How much time do you spend for each article written?

How much time do you spend for each article you write?
Do you do a lot of research on the subject before writing the article?
Do you use a special software programme to help you?

I am new to article writting and just curious? It seems to me that there is a lot of work involved both before and during the writing process.
And the amount of payment i saw in few posts here in the Buy sell Trade section is low for the amount of work involved, in my opinion. Is it something I am missing?

 

There's no simple answer for this. Not only is every writer different, but every article is different. For example:

1. It depends on the article length.
2. It depends on your proficiency with the language you're writing in.
3. It depends on whether you're a specialist (you'll already know a lot about the subject) or just a generalist (you'll have to put more time into research).

Don't take DP's BST section as any kind of guide in setting freelance writing fees. Figure out what you need to charge, based on how long on average your writing will take you (and not based on feeling like you have to compete with all writers out there). Just because you see a lot of ads for cheap writers doesn't mean writers have to come cheap.

 

If I want to write a very good article on my blog, then maybe 1-2 hours at most. But usually I can post something in half an hour, if I know what I am writing about.

 

I agree with jhmattern. It depends on the article. When I'm writing for my blog, I find that I don't need to research that much. However, when I write on a topic which I don't know much about, I nearly always need to do some proper research.

 

The writing process is long and difficult if you want to write something great. I would imagine if this is to get visits and revisits you could take hours just going over and over. I know I have a couple times on blog posts taken 2 to 3 hours. Mostly to make sure it looks right and the flow is great for the audience.

 

Generally no more than an hour though I have spent up to 2 hours.

 

When writing an article for a blog it takes 1-2 hours depending on the lenght.
Remember that an article is not a novel. It must be easy reading for your visitors. I usually write as I speak and proofread only for grammar errors, not for style.

 

Article writing like everything else . is unique to each individual. I've seen people crank out decent web content in under an hour on a topic. The faster you become on research skills...if you already have key points outlined...it shouldnt take you that long. But..what you have to determine ..is why am I writing??...is it to sell..is it to presell??..is it to make people stay on my site?? and there are numerous other things that need to be addressed ..first. Just my opinion

Gary

 

All I write about comes under the "Business Category" and I can crank out about 5 articles in 2 hours flat. takes another 30 mins to proof read. That's the usual time. With practice, this usually happens and the clue here is to keep 'Writing'. Forever. Amen.

 

Mine vary from article to article and depend largely on how naturally the article flows and how much research is involved in writing the article. Some topics, such as technical topics, often take a great deal of time (several hours each) while others that I am more familiar with and really enjoy seem to fly by in minutes (honestly though, most of the time I'm not watching the clock when I'm writing about something I love).

One of the most difficult things to do as a new writer for me was to establish prices that allowed me to turn a profit. Some articles I will charge extra for the difficulty factor. If it's a topic that I do not find interesting or one that I know nothing about I have to justify the additional research time or it will not be worth my while. Needless to say I burned myself a few times in the beginning by bidding to low for 'gigs' that turned out to be much more research and time intensive than I imagined them to be. Do not allow others to set your rates though. Not everyone has the same set of skills, real life experiences, and financial needs.

You will lose customers by not competing with the lower price offers but my experience has been that I have found some wonderful customers along the way that are happy to pay my price and respect me and my work much more than those looking for 'cheap' content above all else.

 

1. It depends on the length of the article i am writing.
2. Yes, I like to research before i start writing.
3. No, I don't like to use any software. I think the best software and hardware in this world is my mind and nothing can be compared to it. As content direct from human mind is unique and also if that person have good knowledge or have done a good research then he/she can make it more interesting and informative.

So this is the way i like to roll.

Regards,
World_Peace

 

Thanks for your input. I find myself to enjoy writing but only when I find the topic to be interesting, or when I know a lot about that topic. I suppose it takes years to gain knowledge on many different topics.

 

There are many factors that influence that. It depends of the length of the article. Usually not more than half an hour.

 

There are articles that can take days. Not literally but in research and letting it rest and your own edits. Then there are others that take an hour.

 

It depends on the article for me. At times, I may take 2 or 3 hours to write 1500 words because of research, etc. For me, 1000 words and hour seems to be a solid money making pace.

 

I have many jobs where I have to interview people or visit a site (an actual place, not a website) before I can write an article.

 

this totally depends on what is the requirement

 

when i comes to business i can churn out 10 articles and more in an hour of aprox 200 words each, however, i take business at college/university so the fact i know what im talking about and having the ideas fresh in my mind from lessons help. In terms of articles for my site (the business blogs are for a 'client') i tend to take no more then 20 mins on them avg at 500 words-700. I try and keep my articles short becuase im a student myself and i know how i just want to the point articles that dont beat around the bush but still draw me in and once again, am one myself so it helps.

 

It Varies on niche of the article, but usually it takes 1-2 hours for me.

 

I agree with this 100% - There are pieces I can do in an hour or less and then there are times when the article needs time to come together. Of course everyone has their own approach to their writing too and I believe that is a part of how long an article can take. What might take webgal an hour start to finish could take me longer and vice versa. Someone else here said it as well, you can go on and on but it is up to the individual writer. That said, we all have our groove that helps a long in the writing process. Once you find that groove, you will become faster at what you do, but some pieces, no matter how well you write - can still confound you.