2 sad examples on DP of cheap rates

I was looking through the services section here on DP earlier today. I was going to start a thread offering my writing services. I was shocked at the threads with writers offering 500 word articles for less that $1 per article and threads with people looking for writers for nothing. I decided "why bother posting with these kind of rates out there."

Look at this first example. This is disgusting. This is a thread started by some one looking for a writer to write 20 350 word articles for...$25!!! That is $1.25per article. http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=910222 That is $.004 per word.

This thread was started by a writer offering his services for less than a dollar per article.
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=909726

How am I going to make money with these rates out there? I cant really figure out how to market off DP...looks like I am going to my my wannabe writing career.

 

I say go ahead and offer your services anyway. There is no rule that says you have to have the lowest rates on the board to find clients.

I put up a thread a while ago offering my services with a starting rate of .05 per word. I didn't exactly have new clients falling all over themselves trying to hire me, but I did find some nice people to work with. What's more, when I asked why responses to my thread were so low and somebody told me I charged to much, I had people leaping to my defense and telling me not to lower my rates or listen to the people who were too cheap to hire me. To say I was surprised by this would be a gross understatement.

What's more, if you keep your rates where you want them, you are less likely to have the "I wan 2 hire you. Gimme 50 articles for $10, I pay when I see profit" buyers wasting your time.

If nothing else, post about your services to let people know that you are available. The more people who know you are out there, the better your chances of finding new clients and getting work.

 

Well rates are too low but everything depends on quality. Buyers always looking for a quality here. Once they order and didn't find the quality then he will move it. If you provide quality service then your clients will back. In content section you will still find $0.02 to $0.05 rates for Article Pack and clients give money. I sold few pack over $0.015 rates.

 

I would totally agree with you, but I think you'll find plenty of people willing to pay .02-.05/word if you can prove you are really worth it. I know I regularly get work for .02/word but it was a bit slow in the beginning. But one client will tell others, especially if you made them happy.

 

In the past I have tried some of those cheap writers. Nearly every time I was totally unsatisfied and what I got was barely readable.

Experienced people will be willing to pay more for something that is actually readable.

 

Yes once we build a relationship with clients, you would get more jobs. Some buyers always pay more money because they like quality. One of the example is:
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=901116

Where buyer pay $10 for 500 Words.

Also best thing is write a pack and sold it in Content Section.

 

The "standard" rate is 5$/500 words. Ofcourse there will be some cheapskates around on both sides. Ignore them.
I wouldn't write crap for anything lower than the standard rate.

What's even sadder is that some people are ready to do menial labour around those parts for dirt cheap. They have no idea of the value of their work.

 

That is true. It really pisses me off too.
I am a graphic designer and i am force to compete with people and work for $5-$10 per logo.

 

It's pretty sad, I agree. Unfortunately most people don't understand you get what you pay for.

 

That is very true. I learned the hard way and actually wasted a lot of money on some of the cheap writers. I would guess that I have had to rewrite at least 20 different ones and I have quite a few that I never did anything with because they were so bad.

I have found a few really good writers that I tend to stick with because I know they do an excellent job.

By the way, I have used lightless in the past, that member does do good work.

 

Thanks slone. I do have my bad days though.

And your pay was great too. And the performance bonuses were awesome. You were appreciative and know the worth of things.

 

You are welcome. I didnt give everyone who worked on that project the same. I offered a certain rate, but there were a couple writers who I paid more because they did a great job - including you.

 

1000 article writers
100 people that need articles
10:1 writers / buyers

With a ratio like that I'm sure people could offer 1$ per article and someone would take them up on the offer. There used to be a high demand for writers now there just isn't. It's simple supply and demand really.

 

One could ban any 500 word article buys/sells for lower than 5$.
Or one could go around enlightening the too-cheap writers as to the value of work.

The first may not happen, and the second seems difficult ......

 

I have been offering my graphic ad services here on DP to get some testimonials more than anything else.
I have even tried to give away the service but that resulted in no one taking me up on the deal.
There seems to be a sweet spot on DP. Over $5 less than $10 (my experience only).
Once I offered to do an ad for $9.99 there have been takers and we both get what we want.
I get testimonials and they get cheap design.

But you're certainly not going to create a business out of this site.
The value of the work seems to be compromised.
Those that do good work don't get what they are worth.

 

Yes in this compitition buyer always won because they got his job completed with lowest possible rates but once he found bad quality work, he will find better quality next time.

 

Even complete/partial rewrites are hard to do for those rates. Let alone original work.

 

It isn't a question of lowering your rates so that you get orders... always place value on your work and you will eventually get some orders.

There are some specific ways that you can maintain your rates for the majority of the work you undertake:

1. Offering discount rate to the first 5 orders

2. Offering 1 article free or at extremely discounted rates in exchange for an honest testimonial

3. Offering article rewrite rates at a flat fee per 500 words

In my case, although I do write articles for other people, it isn't my main focus at the minute as I am hovering more towards affiliate marketing and using my own article writing skills to serve my own needs. In the long-term, those articles will pay me much more than any article I have written for someone else as each article I write for affiliate products has the potential to bring in a recurring income as long as the product is available.

PS. For rewrites, I charge $10 per 500 words... I guess the target market is those article buyers who have hired cheap article writers and found the quality was low. When I rewrite an article I do not undertake any further research as everything that needs to be included in the rewrite will be included in the original, lower quality, article.

 

I prefer quality and cheap balanced.