How to Hire a Writer

Whether you have a small personal project or are undertaking a large corporate endeavor, there are certain things you need to look for when hiring a writer. Unfortunately, hiring the wrong writer can turn into a nightmare, costing you time and money. If you want to make sure you get what you pay for (and know what you should pay) these tips will help.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. First you need to determine the scope of your project. A professional writer won't be able to help you unless you know exactly what it is you need. Clarify your project in writing before you begin looking for quotes. This will ensure that both you and any potential writers know exactly what it is you need.
2. Now that you know exactly what you want a writer to do, it's time to find some writers willing to do it. Websites like Elance.com and Guru.com will allow you to post your project for free and you can receive bids from many qualified writers.
3. Once you start receiving bids on your project, you'll need to begin filtering through the writers you are interested in working with. When doing this, please remember a few things.
   
   1. Price is not everything.
   
   Never select a writer based on price alone. I've seen "articles" that indicate you should be able to hire a writer for $5 to $10 a page. I am here to tell you that no professional writer in their right mind will work for that amount of money. Remember, you get what you pay for. If you want to pay $5 a page, you'd better be willing to sacrifice quality (or deal with plagiarized material). Four to five cents a word is the minimum most professional writers will accept, and that's if work is slow.
   
   2. Experience Matters
   
   If you don't want to hire a headache, make sure you hire a writer who is experienced and has at least one to two years of experience under their belt. Again, you can get novice writers for cheaper, but if you want quality work an experienced writer is the way to go.
   
   3. Respect is Warranted
   
   Too often people misunderstand the value of a good writer. If you want a good writer to work for you at a fair price, give them the respect they deserve. A professional writer deserves no less respect than a real estate professional, an attorney or any other professional in a service-related industry.
4. Once you know which writer you want to hire, put everything in writing before paying a deposit (and you WILL need to pay a deposit). Tell the writer that you will be working with that you want a signed Terms of Service agreement prior to submitting the deposit. All professional writers will agree to this clause.
5. Once you and your writer have agreed to and signed the terms of service, make sure you stay on top of the project. Give the writer whatever information they ask for in a timely manner and make sure all milestone invoices are promptly paid. This will ensure that your project goes well and is completed on time.

Tips & Warnings

• When working with a professional writer, expect to pay a deposit of 25 to 50 percent.
• If you're unsure of the originality of anything that has been written for you, check the work through Copyscape.com for free to check for plagiarism.
• Unless you're willing to sacrifice quality, don't try to cut costs by hiring a foreign writer. Oftentimes they may speak the language you need your material written in, but won't understand the slang and nuances of the English language.
• Watch out for plagiarism! Some people who are charging $5 a page are plagiarizing material, which can land you in a heap of legal trouble. Remember, you get what you pay for and if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.