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I Think I Need A Break From Writing

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by coreygeer, Jul 22, 2013.

  1. #1
    I've been writing since 2006, I've dealt with good clients and I've dealt with some of the worst. When I first started out, it seemed like $1.00 per 100 words was the norm for what everyone wanted and I was oblivious to the fact that people would hire people for more money to get quality work done.

    I think at this point though, I'm burnt out on writing in general. I like writing, I really do, but I absolutely hate how much work is involved for what little pay there is to gain from it.

    I've talked to multitudes of people who say they make several grand a month or more from writing for people on sites like ODesk/Elance/Copywriting/Etc. Well, I must be missing the obvious signals then because I'm still struggling to scrape up enough pennies to survive off of doing this.

    Forums - It's amazing to me how the forums haven't evolved since 2006. It's not just this forum, it's every marketing forum all over the internet. Everyone wants a superstar $1.00 writer who will knock their socks off and build them an internet empire for a disgusting rate that wouldn't pay your rent in a third world country. Then you have people who offer such rates but under the excuse as "bulk".

    Oh boy, I can't wait to get started on your 100 articles for $5 an article!

    Freelance Sites - I'm sure you've all heard of sites like Elance and the likes. I have absolutely no luck on them or I haven't been able to sell myself yet, because I always get outbid by people who are willing to go way below their budget. Their English might be absolutely horrid and their "samples" are probably copied from Wikipedia, but yet again, everyone wants everything for nothing.

    Copywriting - I don't know if clients come to you or you're just spamming the hell out of companies to re-write their sales pages but I have never encountered someone who was willing to pay decent prices on having this kind of work done. Again, these people want to pay the absolutely incredible rate of $1.00 per 100 words and they want a sales page that's going to make them six figures.

    I know the majority of the people who request cheap work is foreigners, but let's talk about those cheap clients for a minute.

    The Reality Of Cheap Clients
    These people are an absolute nightmare to work with. When you compare the people who want you to write for $5 per article with the people who want you to write for $30 or more an article, the differences are astounding.

    #1 - Cheap clients are usually pretty hard to get a hold of. Most of them coming from another country will have a time zone difference and you're usually asleep when they're awake.

    #2 - They're some of the pickiest people you will ever meet in your entire life. You know how, when you get a job for minimum wage, there are tons of rules and restrictions? Well, it's kind of like that in the writing world. Cheap clients want you to adhere to a ridiculous set of standards and want you to write the highest "quality" possible. Well of course sir, I have no issues spending several hours on this $5 job!

    #3 - It's a game of cat and mouse usually as well. I've dealt with hundreds of clients over the years. When it comes to cheap ones, they're always on your tail until you get the work done, then the communication seems to be sparse. Getting them to pay immediately is usually a chore and requires them to "thoroughly" check your work which is just a slap in the face considering the pay.

    #4 - That's another thing, cheap clients will usually NEVER pay a single penny upfront. You're never guaranteed to get a single penny from any of those cheap clients.

    The writing market hasn't changed a bit since 2006 from my perspective. Cheap people are still around, they're always going to be cheap and no amount of persuasion will sway them otherwise. They're always going to be looking for some miracle writer who will kick off their six figure empire writing for pennies.

    I've been struggling just to find people who have 1-2 articles a piece to write now days and it's gotten to the point where I need to find another trade skill or I need to suck up what little pride I have left and write for cheap sites like Textbroker/iWriter. Yeah, the pay is absolutely disgusting there as well but the only real difference between those sites and writing for people on forums is that the work is constant as long as you keep writing.

    Either way, I think I need a break to figure out exactly what I'm going to do for rent/food/etc. Writing for people found via forums isn't going to cut it.
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2013
    coreygeer, Jul 22, 2013 IP
    SCookAAM, hopeless4 and Erlend55 like this.
  2. Erlend55

    Erlend55 Active Member

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    #2
    Which country are you from? I can understand that people from India can write for these rates, but USA, no way? How can you live of that? When I write articles I charge 0.07 dollar per word. My customers is happy with that. That gives a price of 7 dollar per 100 word, and it's just a hobby.
     
