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Hired writer, disappointed, expectations too high?
seeeker
Posts: 3
Joined: 24 Jan 11
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16 Nov 11 7:30 pm

Hired writer, disappointed, expectations too high?

Hi. I am in the middle of my very first experience hiring a writer for article content for my site. I have been learning about the whole article marketing thing, but still not sure what to expect, or if, for $15/article, my expectations have been too high.

I posted a job on Elance for ten original articles on a specific niche topic. I hired a candidate based on his excellent writing samples, his feedback scores, and his proposal. I felt in secure in this choice.

I made my expectations abundantly clear regarding originality and quality. While the articles are original, the quality is ridiculous. While reviewing them I felt like a teacher correcting a 5th grade book report.

There are *numerous* grammatical errors, and whole sections that make absolutely no sense. My first reaction was that he subcontracted them out to India. I cannot believe that this "professional writer" created these with any thought whatsoever.

And then I thought, how can anyone make a living off writing ten well thought-out articles for $150? Are my expectations too high for ten quality original articles? Am I missing something?

I am not sure what to do: a) Explain my disappointment and ask him to rewrite them. b) Accept them as is and edit them myself? c) Cancel the job and start over. I hired a writer so I would not have to rewrite them myself, like a 5th grade teacher correcting a book report. Based on his proposal, feedback and samples, I felt assured that the content would be useful.

Is there some kind of lower standard for cheap articles writing that I am not aware of? I don't want to be rude to him, but I'm a bit shocked, and the product is almost garbage. I don't really know how to handle this.

Any tips would be very helpful. Thank you.
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PremiumMember
jmpruitt
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17 Nov 11 12:58 am

 personally, I found elance writers to be a waste of time. most of them can't string two sentences together. Set your standards and don't accept anything that doesnt meet up to them. the higher your standards, the better off you will be. $10 articles won't be high works of art, or a masterpiece, however, they should be well written technically, and free of grammar and spelling errors. If not, I would refuse them. it is their job to do acceptable work before you pay for it. if they won't work with you, cancel the job and hire someone else. I personally go through Odesk to hire freelancers. there are also some really good article writing services offered through the Affilorama Special offers section...
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michellerana
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17 Nov 11 4:14 am

 I'd choose c) Cancel the job and start over

It would be good to hire writers that have been recommended by other Affilorama members. There are a lot of good authors who are offering article writing services in the Affilorama Services Forum.

All the best!
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Michelle
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taburki1s
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17 Nov 11 5:25 am

 I have been using tbvwriting.com for some time. This service is offered by a fellow affilorama member. I recommend this service only because I have been completely satisfied by their work.
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cecille.l
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17 Nov 11 11:43 am
I am not sure what to do: a) Explain my disappointment and ask him to rewrite them. b) Accept them as is and edit them myself? c) Cancel the job and start over. I hired a writer so I would not have to rewrite them myself, like a 5th grade teacher correcting a book report. Based on his proposal, feedback and samples, I felt assured that the content would be useful.

Is there some kind of lower standard for cheap articles writing that I am not aware of? I don't want to be rude to him, but I'm a bit shocked, and the product is almost garbage. I don't really know how to handle this.


I'm sorry but I think it's best for you to cancel the job and start over. You have the option of returning the articles to the writer and inform him of what you expect and require. Brace yourself though as taking option A can get ugly. So if you don't have the heart for that or the time to explain things, then take option C and start over. Still, before you cancel the job, make sure you explain to the writer why you are canceling. I am not sure how eLance works exactly but in oDesk you are required to leave a feedback and grade the contractor/writer. If eLance has something like that, then take advantage of it.

It's difficult to find a good writer. Mark suggests iWriter while I personally prefer oDesk (they have a great feedback system). You can also head on to Affilorama Services as Michelle suggests. We have members who offer writing services.

Hope that helps. Have a good day!
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Cecille

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seeeker
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17 Nov 11 7:12 pm

 Thank you very much for this feedback. I can understand how being too critical might get ugly, especially with a going rate of $15/ article, how much quality can you really expect? Based on guidance from Elance, I have give the writer the option to continue as is with a reduce fee agreement, or cancel the job. Canceling would require his approval. Either way we're in the same place. I'll have to spend time editing them myself, or spend time starting all over.

