You want a professional writer, but you need the fees to be reasonable. So, you go to somewhere like Elance – an online work auction of sorts, where you can list your job and let freelance writers bid on it. Then you pick the lowest bid, right?

Some time later, you’re either chasing that article on a daily basis, with a harrassed expression on your face, or you’re paying someone else to rewrite it for you.

How do I know? I’ve been called in to do that rewriting work too many times not to! Trust me when I say that I know what the standards are like out there.

However, there are some ways to protect yourself from disaster when using a freelance writer.

1. If using a site like Elance, look for feedback/references. If you see words like “efficient”, high quality”, and “satisfied” in said references, you can take at least some reassurance from those.

2. Use Escrow-style payments if you’re not sure about a particular writer.

3. Provide very specific instructions in your brief to the writer. Make sure they have all the information they’ll need to write the sort of article you have in mind.

4. Don’t be afraid to demand changes to a submitted article. Constructive criticism is all part of the process, and is particularly important if you’re hoping to develop a long term relationship with a writer. The sooner they know exactly what it is that you want from them, the better for both of you.

5. Do not, under any circumstances, pick a writer purely because their quoted price is the lowest that you can find. This will almost certainly end up costing you much, much more in the long run.

Of course, the ideal situation is one where you know a writer, you’re familiar with their work, and you can call upon their services on very short notice and trust them to deliver exactly what you want, exactly when you want it.

Now, if you’re in this position, it can mean one of two things. Either you’ve been working with someone for a long time, and have developed a trusting, friendly, yet professional working relationship, or you’ve seen enough of someone’s work to be confident that they will not let you down.

From my point of view, as a freelance writer, it makes sense to offer the latter in order to ensure the development of those mutually beneficial working relationships. That’s why I will never expect a client to hire me without first reading a proposal from me along with answers to any questions they might have, and, of course, relevant sample articles. If it puts your mind at ease, I’ll even write a sample that is specific to your requirements.

So, if you need the services of a freelance writer, feel free to contact me with your requirements and any questions that you might have. I’ll be happy to assist you – and I look forward to working with you in the future.