Closing the Price Gap...

I started on this subject yesterday and thought I would finish up today. If someone is bidding less than I am for a content job, I can either (a) drop my price to match or beat the competitor, (b) wave goodbye to the job, (c) justify the cost differential to the customer, (d) attempt (c) while also decreasing price somewhat as per (a).

I like option (c). It's my preferred technique.

But how in the hell is one supposed to convince someone to pay more? What possible benefit will overcome a price gap for a content job?

Yesterday, I challenged everyone to think of how they might answer that. Here's a few of the factors I will stand by as reasons to hire me even if I am off by a penny or so per word...

*I draw a distinction between myself and hobbyists/part-timers. There is nothing wrong about being a dabbler, and some are great writers. However, I do think there are advantages to working with someone whose livelihood depends on an ability to deliver.

*I discuss possible long-term arrangements or higher volume jobs at a lower rate. Let me tell you from experience that outsourcing large projects in small chunks to a number of writers can be challenging and frustrating. If I am able to handle the whole of a larger job, that idea of one-stop shopping can be compelling.

*I let the buyer know that I speak their language. I have a background as a webmaster as well as a writer. Also, I stay on top of the content industry. I read every day on a variety of subjects that are not always directly related to writing, but are critical to understanding what customers want and why. I have found that buyers enjoy working with someone who understands what they are trying to do. I generally require less instruction and never surprise clients with something that doesn't match their needs.

Of course, there are alot of other things one can do. We should all be tooting our quality horns, putting potential buyers in touch with respected clients who are prepared to say good things about us, providing more contact information than an email address, and explaining our commitment to customer service, etc. On those jobs where our special skills or backgrounds are of unique assistance, we need to make that clear.

I am still curious about others' perceptions of this... What does separate you as a writer enough that you are worth a little bit more? Buyers: What would a writer have to offer you to make up for a higher bid?

Why should they pay more? What do you do that is so special...

Quite often you'll hear that the content writing market is overstocked with hacks willing to churn out Adsense-friendly gibberish on the cheap. Some will claim that an army of deficient writers who are willing to work for next to nothing, make it impossible to land a content job at a decent rate.

I hear this gripe often. "I bid X for a job, but then some no-talent offered to do it for Y. That's right, for Y! Can you believe that? I lost the assignment as a result. It's just ridiculous."

Personally, I believe it is possible to explain to a client why the cost difference between X and Y is not something upon which to make a decision, so long as the differential between the two numbers doesn't amount to a fortune.

I look at it like this. If I am willing to work for X, but someone else is willing to work for Y, why should the customer hire me? What do I provide that makes up the difference? Is there something I offer at X that makes me a great value.

Usually, I can at least make an argument to that effect.

I think we often get wrapped up in price tags--both as buyers and as writers. Really, price is only one component of the whole.

This is my challenge to any writers who are reading this entry: Spend a few minutes thinking about why you are a better bargain than others, even if you are bidding X instead of Y. Come up with a few things that set you apart.

This is my challenge to buyers who are reading this entry: I recognize that writers' price tags are going to play a large role in your decisionmaking. With that out of the way, take a few minutes considering what writers could do for you to make it worth spending a little more.

Anyone who'd like to comment on their considerations is welcome to do so.

I will list a few of my reasons tomorrow.

Fishing and Adsense content...

I used to go on a regular early summer fishing expedition with friends. I can remember one cool morning when the three of us were out on the boat. Neil was using some sort of crazy oversized lure that reduced his efforts to little more than casting practice. Sam was relying on slugs, casting toward the open water and coming up empty. I used a small jig-head with a chunk of worm, dropped it off the edge of the boat and bounced it around the rocks. I caught a lot of very edible perch.

Let me note that both of those two guys were (and are, for that matter) better anglers than I am. My technique is not as refined and their knowledge of those Minnesota lakes far exceeds my own. They were good, but they weren't catching fish. I was using the right bait for the job and was landing enough to feed us all that night. True, I was catching perch instead of those much-coveted walleyes, but I was still bringing home the groceries.

I thought of that morning when I read a post to a Q&A forum operated by well-known internet marketer Willie Crawford that argued quality content kills Adsense earnings. The author, who was seeking Willie's guidance, noted that when he filled a site with original, high-quality content he saw his Adsense earnings decline. This led him to believe that good content was a real blow to those seeking to earn via Adsense.

It's an interesting theory and I believe it has some merit. People click on Adsense ads because they want to find more information or to check out products that may meet their needs. If on-page content fills their needs completely, they are probably less likely to click on the ads. Thus, if your widget site provides all of the answers and information anyone would ever want about widgets, you may not get the number of clicks or CTR you'd like with Adsense.

