What are the advantages of writing for $4?

I wouldn't normally bother replying to this thread because the topic has been discussed so many times in this forum already.

Then again, every time I see jhmattern's posts, I find it so hard to resist replying to her. Why? Because I love the way that she writes and I consider it a fun challenge to debate with her. So, even though there can be no open debate between a moderator and a standard member in a forum (in my opinion), I'll give it a shot.

What are the advantages of writing for $4? It's simple - you'll get enough orders to make a living. If you can't write enough articles to make a living at $4 per, then you should either reconsider the rate, or your line of work.

I know for a fact that I could live off a $4 per article rate. How? Well, I could write about 3 $4-articles per hour, which would translate to $96 per 8-hour work day. Now let's take that $96 per day and multiply it by 30 - that's $2880. Assuming that you'll take some days off during the month, I'll round it down to $2,500. I came up with that number based on two facts - 1) I could write 3 articles per hour and 2) I could get as many orders as I want at any given time due to my cheap rates.

Let's take it a step further. Even if you can only write 2 $4-articles per hour, you'll still make about $2,000 per month assuming that the second fact remains true. Do you need more than $2,000/month? Maybe you do. Would you like to make more than $2,000/month? Sure, who wouldn't? But that's not the matter in question here. I would be willing to bet that at least 70% of the members in this forum would be over the moon if they could make that kind of money. I think that this pretty much answers the OP's question.

Now, on to jhmattern. In any business, you will find some people that make as much as they should be making, some that are making more, and some that are making less.

If I had the choice to either write 10 articles for $4 each or 1 article for $40, I would obviously choose the latter. Do you think that most of the writers we see in this forum get to make that choice when they first start out? I don't.

All I know is that in any business you have to start from the bottom and work your way up. It seems to me like every time you (jhmattern) reply to someone who is talking about "cheap writers", you make the assumption that most writers could actually get those higher rates right off the bat. That they are "stupid" to even consider working for that kind of money.

I am not a writer so I don't really know what sort of rates are being offered outside the DP market. I can only imagine though, that if I could charge 3 or 4 figures per article and I had such a good network of clients providing me with a steady workload, I would probably be writing an article instead of replying to yet another post about low paying writing gigs.

Bear in mind, that I am not questioning the fact that you CAN make that kind of money by writing (even though I know you wouldn't care if I did) - what I AM questioning is the amount of work that you would get if you decided to charge that much. Furthermore, I am not referring to jhmattern or anyone else in specific, I am only making a general assumption.

Also, I can list at least 20 people in this forum who have received praises for their writing and charge $2 or $3 per article. I personally ordered from them and as I was going through their articles, I couldn't figure out whether they were writing in English or some other language. Those people keep getting iTraders and praises for their great writing. Are they "stupid"? I would beg to differ. They saw an opportunity and they took it - that's the definition of business-smart in my book. It is a well known fact that many people in DP can't tell the difference between good and bad writing. These people are the ones who accept those bad articles and feel like they got a great deal. These people constitute a market that's ready for exploitation - and exploitation is what they get.

On the other hand, I have seen good articles at $2 or $3 per. Were those writers naive? Again, I'll have to disagree. Writers don't burn out in my opinion - they just move on. That's how every business works, and I see no reason why writing would be any different. I believe that writers should do their research and find a rate that works for them. I would choose to write 100 articles at $4 per article over 10 articles at $20 per article in a heartbeat. It all comes down to the basic law of demand and supply - each writer has to determine the price and output level that will return the greatest profit - that level just can't be the same for everyone!

That's my 2 cents

 

Ah, but you're forgetting something. Here in the U.S. at least, 40% of that 2K a month will have to be given to the government in taxes, and maybe you have no problem working 8hrs a day 7 days week but most people prefer a less sweatshop-ish workload.

 

Correct me if I am wrong BerryWriter, but I am pretty sure that 8-hour days are the norm in the US, and in most other countries for that matter. Do you find that to be a sweatshop-ish workload?

 

Yes 8hr days are the norm, but most people work 5 day work weeks, not 7. Working 7 days a week 52 weeks a year with no time off is what I would call sweatshop-ish.

 

I agree - thus the "Assuming that you'll take some days off during the month, I'll round it down to $2,500" part.

Also, as I mentioned in the beginning of my reply, "If you can't write enough articles to make a living at $4 per, then you should either reconsider the rate, or your line of work."

I am certainly not saying that everyone should write for $4, but for some, it might be the ideal price/output level - same goes for those charging $3 per or even $50 per.

Once again, quoting my initial post "It all comes down to the basic law of demand and supply - each writer has to determine the price and output level that will return the greatest profit - that level just can't be the same for everyone!" - Can't argue that.

 

The math presented here is confusing me. Realistically speaking, when a writer accepts articles for $4 there really isn't much discussion regarding their area of expertise. Is it possible to crank out an article in 15 to 20 minutes? Sure, especially if the topic is fairly broad and the writer has some relevant background knowledge. I think it would be fair to say that this is not the case most of the time. At $4 an article, a writer is rarely contracted because they are an expert in any particular subject. They may be competent enough to write clearly and have a unique style, but they usually don't specialize in anything. I take that back. They probably specialize in something, they just haven't marketed themselves in any area but 'cheap'. That would mean that some research would have to be done prior to writing.