    Erlend55, Jul 22, 2013 IP
  3. Spoiltdiva

    Spoiltdiva Acclaimed Member

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    #3
    I don't think any type of sales page would turn these morons into "sex figures" do you?;)
     
    Spoiltdiva, Jul 22, 2013 IP
  4. coreygeer

    coreygeer Notable Member

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    #4

    What in the world? I'm pretty sure I hit the "i" instead of "e"... or did I?


    I'm from the USA. How did you manage to find people that are willing to pay $7 per 100 words? People keep telling me about those high paying clients but no one ever seems to know where they come from or how you find them.

    I do live in the US though and I'm in the middle of nowhere without a car at the moment, so writing online or something online is the only option until I can get into the city or make this happens.

    Yes, that pricing structure may seem fair to people in India, but then again, it comes down to what the client wants. Do they want a readable and well-written article or do they want something that sounds like this:

    I has you content of teach money make online articles!
     
    coreygeer, Jul 22, 2013 IP
  5. Erlend55

    Erlend55 Active Member

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    #5
    I have to disappoint you. It's in the Norwegian language. Wages are way higher here than in USA.
     
    Erlend55, Jul 22, 2013 IP
  6. writersforhire

    writersforhire Member

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    #6
    I think you can make it if you really love writing. Just think about the advantages.. getting up in your PJs, sitting in front of the TV writing, being free to do what you want, when you want. I hear you about the low paying jobs too because there are a lot of them out there. If you add the low paying ones up with the high paying ones though you usually scrape by. Perhaps you should consider SEO as well. Then you can earn a hell of a lot more. I make a good whack out of guest posting as well as content writing. You can also offer the submission side of the content to the directories as well.
     
    writersforhire, Jul 22, 2013 IP
  7. BoostSoftware

    BoostSoftware Active Member

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    #7
    Starting out at such a low pay seems to be quite common for writers. If this is a struggle for you, it might help to read inspiring blog posts by authors who make between $50 to $100 or more per blog post (i.e. Make a Living Writing). You might also want to keep posting new samples -- as someone else mentioned already -- and make sure they are edited with a fine-tooth comb. Get someone else to proofread your material before you sign up to a content mill, too. Otherwise, you will get stuck getting paid less than you want. It might also help you to start writing about what you enjoy because you'll naturally do better at that. Then, seek out clients who require content in the niches you love.
     
    BoostSoftware, Jul 22, 2013 IP
  8. pachecus

    pachecus Well-Known Member

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    #8
    Writing, fortunately, has many sides and options. I've been writing for 20+ years and wouldn't give it up for anything. I always keep in mind what I was told when first starting: when something you love becomes work, with time you may loose interest. So, every now and then, try other options, like writing fiction, join writing communities, enter writing contests, start a blog or webpage, and if you find yourself in a tight financial situations, many companies need writers for technical manuals, training guides, etc. Although it isn't as comfortable as working from home (although some companies I worked for allow two days work from home a week), it helps until something else comes along, like the bestseller hidden in the back of our heads for so long just waiting for the right moment to come out.
     
    pachecus, Jul 22, 2013 IP
  9. alphaomegalady

    alphaomegalady Member

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    #9
    I'm in hiatus too.
    Writing was my life, being a writer was my dream but right now I feel bored and insecure about my writings.
     
    alphaomegalady, Jul 23, 2013 IP
  10. Estragon

    Estragon Peon

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    #10
    I would not say getting early and sitting in front of the TV to write is an advantage. If anything it is a distraction. Being a writer means to like exploring your mind, poking at it to see if you have something worth saying. It means to love the language and challenge it, give it new shapes, shun from clichés and invent vivid figures of speech*. As Lewis Lapham observed in his essay Figures of Speech:

    "I know no other way out of what is both the maze of the eternal present and the prison of the self except with a string of words."

    I will repeat, it's erroneous to think you can do 'real' writing, while indulging in dreams of riches. If writing is your passion you will write - despite what may come along the way. But I am not criticisizing here, and I fully acknowledge that scraping a living stifles all aspirations.

    Dostoyevsky regretted that he didn't have the time Tolstoy had. "Perhaps," says the writer "I would have found my Anna Karenina then."

