I am a Content Writer and I feel that its hard to survive in the increasing number of copywriters by each surpassing day. So few of my fellows left these work I ask them about there problems and here what I got from them as an answer, Hope you might be interested in my post: Degradation of Income :Generally buyers are decreasing there price of our contents so less profit. Use it or loose it : If one would write about any topic in the next hour you would come to know that some one else have written the same topic and who is selling himself at cheap prices so you are bound to sell yourself in cheap prices. Else you will loose that also if you will not use that. Cheated and Betrayed: Generally this is a business of trust but i don't know why few people does not still get it. This is the most common problem and any of us may face these or have been faced earlier. You can add more if any of my friend want to add and hope you all liked my small post on our problems.
It is a problem of attitude. There are plenty of cheap headhunters who want to abuse you. But there are decent clientele looking for professional freelance writers. There are those in between who also learn how not to get scammed by middlemen. There was a post offering spun articles on DP recently. Once Artificial Intelligence reaches the level of a Grammatically and semantically correct writing, numerous cheap "writers" will become outdated, slow and even $1 per 100 will be expensive. Nevertheless, AI has yet to learn how to imitate talent, education and mental outlook of a human writer.
I've been freelance writing for 3+ years, and I'm finding it to be easier than ever to make more money than ever before. The trick is to tell the people who are looking to pay $2 or less per 100 words to piss off, and take the time to look in the right places. I think the demand for high-quality writers will continue to go up, as long as the writer knows how to market him/her self. Michael
Why are you feeling cheated and betrayed? Are you doing work for clients without any upfront payment? Never, ever do that!
To me, quality is the key. If someone sends me copy full of grammatical and punctuation errors, they are rejected forever. I've had people send me proposals that were so full of bad English that I KNEW they would not be writing the articles themselves. I don't want people who are outsourcing. I want people who are native English speakers and write the content themselves, but that's just me.
*Disclaimer - Rehashing the same topics and complaints without at least entertaining the idea that you could possibly be doing something wrong can lead to general grumpiness. Please proceed with caution.* While this discussion seems to be covering content buyers as a whole rather than copywriting clients specifically, many of the same rules apply. I'm trying really, really hard to address to OP with tact and grace, but I'm at a loss for words. For what it's worth, I am only fluent in one language. I applaud, and to a degree, envy those who have learned more than one. A great deal of web content is written in English. Many of the most lucrative opportunities for writers on the web require them to be fluent in English. I get it. Really, I do. After reading and then re-reading the OP several times, I was left feeling only one emotion - confusion. Maybe it was posted late at night after a few drinks. I really don't know. I'm not trying to be condescending, but attracting clients of a higher caliber requires a truly specialized skill set. The ability to comprehend the written word is vital to effective communication. Your target audience should be able to understand the ideas your content conveys with ease. The same goes for clients. Earning a good living as a writer also requires you to be a consummate business person. If you can't communicate well, you really should reevaluate your opinions on what good content consists of, as well as your earning expectations. Yes, it is more difficult to find good paying, trustworthy and reliable clients. No, they don't all live under a rock. Just say "no" to low rates. Say "no" to free custom written samples, and most definitely say "no" to performing services without being paid at least a portion of your fees upfront. Will you 'lose out' on paying gigs? Possibly. But you'll also do a lot less gambling. Hopefully no one will take offense to this, but I'm speaking from personal experience. Take it from someone who worked for a penny a word (and even less) for far too long. In the last two years, I have more than quadrupled my rates for web copy. And all I had to do was ask. Know your worth, study your craft and never stop your marketing efforts. Sure, things may be different now, even difficult if you perceive it to be that way. As long as you aren't using writing as any easy way to earn fast cash you will have a successful future. Writing at 'bulk rates' like you are some sort of work horse will cause you to burn out. Fast, hard and unexpectedly. If you have the skills, you will find clients that will pay decent rates. But if you don't please don't delude yourself.
Well, 100% is a bit harsh. I'd say 97%. Err on the side of caution and you won't ever have to find out.
Here is another one: I was unwise to provide a free "test article" to a client here on DP just to hear "let's do some more trial articles and we'll see" - is that a 97% or 100% scam?)))) the question is rhetoric, of course. What's nagging me is - is there any professional code of conduct that applies to situations like this? If I cry-wolf in his thread I am going to appear like a totally unprofessional loser. On the other hand, scam like this must have a mark on it. Or should I let it go if I learned MY lesson?
You will only look like a 'totally unprofessional loser' if you continue to fall for all this providing free samples business. Any reputable client who is truly trying to weed out the piss poor writers won't balk at paying for samples. The sample should be paid for in advance. If it isn't, don't do it. Buyers always have the option of not paying, but writers never have the option of undoing work that has already been done. The only times anyone should consider writing any kind of free sample is when 1) the pay scale for the project in question is obscenely fantastic or 2) there is an opportunity to have your byline associated with some career-altering client. If your portfolio contains a broad range of content styles, a client should have no problem judging your abilities from that portfolio. Sometimes, there may be some niches that are obscure and the buyer really needs to see if you understand them well enough to write on them in a coherent, well-structured way. This is when they should (and any reputable buyer will) offer to pay for those samples.
This is logical and I've been acting accordingly. Most trial scammers act like they are Mr. Big and there is a grand opportunity behind this little trial thing. Those who sound harsh or rude trying to make you feel inferior are easier to sort out. Others are smooth operators. I sometimes confuse them with reputable buyers. I really appreciate your advice! Thank you)))