Thinking of hiring

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by GamesPond, Jun 20, 2008.

  1. #1
    I have never hired a copywriter before and I want to learn more about the process.

    I want to develope a site about the stock market.
    Need at least 10 pages of content

    My questions are -
    Where's the best place to hire copywriters?
    How do I know if its duplicate content?
    How much would it cost me for say 10 articles at around 1000 words?

    I would write them myself but I'm flat out developing other sites.
     
    GamesPond, Jun 20, 2008 IP
  2. allout

    allout Prominent Member

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    #2
    A good writer costs in the neighborhood of $.10 a word for real quality. You can get cheaper but often get what you pay for. You can run articles through copyscape or you can search in Google using quotes around say a paragraph of content. It will show up if it is posted elsewhere.
     
    allout, Jun 20, 2008 IP
  3. snarke

    snarke Peon

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    #3
    Unfortunately there is no real set price. A "good" copywriter can cost anything from $5 per page to $1000s per page, it depends on the copywriter. While you do run the risk of "getting what you paid for" by hiring someone who doesn't charge very much, you could also wind up with brilliant copy (many copywriters who are starting out savagely underprice themselves in the interest of getting references and positive testimonials from clients and building a portolio quickly). It's also worth noting that good, well researched and in-depth copy is going to cost you a lot more than something that is simply there to hold a place on the site. It will also cost more money if you want to buy the full rights to the work.

    As to whether or not it is duplicate content, you can do a couple of things: run the content through copyscape or pick a couple of sentences at random and run them through google to see if anything turns up. :)
     
    snarke, Jun 20, 2008 IP
  4. marketjunction

    marketjunction Well-Known Member

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    #4
    Where's the best place to hire copywriters?

    I don't think there's a "best" place. It really depends on what your budget is. If you're looking for cheap writing, DP is a good place to look. If you want pro-level stuff, not so much.

    How do I know if its duplicate content?

    You can search MSN, Google and Yahoo for similar sentences and such, but you won't know if the content is duplicate, legal, etc. I'd recommend working with someone you can trust. If you're in the USA, work with USA writers (contracts).

    How much would it cost me for say 10 articles at around 1000 words?

    As was mentioned, pricing is all over the board. A decent writer (depth, story, etc) will charge at least $100 per 1,000-word article.

    If you don't need much depth and you're okay with so-so writing, it's possible to pay 5 cents or less per word.
     
    marketjunction, Jun 20, 2008 IP
  5. telegraph.hill

    telegraph.hill Peon

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    #5
    Good points made above.

    Additionally, hire someone who knows about the stock market.

    It does very much come down to what you are prepared to pay. If possible, get recommendations.
     
    telegraph.hill, Jun 20, 2008 IP
  6. rolls

    rolls Guest

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    #6
    Hello,

    I use get a freelancer.com . Write your project details, what you want to pay you will receive bids on your work. Ask for samples of there work and do not pay anything until you see results .

    Again you can search Urls on the subject (and use copyscape excellent tool)
     
    rolls, Jun 21, 2008 IP
  7. KeywordsandCopy

    KeywordsandCopy Peon

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    #7
    When searching for a writer you may want to ask others, such as friends, who they use. This is a great way to ensure that you are getting quality.
     
    KeywordsandCopy, Jun 21, 2008 IP
  8. lightless

    lightless Notable Member

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    #8
    Best to hire a writer who regularly invests in the stock market. You most probably won't have to worry about duplicate content and the quality of articles will be better.

    Experience and involvement and a passion for the subject near guarantees excellent articles.
     
    lightless, Jun 21, 2008 IP
  9. EspressoChick

    EspressoChick Well-Known Member

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    #9
    I would not just ask someone "do you know about the stock market?" but actually ask them some questions about the stock market. I can't think of any good stock markety questions off the top of my head. Oh okay, here "what is a stock?" or "what is a mutual fund?" or "What is the Series 7?" or "What is the NYSE?" Chances are someone that knows the stock market will know the answers to these questions. Even if they have to look some of them up.....it shows they have good research skills and will get you the information you need. :)
     
    EspressoChick, Jun 21, 2008 IP
  10. mixke

    mixke Prominent Member

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    #10
    You can use sites like www.copyscape.com | www.dupecop.com to check the uniqueness of the article.
    Different writers offer different rates so there's no fixed price.
     
    mixke, Jun 21, 2008 IP
  11. latoya

    latoya Active Member

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    #11
    Where's the best place to hire copywriters?

    Ask for referrals. You're probably looking for content writers vs. copywriters (who write sales copy to get someone to buy a product).

    You can find a great writer on DP, right here in this thread - me :) I specialize in personal finance content, so send a PM if you're interested.

    How do I know if its duplicate content?

    You can use Copyscape and of course, Google random phrases like marketjunction suggested.

    How much would it cost me for say 10 articles at around 1000 words?

    Depends. You can get some really cheap, but poor quality articles for $50, maybe even less. On the other end of the spectrum, a highly-skilled and -qualified finance writer might charge you $2,500 or more. And of course, there are many skilled writers who charge somewhere in between (that includes me).
     
    latoya, Jun 22, 2008 IP
  12. ndcole78

    ndcole78 Peon

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    #12
    You're not looking for a copywriter......What you're looking for is an article writer. Copywriters in general write sales letters, not articles.
     
    ndcole78, Jun 22, 2008 IP
  13. GamesPond

    GamesPond Well-Known Member

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    #13
    Thank you all for your great advice. And thanks for the PM's I will be developing the site very soon. All your posts where very helpful.
     
    GamesPond, Jun 22, 2008 IP
  14. webgal

    webgal Peon

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    #14
    You're looking for a content writer or article writer. Look for a financial writer. And also get a writer who puts some subheads in there to break things up. Geez all these internet articles look like a sea of type. There has to be some breaks in there to move the reader along. Besides, it helps with SEO and provides highlights. Anyway, when you look at samples look for a writer who can do more than throw words on a page.

    Is there a way to add visuals to these articles? If so, mention that because they'll need captions.

    There is a content section here on DP for listing your job. Craigslist has a writing category as well.

    Be sure to specify
    • length of articles (500 words?)
    • whether you want SEO or not
    • subjects you want covered
    • how many
    • your budget if you have one

    This blog post might help you define all the different kinds of writers.

    The different kinds of writers.
     
    webgal, Jun 23, 2008 IP
  15. QuickWebContent

    QuickWebContent Peon

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    #15
    You can run articles through plagiarism checks like, copyscape. This helps reduce the amount of unoriginal content you get. Remember, when you buy work from bidding sites you will get low bids. You should ask for samples to review the quality of work before selecting a bid.
     
    QuickWebContent, Jun 24, 2008 IP