I just had a somewhat surreal, shocking experience while trying to outsource some articles from Word Agents. The story and details are contained within this review. It’s a little long, so that I could give you a full picture of what I experienced. ==> Skip To The Reason
To start, the reason I wanted to get some articles from them is two-fold. One, I wanted to see how the article writing services varied so I could do some reviews and help you guys out with finding the best ways to outsource articles to your blog. Two, I actually needed the content and all my writers were busy.
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Word Agents came heavily recommended from Authority Hacker, so there were first on my list to try.
Though I had high hopes for this service, it’s clear that I will never use Word agents for my content needs. In my opinion, and based on my experience, Word Agents is not interested in being a professional content writing service. If you request that they write articles for you, they are doing you a favor. Be prepared to be treated with disrespect, and leave with mediocre content for a high price.
I honestly have never dealt with a business like this, so I had to share my story to help you avoid the waste of time. Email proof shown below.
First Interactions With Word Agents
It was clear from the beginning that Word Agents was a no-nonsense service, so I’ll give them that. Vincent (who I assume is the owner) answered emails quickly, and was very clear about what type of content they offer, how much it was going to cost, how long it would take to delivery, and what was required of me as client. Great!
I was a bit unhappy to pay $0.08 per word for farmed content, but this was just a testing phase, so I would at least check out what they offered. I’m used to paying $0.02 to $0.10 for personalized content written by native English speakers through UpWork.com. Eight cents a word, plus $10 to format in WordPress was at the higher end of the scale, but if it was good enough, it would be worth it. In total, I would pay $520 for four articles, 1500 words each.
After reading Authority Hacker and talking with Vincent via email, it was very clear to me that I was responsible for making my instructions clear enough to allow them to make a good article.
That does not mean you don’t have to do anything. You still have to submit a good brief and communicate with your project manager – Authority Hacker
OK, that’s fine. I’ll do my keyword research, write out a template, and even give them some suggestions as to what possible content could be included under each heading. I spent several days finding 4 keywords I wanted to target, and that I thought would be a good fit for this type of service.
The Trouble With Content Farms
I spent a couple days picking out the perfect set of keywords for Word Agents. Yes – days. Part of the reason I was so hesitant to just throw any set of keywords at them is because I have used these types of writers before, and the results are usually poor quality. It’s not the fault of the service – that’s the nature of the business.
Essentially what you have is a group of people that write about whatever comes across their table. They are not experts in anything, but have the ability to do quick research and formulate a comprehensive article in a short amount of time.
Most of the time, you get boring, generalized content that doesn’t convert. It may rank for some very specific keywords, but to a knowledgeable reader, it’s clear that the article wasn’t written by an expert in the field. In fact, it’s usually pretty obvious that it was outsourced.
After reading some example articles that Vincent sent me, I pretty much knew what to expect from Word Agents. I wanted to set them up for a home run, so I picked a specific set of keywords I thought they would do well with.
Here were the keywords:
- Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker Review
- Zojirushi Micom Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker Review
- Zojirushi Induction Heating Rice Cooker Review
- Zojirushi Induction Pressure Rice Cooker Review
I thought these would be great. It would be a pretty standard product review, on a very specific type of rice cooker, and each rice cooker was unique enough that there would be something interesting to say about each one.
Many times when you review stuff like rice cookers, they are way too similar to say anything substantive about them. What’s the difference between a Black and Decker Rice 5-Cup Rice Cooker and a Hamilton Beach 5-Cup Rice Cooker? Not a whole lot. Size, shape, color…these are all things that make for boring reading. But these Zojirushi rice cookers actually had unique cooking systems that would be interesting to talk about an compare/contrast.
I had numerous other reasons I thought these phrases would be great, but I guess that’s not important. The point is that I spent a lot of my own time to research and prepare to use Word Agents. I was afraid that I would get a bad article and then I wouldn’t have any type of recourse for corrections! Here are two lines from my notes I was keeping so I could write a full, honest review at the end of the experience:
- feel lots of pressure to have an exact formula or they will fuck it up
- spending weeks researching keywords and creating template for fear of wasting money
- submission form is long but will create better content in the end
- feel like they are doing me a favor instead of providing a service
Is that the mindset you want want to have when hiring someone to do a job for you? Do you want to be afraid that if you aren’t perfect the first time that you still get charged even though you are unhappy? I know it was an uncomfortable feeling for me!
