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Is article writing on DP dead?

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by lightless, Nov 30, 2009.

?

What do you think?

  1. These threads are an accurate indicator of the current article writer's situation.

    7 vote(s)
    25.0%
  2. Don't be discouraged by these threads. These people buy cheap here and sell high elsewhere.

    9 vote(s)
    32.1%
  3. WTB threads are misleading. All good deals are by PM/buyers contacting me directly

    13 vote(s)
    46.4%
  4. Other. Explain below.

    3 vote(s)
    10.7%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. #1
    Well, I am seeing increasing amounts of people offering extremely low rates of 3$, 1$ or worse for writing articles in "WTB articles" type threads. It seems to be more a trend now than before (When it looked more like a fluke). And I used to think 5$/article was bad. If these threads are indicating the trend of article writing (At least on DP), then article writing will no longer be an even remotely viable way of earning money online (Especially for native writers and even for most non-native writers - Unless they live in the poorest country in the world).

    What does this all mean according to you? Is article writing on DP (And in general) dead? Are you going to quit writing articles and focus on other online money making activities? Or are you going to quit looking for article writing jobs on DP and focus on other places? Or something else?

    Please provide your opinion in the poll or here in this thread.

    Due to 100 character limitations, the poll options above aren't as detailed as I'd like. The ideal options were

    Poll Option 1] These threads are an accurate indicator of the current article writer's situation. Article writing on DP is no longer a viable way to earn money online
    Poll Option 2] Don't be discouraged by these threads. These are all probably people who try to buy cheap articles here and sell them at higher rates elsewhere
    Poll Option 3] WTB threads are all crap deals, don't judge the current situation by them. All the good deals are by PM or via buyers contacting me after seeing my (WTS) sales thread
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2009
    lightless, Nov 30, 2009 IP
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  2. gvannorman

    gvannorman Well-Known Member

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    #2
    I do not think that article writing on DP is dead. Sometimes it looks like it might be in bad health, but like anything else it can be turned around. What has to happen is the writers here need to start realizing that $1 articles are not worth your time. Stop agreeing to these rates.

    Start charging what you believe that you are worth, even if your from the poorest country. If you can write good English you do not have to be native. But, if you are native your writing is worth at a minimum $0.02 per word. Sometimes you might think it is necessary to charge these low rates. At that moment you need to step back, take a deep breath and re-evaluate a strategy and get to marketing your services somewhere else.
     
    gvannorman, Nov 30, 2009 IP
  3. Digital_shubhi

    Digital_shubhi Illustrious Member

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    #3
    Its not that like completely.
    And there are few who write superbly good.
    And regarding rate, you can offer anything you want. If your quality is good you are gonna get it easily. :)

    - Mr.President -
     
    Digital_shubhi, Nov 30, 2009 IP
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  4. sameer_reddy

    sameer_reddy Peon

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    #4
    If I were you i would forget doing business in DP. I do business, but i look for very few leads. Most of the services in DP are cheap. Some are of good quality, while some are of extremely poor quality.
     
    sameer_reddy, Nov 30, 2009 IP
  5. gvannorman

    gvannorman Well-Known Member

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    #5
    The services are poor here because the buyers are looking for cheap. You get what you pay for. If you are only going to pay me $1/500 words article..you going to get crap. Its going to be a copy/paste article. But if your going to pay me $6/500 words I will write it it will be high quality and it will be original.

    Simple it all goes back to paying for quality
     
    gvannorman, Nov 30, 2009 IP
  6. sameer_reddy

    sameer_reddy Peon

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    #6
    it's all about quality. But you will be amazed at the quality of some services here. I simply cannot understand how these people can work so cheap!!! I am from India and I agree that the living costs here are a lot less than a guy in the US or UK. Still writing articles at 1$, 2$ (Talking about the rare few that deliver quality and not crap), I am amazed. Either they are ignorant or they think that DP is the only market place on earth (or the internet)
     
    sameer_reddy, Nov 30, 2009 IP
  7. India Forum

    India Forum Well-Known Member

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    #7
    I agree with OP, and not just article writing, but also forum posting, blog commenting, everybody want's to have article written at low rates, because there budget is very low!

    I saw a thread in content creation like 2 days ago, there was written something like "you will have to post one post in each forum by including my link on signature, price is $0.8 per post" and i found few replies like "I am interested" too. I thought how mess, i have done this kind of job at $0.15 per post like 3 months ago.

    Nice thread.
     
    India Forum, Nov 30, 2009 IP
  8. DreamingBig

    DreamingBig Well-Known Member

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    #8
    I think one of the biggest reasons why is that people are really hurting for money right now and a lot are without jobs. You've got college students to stay at home mothers looking for work and the competition is heavy.

    While getting work at a cheap price might be convenient, it does not always count for the quality - even in forum posting.

    Remember this quote " You get what you pay for " and often times that is so very true...

    On rare occasions, new members might not know the quotes and prices. Like myself. My rate use to be $2 for every 500 words and then exhaustion kicked in and frustration. I was working my but off and getting no where. My price is now higher of course.

    People who pay low usually learn the hard way later if they want to profit and gain anything or have a life.

    BTW- I got the best job ever directly by PM.
     
    DreamingBig, Dec 1, 2009 IP
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  9. taminder

    taminder Peon

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    #9
    I've seen proof of an article bought here ($5) and sold for $10 elsewhere.

    I've only offered writing services personally through PM. I havn't been able to attract trustworthy buyers by advertising publically.
     
    taminder, Dec 1, 2009 IP
  10. DreamingBig

    DreamingBig Well-Known Member

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    #10
    I know. I have experienced that myself and plagiarized articles. I was very furious when I purchased articles from someone else, one with lots of positive itrader and then found they where plagiarized. They where also expensive articles.

