Why do content writers charge only $0.01 per word

I offer writing services for a very low rate. My question is why? I have noticed that there are many writers here on DP and some are quite good at what they do. So, why charge so little.

I have been cotemplating upping my rates, but in order to stay competitive I need to charge what I do. It keeps me busy, and I can make some decent money each week.

I guess what I would like to know is why would a buyer pay little and expect alot? If a writer thinks they are worth more, shouldn't they charge more? But, its not really the writer that decides how much the work is worth is it?

Lets discuss!!!

 

First off, if you're a native English speaker, know your spelling and grammar, can produce quality content and charge $0.01 per word then I'll hire you. Instantly. Full time. And I know many others who would do exactly the same.

The prices are going up and I saw it firsthand when I looked for some freelance article writers about two weeks ago. I posted a WTH thread on this very forum, and within 24 hours I got fifty PMs!! How crazy is that?

At first I was pretty happy - thinking that this will allow me to choose the best and still not pay a lot. Then I started going through the messages and the sample articles that were sent to me and my mood changed very quickly.

90% of those writers fell into three distinct categories:
- non-native English speakers (and it showed!)
- natives who don't know the second thing about grammar
- natives with an alright grammar but no ability what so ever to produce quality content

And the rest - 10% at most - charged way more than $0.01 per word. I'm talking about $0.02 per word and some even more than that. And guess what - I paid it happily and so will many others once you demonstrate that you're different from the "$0.01 per word lot".

I don't know how well you write but judging by your post I think you're far better than the majority so my advice to you is to simply start asking for more - but do tell your potential customers why you're charging more and provide some samples of your writings.

By the way - if you're really good and can write sales copies, for example, then even $0.02 is way too little. I write e-books and sales letters myself - I do it mostly for my own products but every now and then someone comes along and offers me a gig. The absolute minimum I ask for a 1500-word sales copy is $150, making it $0.10 per word - 10 times more than the price you mentioned.

So seriously, if you're good at it then you don't have to (and shouldn't - ever) work for pennies. Ask and they shall pay

 

I think the amount your willing to spend depends on what your using it for. I don't pay much if I just need to fill a site with some crap real quick. If I need quality stuff for a blog or a money-making site, I'm willing to pay more.

 

I don't pay at all if I just need to fill a site with some crap real quick

*HINT* spinning *HINT*

 

That's because the average client expects decent articles at that rate, and competitors are ready to snap up any and all work that comes their way.

You may get an uncomfortably low number of new clients if your rates are above $ .01 per word. But if you are an awesome writer who can prove to new clients that you are an awesome writer AND able to deliver great results (In terms of profit or other measurable criteria that matter to content buyers), I would assume that many more (New clients) will be willing to take the plunge.

I charge what I feel the work is worth and have lost many clients on asking rate. Since I have lots of other things to do (Including non-work activities and projects of my own), I can afford to wait and not get work. But I can imagine most writers feeling that they MUST get every client and every job.

 

Well I don't want every client or every job I just feel that I can make more. I have to agree with the second poster. My currently clients are going to continue to get this great rate, but I think I am going to start asking for more.

Thank you guys for you input.

 

Well I'm a native english writer with a relevent degree. But I end up charging about $0.015 per word. It does suck a bit, but I make a lot more money writing french and german content.

 

It really depends on the writer.

I am not a writer full time nor is it what makes me money... but I do freelance projects for one guy that pays me between $10-$15 per article which is decent. From this I make $250 a month or so. Then I work in a hotel part-time that pays just above average wage here in the UK per hour and the rest of the time I relax.

Now sometimes, if I feel bored or need a quick $20 or $30 I would open up a thread and offer my writing ridiculously cheap. In the long run it depends on my needs as an individual and I am sure it is the same for everyone else.

Problem is, there are way too many people that have 0 iTrader and have no intention of being a part of DP forums and yet offer their services. Yes, most of them are not english in any form, and sometimes you may strike it lucky and find a good writer.

A good example of what happens on this forum is like this:

Person A lives in Durban North (area A) and has a nice big house, wife, 2 cars and a few pooches. When he goes to the local shop, the price for two litre's of milk is roughly R8.50. He pays it, because the area he lives in is more expensive then most other areas and he has the money to afford it.

Person B lives in Durban South (area B), and has a big 3 bedroom flat, 1 car, a wife and a pooch. When he visits his local shop he will think twice when buying items and two litres of milk will cost him R5.60. He can afford it and happily pays it.

What is the difference between area A and area B. Of course it depends on how expensive the houses and flats are, how much the person earns etc. But the fact here is that each person stays in an area where they can afford to live and know what to expect. You won't find person A venturing to Area B because he will be too scared that his BMW 5 series will get stolen. Neither would you find person B venturing to Area A because he will not have the money to pay the prices the local shops demand there.