However, I persisted in preparing to use Word Agents because I really believed that they would come through in the end and deliver some good articles. If they were really good, I could even start using them on a regular basis!
The Article Delivered
I worked out with Vincent that I wanted one article delivered first, so I could catch any issues before proceeding with the full pack. Though I tried pretty hard to make the template perfect, I know that mistakes are made sometimes, and wanted to give myself one extra step to catch anything. He agreed to it, so that was OK too. So far so good!
The article was delivered in an acceptable amount of time (6 days), and the overall result wasn’t too bad. The quality was pretty much what I expected. Here’s an excerpt:
Tech Specs
You might think that a rice cooker is simply a rice cooker. Why does it matter which one you purchase? In truth, each one differs, which is why you must pay close attention. For instance, the technical specification of your rice cooker matter. Do you plan on making a lot of rice or just a little? Are you looking for smaller servings or would you like to serve up large batches?
There were a couple grammar errors, but not many. Mostly, it was just a bland article that was filled with fluff normal people wouldn’t say when speaking. It’s clearly outsourced and written to fill a specific word count. However, I think it could rank for this keyword, and with a bit of editing could be a really good article.
Total cost for ONE article was $120. I wasn’t thrilled to pay that price, but if it ranks and converts, it might be worth it. That’s why we’re testing!
All things considered, I was happy to continue with the project and see where things went. But that’s not where the story ends!
The Shocking Experience – Emails With The Owner
I had one issue with the article, which was one section labeled “Comparison To Similar Products”
Here were the instructions, as delivered to Word Agents
[h3]Comparison To Similar Products
-what other models are similar with this brand (2-3 products)
– how does Micom compare to induction heating or induction heating pressure rice cookers?
-what other brands have products with similar functions (2-3 products)
-how do these product compare is function, size, design, and customer reviews
Here is what was delivered:
There are other rice cookers on the market, so how do you know the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker is the right one for you? Well, the simple answer would be to see how it stacks up against comparable products.
Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker vs. Micom Rice Cooker
Like the Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker, the Zojirushi Micom Rice Cooker cooks approximately 4 cups of rice. It has the same nonstick interior, detachable inner lid, automatic keep warm, and reheating cycle, too. Both also have different cycles, making them capable of cooking a variety of rice.
However, can cook a wider variety of rice. It also boasts safety features the Micom Rice Cooker does not, such as the stay cool handles. When it comes to white rice cooking, the Neuro Fuzzy Logic Rice cooker has different consistencies, which includes regular, softer, and harder. The Micom Rice Cooker only offers a regular consistency.
Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker vs. Induction Heating Rice Cooker
In some ways, the Zojirushi Induction Heating Rice Cooker might seem like a better or even similar option. Both cookers have a color LCD, a nonstick interior, and the ability to cook a wide variety of rice. In fact, the Induction Heating Rice Cooker seems to cook a wider variety than the Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker. However, there are features it lacks.
For instance, the Induction Heating Rice Cooker does not have the safety features of the Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker. It does not have the same cool to the touch handles. It also does not have a retractable cord for added electrical safety. For many cooks, safety in the kitchen is a number one priority. Considering that fact, the Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker is still an optimal choice.
Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker vs. Induction Pressure Rice Cooker
The Zojirushi Induction Pressure Rice Cooker has plenty of noticeable features. For instance, it has the same nonstick interior as the Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker. It also offers a wider variety of menu settings, which means it handles a wider variety of rice. The Induction Pressure Rice Cooker also has the same rinse-free technology. It also has a platinum-infused nonstick coating that the Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker does not have.
However, the Induction Pressure Rice Cooker lacks the stay cool handle safety features that many cooks prefer. It also does not have a retractable cord when the cooker is not in use. The Induction Pressure Rice Cooker is still a worthy model, but if it is safety and performance that you prefer, it is best to stick with the Neuro Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker.