     
    DreamingBig, Dec 1, 2009 IP
  11. donluttrull

    donluttrull Peon

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    #11
    I buy articles all the time (still waiting until I can post WTB threads) through other sources and on average pay $5 to $10 an article IF written correctly. It is pretty easy to pick out those who are writing as though they are english speaking/writing versus those who actually have english as their main language.

    If I am marketing to other backgrounds then of course I wouldn't mind having someone who writes like those I am trying to target with the article BUT also pay what it is worth.

    One thing that people need to realize is, you do get what you pay for BUT also in the same breath you ASK A PRICE for what you THINK you are worth as well.

    Those offering $1 an article either really need the money, are simply spinning articles OR write quick text just to get to the word count.

    The article to me is VERY IMPORTANT because that is what will either get someone to my offer and if I can't invest in quality for the article than why even try. People can tell when they read something if it was written by someone who did proper research versus someone who is just writing to write.

    If you simply need articles for adsense style pages then sure spin away BUT if it is to get people from point a to point b then it needs to be written as though it is a sales page in a sense.

    If you want $1 an article offer it, if you want $10 an article offer it BUT be prepared to backup that price with quality.
     
    donluttrull, Dec 1, 2009 IP
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  12. internetauthor

    internetauthor Peon

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    #12
    I voted other because I don't typically respond to WTB threads unless I'm amusing myself and don't use WTS threads for articles. I do write quite a few articles for DP members, however and can attest that the market is certainly not dead. Of course, I work at a different tier of the market - the invisible one. :)
     
    internetauthor, Dec 1, 2009 IP
  13. lightless

    lightless Notable Member

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    #13
    Even forum posting rates (Publicly posted) have gone down, it seems. A few months ago, one could get .10$/post for almost all jobs. Now the average rates are generally lower like .05$ or .07$. Seems to indicate a further downward trend in rates for work such as article writing and forum posting.
     
    lightless, Dec 1, 2009 IP
  14. ichkoguy

    ichkoguy Active Member

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    #14
    Its all about the survival of the fittest. So people are even ready to accept deals which are not worth their time. however, they need to grab orders. The present mentality is that.

    I accept that people here want cheap quality. However, there are potential buyers. I believe so. I have seen only a few. I know people those who buy articles for a cheaper price and sell it double the rate. Its all fate guys. Thats it i could say.

    Doing business seems to be very tough. Use your brain and innovate ideas to make your survival. You know what? A guy who worked in my team has now started a thread offering the same services like me with the same title in the thread as i did!!!! lol.... Poor guys. Dont even have the creativity to place a new title. Started doing business against me and at higher prices. I could simply chuckle on seeing him. Bad bad world!!!
     
    ichkoguy, Dec 1, 2009 IP
  15. Hijynx427

    Hijynx427 Well-Known Member

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    #15
    I can say myself that after ten years of freelance writing, these rates are some of the most appalling ever. It's not easy to write an article, but for some reason Craigslist postings and Forum postings all over (for the most part) have seriously devalued the writing market.

    I have no idea what business school is teaching these folks that standard rates for writers is below a penny a word, but I can assuredly be one among many to confirm - IT IS NOT.
     
    Hijynx427, Dec 1, 2009 IP
  16. internetauthor

    internetauthor Peon

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    #16
    I'm reasonably sure that most of the writers selling at that rate aren't products of a fine business school.
     
    internetauthor, Dec 1, 2009 IP
  17. kecoa-ngamuk

    kecoa-ngamuk Peon

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    #17
    3 dollar in DP is a little better, i have seen outside DP, there are more cheaper articles writing price :D
    Articles pricing
    Up to 100 words $0.75
    Up to 250 words $1.00
    Up to 400 words $1.50
    some of you maybe already know where is the place / site
     
    kecoa-ngamuk, Dec 1, 2009 IP
  18. amarventris

    amarventris Peon

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    #18
    cheap articles get cheap writing. And I am tired of the endless free sampling and other nonsense that goes on. I am missing many ratings from buyers who just don't bother. And the morons who continue to stuff the wts section with 50 cent 500 word articles make me nauseous. Maybe they live in a sewer in india or have a writing program that remixes the stuff, but people marketing endless articles for $.005 a word killed their own jobs.s.

    Face it most domainers don't know how to develop and only want it done for free. if they can steal reworked copy for pennis on the mille they don't care. They've never built value so they can't value product. There are so many fake content buyers it's crazy. I would say at this point 95% of the "wtb" sare fakes grooming visitors to their sites. I don't get paid for 35 emails back and forth because the buyer can't stay off the juice long enough to commission 500 words clearly.

    but what really makes me angry is when i contract with a buyer to write a series of articles and i have their emails saying do all this, and then they email me back saying "oh i want a refund i found someone to do all that research for pennies." Maybe we should just all copy out of the encyclopedia.
     
    amarventris, Dec 1, 2009 IP
  19. latoya

    latoya Active Member

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    #19
    I will say that WTB threads are misleading. I get writing gigs through DP but I rarely every visit the BST forum. Use DP to network, learn from others, and build your reputation. If you do that and you're good at what you do, the writing jobs will follow.
     
    latoya, Dec 1, 2009 IP
  20. BizDetail

    BizDetail Peon

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    #20
    Not sure how that makes article writing dead? To everyone that isn't an article writer, this is a positive development. =) To me, it sounds like capitalism at it's finest. Sure it sucks that your rates get sucked down by cheapos, but those that demand quality are happy to pay a little bit more.
     
    BizDetail, Dec 1, 2009 IP