The biggest problem with freelance writers is that there is too many of them, some good while others are mediocre. This means that it will take you sometime to find a good one. But it’s not all bad, freelance writers can help you complete jobs that you don’t have time for such as creating public relations materials, technical documents, brochures, catalogs etc. At the Mandala Tea Room Business Social Club we take outsourcing seriously. Inside our Business Konnect Mastermind we've have many conversations on how to hire freelance writers.
To find the right freelancer, you first need to know where to find them.
Where to find freelance writers
The simplest way to find a writer is via the internet, but the problem with the internet is that it’s saturated with job seekers; this means that you will spend a lot of time narrowing down candidates. The most popular sites that you can use to find freelancers are:
Upwork is the result of a merger between two of the biggest freelancer websites in the world, Odesk and Elance. This makes it a great place to find and hire freelancers. Elance still exists but it’s expected to fully merge into upwork at some point.
There are many other freelance websites out there, but the above ones are the best and most reliable.
Agencies
Instead of going online you can find professional agencies, the problem with this option is that it’s not cheap, and you won’t have much options. But the good thing is that you are assured that the writer will deliver.
There are professionals that use a hybrid model that combines freelancing and agency, this model allows them to save overhead costs and makes them cheaper, you can find them on the listed sites above. If you go the agency way, ensure that you clearly spell out terms; this will help you avoid hidden costs.
Why hire a freelancer?
Most freelancers work from home, i.e. they don’t need to rent an office or anything. This means that they have lower overhead costs, making them cheaper than agencies.Hiring a freelancer will save you money but it can also cost you money.
If you hire a mediocre writer, you will get bad results that may not be to your liking. This makes it important to know how to spot the right writer.
Start with references
Is there anyone willing to stand up for the writer?A person who is good enough to get references is worth your attention, but don’t just hire someone because someone told you to, instead you should hire them based on experience, professionalism, fluency and cost.
Experience: a writer builds experience as he or she works on different jobs, but everyone starts out from somewhere, that’s why you will find a lot of freelancer with no experience. But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give them a try, if you find something on their resume that impresses you should try them.
Costs: before you hire someone, look at what he or she is charging, if the cost is too low then you may get poor quality work from the person, overpaying is also another issue; you should always ensure that you are within your means.
Fluency: when hiring a freelancer, ensure that he or she is fluent in what you want; this will save you a lot of problems.
Professionalism: don’t hire a lazy person, hire someone who maintains professional courtesy, this means that he or she should meet deadlines and respond to your requests.