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Hacing a hard time finding a writter.

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by allwayslearning, Dec 7, 2008.

  1. #1
    I have been trying to find a writer for my website for a while now on DP and not been able to find one even though many have applied. I posted my need for a writer and got responses, but after a couple of replies I loose contact. After the first contact or 2 using PM's they disappear never closing the agreement and not leaving a way to provide them with information to do the articles. One witter wanted me to pay him first then get the article.

    I sent him a PM telling him I would send him the money via paypal after he did the work and after that I would likely pay him first but he disappears.

    Another problem is the price they have listed ends up being a special. When I inquire about this they don't write back. I like DP but don't want to do a dance with potential writers that results in a lot of emails sent on my part and not being able to find a witter. Because of this I want know were I can post an ad for a writer that does not require biding on a writer or is expensive.

    I have even had DP writers when I mentioned I am looking for a long term writer, just not write back. Problems seem to start when I start asking questions. It is difficult to get anyone to follow up on questions.

    The frustrating thing about DP writers that contact me is I cant get them past the private message were they contact me. It is like a maze communicating with them

    Having said all that, with what writers on DP being so flippant, I would also appreciate someone telling me where I can place an ad for a writer as mentioned earlier in this post.
     
    allwayslearning, Dec 7, 2008 IP
  2. Loren Woirhaye

    Loren Woirhaye Peon

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    #2
    "You pay peanuts, you get monkeys" - Drayton Bird

    I'll look at your project if you like. Just send me some info.
     
    Loren Woirhaye, Dec 7, 2008 IP
  3. Y.L. Prinzel

    Y.L. Prinzel Peon

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    #3
    It's true, if you are paying a low price...well...you get what you pay for. If you no longer want to deal with writers on your own, why not use a service like Textbroker? You choose the amount you can afford (and do not expect to pay one penny per word), give them the specs for the project, and they make it available to their writers.

    You won't have to deal with it until you get the end product- which you can send back for edits should it not quite fit your needs.

    Beyond that, I'm not sure what you are doing to choose your writers here. Looking at their samples, their own marketing materials and the quality of their posts and PMs, you can get a sense of their level of professionalism.
     
    Y.L. Prinzel, Dec 7, 2008 IP
  4. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #4
    It's always funny when someone tries to lay blame on a larger group - in reality, the problem is likely on your end. If an entire group of people are reacting in a similar fashion, you need to rethink something.

    Are you giving them full details of the project, or is your description vague until you get all of the writer's details? - If a prospective client doesn't give me the details before taking my time, I wouldn't bother responding. Also, if you got the writer's interest with a vague post, and then gave them details for a project they have no interest in, that could be why they ignore you. Always post adequate details in your ad if you haven't.

    Are you paying enough for the type of project you need to have completed (and are you open about your budget with those writers)? - If someone contacted me saying they're only paying $50 for a press release, for example, they wouldn't get a response.

    Are you bothering to look at their portfolios, rates, etc. if they have them linked in their signature? - If someone contacted me with a half dozen basic questions about my services, and they could have found the answers by simply visiting the link in my sig, they may very well not get a response - it shows me they're not all that serious about their project if they're not doing any background research on providers before making contact. Let's look at the example of the writer wanting payment up front. They're an independent contractor. They choose what they charge and what their billing terms are (just like your lawyer, doctor, mechanic, grocer, etc.). They let you know what those terms were. You chose not to accept them. You were given their details and you made it clear you weren't in their market because you weren't willing to accept those terms - I don't find it surprising at all that they didn't respond. Writers are under absolutely no obligation to haggle, and if they have enough clients working within their advertised terms, they have very little reason to waste time with people who won't.

    Exactly how do you inquire about their specials? - Do you mean you ask them to let you know their higher, regular rate? Or do you try to get them to commit to a long-term deal based on a limited special? Not all writers would take kindly to that second option, so that could be why they're not responding.

    Are you giving them time to respond? - The better a writer is, the less time they're likely to have to drop everything and respond immediately. It's not unusual for things to take a few days, especially if you gave the writer details on your site or something and they're doing initial research before offering you an official quote. Also take things like weekends and holidays into account.