So, does this mean that you should immediately give up on using decent content on Adsense sites? I don't think so. If you are looking for real Adsense profits you can still benefit from good content. It just has to be the right kind of content.

Those who read accounts like the one I found might just say "to heck with it" and start filling their pages with keyword rich gibberish or may even turn to content scraping to trick out their Adsense pages. This is really not a good idea. First, it risks running afoul of the Adsense TOS. Second, it creates an unuseable and unattractive page that is more likely to produce a click on the back arrow than anywhere else. Yes, you will get some "escape clicks" as people flee the mess. However, you are also going to lose some potential clickers. Quite a few of them.

Rotten content is a bad idea. Comprehensive, information-rich content might decrease clicks. What's the alternative? Content produced with Adsense sites in mind.

This kind of content is sufficiently keyword rich to trigger the right ad units. It is also highly readable and provides some valuable information and insight. However, it is not designed to answer all of the world's widget questions. Instead, it is written to provide a degree of value while simultaneously spurring additional interest in the subject matter.

Writing content for Adsense can be a tricky proposition. It requires an understanding of SEO, Adsense and surfer behavior. It can be something of a hybrid writing form lingering somewhere between copywriting and straight exposition.

The kind of copy that really makes clicks happen is designed with Adsense in mind. It keeps people around long enough by being well-written and accessible. It provides enough real information to be perceived as a valuable resource. It also serves to increase interest in the subject matter, resulting in more clicks.

What did all of this have to do with fishing in Minnesota? You can catch dinner with the right bait. In this case, the base is Adsense-compatible content. That kind of content may not be what one wants on a sales page or their front page but it is the kind of worm that can get you a meal's worth of perch in a hurry. Use the top-drawer stuff to catch walleye. Toss the garbage overboard.

Toying with Associated Content...

Sometimes I will complete a job and find myself with a few extra articles on a topic. If there are enough of them to make it worthwhile, I might bundle them up and try to sell them either as unique content or with private label rights. Sometimes, though, there is only one little lingering piece.

I decided instead of just letting them gather that proverbial digital dust, I would consider using Associated Content as a means of selling my surplus. I have opened an account there and have tossed a few articles in their direction. It will be interesting to see what they fetch. It will also be fun for me to experiment with AC, as I have sort of resisted any involvement up to this point.

I will keep you posted on how it all works out.

Doing no evil, huh?

This isn't really about content writing, but I felt it was worth mentioning. Besides, anything Google-related is probably at least tangentially linked to what I do, right? Anyway...

This morning I heard that Google has agreed to play by the free speech strangling rules of the Chinese government in order to gain a foothold in that growing market. The Chinese version of Google will censor politically sensitive sites in accordance with the preferences of the Chinese government.

If you weren't yet sure Google had left its "do no evil" business plan behind, you are now.

I read an article in at Silicon.com ("Google Astride the Great Firewall of China") that argued you could look at the decision two different ways. Either it's just an economic reality for a growing company that must answer to its shareholders to make this kind of compromise or it's proof positive that Google has sold out. Personally, I think it's both.

So, if you are in China want to do some online reading about Taiwanese independence movements, Falun Gong or would like to see some information about Tianamen Square other than PRC-approved tourist guides, you won't be able to use Google to do it.

Even if content isn't king...

There are those out there who will argue against the old adage that "content is king" when it comes to successful websites. They maintain that their analysis demonstrates that the number and quality of backlinks to a site has far greater significance than the actual content there.

Obviously, as a writer it would seem I have a vested interest in maintaining good content is the most critical aspect of website success. Plus, I am biased. I also think the preponderance of evidence supports that conclusion. I cover some of it in this blog. I personally believe that content is still a governing factor when it comes to grabbing top spots at Google and other search engines. That being said, I do understand the critical role of link development to SEO and see it as a huge factor in a site's success.

However, there are some writers out there who are not interested in exploring the possibility that content might matter a little less to search engines than we would care to believe. There's something of a reactionary streak in us that refuses to hear contrary perspectives as we chant our "content is king" mantra. I think we tend to believe that every cut against content's status as the prime determinor of search engine results is a potential blow to our own pocketbooks.

I decided to think about what it would really mean to me if content was dethroned and links were installed as the new king. I decided it probably wouldn't make all that much difference to me or the online writing profession.

Even if links trump content, the text itself remains a critical end-state. No matter how many people an aggressive linking strategy can bring to a site (directly or through SERPs), one still must find something to do with the visitors once they get there. That reality insures that content will always have some very real value.

Additionally, content is probably the best possible way to generate the links in the first place. Yes, one can buy links. True, one can swap links. There are 2,000,000 different ways to generate links back to your site that don't have too much to do with quality content. However, the best techniques still rely on words.