Thank you for the other recommendations too, I will try those other sites in the future.
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1netpreneur
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17 Nov 11 7:48 pm

 shoot me a pm mate... i have my own writer and she is majoring in journalism... she writes high quality... and pretty cheap too...
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cecille.l
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18 Nov 11 8:40 am

 @Seeeker - Being too critical can cause a rift between you and the writer, thus damaging the relationship you have with someone helping you with your business. However, you need to be straightforward with what you require. As far as fees go, you have to keep in mind that you get as much as you pay for. You might want to check out other writers and get the average of their fees. This will give you a ballpark of how much a good article will cost.

Hope that helps. Have a good day!
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Cecille

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seeeker
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18 Nov 11 7:44 pm

 Thanks for all the input.

I basically just told him that I am not satisfied with the work. And politely, given his samples, my surprise at this. He also takes forever to respond to messages, and I think he just doesn't give a toss about any of it. It's already taken two weeks longer than originally scheduled.

As of today he has offered to cancel the job for a lower fee for the articles he has already written (he's submitted 5, originally at $15 each, down to $5 each, so a total payment of $25).

And on the condition that I not leave any feedback.

This seems very unfair, given the vast gap between the original clarity and goodwill, and his total breakdown in work quality and communication.

I feel it would be a disservice not to leave (polite yet honest) feedback, but I would also like to just cancel and move on. That certainly would be easier.

Any thoughts? Thanks.
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PremiumMember
jmpruitt
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19 Nov 11 3:19 am

 um that isn't how it works. I would say I am not paying for ANYTHING not up to par, and he doesn't have a leg to stand on, since he didn't deliver the job at a quality that was promised. he can't demand that you not leave feedback because he didnt do what he was being paid for.
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michellerana
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20 Nov 11 7:38 pm

 I agree with James. You should ask for a refund and you could leave an appropriate feedback to warn others if you want to. Feedback is optional, one should never pressure others not to post / post it.
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Michelle
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chris72
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20 Nov 11 8:32 pm

 Yes I also agree with James and Michelle on this one.

YOU are the customer and YOU are the one being expected to pay for work that does not meet the standard shown in the samples.His attitude since you have explained your disappointment to him is also inexcusable.

Cancel the job, leave feedback so that others do not get caught out and move on.

What you should expect from $10-15 articles? Grammatically correct, spelling error free well written information. If you want all of the above plus fresh information, personality and the reader to be engaged then you should be looking at doubling your outsourcing budget.

Chris
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cecille.l
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21 Nov 11 10:51 am

 @Seeeker - I agree with the people above. Ask for a refund because he was not able to deliver what was agreed on. Second, leave a fair feedback. That is your option (In oDesk it is required from both employers and contractors).
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Cecille

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tina.melendres
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Joined: 22 Nov 11
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22 Nov 11 8:26 am

 hi. i really can relate to how your writer will feel being a freelance writer myself. but i also understand that its also hard on your part ( having the desire to provide quality and excellence to those who hire me made me think how they would think )but i guess that's how people learn sometimes.may i suggest that you take in a few and see how their work balances out with your expectations. maybe you can look for those who will agree to get paid lower than 15 usd with the agreement that if the samples do well then the pay will increase?that way you can keep the better ones, the not so "good " can get paid for the services they render but of course,that will be their last too. love to help.

p.s. please contact me if you are still looking for writers. ( [email protected] )
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newstart
Posts: 194
Joined: 01 Jan 10
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22 Nov 11 9:53 pm

 Finding good help is always a problem. When you find someone who produces the quality you require stick with that individual. I believe my average outsourced VA has taken about three attempts before I located a good worker. Once you find a good worker stick with them even if they are a few dollars more than others.

Never pay for bad quality. Bad quality paid for only perpetuates bad quality in the future.

Margene
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mhtconsultancy
Posts: 38
Joined: 23 Dec 11
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24 Dec 11 9:56 am

 I'd rather seek quality than to accede to his requests & lower costs.

I'd ask him to re-edit the articles himself according to your expectations, and keep to the original price and leave feedback, which I think is acceptable given the fact that he can still earn the same amount as before.

If he himself does not want to re-edit the articles, cancel the job and seek refund, and leave a feedback that is at best neutral, describing your experience...

If he re-edits and produces junk again, I believe he just can't be bothered or that is his genuine level of skills; just cancel, seek a refund and leave a negative feedback.
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