Here was my response to Vincent:
Hi Vincent. Overall, the article was good. I found a couple grammar errors:
“as the as the”
“of your rice cooker matter”
My only big concern is the section comparing other rice cookers to this one (Comparison to Similar Products). The writer seems to have assumed that I wanted to write an article claiming this particular cooker was “the best”, and focused on safety handles to name this as the best choice of rice cooker. However, it’s the base model. The other rice cookers sell at a premium price due to superior rice-cooking abilities, but this was not mentioned in the comparison.
I’m not sure if that would be worthy of a re-working of that section the article.
For the last three articles, the “tech specs” section can simply be a bullet point list with short commentary about anything unique or out of the ordinary. It doesn’t need to be an in-depth analysis of the specs as the writer currently has.
This was his response to me
Glad you liked it.
Our grammar guarantee is that all articles will score at least 90% using Grammarly – the industry-leading proofreading software. This particular article scored a 97 out of 100. I’ve attached the report for your review. If the expectation is that you want us to go line by line to sniff out any very minor mistakes, that is not something we can offer at this rate.
We know that most of our clients that order product reviews are planning on promoting said products for affiliate commissions. So, we tend to paint the products as positively as possible without making false statements. As mentioned in our previous emails and on our order form itself, we require all instructions to be available to us in your briefing. There was nothing in your order form submission (attached) that would have let us know this. As such, we wouldn’t be able to offer any kind of revision on this piece.
I’ll go ahead and tell the writer to finish up on the other articles. I’ll make sure to pass this feedback along to them so these specific requests are accounted for in the content.
Thanks again.
Here are two things that kind of annoyed me,
1. “If the expectation is that you want us to go line by line to sniff out any very minor mistakes, that is not something we can offer at this rate.”
2. “As mentioned in our previous emails and on our order form itself, we require all instructions to be available to us in your briefing. There was nothing in your order form submission (attached) that would have let us know this. As such, we wouldn’t be able to offer any kind of revision on this piece.”
Is it just me, or do both of these comments seem a bit unprofessional?
The core of what was frustrating is that I felt like I paid a premium for this service, and the writer didn’t do a sufficiently good enough job according to the instructions I provided. Even being as specific as I could, I wasn’t able to predict that the writer would not understand the concept of that section of the template.
True, the writer did compare the Neuro Fuzzy cooker to each other type. That’s fine! But he missed the entire point of what’s important in a comparison. If someone is looking to spend $100 vs $300 on a rice cooker, the big difference is not the cool-touch handles or safety features. It’s the COOKING MECHANISM. That’s the entire point of comparing Fuzzy Logic vs Induction Heating. The difference lies in the method of cooking the rice, not in the cosmetic design.
In the template I wrote “how does Micom compare to induction heating or induction heating pressure rice cookers?”. In my mind, that means how does the cooking mechanism of this rice cooker compare to cooking mechanism of the other cookers. So I said as much in my response email:
I understand your strict rules about what needs to be included in the writer instructions. My point is that the information your writer included is wrong. Included in the instructions was the phrase “how does Micom compare to induction heating or induction heating pressure rice cookers?”
Micom, heating induction, and pressure cooking are all methods of cooking. This was not mentioned in the comparison section. Only the cool handles were mentioned, which is cosmetic, and not relevant to the differences between how these devices cook.
Refunded?
About 10 minutes later a refund came from Clarion Inbound Marketing, LLC. What? Then I got an email from Vincent: (I removed the competitor URLs and transaction ID)
There was nothing wrong in the article. We just happened not mention a single, solitary point that was requested. Why that wasn’t brought up in your previous email, and only after I turned down the revision, I do not know.
At this point, it appears to me that you’ll have an issue with whatever content we send your way. So, I provided you a full refund. Feel free to keep the article we sent over already and use it as you please. (Transaction ID: [removed])
Here’s a list of our competitors that you may want to try out:
- competitor 1
- competitor 2
- competitor 3
Best of luck to you and your business in the future. Take care.
Sorry, but… what? Because of a single dispute about the content he’s now refusing to work with me? After several weeks of back-and-forth figuring out the content and submitting an extremely detailed template he’s just going to ban me form Word Agents as a difficult client? Because of ONE dispute on the FIRST article?
