How to locate, hire and work with an article writer

If you don’t have time to write web content, it’s essential that you find someone you trust who can do the work for you. However, not all who call themselves “article writers” are or, if they do write articles, they may not be familiar with the special techniques needed to make an article “sing” online. As a professional who writes a lot for the web, I’m about to share with you some tips to help you find and have a good relationship with a web content writer. You may not choose to use my services, but your professional should be someone you can work with.

Do some research. Getting the best professional for your job will involve a bit of research on your part. If you find a particular writer, contact him or her and ask for samples of his or her writing. Article directories feature the works of many writers who are eager to share their skills with you.

Get references, check sources. Ask your writing candidates for references and check links online. By entering a person’s name in parentheses into the Google search bar, you can discover a wealth of information about that person. If this person has been writing a lot of web content, the search results should be plentiful. Also, your writer should have a website and your site should feature samples of some of their best writing. Read their writing blog too, if they have one.

Check the Professional Sites. Elance, Guru, and Writer’s Write are several sites that are popular with freelancers. Your writer paid for access to that site, so he knows he’s probably only dealing with serious writers. For your part, you can list your project, accept offers and choose the writer that best suits your project. You generally do not have to pay to belong to one of these sites.

When you find a professional writer, you need to come to some sort of agreement on the work to be done. For example, you should ask yourself the following questions when writing a proposal:

Once you’ve come to an agreement, ask your writer to send you an article or two. Use these first articles to assess their work and help guide them to write in the style you want. Communication is very important, so make sure everyone understands what is expected.

It may take some time before you reach a comfort level with your new writer. You have every right to demand that the terms you have agreed to are properly followed, however, showing some give and take with personal styles. [and perhaps, deadlines] It will go a long way in keeping an excellent writer by your side. Instead, pay your writer on time and make sure you keep your end of the deal too.

Finally, as much as possible, limit your communication to emails. [with only an occasional phone call] since we writers are often so immersed in our work that a phone call ends up being an intrusion, honest! At a minimum, your writer may call you back a day or two later. Enough talk!