Well, we've been outsourcing to clients across the globe for "dirt cheap " prices ( a $ per 100 words). Some people conclude that since we charge cheap, that our content is also crap. I have had many clients that gave me article writing projects before for less than a third of the rate, even people that take up projects from here!! Here's something: You can read my entire post down here, JUST TO prove to yourself that i charge "dirt cheap" prices for grammatically perfect, informative and nice to read content- it IS possible folks.
You dont have to own Ford to design a good car. Just need to be a good engineer.
If my English is good, why would I pass on "crappy" work to my clients? I don't understand when clients say " I hope your writers have as good English as you do". Its their right to say whatever they want, but, hey, they seem to have thrown in a bucket of negativity even before we've started working!
Here's an example: What is the guarantee that an "experienced SEO writer, that has many unpublished waiting to be released books, yadda yadda" is not outsourcing their writing projects to writers based in India? I have seen bidding sites where ONE writer wins a project for about 5-8$ an article, and throws open a new bid the next day, outsourcing them to other people he/she has absolutely no idea about for less than half the price!
Now is the ultimate client so stupid as to have not thought about this before? Who is being taken for a ride?
Whenever we work with content projects with clients, we try and get the client to talk(interact) as much as possible about what they need. Unless the client is clear about their requirements, how can the content writer churn out the relevant article?
Chances that a client will like an article that is given off hand without any information of where/how it is going to be used, who the target is, what style they want the content in etc, is very very low. Clients tend to think that since they are paying, they have an upper edge. I have clients that pay me as low as $2.5 per 500 word article- Now why would i be so stupid? Well, the client interacts very, very well. There are no "inhibitions" in outsourcing to "indians" and he plays a good role in telling us how he wants them to be done. The truth is we enjoy working for such clients. Contrary to popular belief, money can influence the writer only to a certain extent. Well, I've looked through DNForums a lot, and have gone through almost EVERY single post over here regarding content. It's obvious that people are charging as high as 7-75 $ per article (sigh..
). But I still continue charging our standard $5 per article.
Content writing in my eyes is no more a business than selling handkerchiefs on a roadside market- Clients bargain till their heads blow apart - and content writers blow them all off every chance they get.
You can't really help it. This is the direct result of outsourcing.
A client from a "forward/developed" country will be charged atleast 300-400% more than anyone from a developing country like india would be.
Similarly, a content writer from a "developing country" like India is exploited in the most unbelievable way by clients from "developed countries" that know the tricks of the trade and how things work. I have had clients that "bargain" for 25 cents! They think we dont know what 25c looks like to someone from the West. Truth is , 25c is cheap change, and it sickens me to "bargain" for change with a miser. It equates to begging(in my light at least)
The irony of the entire thing is mind-blowing.
BTW, you might have noticed I have a "team" of writers. My team is not "virtual"- I personally
know all the writers on my team, and have seen, interacted, spoken to and gone out for a beer with them on more than one occasion. We work as a team, not from an office(yet
),but from home. So you can put all your criticism to rest(at least regarding that point). Please let me know what you guys think.
Sorry for this long post, Just couldn't help retaliating like this. Guess i had to vent it out some time or the other. Sheesh.