    If you're not making any of the mistakes I mentioned there, and you're absolutely positive the problem is with the writers, then you're not targeting the right group of writers. The best way to find writers on this site is to spend time in the copywriting forum, blogging forum, and other sections where writers are actually participating in the discussions (rather than advertising their services and directly looking for gigs - and please don't advertise in those sections yourself either, as it's against the rules).

    Look at their posts. Visit the links in their signature. Look for ones with "real" contact information publicly available, so you don't have to nag them just to get an email address. Look for ones with portfolios available, and see if their past work fits the project you have. Look at their rates and payment terms if they've listed them on their professional site. When you find one who fits your project, has rates within your budget, acceptable payment terms for you, and samples of work available (preferably bylined publicly so you can be more sure it was really written by them), then contact them privately and your response rate should be much better.
     
    jhmattern, Dec 7, 2008 IP
  5. joshhatcher

    joshhatcher Peon

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    #5
    I'm wondering if anyone on here actually does this as a career, or just as a way to make a few extra dollars. It seems like people are paying so little, that I think it's really cheapened the services themselves.
     
    joshhatcher, Dec 7, 2008 IP
  6. cd928

    cd928 Peon

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    #6
    I haven't read your exchanges with your potential writers, but you may be having communication problems with them. It could be unclear details or bad deals that the two of you have gotten into.

    The fact here at DP and other forums is that people usually won't reply if they're not interested with the deal. It could be that they have other things to do than reply to deals that don't interest them. It sucks, but almost everybody here learns to live with it.

    I suggest you examine how the communication process works. Find that one bump that prevents you from finding the writer that you want.

    Here are some suggestions of where to look for the problem:

    1. Pricing - you may be pricing too low for the kind of service that you expect.
    2. The type of writers you're looking for - your chances of not getting replies gets higher the less professional the writer is. But also don't expect replies from people if the main problem is #1.
    3. The mode of communication - some of the writers may not always be logged in here. So I also suggest you find alternative means of contacting them.
     
    cd928, Dec 7, 2008 IP
  7. latoya

    latoya Active Member

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    #7
    If the prospective writers aren't PMing you back, it's probably because they're not interested in the work.

    It's common for writers to ask for a deposit on the work because there are so many scams out there. If you don't feel comfortable paying the writer upfront, suggest using an escrow service or negotiate a reduced deposit, say 50%.

    Try to reduce some of the back and forth. In your advertisement, state upfront what information you want to know from applicants. Don't leave anything out and in the thread say that you won't consider PMs from people who don't follow the instructions. And don't consider them.

    I'm a full-time freelance writer, but DP isn't my primary source of clients. Too few people are willing to pony up the cash to pay a real writer. Good buyers out there and I do get some business from here, just not a ton of it.
     
    latoya, Dec 7, 2008 IP
  8. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #8
    There are quite a few of us here that actually do this as a career. We're also the ones who probably aren't publicly advertising that often (we get gigs through networking here and private referrals), and I'd be very surprised if any in that group are working exclusively through DP.
     
    jhmattern, Dec 8, 2008 IP
  9. drakudemine

    drakudemine Peon

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    #9
    I would also be surprised to see that someone would really work as a writer and get clients through DP. I was involved in more than 100 writing projects so far and I must say that whenever I dealt with a new buyer I asked for money up front. This is because there are many scams. We do not want to work for nothing. I would never send 1 article without being 100% sure that I would get paid. If the pay is too low for my rates I usually send the buyer to friends that I know are cheaper. Relations make the world go round today. Content writing is not at all easy and a lot of buyers expect us to work for nothing. CD928 said it very well with the 3 points mentioned there.
     
    drakudemine, Dec 8, 2008 IP
  10. jeewant_gupta_051275

    jeewant_gupta_051275 Well-Known Member

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    #10
    You get good writers here at DP only after you bend to the forces of free market dynamics. Free market dymanics are explained by all the experienced writers and authors here in this thread and elsewhere at DP
    PEACE
     
    jeewant_gupta_051275, Dec 8, 2008 IP
  11. EspressoChick

    EspressoChick Well-Known Member

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    #11
    Hi AlwaysLearning, :)

    I'm wondering what your project is about -- if there is something in your project details that is not providing the information that a writer would need to make a decision to take a job.

