Another tip I learned from a friend is to engage writers for a “trial period” of 1-2 articles, but don’t let the writers know they are on trial, so their natural writing style will surface.

On a somewhat related note, if anyone is interested in Singapore accounting or bookkeeping services for your Singapore business or web startup, do feel free to visit or contact us. J

But, it’a a good idea to use freelancer to do your work. Choose the cheapest and the best.

You are absolutely right about the $2 and $10 difference. Even I continuously get approached by writers offering $2 to $5 articles or blog posts and whenever I have tried them I have been disappointed not only by the quality but also by the attitude. I think the best way to hire a writer for your blog is to see how that writer writes for his or her own blog or on other blogs and websites. Good and experienced writers are slightly expensive but I think they are worth the investment if your blog matters to your scheme of things. Having said that, if you can manage it somehow, there is no substitute for writing your own blog posts because it renders them your unique voice.

James Brausch does this well- he has an intern program, where people write articles, blog posts, etc for him.

The key to making this work is reviewing what people write. I’m sure 90% of the people in his intern program write rubbish, and he just doesn’t use their stuff. But the 10% that write good content more than make up for that.

It sounds like it wouldn’t work well, but he seems to pull it off. At least I can’t tell when it’s him posting or someone else!

Duncan

NS @ http://www.engineeringservicesoutsourcing.com

You’re absolutely right - never shop by price. Writers.ca gives an example of suggested writing industry rates (and that $10 market price you suggested isn’t really accurate… where’d you get it?) and those rates are similar for writers in the U.S. People with pens need to earn a living and pay bills, too.

The perception is that since writing is so common, anyone can do it. Alright. Anyone can run. Are we all going to the Olympics? Of course not. Olympic runners have years of training, coaching, practice, and they hone their techniques every time they run to be better. The same goes for writers.

Also, do you really want someone from another culture and country writing on a U.S. subject matter? Think of raising kids - would someone who has never lived in the United States know how children there are raised?

And don’t skimp on price - one well-written article that may cost more achieves far better results than 20 poor articles smeared all over the Internet. Quality counts, far more than people realize.

Think about what you would want to read - and then go out and find the person that offers that quality (Selfless promotion: Hire us and we’ll do the job right - the first time.

Read writer reviews. Be skeptical. Examine portfolios. Talk to the writer - does he sound helpful and knowledgeable? Or are you holding his hand and babysitting? Ask about revision policies. Ask for referrals and contacts you can email. Ask about payment policies and business terms. Ask friends if they know anyone good.

… okay, that’s enough for now, eh?