Great content organically creates links as impressed and interested visitors share their discovery of a site with others. This is the very reason why search engines value links in the first place. Before SEO masters began to exploit the system by generating links through other means, search engines treated sites with a healthy cache of backlinks as important simply because it was an indicator that there was some probable value there. If you want links, give people something worth sharing.

Content in the form of freely distributed articles with resource boxes containing backlinks is a red hot link development strategy right now, too. One can use good articles as a means of spreading the word and growing links back to their site. In essence, the inarguable truth that content matters spurs others to use freely distributed articles on their sites. In exchange, they must provide that coveted backlink. Content can be used to create links because people need content. How is that for a circular situation?

So, from my perspective it really doesn't matter whether one accepts the long-held notion that content is king. If you want to tell me that links are what really matters, I will just help you find ways to use content to create those links.

But, if you want my opinion, content still rules.

Indian content writers revisited...

I know a few people were surprised by my defense of Indian content writers a few weeks ago. Most would assume that an American writer would have very little nice to say about those who tend to undercut the prices U.S. writers want.

After writing my post, I sent an email to Amrit Hallan. Amrit is a content writer, based in India. I wondered how an Indian writer would feel about the issue. I found his reply worth mentioning here.

He echoed my sentiments about global economic realities making the prices charged by Indian writers perfectly reasonable (and profitable).

Amrit also noted:

"I'm not saying everybody is fair here--there are always black sheep in the herd (black or white, by the way, I love sheep, in fact, all animals) -- but they shouldn't be disliked merely because they are Indian writers. Many Indian writers are Booker Prize contenders these days...

Technology has shrunk the world in such a manner that...while sitting in New Delhi I can work for someone in Los Angeles without much hassle. This is today's reality. Instead of hating, they should adapt. There is space for all sorts of talents. "

I agree, Amrit! Those who complain about "low-balling" Indian writers should instead find ways to adapt to become more competitive.

SEO and the destruction of writing?

I came across an interesting blog entry entitled "How SEO Will Swallow Creative Writing."

The author's argument is relatively compelling at face value: The search engines look for keywords and certain levels of keyword density and reward pages that meet their requirements. Thus, the quality of writing for the internet takes a backseat to the keyword levels. In search of better search engine results, webmasters are willing to utilize abominably written material if it is to the liking of the robots. The overall quality of writing suffers.

I personally agree with a great deal of the sentiment expressed. However, I don't believe the future is quite as bleak as the author would make it out to be.

Yes, search engines will respond favorably to complete junk when said junk is able to disguise itself as valuable text on a subject based on the use of keywords. In that respect, the argument is true.

However, there are a few caveats that must be mentioned in order to get a better look at the issue.

Search engine results are not completely driven by the site's writing. Although "content is king," links are also important. Backlink production is an integral component of any SEO campaign. There are, of course, many ways to generate links. However, the most powerful links seem to be those that develop "organically" from related sites. Sites filled with absolute garbage text will not produce those links. As such, those who are concerned with SEO (and most webmasters are) can realize a greater return on their content investment when they make a point to utilize readable material. Good content can produce quality backlinks at no cost.

Even those who would rely on purchasing/manufacturing keyword-rich gibberish and combine that approach with other methods of link generation can still find advantage in providing some true quality content as a result.

There is also some question as to whether or not the search engines really do give equal value to keyword-rich babble and better content. I mentioned an article arguing that quality content creates better results the other day. That author's analysis demonstrated that among the top sites on the hottest topics, high-quality content prevailed. Whether Google is playing literary critic or not, the results seem to indicate there is at least some sort of correlation between overall content quality and search engine results.

Better content also creates stickiness. When you see nothing but obvious crap, the first instinct is to back out of the site. No sensible person pores through pages of gibberish. So, one might be able to serve up the right Adsense ads and get some "escape clicks" with bad content, but the likelihood of having anyone visit again is next to nothing. Additionally, had good content been there instead, one would probably experience a higher CTR in addition to more return visitors. So, good content makes a degree of sense of Adsense entrepreneurs.

Those who are not merely concerned with collecting Adsense revenues generally have less interest in securing low-grade content. They recognize that the chance of converting any prospect into a buyer with a bunch of nonsense is minimal. Thus, they will continue to invest in higher quality writing.

Finally, keyword richness does not have to create an overwhelming quality reduction. Inevitably, forcing writers to use particular words and phrases at a predetermined percentage will decrease quality somewhat. However, it is possible to generate keyword rich writing that still reads well.

So, for the writers out there, I would advise a little less pessimism. I don't believe that the quest for search engine placement will swallow the rationale for quality writing. It certainly will adversely impact some writing for particular projects, but there is still plenty of room left for text that falls short of junk.