So how is this relevant to the discussion?

Well DP is like Area B. People come here knowing they can hire people for between $3-$5 per article and if they are lucky, get a good writer at that price too. They can afford to pay it, because in the long run they are not looking for a freelance journalist or someone that delivers exceptional content that you find in a magazine.

Heck for writing an article that is 2500 words in length, I can get anything up to 125.00 pounds here in the UK. Do you honestly think anyone would pay someone here on DP that price? I don't think so.

Also, 6 months ago there were some good content writers, but most have moved on from here, and now you have sooooo many threads that get started each hour with people advertising their services... it has in fact become a hunting ground for spammers, scammers and people that are only out to play you for your money.

I have hired quite a few writers here in the past and did my part by ensuring they respond via PM in the right manner, and look at how they present themselves in other threads. I have been real lucky to be honest and found a company that I outsource to now that is brilliant when it comes to content creation.

But if you want to compete with others on this forum, you will lower your price in the end because of a hundred other people that offer exactly the same.

So back to the story... if you want to get good rates for your services then you need to move on and find other forums and websites that will gladly pay you $10 + for an article. There are some sites. You just need to look.

Good luck.

p.s. Just like the story... people that can afford to pay that much will usually stick together in a specific forum/website.

 

No. If you feel you need to charge low rates to be competitive, then you need to rethink your target market. It means you're doing something wrong. Those low-rate writers are only your competition if you choose for them to be.

 

I have been told by current clients that my work is worth more. I just feel that charging them more right now might be detrimental to getting my service up and running. I feel that I'm a good decent writer. I deliver quality content on time every time. That is what I based my service business on. No outsourcing mainly because in order to control content I have to do it myself.

With that in mind, I will be re-thinking the $0.01 per word rate and raise it a bit to see if I can grab some extra money.

 

If you can't charge them more, but your work is worth more, then you're not targeting the right clients. Either you target an appropriate market and find new clients (yes, that means starting over if you started in the wrong market to begin with), or you keep settling for lower rates than you deserve. It's basic business.

 

First thing I notice is the link in your signature goes to an adsense site, right away that gives me an impression of cheap writing and MFA sites. spinners, stolen content, hacked robot content, junk ect.
The site has ads before the content that tells me you don’t care about the reader you just want .15 cents from them and they can go away..

IMO you need to separate yourself from that kind of cheap garbage content if you want to get real jobs that pay well. I read so many threads on DP that say "I am such a good writer" "quality" "excellence" but then you look at their stuff and it is pure garbage.

If people are thinking about hiring quality they Will.. look at your previous work and if it is just a MFA site.. well :-/

 

Well, that is a good point. Never really wanted to use my blog as an example of my writing but I am sure that it is what it is. So, I will remove the adsense because that is not what the site is for.

Thank you averyz!

 

you know...too many cooks

 

Hi there bryanon!

I just have one question that why you and many others as well use only native English speakers to write articles for them? I mean it is not always truth that others (Who are not native English speakers) cannot provide high quality articles. I am an Indian but I am confident of producing articles with great and interesting content.

Please do not get me wrong. I just wanted to know the reason. If it is something within my capabilities, I may try to rectify this as well.

 

You are more likely to get articles with better grammar and language that way. A quick and easy way to separate most of the wheat from most of the chaff.

Well, if you can prove that you can write great articles (Through samples, blog and so on), you are likely to be hired regardless of whether you are a native, non-native or whatever else.

 

In addition to what lightless said, there are also legal reasons why a company might want to hire only writers in their home country (or a country with similar laws). If they hire a writer in a country where a contract can't be enforced, they could end up screwed if the writer takes the initial payment and disappears. If they hire a writer in a country with very different copyright laws, then the buyer could end up sued if the writer gives them content that violates copyright laws in their own country (with no legal recourse to be able to go after the writer).

 

People are at liberty to charge whatever they feel will satisfy their need. In markets that are heavily competed in you will see prices fluctuate wildly and usually plateau out in accordance to what the market will allow. Not everyone feels the same about their work and in certain economical situations you take what you can get.

 

Wow, thank you. I sometimes feel guilty for raising mine up but you just gave wonderful advise.

 

I second your opinion on payment issues, but I don;t think copyright issues matter when ghostwriters are hired. And DP content creation business is mostly ghostwriting. Buyer takes full responsibility of the content and claims copyright, so it doesn't really matter who writes.

Native speakers are preferred not because they are better writers, but probably because non-natives generally produce below-average quality. Also, guys from India,Pakistan etc. can charge a lot less because of high dollar value- so this cheap sounding service automatically makes them crappy to most. Combination of this low face-value and below average quality forces most buyers to lookout for natives.

My tuppence.