As outsourcing sweeps through the world economy - freelance writers are gaining popularity in internet marketing as well as the generation of internet traffic.
Probably the most important thing to start out with is to be clear as to the nature of your project- and why you don't want t
do the project yourself or use someone in-house. The usual answer to that are either time or skills, sometimes both.
Many people who use freelance writers realize that the craft of writing requires a great deal of skill- the ability to communicate; the mastery of basic writing skills- ranging from grammar and spelling to sentence structure and style; the knowledge of how to write effectively for a specific media, whether it is web content or a novel and often some kind of knowledge of how to market or distribute the product. Nowadays, an important consideration is whether the freelance writer is absolutely fluent in the language he is writing in, although, surprisingly, this is not always a major consideration of buyers of those services.
If the project requires a certain skill set and you need someone else to do it, you can either network to find a writer, do an Internet search or go to any of a number of freelance sites where writers play their trade. Two of the most popular are Guru.com and Elance.com. In these sites, you can search by keywords for a writer of choice, examine their portfolios, look at their feedback and even communicate with them before you accept their bid. In looking at these things, it is necessary to absolutely look at the skill sets involves, particularly as demonstrated by their portfolio, which is often replete with examples of the type of project you are working with.
If available samples don't exactly fit, you can look carefully at the resume or background of the writer. Many times, freelance writers cannot offer samples of confidential work or do not carry samples of the odder type of projects. Still, by looking at samples and the writer's background, you can often evaluate his potential for a specific project. Further, you can actually make a proposal that includes some kind of test, a short sample for the bidders to try their hands in. Or, if necessary, you could request a customized sample of this type from one of your prospective writers. If you do not overload the writer with speculative work, he will often be willing to comply.
For more information on using a freelance writer, please call Johnny Blue Star 760-323-0193, contact him through Skype at johnny.blue.star or email him at cvnewz@aol.com. Visit his website at johnnybluestar.com.
About the Author I am a widely experienced freelance writer, journalist and screenwriter. My experience includes press releases, resumes and cover letters, advertising copy for radio and Internet, articles, television live-action animation pilots, web content and development, novels, poetry, plays, short stories, songwriting, full length commercial screenplays, front page reporting, writing for magazines and newspapers, editing magazines, newspapers and newsletters and non-fiction books.