That just seems strange, and quite rude to me. I was very angry! I really disliked that Vincent tried to make it seem like the whole thing was my fault! I tried to be very polite in the first email, relay the issue, and get it resolved. When it wasn’t resolved, I tried to prove to him why it needed resolving. To answer his question of “Why that wasn’t brought up in your previous email”, the answer is that I didn’t expect him to reject the request for edits since I clearly explained it in the template.
But I tried to calm down and realize that this is business. I really didn’t want to see all that time I used to prepare to go to waste. I can “suck it up”, be professional, and try to smooth things over. Here was my next response, trying to at least get the articles finished, because I really did need them.
This is very surprising Vincent. As someone that was paying a decent price for the article, I was just trying to find the balance of getting what I wanted for the price I paid. Considering I spent a good amount of time writing the template and keywords specifically to use your service, I’m willing to accept the article as-is, and have the writer work on the others to finish this project. Is there any chance to resubmit the payment and finish the project?
No dice. Here’s his response:
No thanks.
Best of luck.
Apparently business is good enough that they can refuse any clients who make them work harder than the minimum.
Final Thoughts On Word Agents
The reason why I’ll never use this service again is because it’s not an efficient way to outsource content. While working with this company I spent way too much time worrying about getting things perfect for fear of wasting my time and money. As it turns out, I did make a mistake, and they kept their word of being unforgiving. I’d much rather work with a flexible company, and work with writers who are friendly and willing to do minor edits.
When you submit a request for articles through Word Agents, it’s a request. You’d better be on your best behavior, and make no mistakes! You get one shot to get things right, and if you don’t like it, NO SOUP FOR YOU!!
What do you guys think? Was I being a difficult client? Was I expecting too much for $0.08 per word? I’m interested to hear your honest comments below!
Nathaniell
What's up ladies and dudes! Great to finally meet you, and I hope you enjoyed this post. My name is Nathaniell and I'm the owner of One More Cup of Coffee. I started my first online business in 2010 promoting computer software and now I help newbies start their own businesses. Sign up for my #1 recommended training course and learn how to start your business for FREE!
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Chris
Thanks for the review. The owner comes across as a little full of himself and out of touch with the reality of how he treats customers. I’m glad to have read this before using their service.
Quoting pricing from an editorial organization that originated in the 1970s says a lot. Sure, some prices are kept at a high point from pre-internet days, but that does not mean the market hasn’t been disrupted by the ease of communication and freelancing of the Internet and that you can’t get quality work at a much lower price now. Also, trying to claim those grammar errors are acceptable at this price point is unacceptable in the current market.
You’re lucky they “fired” you to be honest.
Nathaniell
Thanks Chris. Since the writing of this review, I’ve tested other writing services (some are still in draft). One, so far, have delivered content of comparable content quality with the ability to have direct communication with writers, request edits, and even reject articles….at 50% of the cost of Word Agents or even less. .02 – .03 cents per word! ==> Textbroker Review.
iWriter content was not as good, but the price was 1/4 the cost.
Fiverr wasn’t great, but was much cheaper, and more pleasant to deal with. At least I could request 2-3 edits and speak to the writers directly. Turnaround was faster too!
Still waiting on the rest for comparison.
At the very least, WordAgents could have made the case that they pay their writers more for a happier work environment, or more company loyalty, etc etc. I might have believed something like that and even though of it as an interesting branding element to their service.
Instead, the owner comes back and basically says I’m wrong about numbers I’ve personally seen LOL. .2 cents per word? Yeah right. Unless it’s a super niche-y topic and you have to hire an expert, I’ve never seen a price that high. Highest I’ve ever paid was .12 per word and although the content was great, it wasn’t a sustainable outsourcing project due to the price of the articles.
Vincent D'Eletto
Hey Rick / Nathaniell,
Vin from WordAgents.com here.
It’s quite unfortunate that you felt the need to write a scathing review of our experience together… especially considering the fact that I gave you a full refund AND provided you your content free of charge. We spent $480 on this transaction simply so you could be happy with the work that you did receive.
In your own words… “the content was good.”