    For example: if I contact someone who is looking for a writer and ask them "what's the topic?" and they say "it could be anything" then I'm probably not going to pursue that. It is too vague. A good writer knows they can't write about every topic in a skilled way. So I'm wondering what in your PMs is causing the conversation to stop. Are you asking for a very quick deadline (like 24hours?) or something like that? Is your price low (like one cent or lower)?

    There are good writers here at DP. There are part time and full time writers at DP. There are many different styles of writing here at DP that could please you. But if you don't describe the project well -- no one is going to have any idea exactly what you are looking for!!! :)

    It isn't always you, it isn't always the other guy -- sometimes it is a combination of the two. If you want to PM me more information about your job, I'd be happy to look -- if you think that's the issue maybe this will help you get the project rolling! Good luck!

    :) Abby
     
    EspressoChick, Dec 8, 2008 IP
  12. Johnson Williams

    Johnson Williams Peon

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    #12
    I can promise you that as writers, we enjoy the freedom to come up with our own ideas and methods, but there are limits on that. If you have something that you absolutely MUST have done for a project, tell us! We're pretty good at including everything you need, but we absolutely despise having to re-do our work.
     
    Johnson Williams, Dec 14, 2008 IP
  13. webgal

    webgal Peon

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    #13
    I think if the writer has doubt, they tend to just exit. So there must be something in the way you are presenting the project that is not clear. Examples help and clarifying the project will go a long way.

    I usually have clients fill out some documents to see if they have any idea of what they want.
     
    webgal, Dec 15, 2008 IP
  14. allwayslearning

    allwayslearning Peon

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    #14
    I put up the original post on needing a witter. I was very specific within the first when answering writers who were interested. I provided anyone who wanted to write for me with, instructions for keyword, a few seo guidelines and links to my site so they could see the articles I have and get an understanding of my site's When I was ready to buy I sent a pm to find out how to send instructions providing my email address so they could contact me, After that I would send instructions via our personal email accounts Several writers has special going on when I contacted them thy they quoted the regular price instead of the special.. One problem was I when getting new information the prices were not on secondary email as they were on the first one so then I had to go though the hassle for finding the pm's with prices to remind myself. Is there a way to save these emails in a file. Being more organized on my end might help.
     
    allwayslearning, Dec 21, 2008 IP
  15. webgal

    webgal Peon

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    #15
    It sounds like you did provide more detail than most.

    I usually get, "How much to write a website?" Often, the buyer provides no link, no detail, no subject. If I do reply with a range, they often don't reply back because it was more than they expected when, in fact, I could refer them to another source if they replied back.
     
    webgal, Dec 21, 2008 IP
  16. latoya

    latoya Active Member

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    #16
    In your User CP, go under Edit Options and check the box to receive email notifications of PMs. The email contains the entire text of the PM, so you can file away the PM emails that you want to keep for future reference.
     
    latoya, Dec 21, 2008 IP
  17. Bad Sphinx

    Bad Sphinx Peon

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    #17
    Don't waste your time on DP. Go to Get A Freelancer. I was looking for two writers a couple of days ago and received 17 interested pms in 3-4 hours. Hope this helps.
     
    Bad Sphinx, Dec 21, 2008 IP
  18. latoya

    latoya Active Member

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    #18
    Was that a bad thing? :confused:
     
    latoya, Dec 21, 2008 IP
  19. Bad Sphinx

    Bad Sphinx Peon

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    #19
    Not a bad thing, just better platforms to utilize. Google get a free lancer. They have a very well contrived bidding and hiring process and hundreds of people are crawling each section each day for new work especially in this economy. Pm me if you need more help. Good luck!
     
    Bad Sphinx, Dec 23, 2008 IP
  20. oo87

    oo87 Well-Known Member

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    #20
    There are plenty of quality writers here (I should know, I'm one of them), who offer base rates without specials, and keep the same rates for bulk orders. I think the most reliable ones will have a service post, iTrader, a list of ongoing clients, and a few reviews in their threads.

    Just keep looking, and pay close attention to their credentials, and the quality of their PM's when they contact you. That should start to give you a better idea of who you can and cannot trust to write your site content.

    And don't be fooled, sites like GAF have plenty of scammers, bad writers, and unreliable people on it as well. You just have to use discernment, like in any business venture.
     
    oo87, Dec 24, 2008 IP