    *George Orwell has an essay called The English Language that I highly recommend. It embarks on the subject of academic writing and its obsolescence.

    Writing is a craft and a writer should have the persistence of a smith. Hemingway is a good example for what self-discipline and persistence can make out of a man. Mind you, it is hard to copy Hemingway - a man who spent his whole life avoiding copying others, only learning from them.

    We all have our hardships, it's hard to bargin a reasonable price when so many "horrid" speakers - myself included - strive to bring down the price so that we can make our services appealing to those who look for half the solution.
     
    Estragon, Jul 23, 2013 IP
  11. Jomuli3

    Jomuli3 Guest

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    #11
    To successfully cure a disease you need to know its cause.

    Find out the cause, the germ. Find out the most effective treatment.

    Treating the symptoms is postponing the disease.

    What I mean is that you've not discoverred why some writers are earning good money.

    What do they do that you don't?

    Where do they find well paying clients?( you could start a thread on this.)

    How advanced are their writing skills?

    Have you read their samples?

    How do they market their services?

    These and more questions will help you carry out self diagnosis --- which will lead to discovery of a cure.

    Remember 'Acres of Diamonds' --- The quitters who sold their farms lost the most precious diamonds to the buyers. They thought they were going to discover diamonds elsewhere!
     
    Jomuli3, Jul 23, 2013 IP
  12. TextServices

    TextServices Active Member

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    #12
    Are you done? Is it all out of your system now? Because quite frankly, all I'm reading from your post is a bunch of excuses of why you're not making the income from writing that you would like to make.

    I know how you feel. I "get" where you're coming from. I've been writing for myself and clients for the past 9 years. It's not a hobby for me - it's a full-time income. (I'm American born and raised currently living in Canada. Our cost of living is comparable.) I can remember being so frustrated and pissed off, feeling like a useless twit because I was lucky if I could bring in a $100 a week or even have steady work. It certainly wasn't easy, especially in the beginning trying to actually survive on income earned from writing.

    YOU CAN EARN GOOD MONEY FROM YOUR SKILL

    You have to change your mindset. You will become your own worst enemy if you don't. Yes. There are nightmare clients and there are bargain hunters. (Sometimes all rolled into one.) They will always be there. They will always be a part of the online and offline world. You can't change this fact. You can't change these people. Get over it. You can only change your attitude.

    Not all of these $1.00/100 word projects/clients are the jobs and clients we all hate. Some of them are a person testing the waters. Some of them are an easy job and a quick buck. Small $ jobs at up quick. It's easy money that can be used to purchase a gallon of milk, buy an ice cream treat for your child, puchase an adult beverage or 6, movie tickets or rental, or an afternoon at the pool... Recognize the signs of a potential nightmare job/client and the complete waste of time offers and ignore them. Do not even give them a second thought. If a $1.00/100 word job offered is not going to require much of your time and there are no red flags, go for it. Quick money. Sometimes the quick money projects turn into steady work and good money. They can also fill in the gaps when you are waiting for payout on another income stream.

    Build mulitple streams of income. You have the ability to write. The skill. Use it to your advantage. Many, many, many people struggle with writing. You have an advantage simply because you can write. Build blogs. Nurture them. Add Adsense. In time, sell advertising space. Sell posts. If you nurture a blog, build something of quality, you can earn good money from it. People will actually pay you for a spot of blog real estate. You can even build blogs for the sole purpose of selling other products and services in which you get a commission. You can build complete networks of pages and sites, multiple streams of income. Something independent of clients.

    Contact people and businesses directly. Especially niche oriented. If you have a skill and/or knowledge in a particular field, use the power of the search engines and contact people in the field or those who cater to the field. For example, I'm trained in dentistry. I'm a certified dental assistant. After like 15 years, I took a break, but I still kept up with the field and maintained my credentials. I contacted people and businesses directly who cater to SEO, website design, and marketing for the dental industry. I also built a Twitter account of over 10,000 followers all in the dental industry. (Took time to build it naturally, nurture it, but it can be done.) I advertise my writing to this targeted list. These two simple resources continues to supply me with steady, well-paying work.