For those who are building sites with search engine traffic in mind, I would advise considering an investment in some level of higher-quality content. There are freelance writers out there who can produce high-quality and authoritative text at a price that makes it a truly spectacular investment, especially when one considers the inherent limitations of keyword-rich gibberish.

Whether you despise SEO content and what it is doing to the writing world or you consider it an acceptabel part of the overall content landscape, I recommend checking out "How SEO Will Swallow Creative Writing."

Thinking about blogs, Kundera, immortality and writing...

Today, while driving to an errand, I was thinking about Milan Kundera. That may seem somewhat odd, driving around Kansas and ruminating on an old Czech man, but that was what I was doing.

I had just finished writing a series of articles for a client that will soon be used in a blog. I was thinking about the sploggers who utilize blogs to sell us all Viagra. I then thought about my client, who certainly isn't the splogging type, but who sees blogging simply as a form of content distribution. I contrasted that perspective with how blogging is revered and embraced within a certain community as a means of personal expression toward others.

This led to Kundera. More specifically, it led my mind back to The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. Even more specifically, it led me to Kundera's discussion of what he terms graphomania.

It's the compulsion to write books. Kundera said books, specifically, but he was writing in the late 70s, so I think it is safe to extend his concept to other forms of publishing. That could include electronic publishing like this blog. In any case, I dug up this quotation from Kundera:

"Graphomania (an obsession with writing books) takes on the proportions of a mass epidemic whenever a society develops to the point where it can provide three basic conditions:

1) A high enough degree of general well-being to enable people to devote their energies to useless activities;

2) An advanced state of social atomization and the resultant general feeling of the isolation of the individual;

3) A radical absence of significant social change in the internal development of the nation (In this connection I find it symptomatic that in France, a country where nothing really happens, the percentage of writers is twenty-one times higher than in Israel.)...

"But the effect transmits a kind of flashback to the cause. If general isolation causes graphomania, mass graphomania itself reinforces and aggravates the feeling of general isolation.

The invention of printing originally promoted mutual understanding. In the era of graphomania the writing of books has the opposite effect: everyone surrounds himself with his own writings as with a wall of mirrors cutting off all voices from without."

So, is that what we are doing with blogs? I certainly believe all of Kundera's alleged causes of the practice are in place. I am not so sure his conclusions, however, hold entirely true. The interactive nature of blogging might be an escape from the wall of mirrors.

My favorite thing about Kundera, who is one of my favorite authors, is his willingness to play with paradox and contradiction. There's something fun about a fairly prodigious author lamenting increased publication. He's part of the problem he envisions.

Anyway, my thoughts on graphomania led to some thoughts about immortality. I was considering Kundera's observations in Immortality about the various levels of remembrance and immortality. I began to think about how graphomania probably fits into that desire to be immortal.

So, I started with blogging and ended with writing in general and am wondering how many of us who write can see those three conditions Kundera outlined as playing a role their impetus to either blog or write elsewhere. I am also wondering if those who write are, on some level, trying to feed their own desire to somehow be immortal.

I'd like to say, "I usually don't take a byline and I write to feed my family" and leave it at that. I don't know if that would really be intellectually honest, though. I might have a graphomaniacal streak in me and I probably do keep my subconscious' fingers crossed that all of these words will somehow add up to immortality.

Stand up and go for a walk...

The other day, I drove past a road construction crew. They were putting out traffic cones and getting the job done quickly. It occured to me just how different their work lives are from mine in terms of physical activity. The heaviest weight I lift while working is a 12 oz. Coke can. I definitely live a sedentary life!

It's my guess that most writers tend to spend too much time moving only their fingers while the rest of them rots in place. I think we all know how dangerous a sedentary lifestyle can be, but just to drive the point home, look at some of the results from a recent study from researchers at the University of Hong Kong:

"The results are fascinating: 20% of all deaths of people 35 and older were attributed to a lack of physical activity. That's more deaths than can be attributed to smoking. Looking at specific diseases, the risk of dying from cancer increased 45% for men and 28% for women due to lack of physical activity. The risk of dying from respiratory ailments was 92% higher for men and 75% higher for women. The risk of dying from heart disease was 52% higher for men and 28% higher for women, all due to a lack of physical activity. It turns out that being a couch potato can kill you, literally. "

Do you get up and about enough? I certainly do not. It's an occupational hazard. The physically active guys on the road crew have to dodge traffic. My risk comes from lack of movement, not careless drivers.

If you happen to be a writer who spends too much time in one place, take a second right now to stand up and move around. Go for a walk or something. Seriously.

Content quality and google rankings...