I’ve read your notes several times now, and it really just does appear to me that you were/are irritated over having to put time into creating your article briefs and doing proper keyword research. I don’t say this to argue or be rude…I’m just pointing out that the issue lies within a process in which we have no control over.
Being a site builder myself, I know how tedious the research and briefing process can be. But, unfortunately, this is a necessary evil in order to produce the high-quality content that you’re expecting.
To be completely clear – we are not a “content mill” or a “content marketplace.” WordAgents is a content creation agency. We accept clients selectively. This is not because we favor one client over another. We simply have a limited number of writers on our team, and need to make sure that the needs of our clientbase match up with our expertise. We simply want to provide the most value possible to the clients we take on. If we feel like a certain relationship is not a good match for us, we will say so.
As far as the pricing of our service, $.08 per word really isn’t a “premium” price. I understand that it might be more than you’re used to spending if you normally hire writers directly from Upwork or similar outlets. But, if you look at the industry standards for ghostwriting – you’ll see that our prices are quite reasonable. According to the Editorial Freelancer’s Association – the standard range for ghostwriting is $.26 to $.50 per word! You can see that right here: https://www.the-efa.org/rates/
I understand that you may be able to get a better price by going to a writer directly. And, that choice is 100% up to you to make. When clients work with WordAgents, they are benefitting from a single point-of-contact; a team of writers that are hired, managed, and trained for them; and over a decade of digital marketing experience. Most clients are happy to pay a higher rate in exchange for those benefits. But, again, that choice is 100% up to you.
From what I see, all of your complaints were around issues that were clearly explained to you well ahead of the time that you placed your order. If you weren’t pleased with how our agency operates when our process was explained to you prior to placing your order, then I really can’t understand why the order was placed in the first place.
I’m not sure why or how I could have been any more clear about how we work… but if you have a suggestion for me, I will do my best to integrate that into all of our client communications going forward. This is not an empty promise. We regularly survey our clients to help improve our service as a whole. I would sincerely love to hear your suggestions on how we can do a better job at serving our customers.
I can only imagine how upset you must have been to have taken the time out of your day to write this review. I mistakenly assumed that providing you content for free was an adequate way to accommodate your needs after realizing that we probably weren’t the best fit for each other. I am sincerely sorry for misunderstanding the situation.
I would still love to do my best to help you walk away from this experience with content that will make you money. If I can edit the content we provided to you any further – I would be happy to do so. Heck, if you would like them redone from scratch – I’d be happy to do that too.
Once again, please accept my apologies for any miscommunication or confusion. Drop me a line whenever you have a free minute and we’ll figure out how to make this right.
Nathaniell
Hi Vincent, I don’t want to turn this into a lengthy back and forth, so I’ll make my response concise, and answer your question as best as possible.
I tried to say true to the article title, and described the reason I will not use your service again. It was simply too expensive and not efficient enough to make the articles worth it. Others may feel different, but that’s my opinion based on my experiences.
My suggestion to help you prevent issues in the future would be to offer zero edits no matter what, and mention that if clients ask for edits they will immediately be refunded and prevented from using the service again. This way it’s clear what potential clients can expect.
I felt that your writer did not follow the instructions properly. You felt he did. Rather than discuss it, or offer options for edits (even if they came at a cost), you simply refunded me and labeled me a “difficult client”. I felt this was very unprofessional. How would you feel if you walked into Verizon and made a request, even if it was against their policy, and they called security guards to kick you out? Pretty unhappy, right?
As for editing the current content, there’s no need for that. I don’t want any special treatment. I wanted to test your service as a true potential client to get a clear picture what’s offered at Word Agents.
The point of doing reviews of content writing services (I’m doing many services over the course of this year, so I’m not just picking on you), is to find the best content outsourcing services for my own business, and help to match up the correct content services with business owners that have specific expectations.
Vincent D'Eletto
That’s completely fair, Nathaniell. Your website, your rules. I get it.
I appreciate you publishing my comment as well. It’s not going to be a back-and-forth, but I do feel that I have the right to clarify a few more things…if you don’t mind.
As long as you’re transparent that the issue here was based around your personal preference of dealing directly with a writer over an agency, that’s fine.
