Finding Your Next Writer on Writers Work

The help of a professional writer is something that many businesses find themselves needing. However, it is definitely not something that every business has. If you’ve ever come across a poorly written memo, typo-riddled ad copy, or a blog that’s so jammed with technical jargon it makes you want to fall asleep, this is probably the work of an underqualified writer attempting to fill a need that should have been outsourced to a professional. These types of mistakes are common, but that doesn’t mean you can get away with the bad impression they make. When you need professionally-written content—whether it’s for marketing, internal communications, or training purposes—you shouldn’t hesitate to hire a professional. Of course, keeping a full-time writer on staff is impractical for most businesses. This is why hiring freelance writers is a fitting choice for many SMBs. Here’s what you need to know.

Recognize the Value of Writers Work

There are many different places where you can post a job listing for freelance writers. However, they won’t all yield the same results. Placing your listing exclusively on Writers Work can make a difference. Writers Work is designed to attract a higher caliber of writer. In addition, we offer tools to help writers perfect their craft and create better portfolios. Why should you care about that? It’s simple. When you’re filtering through applications, you don’t want to spend most of your time putting unqualified applicants in the no pile. Posting your job to Writers Work means finding more writers who can deliver the higher quality content you need. Plus, your search will be aided by complete, beautifully designed portfolios that are easy to browse through. And, in case you need more convincing, posting a job on Writers Work is completely free.

Once you find your writer through us, you may continue to notice some distinctive benefits. We provide a document editor that performs grammar and readability checks and includes time-tracking and word-tracking tools. This translates to cleaner, more readable copy for your project, and it’s hard to argue with the value in that.

Create Your Job Listing

Creating a job listing is easy. You simply need to fill out a short form, and your post will be live in 12-24 hours. Of course, it’ll require a little more thought than that to create a posting that is going to attract the right writers and set realistic expectations about the work you’re putting out there. Freelance writers can vary in their scheduling preferences, writing styles, and payment needs. It’s important to be upfront with accurate details in your listing so that you and your new writer are happy with the terms of your job contract.

• Job Details – The more details you offer about what you need, the better chances you have of seeing a final product that aligns with your expectations—without needing to work in a series of rewrites and revisions. You don’t necessarily need to provide instructions for the job in the posting itself. However, you should have clear expectations for your content that you can boil down into a succinct description. Be sure to include keywords that will let writers know whether this job is appropriate for their skillset. This can be especially helpful if you are looking for something niche, such as a medical writer or law writer. You also should not shy away from mentioning any specific experience, certifications, or knowledge you wish to see in ideal applicants. Be sure to mention any exposure the job may offer for the writer.

• Pay Rate – Every project has a budget, and every freelance writer has his or her price. However, there doesn’t have to be a big dispute about pay rate when you set the price at the right point for your project from the get-go. First, consider how you want to pay for your content. Paying a per-word price is standard. In some cases, however, it can make sense to offer an hourly rate or charge by the project. When you look at various pricing structures, consider how many hours may be needed for the project. Be sure to factor in research time as well as writing time. If your project is likely to be front-ended with lots of research, it may be best to charge by the hour. You may also want to allot a maximum number of hours for the project. When you set your rates in any pricing structure, remember that aiming for the lowest end of the pricing scale may limit the number of writers who are willing to take on the project. More experienced freelance writers tend to know what they’re worth. Thus, they will quickly overlook a project if the price is not right. Keep in mind that with Writers Work, we don’t charge writers a commission off your rate (unlike other freelancing sites). This means your price point is not going to get undercut by a percentage that the writer knows he or she will never see.

• Job Duration – When you think of freelance writing, you might think of one-off projects rather than ongoing work. However, freelance writers take all kinds of gigs. That means your posting might offer temporary, part-time, or even full-time employment for a writer on a contract basis. Again, this is why it’s helpful to consider the whole scope of your project before creating your posting. If you have ongoing work, this type of posting can attract a different kind of writer than a single set of blog posts might.

• Application Process – Writers Work simply provides you with a platform to advertise your job posting. The application process is still completely up to you. Applicants might apply through email or with a website link—whatever works best for your company. However, it can be helpful to add some more specific direction in your application instructions to be sure that applicants are able to follow your guidelines. For example, you might ask for email attachments to be listed in a certain order or for an exact number of writing samples. This can be a good first step for ruling out applicants, which may be useful when you get a high volume of responses (something you can expect with Writers Work).

Begin Filtering Through Responses

From the moment your posting goes live, you might start receiving applications. Many freelance writers check for new jobs daily, so there are almost always people looking when a posting goes live. Once your inbox starts filling up, it’s time to choose the writer or writers that will be the best fit. Taking a glance at writer resumes can be helpful. However, the area you will want to focus on most is writing samples that applicants have submitted.

Don’t be afraid to require writing samples, since you cannot expect to hire a quality writer without knowing their voice, style, and grammatical expertise. As you read through sample content, don’t settle for good or okay writing. Select the samples that draw you in and capture your attention most. Then, use these as your pool of potential hires. If someone’s writing sample doesn’t wow you at least a little bit, you cannot expect that writer to produce the top-level, engaging content that you want for your project.

Consider Contacting Writers Directly

Let’s say you’re getting a lot of responses to your listing, but you aren’t necessarily finding any that stand out and say, “Hire me!” Unfortunately, this does happen from time to time, especially with more specialized job postings. If this is the case, you will be happy to have the Writers Marketplace on Writers Work. The Marketplace showcases user profiles—with portfolios included. You can look for the type of writer you need and reach out directly with a job offer, even if that person hasn’t put in an application for your job posting. This can also be a helpful tool if you are tight on time and need to find a writer fast. Don’t wait for them to come to you—find what you’re looking for in the Marketplace.

Create a Sponsored Listing for Increased Exposure

If you’re in a situation where you are willing to wait for the right freelancer to come along and find your job posting, it can be worth creating a sponsored listing for longevity. Most job listings stay live on Writers Work for about 30 days. However, with a sponsored listing, you can extend the life of the post longer.

Regardless of your timeline, your budget, or the scope of your project, Writers Work can be your ultimate tool for finding the right freelance writers to produce your copy. We’ve designed our site to make job hunting easier for writers and employers, so everybody wins without all the stress and searching. Use Writers Work to find your next writer, and see why we feel a little entitled to brag.