C
Content_writer_2012
- Original Poster
- #1
Hello everyone and thank you in advance for any replies.
To summarise the situation, I have been working as a freelance writer for three years and have largely received positive feedback. Last year I started working exclusively for one customer; the only downside of this excellent work arrangement was that I lost contact with all previous customers. For some unknown reason I can't seem to get in contact with the person I've been working for (I hope he's alright!) and since my existence depends on this occupation, I now have to consider other options.
Unfortunately, I'm not up to date with the specifics of this activity anymore; form what I've been reading it has become a lot more competitive. I've always charged a 1 p per word ratio, which even three years ago was quite little for quality work.
Lately I've been compelled by my financial situation to accept offers of as little as 3 pounds for a minimum of 500 words, which surprisingly, the customer found to be a decent price. It's amazing really when you consider that a single article may require two or three hours of research, depending on its theme. It's quite difficult to start from scratch after having built up a good reputation and having failed to preserve it. However, I suppose I should have held on to the 3 pounds for 500 words deal before I ended up trying my luck on iWriter for less than 2.50 dollars for 2-3 hours of work.
Which brings me to the observation that such websites (in my opinion anyway) are a massive waste of time. Which is a mere opinion of course; I hope I'm allowed to write this here. Some of the people requesting articles actually demand excellence at that ridiculous rate. And the worst part is that they are free to reject an article without even giving you a reason. A normal collaboration entails some type of communication, and if anything needs to be modified it can easily be done, without rejecting the whole article. Not to mention that sometimes the indications given are not clear or complex enough to illustrate the customer's requirements, and of course, when the result doesn't meet their expectations, the article ends up being tossed aside.
These people simply take liberties with regards to the time and effort put in by other human beings and don't even bother to give them an explanation. It seems to me they are under the impression that these articles are similar to mass-produced items they can select from, and not bespoke ''products'' they have actually placed an order for. This is not equitable in the slightest.
Which brings me to my question (if you've been patient enough to read this, thank you) : what are the realistic expectations of someone like me earning a steady income out of this activity anytime soon, and where should I look for work?
Again, thank you for your patience
.
To summarise the situation, I have been working as a freelance writer for three years and have largely received positive feedback. Last year I started working exclusively for one customer; the only downside of this excellent work arrangement was that I lost contact with all previous customers. For some unknown reason I can't seem to get in contact with the person I've been working for (I hope he's alright!) and since my existence depends on this occupation, I now have to consider other options.
Unfortunately, I'm not up to date with the specifics of this activity anymore; form what I've been reading it has become a lot more competitive. I've always charged a 1 p per word ratio, which even three years ago was quite little for quality work.
Lately I've been compelled by my financial situation to accept offers of as little as 3 pounds for a minimum of 500 words, which surprisingly, the customer found to be a decent price. It's amazing really when you consider that a single article may require two or three hours of research, depending on its theme. It's quite difficult to start from scratch after having built up a good reputation and having failed to preserve it. However, I suppose I should have held on to the 3 pounds for 500 words deal before I ended up trying my luck on iWriter for less than 2.50 dollars for 2-3 hours of work.
Which brings me to the observation that such websites (in my opinion anyway) are a massive waste of time. Which is a mere opinion of course; I hope I'm allowed to write this here. Some of the people requesting articles actually demand excellence at that ridiculous rate. And the worst part is that they are free to reject an article without even giving you a reason. A normal collaboration entails some type of communication, and if anything needs to be modified it can easily be done, without rejecting the whole article. Not to mention that sometimes the indications given are not clear or complex enough to illustrate the customer's requirements, and of course, when the result doesn't meet their expectations, the article ends up being tossed aside.
These people simply take liberties with regards to the time and effort put in by other human beings and don't even bother to give them an explanation. It seems to me they are under the impression that these articles are similar to mass-produced items they can select from, and not bespoke ''products'' they have actually placed an order for. This is not equitable in the slightest.
Which brings me to my question (if you've been patient enough to read this, thank you) : what are the realistic expectations of someone like me earning a steady income out of this activity anytime soon, and where should I look for work?
Again, thank you for your patience
.
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