How to look for freelance writers?

[irock]

Hi, I run a computer hardware site that primarily focuses on reviewing products. I was always wondering where to hire freelance writers. Is there a website where I can post my requirement and so forth?

Also, do you know the different kinds of way of paying for articles? Some use revenue sharing, some pay by word count...

Anyone here have any suggestions?

Any help would be much appreciated...

[Jenstar]

For writing online content, I mostly see it on a per piece basis, although some per word.

Renenue share is tricky. If you are hiring someone you don't know, you would likely find resistance just because the author would be unsure if he or she would really receive any of that shared revenue.

As for where to find writers, many find online writing work through word of mouth. You might also try elance. I know I have seen lots of postings there where sites are looking for authors to write web content.

[Ivana]

Regarding where to hire freelance writers, you could also try here:

[webmasterworld.com...]

Ivana

[2_much]

I'm not sure if this would help you, but something that impacted me not long ago is how many people responded to an ad I placed on monster.com for a writer. Many of them wanted it to be on a freelance basis. We targeted colleges, so you can have a few students writing for you, and pay them by word, or article. There are loads and loads of wanna be writers out there, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find people.

[irock]

2_much,

Just wondering if I want to search some resumes...

Should I look for 'freelace writers' in Computer hardware section? But this only returns 3 jobs...

[2_much]

We actually placed and Ad and had people email us their resumes, we got hundreds. We've used them for a ton of other ads, but the writer one was by far the one that got the best response.

[irock]

One thing that has really frustrated me is how much to pay for the content. Some say 30 cents per word... some just pay $90 USD per review. I don't really know where to start on this...

[georgeek]

I have used Elance sometimes to find a good freelance writer with a particular knowledge and style. You can review their feedback and portfolio online so you don't have to spend a lot of time wondering what you are going to get.

[Hawkgirl]

If your specs are clear, it's easiest to pay by review than by the word (IMO).

When I did a lot of freelancing and did some product reviews, this was the easiest route for me as a writer. I think pay per-article is a bit more fair all around than pay per-word ... and I've been on both sides of the fence. I always seemed to get (and produce) better quality work that way.

Just be sure to make your specs clear: "350-500 words, similar to example provided, $100USD." Once you have a review you really like, use that as the example. :)

[irock]

Hawkgirl,

R u in the computer hardware field?

Also, from your experience, is $100 USD adequate for paying a hardware review?

[Hawkgirl]

Not in computer hardware field.

Right now I'd say freelancers are a pretty hungry bunch. I don't want to sell my peers down the river, but depending on the length of your reviews needed, that is a pretty good rate.

Also good for getting freelancers to write on the cheap: if they review a product, let them keep that product. Not always possible, I know, but I've written on the cheap in order to get my hands on particular goods. :)

[irock]

Hawkgirl,

I'm very skeptical about this.. Giving away products simply means freelancers can run away with those products and not review them. What do you think?

[Hawkgirl]

Well you've got to trust the people who are writing for you. Once you establish a relationship with someone who is reliable AND writes good copy, you want to reward them any way you can to hang onto them.