With that said, how would it be possible to consistently write 3 or 4 quality articles an hour? I don't want to be argumentative, but the rates you've quoted just do not seem realistic. Even if you take the initial adjustment period into account, I don't know if anyone could repeatedly write 24 to 32 articles per day. And like BerryWriter said, this is before taxes, which I've always calculated to be 30% of your gross income. I'm not saying that it can't be done, I just don't think that it is realistic to think that it could be done consistently. Maybe I'm thinking of a higher quality of work. I'm really not trying to be offensive. I'm new here, and so far everyone seems knowledgeable even if our opinions differ .

 

$4 is not a worthy amount for writing an Article.

 

i am a student and looking for some good online working sites so please help me though this i will be really grateful.

 

thanks bro

 

The first client I took paid $1.25 per article and I was happy to get it, but then again, it lead to conflicts with my full time minimum wage job. Taking low pay would be insane if all you did was write for 8 hours a day, but I'm sure there are many writers who only do this on the side just for an ego boost or so they can pretend to be a writer when they're talking to people they don't know. For this group, I'm sure spending two hours writing five $4 articles would be a great way to spend their off time.

 

People work for $4 because, their peers get paid $100/month working for a SEO company, so $4 is quite good for them.

But trust me, they'll provide you the best CRAP article ever

 

am new into this field of article writing and this thread here has given me a lot of insight into article wrting and its cost factor.

 

None.No advantages.you should be looking for ways to exponentially increase your rates, not looking for such "advantages".

 

It depends where you live, if you're in the UK then $4 is an absolute pittance and you could not live a decent life on that wage.

 

WTF? You should be BUYING articles for $4, not selling them. If you can put together a halfway decent website or blog, you can easily make more than the $4/per article you're getting paid.

 

yes, I agree .. I have been looking around for ways in which I can create and monetize a good website, but since I am not conversant with PHP etc, it's an uphill task for me. Would you care to explain how somebody who is more of a writer can put together sites with minimum programming know how and not having to spend too much time building it. Also, one thing that I find really frustrating is driving traffic to the site, any pointers?

 

When I first started reading this thread, I thought of how nice it was to receive four dollars for an article since I have grown used to the lowballed rates in the local and GAF market. As in doing rewrites for a dollar and a few cents, original articles for less or sometimes a dollar and fifty, etc. You get the picture.

However as I reach the end, I realize how wrong on so many accounts this is.

It hit home since I often feel that I have to do so much to get enough and it makes me feel desperate, sad even at times. I wonder how it is possible for people who are into freelancing to be truly in charge of their time when me and my friends end up joking amongst ourselves that there is no time for sleep because we have to earn more money so we can keep ourselves afloat. Though it's not that drastic a matter since most of us are students who just want extra money but still. The effects on our sleep schedules and moods are really showing.

Lurking here on DP has made me rethink about my rates, especially since at times I feel that I am not charging right.

Considering that I end up often wishing that I could get more for what I do.

I recently found an employer who pays more than the usual low balled rates I'm used to but still below 4 dollars and the rates mentioned here but I'm happier now. I'm able to earn more but sadly it's not a regular gig.

Still... I cannot help but feel that if there are better options, naturally I would opt for those.

Once I considered increasing rates to $1 per 100 words, however, I had inhibitions because I might not find enough clients who might want to stick it out with me. Worse, I might be too expensive for a non-Native English speaker. Buyers tend to be picky and go for native English speakers, choosing to hire them more than a non-Native.

Btw, much of my perceptions come from my brief stay -I left because I couldn't stand the rates + fees- and local freelancing buddies.

Reading this thread, made me realize that there is still much to learn after all.

So yeah, four dollars for an article? It's fine for now but definitely not something for the long term.

/end rant

 

@callmeprincess - the way you have written this posts gives a fairly good idea of your skills and I think you can EASILY get $1/100 w for a start over here at DP.. you can try that for some time, then maybe go on to greener pastures go over to the BST section on DP and post your ad over there . include a short sample... first you can take up some short term or lower paying short gigs which get you some good reviews... once you are past 5 iTrader you can easily get $1/100 words .. or even lot lot more if you know how to do that. The standard rates at DP BST are $1/100 words but there are lot many clients who would be willing to pay lot more than that if they get a good copy. Best of Luck !! Stay out of Freelancer.com (GAF )

 

Back on the topic of the thread, perhaps colored by my sad experiences of freelancing (It's okay I tell myself really. I'm still starting so I'm allowing myself to make some mistakes) I find it hard to understand how one can be happy writing for four dollars when you've come from a ten dollar background. However, I don't want to judge. I'm glad you're happier now.

If the OP still comes back to the thread, perhaps it's nice to hear why they feel happier so we can hear their side?

@confused_freelancer

Thank you for your kind words. I'm truly touched.

I've been trying to move out of my usual places for finding jobs and exploring the options. I forgot how I got here, but somehow I'm glad I did.

I actually feel I have more hope now.

 

If you are happy, then its good