Freelance Writer for Hire - Dirt Cheap!

You see the ads in every webmaster forum, classified ads website and online advertising venue on the planet; freelance writers from industrialized countries, such as the USA, UK and Canada charging next to nothing for freelance writing work.

It's common to see a freelance writer offer to create written content for rates that are comparable to writing fees charged by individuals from countries with a significantly lower standard of living. While in the USA an acceptable weekly pay rate might be $500 - $800; in these unindustrialized societies $30 per week will have some of the inhabitants living like kings and queens.

Why is it that a freelance writer will lower themselves to create content at a rate that they cannot even afford to live on?

Maybe the freelance writer is working to get established, and that's why they charge $7 or even $5 for a 500 word article; maybe the freelance writer is only a "hobbyist" and really doesn't need the extra money, it's more of a fun pastime with a cash benefit thrown in.

However, I suspect that freelance writers from these countries with a higher standard of living regularly offer freelance writing services at these most unacceptable rates because of one thing: they don't believe in their ability as a freelance writer.

The need to get "established" as a freelance writer is completely understandable. Charging less money than you can live off from, or comfortably live off from, is almost a necessity for new writers or freelance writers who haven't built up a reputation for punctual delivery of well composed content.

Freelance writers that write as a hobby likely won't care about getting top dollar for their works; after all, it's only a hobby.

However, if a freelance writer aims to make a living from the writing services that they perform; they full well ought to get paid for what the services are worth. Though it's unfortunate, often times these writers will settle for working for a low rate so that they can compete with freelance writers who only need to make $5 per day to eat and live rather comfortably.

Maintaining the mentality that a freelance writer must compete with individuals who can live on for a day what a US citizen would get paid for an hour at a minimum wage job is ridiculous; any freelance writer who thinks that they need to lower their wages to maintain gainful freelance writing employment will inevitably never obtain the position of being able to pay the bills with their vocation of choice.

It doesn't matter how well a freelance writer can write; if they don't believe that their writing services are worth more than $5 an article or that they will be able to maintain clients when charging a fair rate, then these freelance writers will always be lowering their prices and never end up being successful.

If you happen to be one of these freelance writers; here are some tips for you:

1) Get established. Create well written content and deliver it within an acceptable time frame. Shoddy workmanship and delayed delivery times will keep your freelance writing rates at a minimum indefinitely.

2) Don't be afraid to work, and work hard. Starting out as a freelance writer, you'll often have to put in long hours for little pay initially. However, if you keep plugging away, you'll be on your way to receiving more money tomorrow for the same writing services that you're performing today.

3) Get referrals. Once you start producing content regularly and build up a satisfied client list, ask them for a short testimonial and ask them if it's ok that future clients contact them about your freelance writing services.

4) Get a website. Have a fixed location that is available 24x7 where potential clients can not only see what type of freelance writing services you offer, but samples of your freelance writing work.

5) Start charging rates that you can live off from. Once you've become an established freelance writer with testimonials of a few satisfied clients, you can move forward and start charging more for your freelance writing services.

6) Don't worry about competing with people who can afford to live on much less than you can. If you've established yourself as a freelance writer, you do not need to worry about competing with writers who offer written content for pennies on the wholesale writing dollar. If you can produce content that is effective for people and you're dependable, there is a market for your freelance writing services.

You don't have to be a freelance writer struggling to get by forever. If you establish yourself as a dependable freelance writer who creates quality content, it won't be long before you can start charging fees that will allow you to make a living, and you'll never have to run a discount writing ad again.