyscape pro my work. I do it because it gives me a wordcount, I have a bunch to burn, and I can be sure that nothing else matches what I write. I know it would not in the first place, but I figure that adds a bit of a guarantee to it.

3. I make sure I know as much as possible what the customer wants. So much so, that I have a sample excel sheet I send to all customers so that they can better describe exactly what they want to have, how many words it needs to be, and finally the keywords (if any) that they wish to have along with density.

Also I respond to all questions as promptly as possible, and because I do it this way, any delay only hurts myself - no money is on the line for the customer. I believe this is the most moral way of actually conducting oneself with business. The seller takes the risk, not the buyer.

Jackuul has the qualities to be a good copywriter, you can consider hiring him!