    Use resources that can add to your income, while you are building and nurturing other sources of income. Some resources absolutely stink as far as what a writer can earn, but some are actually tolerable. When client work is slow, some resources can offer work to fill-in the gap. Some clients you write for can actually turn into well-paying clients with steady work.

    Do not feel like you failed because you take a part-time or full-time job in the real world. Use this job to pay the bills, meanwhile continue to build your online income streams. It takes time to build your online income. You have to continually market yourself as well as build and nurture other online sources of income. Writing online isn't just about finding good paying clients and steady work. It's about maximising your skill and potential. Write for others as an income source, but remember to write for yourself too. Put your skill to work. Use it for something that doesn't depend on clients as income.

    The forums and similar places, are a really, really small part of all that is available to you. (Think crumbs of a 5 tiered wedding cake made to feed 300 guests.)

    Never ever rely solely on building a business writing for others. Even though you build a good base, regular well-paying clients, you will have dry spots. You will have periods of time where income dips and then rises again.
     
    TextServices, Jul 23, 2013 IP
    Content Maestro likes this.
  13. techdomain

    techdomain Well-Known Member

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    #13
    This is what i think is the issue with cheap clients. They got few bucks in their pockets but still want to go out and do business and get best of the services on the pseudo status of them being the one with money.

    I generally avoid them or skip them unless highly reputed. Asian countries break the market rates like anything. I have unfortunately met my share too..
     
    techdomain, Jul 26, 2013 IP
  14. TPvinod

    TPvinod Active Member

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    #14
    I read & understood what everyone said in this post and everyone is correct from their point. I've come across all this and I have been successful!

    I'm still in the early stages of creating an ebook on How to succeed as a freelance writer. I'm planning to cover topics like do's and dont's, how to win projects, how to choose clients and many more. My goal is to make it useful to newbies to succeed as I did. If there are other books available from experts on such topics, then I suggest you purchase them and give a read. It is definitely going to be worth your time, especially if you are trying to make a living out of writing.

    Good luck.
     
    TPvinod, Jul 27, 2013 IP
  15. alinasandor

    alinasandor Well-Known Member

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    #15
    What I do to make much more per article ($15-$150) is apply to writing jobs. Set aside a day and apply to as many writing jobs as you can find. I've found many repeat clients doing this. Here are some good sites to look for jobs:
    http://www.online-writing-jobs.com
    Indeed.com
    aboutfreelancewriting.com
    freelancewritinggigs.com

    The jobs listed on these sites often pay much more than $5 per article. Send me an IM and I'll send you some more links if you need them. :)
     
    alinasandor, Jul 30, 2013 IP
  16. dimitarang

    dimitarang Well-Known Member

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    #16
    Why don't you use the articles you write for your own websites, just post them and earn from adsense or affiliate marketing. You can also sell them via Yahoo Voices.
     
    dimitarang, Jul 30, 2013 IP
  17. TPvinod

    TPvinod Active Member

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    #17
    How much can you make from ads? $2000+ per month? NO. If you can make it, then should are may be one in a million. Affiliate marketing is a good idea but if your sites are not performing, then money is gonna stay far away from you!
     
    TPvinod, Jul 30, 2013 IP
  18. lukeit

    lukeit Active Member

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    #18
    7 usd per 100 words?? who pay this numbers, just the new rich incompetent like russians or chinese. or other people like these.
     
    lukeit, Aug 8, 2013 IP
  19. TechSole

    TechSole Well-Known Member

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    #19
    This may come as a surprise to you. People pay for quality.
     
    TechSole, Aug 8, 2013 IP
  20. Spoiltdiva

    Spoiltdiva Acclaimed Member

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    #20
    FYI this is what we (the firm I am under contract with) pay our writers under contract:
    $350-$500 per page (copy/scripts/news releases)
    $750-$1,000 per project for brochures.
    $75-150 per hour (small jobs)
    The firm (and others that I know of) has/have also been known to pay as high as $1 per word to pinch hit article writers.
    Bottom line if writers can help to produce good advertising content that brings in clients......they will pay them the big bucks.
     
    Spoiltdiva, Aug 8, 2013 IP