Months ago, I encountered an article by Joel Walsh entitled "Google's 'Good Writing' Content Filter." Walsh posited that Google's algorithm may very well be able to differentiate sites with good content from those offering lower-quality material.

Walsh studied "Google’s top five pages for the five most searched-on keywords" according to Wordtracker at the time of his research. His finding were pretty interesting.

The top pages featured grammatically sound content that was virtually free of spelling errors. Content was generally structured into relatively short paragraphs.

The research also showed frequently updated content and a high degree of contextual relevancy to keywords. This didn't mean keyword stuffing. Walsh explains that the top sites feature "numerous terms related to the keyword, as well as stem variations of the keyword. The page may contain the keyword itself few times or not at all."

This information led him to argue that Google had stumbled upon some methodology that helped the search engine distinguish between quality writing and junk.

I am sure that everyone can guess just how much I want that to be true! Personally, though, I have a hard time believing Google's spiders are good enough literary critics to pull it off. There may be some content assessment happening, but I don't think the spiders are toting red ink pens or handing out grades.

Instead, I tend to think that sites with good content rank highly because people like good content and will link to it. We all know that high numbers of backlinks, especially when they come from relevant sites, can really drive up rankings. I believe that good content attracts the kind of interest and appreciation that creates links of this sort.

Either way you look at it, there is good news for those of us who make a living by supplying quality content. Whether Google judges content or leaves that up to others, high rankings and good content appear to go hand in hand.

Joel's article is well-circulated. Here is one place to read it.

Freelance homework and other jobs on the "no" list...

Earlier today, I read about a comedian who was approached to write a paper for a college student on Hinduism. I have also noticed a few web sites that are willing to hire writers to write term papers. I have also seen requests for bids on homework projects at sites like Rent-a-Coder.

It appears as though students are outsourcing their homework! The late 80s and early 90s didn't provide that kind of opportunity, but I can imagine some of the people with whom I went to college doing something like that if they could have.

The whole thing got me thinking about what kinds of jobs I would simply refuse to take if they were offered to me. Doing someone else's schoolwork would definitely be on the "no" list. I value the idea of academic integrity too much to even think about writing someone's papers for them. I wouldn't have to wrestle with that one at all. I just wouldn't touch it under any circumstances.

Freelancing, however, does create some interesting ethical situations in terms of what you are willing to write. For instance, if one is asked to write ad copy for a product they feel is sub-par, should he or she take the job? What if the same client asked you to write a series of factual articles about the problem that product was intended to solve? The articles would be accurate and honest, but would you be willing to write them knowing they would be positioned as a means of selling a lousy product?

I might write erotica for someone (I have no idea why anyone would ask ME to do that, but we're dealing in hypotheticals here), but I wouldn't write blurbs for a hardore adult site. I would refuse jobs with a political slant I found distasteful or destructive, too. I wouldn't hype something I knew to be a complete and utter joke, either. I would also feel pretty uncomfortable writing factual pieces if I had advace knowledge that they would be used to move a rotten product.

I don't know if my position is common among most writers. I think it would be interesting to find out.

Oh, the story about the young woman who accidentally attempted to have a comedy writer author her schoolwork on the Hindu faith is an interesting read. You can check it out at A Week of Kindness.

Deadlines on my mind...

I have a lot of work coming due in a short period of time. Deadlines are approaching!

On top of that, I have a crew of writers working with me who also have deadlines around the corner.

Somehow, this weekend developed over time into "The Weekend Everything is Due."

I have made contact with most of the people with whom I am working and I think the bulk of them will hit their marks with time to spare. There are a few of the freelance writers, though, who have me a little worried. I have faith they will come through in the end, but there is a possibility for some shortfalls.

If there are failures, it will irritate the hell out of me, because I will be left to pick up all the slack on relatively short notice.

In any case, I have deadlines on my mind. I found an article offering some tips about meeting deadlines as I was looking for some future "hints and help" materials I could provide to some of the newer freelance writers with whom I have been working.

The first sentence, "Not meeting deadlines can spiral into project or career failure," really caught my attention!

The other thing that really resonated with me was this:

"People won't remember how good your excuse was, but they will remember you didn't do whatever you said you would do."

The article, courtesy of Monster, has some nice basic tips, but the thing that bothered me a bit is that it treated missing deadlines as almost an inevitability. It's almost as if missing your required turnaround time is no more than an inconvenience. I think I take the issue more seriously than most.

Five Deadline Busting Tips, from Margo Carmichael Lester

Now THAT'S what I call professionalism...

Not really. I thought I would share some more comments from the freelance science writers from the NASW mailing list.

"Plus this twit dissed me, the little rodent."

"One problem is that these bottom feeders are skewing the market..."