To be clear, we outlined what you should expect from us and didn’t stray from that claim at all. We provided you $480 worth of free content, which you kept and agreed was good.
To say something is “too expensive” is quite subjective and isn’t fair considering the different needs, requirements, service levels, and budgets of various clients. There are clients out there that would consider $.20 per word cheap. But, your opinion is your opinion. That’s fine.
Right now, we have around 270 clients that order from us regularly. We are normally praised for our ordering process, as clients appreciate the ability to provide granular detail to ensure they get exactly what they want. This is the same process that you’re complaing about. We can easily take on bulk orders as well.
I’ve never personally experienced a client that is “spending weeks researching keywords and creating template for fear of wasting money,” but I could have certainly helped you out with that process if I had known you had such high anxieties prior to ordering. I have content templates that I could have provided you that would have made this a 5-minute ordeal for you.
We do not have a “zero edit” policy. Our revision policy is quite simple:
– We will provide unlimited edits and revisions for anything related to spelling or grammar errors. We guarantee that all content scores a minium grade of 90% on Grammarly.
– We will provide unlimited edits and revisions if we happened to miss anything that was included in your briefings and agreed upon prior to the work being started.
– Any revision requests that fall outside the above two points will be subject to an additional fee.
We provided you the refund because it was clear to us, and even moreso now after reading this article, that you were not the right client for our agency. That’s not a dig at you – it was just not the right fit. This is why I provided you a list of competitors; to help you find the right fit for your needs.
Your “Verizon” analogy is a little sensationalist to be honest. No one “kicked you out.” You felt that you were entitled to more service than what was clearly described to you. I really don’t know how I, or anyone, could please a client who decides what they’re entitled to all on their own… regardless of what is clearly explained to them before money changes hands.
So, you received free content, a list of other options that would better meet your needs, and a public apology & explanation as to what really happened with this transaction. It appears that other readers see my point as well.
I’m not offering special treatment – I’m just trying to make it right by you since you appear to have been wronged here. If you feel it’s best to stick to your guns and leave this article up as-is, I can’t argue with you.
Best of luck with your content review series and all your endeavors in the future.
Nathaniell
This issue here was not only that I prefer to have more contact with the freelancers. Perhaps you misread the tact in my writing. I attempted to bear some of the blame in order to make this article as fair and balanced as I could. I didn’t want it to be a hit piece.
To clarify, the cost of the content was just one issue. Another huge issue was that you were just extremely rude and unprofessional in my opinion. All you had to say was, “Sorry, we are unable to do any more edits to the article.”, and that would have been the end of the story from that point. I would have still written this review, and still mentioned many of the same points, but perhaps the tone would have been different.
However, my biggest complaint about your service is that I was simply too nervous to actually submit my guidelines. It was too much pressure for me to get everything exactly right 100% on the first time. I feel that a lot of people outsourcing will have the same feeling. Obviously not everyone – you have a large client base, and have good reviews that are up on other websites. That’s fine! I’m sure many folks are happy with the quality of content they receive for the price they pay. Everyone has different expectations.
I will also make clear, that I do not feel that I was cheated or scammed. However, the price for the quality was not what I’m used to. Perhaps I’ve just been lucky and met good writers, but for the quality of content I got, I felt it was worth about .02-.04 per word, not .08. Yes, I got the articles for free, and that was fair enough (No I did not publish them). It doesn’t change the fact that I felt mistreated as a client. Being a jerk and then saying, “Here’s $5 for your troubles.” doesn’t change the fact that the behavior was still unacceptable.
Also, with your policy of “We will provide unlimited edits and revisions if we happened to miss anything that was included”, I don’t really think you understand my point. The writer included things that I did NOT expressly include in my instructions. Why did the writer create every article saying that each rice cooker was the “best”? I didn’t give those instructions. So am I supposed to tell the writer what NOT to write as well as what TO write?
Plus, as I explained in my original email a few months ago, “Micom, heating induction, and pressure cooking are all methods of cooking. This was not mentioned in the comparison section”. The writer clearly didn’t understand the core concept of what he was writing about. Comparing rice cookers is not about comparing the handles. It’s about comparing how they cook the rice.
