by JLGerardo
Ten days ago, a prospective lady website owner visited my blogsite and left me a message. She inquired about my fee for a 500-word article on love and romance. I promptly wrote her back that I charge $25 for it.
“That’s too high,” she emailed. “I can get the same job done at elance for $5”.
I thanked her for her interest in my writing services and encouraged her to try the elance bid.
Yesterday, I heard from her again. She said that she wanted me to write that 500-word article on love and romance.
“How about those freelance writers at elance who charge you $5?” I asked.
“Their finished articles were way below my quality expectations, “came the prompt reply.
You get what you pay for, I silently sighed under my breath.
Anyway, this particular client thought that we, freelance writers, are the same. She never knew that, in the writing industry, there exists professional writers and low-ballers. These low-ballers have a negative impact on you and in the writing profession as a whole.
You may ask, “What’s a low baller?” Good question. In my own opinion (and I always stand corrected on this!), a low baller is someone who purposely lowers down the market-driven writing fee just to earn that extra money.
Too often, he or she is not really a writer by profession but merely someone who occasionally dabbles at writing. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course, except that low ballers are not keen on quality.
Contrast that with a pro writer. A pro-writer writes for a living. He or she could be a professional and published book writer, a screenplay writer, essay writer, content writer, etc. He or she has a great talent for writing honed up in several years of hard work and experience. A pro writer ALWAYS ensures quality output and on schedule. And he or she can be depended upon, pays for electric bills, taxes, Internet connection, PC maintenance, and valuable time. Most of all, a pro writer has a good reputation to keep.
Should we, pro writers, lower our fee just to stay in the market? My opinion is, we should not. We will focus on quality and let quality writing dictate market price. Sooner or later, it will catch up with us.
What should we do with low ballers? Honestly, I don’t know. In my particular case, I just grin and bear it. If they accept below market price writing fee, let them be. As I’ve said a while ago, I will focus on giving quality service.
When clients need serious writing, they do not go to these low ballers. Instead, they go to us pro writers despite the marked difference between our fees. These quality-conscious clients are willing to pay for that extra money in return for well-written, engaging, informative, and plagiarism-free pieces of content.
And that, I believe, is the distinction that tips the balance in our favor.
I too am a Pro Writer – to the core!
Just like you, I don’t sell my ego (and the other nice things that I proudly possess) in a fake marketplace like the Low Ballers do.
Sam
Thanks for this brief but valuable post! I think many writers, including me, are not updated on current market rates for writers and so they tend to be low ballers without actually knowing it.
excellent post. The thing is, all this catches up with EVERYONE. $5 article writers will still be writing $5 articles a year from now, whereas you will have moved on to bigger clients with recognizable names.
Who are you to dictate $25 for a 500-word article? If that’s the current writers’ rate, then business websites can no longer afford writers’ services. Possibly $10 per 500-word, but $25? That’s too much!
$25 you say? Even at $25.00 per 600 words YOU are a low baller. You should have charged $35 for that article.
You must be out of your mind. I wouldn’t pay $25 for a 500-word article even if it is written well.
Thank you for writing this article. In this internet era, anyone and their dog can find a writing job. Professional writers need to ask for nothing less than what they’re worth not only because they are, well, professional but also they help to weed out the low-ballers
Yeah, lowballers are the ones complaining just how expensive $25 fee for a 500 word article. Thumbs and fingers could be, but brains are no cheap.
Low ballers coming from third world countries I can understand, I guess. $2 to them is a lot of money. What irks me the most are the people in North America that think they should get top quality written here for the same price.
I have written for $25/article, but my normal rate is double that. If you check with Writer’s Market, or the Canadian Writers Associations, the price should be much higher still.
The sad news is that as long as there is lowball market, there will be people to fill it. Sadder yet, is the fact some people who weren’t lowballers are turning to that just to get work.
Professional writers charge professional fees for professional work. Here are the standard rates in Canada.
http://www.writers.ca/whattopay.htm
Unfortunately, this reality is not going to change. I run my own copy and ghostwriting business, iraven written communications, and have encountered similar instances.