"Do any of you actually write for 40 hours a week?!?! I find that at about 20 hours (of real, intense, pay-attention type writing) my brain just shuts down."

"No, like you I can't handle 40 hours a week of hard-core writing.Especially if I want to have anything left for my personal writing,which I do for myself alone and does not pay the rent."

Although I could leave it at that, having painted an interesting portrait of professionalism and work ethic among that crowd, I do feel a desire to provide something resembling a balanced report.

There were voices of reason, too.

"It's not clear to me what the 'prob' is. I'd like to see it fleshed out with evidence or logical argument before getting bent out of shape."

and

"Not ravings, IMO; a different approach to a different market: synopsizing information published elsewhere in a quick, easy-to-read format. No interviews; virtually no interaction with the editor; just down-and-dirty excerpting and combining copy from one or more source and emailing it to the editor. The blogger, Carson, suggests someone who can type 100 words a minute can turn out several articles an hour and make a decent living at well under what we consider a professional rate for a medical or science writer. Not my bag, but I bet I could do it if I had to...Are we justifiably defensive or elitist?"

I will leave it to each individual to answer that question. I think you know my position.

Oh, and in case you are wondering about the excerpts I provided and would like to read more, you can start here. There is some subsequent chit-chat on later days, but the bulk of it was on the 10th.

I just have to add this...

I was checking the blog that originally featured the "cheeseball bottom feeder" story, which belongs to a fine writer named Star Lawrence. This whole controversy led me to look at a few of Ms. Lawrence's writings and I really think she's talented--even though I also think she is just about as wrong as wrong can be about this issue.

In any case, I found this comment provided in response to her article:

"mlivingston said...
I guess we're not writers anymore. We're "content providers," with all the skills and dignity of sweatshop workers. These publishers don't deserve your writing or your would-be readers' time."

Every time I think I see something that really encapsulates the holier-than-thou attitude of some in the writing community someone comes by and trumps it.

Sorry, folks. Being a writer is great. Being a great writer is even better. Writers can change the world, enlighten millions and add depth and dimension to our lives in ways that are almost impossible to really explain. Writing is a noble profession and an important one, too.

There's also nobility in the sweatshops. There's also dignity in feeding your family. There's pride in accomplishments of all sorts and there is not one damn thing wrong with being a "content provider."

On top of that, comparing the level of respect and payment I receive (attacks like some of those we have seen recently included) to the life of a sweatshop worker is beyond foolish.

A return to controversy...

Well, I tried to lay off the controversial stuff for a post, but then...

I noticed a visitor to this blog from a site I didn't recognize. Curious, I took a look and found that it originated from the NASW freelance mailing list.

A couple of highlights:

"The four-buck a story problem. These offers are all over. I wrote a piece against it (www.cheaprelief.blogspot.com) and one of the so-called writers attacked me. You can find his ravings and others' comments at http://content-writer.blogspot.com."

And, in response:

"But after reading all the commentary by others on the blog, I realize he's not. He's spewing out garbage aimed at bringing in hits by usingkeywords, and and thus generate ad revenue. Like finding 40 differentsentences to use the vocabulary word "irrelevant" in. String them alltogether and you've got a 400 word "article" to post on a website."

Wow! I am a "so-called" writer who engages in "ravings." I spew garbage, too.

Of course, those who bid less than some like for content are also "cheeseball bottom feeders" according to some.

If any of you reading this either happen to be webmasters with content needs or writers who don't mind making a living using (at least in part) the lower paying markets, I suggest you take a good look at what some more traditional freelance writers think about your industry.

Interestingly, I have found a way of having other writers do my advertising. I suppose that is one upside of this little fight.

By the way, I don't spew garbage. I don't think I really rave. I just write. Sometimes for more upscale markets sometimes for lower-paying markets. That's all. That makes me nothing more than a mere "so-called" writer in the eyes of some. I will leave it up to you to assess the validity of that perspective.

Something less controversial--writer ergonomics...

My last entry here, combined with some related observations on a message board frequented by many writers created a little bit of controversy. I always find legitimate differences of opinion interesting and don't mind defending my position in the face of argument. However, I am not so enamored by debate that I feel each every post I make here should lead to a fight!

So, I thought I would address an issue near and dear to my heart (as well as my lower back). I thought this might be a good way to take advantage of the traffic spike I am experiencing from those looking at the "cheeseball bottom feeder" debate, too, by trying to solicit some good recommendations in the area of ergonomics.

Not too long ago, I bought a new desk chair and it has really made my life more comfortable. I used to experience a lot of lower back discomfort and that has virtually disappeared. I have noticed, however, that I still have two problems to tackle: Eyes and wrists.