..but I digress, and I’m repeating myself now. This is why I didn’t want to get into the back and forth of nitpicking over what counts for edits and what doesn’t, what’s good quality and what isn’t, etc etc. I’ll leave the article up, as is, and people can decide from there. The comment section is open. That’s the point of this series, to give website owners a deeper look into content outsourcing services.
Ian
Thanks for reviewing Words Agents. I was thinking of using it. Which service would you recommend then?
Nathaniell
I do not currently have a “favorite” service. I’m still in the middle of testing a bunch of them (it takes a while, plus I have other projects going on). As of now, I recommend UpWork to hire individuals rather than working with agencies. Even within UpWork, I rarely work with article agencies, and prefer to work with individual writers for a more personalized experience.
Mohamed Elloumi
Hello Nathaniell,
Thank you for the article. Do you use mainly Upwork for content writing ? any other suggestions ? will you hire some one with 0 feedback in Upwork ?
Thank you and by the way I like your website and especially your writing style.
Mohamed Elloumi
Nathaniell
I use Upwork, and yes, I do hire people with 0 feedback sometimes. It depends on who applies for the job. A candidate who has the right skills, and shines during the interview will have no problem getting hired as a writer. The truth is though, when you get started, you have to take on some cheap jobs to get your score boosted, then you can start to charge more down the road.
As a business owner, when someone straight out say, “I want to boost my score so I’ll do this job for cheap”, that sounds like a deal for me! Also, if a person has 500 great reviews and charges 20% more than I wanted to pay, I’ll still pay it because I know I’m getting at the very least, a reliable writer.
Catherine
Sorry, but you were being a difficult client. It’s understandable that you were unsatisfied, but you get what you pay for. As a content writer myself, I would not call $0.08 per word a premium price. You are paying for a writer who has to do research and then be creative enough to construct a piece in a specific style in their own words. That takes time and effort. To ask the writer to re-write the piece because of an error on your part is not fair. It is clear that you did not anticipate what the writer’s perspective would be, but that is not the fault of the writer or Word Agents. You should have communicated exactly what you were and were not looking for. If you’re going to outsource work, you have to be extremely specific. These people aren’t experts on rice cookers; they are writers and researchers. They aren’t in your head to know exactly what you want. You did not anticipate the writer’s perspective, and that’s fine. You live and you learn. But you can’t really blame them for your mistake. Just my two cents.
Nathaniell
First, thank you for adding your comment! I was frustrated to read it at first, but then remembered I asked for feedback LOL
$0.08 per word for the style of content produced was a premium. Absolutely. I can get native writers for long term products for .03-.05. I pay .10 or more regularly, for sure, but they are people I have direct contact with, get multiple edits, AND they upload directly to WordPress with images, video, and formatting.
So am I to understand that as a writer you would never rewrite a piece for a client? It’s delivered as-is, with no chance of edits? I mean, even if Word Agents was like “Sorry, it’s part of our policy but we can do some minor edits for $x” that would have been a better response than immediate refund a rude email.
Also, my frustration with the system is that you can’t put EVERYTHING into a request. They wrote content that I felt was wrong – how could I have guessed that they would write the wrong stuff? It’s literally impossible to give instructions of everything NOT to write. And it’s fine that writers make mistakes. I know they are not experts! I get it. But that’s the reason to request edits…especially for a NEW writer. Once you have a regular writer and they are familiar with what you want, there are usually fewer and fewer edits requested as the person becomes more familiar with the topic.
So the system you have envisioned is that brand new writer, unfamiliar with a topic, writes a perfect article the first time, without allowing any requests for edits, and gets paid in full, or the client gets kicked out of the system? Sounds a bit rigid for me!
And let’s assume that through all of this I’m still in the wrong. There are still so many other possible avenues to hire writers that are forgiving! And that’s the whole point of testing out these writing services…to see where my money is best spent.
Anyway, I sincerely do appreciate your comment and addition to the discussion Catherine!
jack
I would not call $0.08 per word a premium price. >> why not? is it possibly because of your geographical location? do you know how to incorporate on page SEO into an article? how to structure an article? use benefit rich subheading? Hook a the begining, NLP? or is do you just price because of your geo location?