The only course of action to be taken is to reflect the quality and reliability of our work and trust that the market itself over time will flush out those producing inferior work at cut rates. With perseverance, most of us have established return clients and related networks of opportunities that provide us with a sufficient volume of work.
I am sympathetic to your disillusionment nonetheless.
I agree with TIm. It’s ironic you would write this since you are a lowballer as well. I would try to charge at least $50, unless it was something I could write off the top of my head.
And the people who think $25 is too much obviously just don’t have a clue. They’re the ones with websites full of barely understandable articles. Get a life!
Shirley, in Southeast Asia, $2 doesn’t get you squat.
Yolly, if $25 is too steep for you, then you better rethink your business model because there is no way in hell that you get SEO-quality articles with anything at $2.
It’s common nowadays. Some people from other countries have no idea how writing can be a tedious and laborious thing. Oftentimes, we are also undervalued, overlooked and pissed at.
http://www.bobbyrica.com
Shirley, $2 is too less even for a third world country. A cappucino in the airport beverage outlets will cost you more. I find it funny that at $2 one is expected to write ‘an original’ and ’strictly top quality’ article of 500-600 words!!
Even in Asia, $2-5./per article is low. It does not even pay enough for electricity!
Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of whether you are a professional writer with an M.A. or not. As long as you care about your writing and do the necessary research to make a relevant article, you should get paid with fair rates.
There are a lot of buyers who are scammers too. They ask writers from asia or other developing countries, unfamiliar with FTC and consumer laws to write articles for credit repair scams, weight loss products that are not FDA approved and etc.
Sorry ‘hr.’ I beg to differ. I really can’t imagine myself, slogging away on a 500 article and only reap $10 for it. Sheesh!
Congrats for starting the ball rolling! I think the best way to go forward is to form some sort of a writers’ union similar to that of the U.S. such as the Writers Guild of America. Even a loose union will accomplish much like enhancing mutual protection and enforcing concerted action against some scammers.
What do you think? The WGA accomplished much during their strike by paralyzing some hit TV shows and even some star-studded awards ceremonies were canceled last year due to their union action. They also won some hard-earned pay raises such as including in their compensation scheme incomes earned by show owners from non-traditional sources such as such new media industries and also from Internet downloads.
unrivalled,
You hit the nail right on the head!
I’m with you in forming a writer’s union. I’m giving you my all out support!
Since you are the one who suggested it, I think it is just fitting that you serve as a temporary Writer’s Union head while we are still on the initial stages of such a lofty goal.
Please advice us for further action.
Gerardo,
I was thinking of nominating you as the temporary head since I cannot attend to this matter myself. It would just be some loose organization where anybody who is interested can join.
No hard and fast rules here. These can be formulated as we go along thereby retaining flexibility and some degree of cohesion.
Those who post comments on this site can become the first batch of members. A guild even if just a loose organization can amount to something someday.
Hopefully.
Thank you, unrivaled.
I really insist you accept the honor of being the first temporary head of this freelance writers’ guild.
This is really a good idea, and from the tone of your writing, I could sense that you are a female. Women are always excellent leaders—Indira Gandhi, Goldie Meir, and our very own Cory Aquino, to name a few.
I also sense your unselfishness and unswerving devotion in this cause ( you suggested it, remember?)
So please, I beg of you to lead us.
I can not promise about the others but as for me, I will attend all meetings you will call despite whatever inconveniences it may cause me.
You will have my all-out support, not in empty words but in deed.
Like you, I firmly believe that we are into something in here and your being the first head is a step in the right direction.
Unrivalled, do us a favor.
Thank you very much!
Nice blog I really like your writing style,it is really interesting to read your articles.
I am thinking of pursing the writer career path, and all the blogs and comments are inspiring. I searched for “writer” on Salary List .com and found out some can earn over $200K, 30 out of 600, but average is about $45K, is that right? I know it is a past 4 years data, but sounds reasonable?
To answer Jent’s questions, writers I know make from $30K to $300k a year, and really depends on experience, location, content, etc. http://www.salarylist.com is really interesting site though to check salary information. Average salary ranking is even interesting. I didn’t know people make that much. Thanks for sharing.