I spend a lot of time at the keyboard and find that after an extended period of typing my wrists tend to get a fairly sore. This seems to hold true regardless of whether or not I use a wrist pad, too. Usually, a brief break and a little hand-shaking relieves the pain almost instantly, but it can get sort of annoying.

I wonder if I would be better off using one of those allegedly ergonomic keyboards that angle the keys to match a more natural arm/wrist position. I have toyed with one before, but found it really slowed my typing. That problem would probably solve itself as I grew accustomed to the keyboard, I suppose. Has anyone ever tried one of those? If so, have you noticed any appreciable increase in comfort?

I also know that after extended periods of work my eyes ar e a bit strained. Sometimes it can even kill focus a bit. Often, when in the process of writing, I will actually close my eyes for a few minUtes just to give them a rest. That usually works okay, although I must sometimes go back to fix some of those "blind typos." I wear contacts and the problem does seem to be a little more pronounced when wearing them as opposed to my glasses. Has anyone found a good way to combat that problem? Larger fonts, different color schemes, anything?

Calling all cheeseball bottom feeders...

Just happened to find an essay from Writers Weekly entitled "Where Are These Cheeseball Bottom Feeders Coming From?"

In addition to ending the title sentence (though a question) with a preposition, the author found a few other ways to irritate me. Star Lawrence, a freelancer, had been checking out some SEO content gigs and discovered the buyer was only bidding $4 for 550 word articles on health topics. This led Lawrence to note:

"That would be one dollar to four dollars? American dollars? For finding this fresh idea, checking with you, presumably finding sources, using my time and theirs, using my equipment, my talent, you are offering four dollars?"

She then continues to lambast what he calls "these Four-buck Wonders." She claims to have sent the would-be buyers cute little emails.

"At first, I ignore these, then I start to send them little notes. How sad about your zero key. Are you new in the business? New to the planet? This is not market rate. Ten times this is not market rate. These fees are an insult. Shame! What is your problem?"

OK, let me start out by saying that I won't work for .73 cents per word. The offer is a little low. However, I wouldn't begrudge someone who took that rate for some straight SEO content writing. I certainly wouldn't feel that the offer was less than ten times the market rate.

Lawrence's problem is that she simply does not get it. No one wanted her to conduct extensive research, make a ton of phone calls to experts for exclusive interviews or to assemble a multi-part series of articles that will change the world's outlook on medical matters forever. They wanted readable, optimized text providing relevant accessible information.

Did they under-bid? Probably. But not by a huge margin.

Star says she "...will still be standing, when they go on to wearing the paper hat and discussing fries as a possible side dish."

Hey, Star, your bio says you write regularly for a medical site. That probably means you have the necessary background info in your noggin to generate what these "cheeseballs" want. You are a writer by trade, so I am willing to guess you can tap out text at 100 words per minute. Let's do some math.

That's about 5.5 minutes of work per article. Thus, you could produce nearly 11 such pieces in an hour. That comes to $44 per hour. Let's assume you spend half of your time deep in thought, in preparation or otherwise distracted. You would still be pulling down $22 per hour.

In the time it took you to type out those nasty little emails, you probably could have made yourself some extra cash.

I see and hear this kind of crap too often. Hey, writers, not everything that gets clickety-clacked out on your keyboard has the same value. A great sales letter from a good copywriter might bring a few grand. A well-researched long article for a print market might rake in a healthy sum. There are online markets that might be willing to pay a small fortune for the right front-page materials. SEO content is worth a bit less. Sometimes a lot less, depending on the buyer's needs.

I am beginning to believe that there are a lot of print writers who are watching the industry erode in the face of online competition who believe they can simply hop on over into the online universe and command the same rates to which they are accustomed. Those rates are there in the right markets. However, not every market is the right market.

If you feel insulted by an offer of under 50 cents per word, feel free to pass on the job. Leave it for some of us who are willing to work hard and efficiently within that genre. Don't resort to insulting those things you just don't understand.

Oh, and if you happen to be a "cheeseball bottom feeder" with a job that requires a good freelance content writer, just drop me a line. I am currently writing a series of articles on a particular health related topic for 2 cents per word. The content will meet the client's specs and it will be top-notch in terms of readability and accuracy.

Holiday traffic project...

Back before the holidays I mentioned a new project that was in the works. Since then, I began the initial test marketing and thought I would mention it here.

I am offering monthly content packages related to upcoming special events and holidays. The first release, which targeted Valentine's Day, included sixty articles on the theme and has been well-received. The articles are sold with private label rights and offer webmasters a great opportunity to take advantage of increased holiday and special event traffic.

