Why is it that the wealthiest business people–people who charge high rates for their professional services (attorneys, Realtors, physicians, life coaches, business coaches, dentists, veterinarians, etc.)–write project descriptions like this one when looking for a writer:
“Looking for a top drawer professional copy (content) (features) writer who will deeply research (topic), come up with appropriate SEO keywords, interview me about my client base, and write 1000 to 3000-word articles that will get the phones ringing. Is this you? Great! Willing to pay $50 for every 1000 words you write. Let’s talk!”
I mean, it’s laughable! How long do you think it takes a writer to become top drawer, to engage in deep research, to come up with appropriate SEO keywords, to interview you, and to then write a 1000-word evergreen article that will serve you for years every hour of every day?
Every time I get on Upwork (which I call Upchuck to keep my sanity and sense of humor intact), I have to rifle through literally scores of project descriptions like the one above. It’s tedious work.
But even worse than the fact that it’s tedious, it’s also demeaning, insulting, annoying, frustrating and maddening! If I’m not careful and going with the flow in a Zen-like manner (not always possible), I can find myself talking to the screen:
“Seriously?!”
“You have to be kidding me!”
“You want all that for $250? Go fish, dreamer!”
“Hope you enjoy the result you’ll get with this budget–your budgies will enjoy defiling it even further when you put it at the bottom of their bird cages!”
When looking for a writer, keep in mind our perspective on the matter
Most of us spend hours every week looking for the almost-rare-as-hens’-teeth potential clients who understand the enormous, long-term value of professional writing.
We’ve spent years (I’ve spent decades, personally) honing our craft.
Freelancers like me have to cover 100% of our costs — taxes, health care, office supplies, computers, monitors, software programs (the list goes on and on and on)
Writers can work with you as long as your expectations are reasonable and our rewards are adequate
I can understand and appreciate when a start up entrepreneur is strapped for cash. I can work with start ups by taking less up front as long as they’ll agree to pay me a percentage of the profits from whatever I write in perpetuity (or for a year or five years, whatever parameters we can agree on).
But even then, when I mention the percentage-of-profits option, most entrepreneurs backpedal and find ways to come up with what I’m asking up front, or they wait until they have it and come back to me when they do, so they don’t have to pay bundles of cash in perpetuity or for an extended period of time.
And even start up entrepreneurs aren’t blind to the fact that they get what they pay for when they hire a professional. They’re customers, too, so they know very well that when they visit a website or read an evergreen brochure (or watch an evergreen video) they don’t bother to engage further if what they discover during their first visit leaves them feeling “Meh…” about the offer, the provider, the opportunity or the option. So they “get it.” Absolutely!
So, come on! Consider what you’re really asking and expecting when you’re looking for a writer before you slap down a half-baked project description with a price tag on it that wouldn’t even feed a golden retriever for a month, let alone help cover a professional writer’s basic needs: rent or mortgage, gasoline, food, utilities, taxes, and search times.
Looking for a writer should be a respectful, thoughtful endeavor–not a slap in the face with a kick in the shins to underscore your disdain for having to pay as much for professional services as you charge your own clients and customers.
Evergreen copy lasts forever. What’s that worth to you? Having something riveting out here in cyberspace (or wherever else) touting your product or services 24/7/365 is worth far more than you’d ever want to spend (or could even afford!)… so expect to pony up more than a slap in the face if you want evergreen copy, content or features writing that will serve you until the day you retire.
Get real. Get real help…not bargain-basement crap from hobbyists, wannabes and charlatans.
No professional writer worth their salt is going to serve you while going backward financially. We leave that perk to the folks who never think twice about delivering disappointing, substandard results.
Do you want to lead with a disappointing presentation of your product, service or cause…or with distinction?
That’s exactly what you’re deciding when you’re looking for a writer!