These articles can be used to "dress up" an existing site for a holiday feel, to create special holiday-oriented sites sporting Adsense, or for a variety of other purposes. Holiday-related keywords produce a great deal of traffic on a seasonal basis, and these packages provide an awesome way for site operators to cash in on those traffic spikes.

Eventually, I plan on transitioning this product line into a private label rights subscription site. In the meantime, the packages are available for individual sale. Those who buy the first package (Valentine's Day) are also provided with a chance to buy the next package at half-price.

If you have an interest in these article packages, feel free to email me at cdbrack@gmail.com for more information.

Deadlines and outsourcing content jobs...

I think I have a unique perspective from which to address the issue of outsourcing content. Not only am I a freelance writer, I also occasionally outsource some content jobs to other writers. So, I have experience both as a provider and as a buyer.

One lesson I have learned that has been underlined for me today is the need to set appropriate deadlines for any outsourced content jobs.

I have a project underway that required the assembly of a small team of writers. I could have tried to find one or two reliable writers to tackle the whole job. Instead, though, I put together a crew for this job as a means of finding a few solid providers I might be able to use in the future. That being said, I broke the overall project into relatively small pieces and gave each writer more than ample time to get things done.

The deadline for their work was last night at 8:00 p.m. I made that entirely clear upon hiring each party and also reminded all writers of the deadline as the project progressed.

All but one writer had their work in on time. One content writer, however, has yet to provide me with a thing and has not yet contacted me despite communicative efforts on my end.

If this project absolutely had to be completed today, I would be in a load of trouble. I would either have to find another writer on very short notice or would have to write that provider's portion of the project myself. Luckily, I built in a little extra time when I hired the content writers. I left myself enough of a buffer to get it done without causing a disaster.

To be honest, I cut this one a little closer than I probably should have, but I did so knowing my current schedule and my personal willingness top pick up the slack if one or two content writers didn't get the job done. At this point, it looks as though I will have to work late one night or get up Sunday a.m. to do some writing in order for everything to work out. It will be a hassle, but won't be insurmountable.

Too often, people hire out content writing jobs and set a deadline for the last possible moment. This is just a recipe for ruin, as a small delay can really ruin a project. Even the world's most reliable writers may occasionally encounter unforeseen circumstances that result in a slight delay. Even the most savvy content buyer might end up with an unreliable writer. Anything can happen. A deadline that don't supply an adequate buffer leaves a buyer too vulnerable.

If you are outsourcing a writing job to a freelance content writer, you should never work without a net. Set your deadline under the assumption the writer will fail to meet it. That way if something unfortunate occurs you still have time to get things worked out. If everything works smoothly (which, if you have chosen your freelance content writer wisely, it should) you will actually be ahead of schedule.

Personally, I have learned that consistently meeting client deadlines has earned me a great deal of repeat business. I have also found that if you choose your freelance content writers carefully you can usually count on deadlines being met. However, you can never be too safe. Set your deadlines in a way that won't leave you in a difficult situation should something happen.

Fighting boredom...

One of the great things about being a freelance content writer is that you have an opportunity to research and write about a variety of topics. As someone who enjoys learning new things and adding to my knowledge base, content writing can be a great deal of fun--as well as an income source.

However, circumstances will occasionally conspire to make a writer feel like he or she is a test subject in some sort of horrible scientific experiment about the nature and impact of intense boredom. I was just looking at my calendar for this month and realized I will soon be entering a two-week phase when my primary efforts will center upon two topics that make me yawn just by looking at them.

So, I am trying to get my psyche prepared for this mind-numbing experience.

1. I plan on trying to approach the uninteresting subject matter from an interesting angle. Sometimes looking at a subject from a different perspective can really pump some life into an otherwise dull topic.

2. I have adjusted my scheduling so that I can tackle these less desirable topics alongside ones that seem more interesting. That way, I should not have to spend full days mired in the topics that don't interest me. The downside to that strategy is that the dull topics will linger longer, however.

3. I am going to do my damnedest to keep an open mind. I have, in the past, taken an assignment or two that I thought would be incredibly boring that turned out to be rather pleasant.

4. I will keep my fingers crossed that the days on which I plan to spend the most time with the dull topics will be ones where I really find that almost-mechanical writing "zone." Some of you undoubtedly know what I mean. There are times when it seems like your fingers go on auto-pilot and some deep recess in the subconscious of the mind just starts clicking. You sit down and emerge a few hours later with a ton of good text. You never know when it's going to hit, but when it does the results are great. Maybe I can get lucky this month.

5. If all else fails, I will simply have to toughen up a little bit. No one ever promised that every single day of work was going to filled with fun and excitement, right? Sometimes, writers get spoiled and forget that. Maybe a situation like this a valuable reminder that sometimes I just need to sit down and work for a living.