So, you’ve made a decision. From our last article, you’ve decided to contract a Freelance Writer to produce your content. There’s no question that it was a hard decision. There is a lot of information you want to put in your website and in a timely fashion. You need to know that the writer you’ve chosen is the right one, who will elevate your work from okay to spectacular. And that’s a fair expectation.

They’re a writer however. You can expect their finished work to be of higher quality than yours, just as you would expect the work you produce in your chosen field to be a higher quality than an amateur. It doesn’t mean the work can’t be duplicated. You can however expect it to be done well and quickly.

So where do you start? Freelance Writers aren’t exactly knocking down your door.

1. A service like Fiverr

Most freelance writers start somewhere to build a portfolio and a service such as Fiverr or Upwork can help. You can certainly find a decent writer on Fiverr or Upwork, but as a general rule of thumb, you get what you pay for. If it’s going to take an hour of work, 5 bucks isn’t much.

Of course, there is the possibility that many of the freelancers on Fiverr and Upwork can price low because their cost of living isn’t the same as it is in Canada or the United States. Just as manufacturing jobs can be moved across the world, so can a lot of writing.

2. Ask

Ever read an article or webpage and sit back and say to yourself, “WOW, that was awesome. I wish I had that person writing for me.”

If it’s an article then the head should have the writer’s name. If it’s a website then there’s nothing stopping you from reaching out to the company and asking them who they used. What’s the worst they can say? No? We did it ourselves? You’ll never know until you ask.

3. Write an ad

I know. It sounds counter-intuitive to write an ad to find a writer to write your ads, but that doesn’t have to stop you. There are services such as Kijiji, Craigslist, or Workopolis that can be used to hire someone. Trust me, freelancers are checking these services to find work, so there’s a fair chance you could find them.

4. By referral

Your web designer may often dip into the 5 dollar pool for talent, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know a freelancer. This option is likely going to cost more, but then they come with their own advantages. A local freelancer is often close enough to conduct in-person or at least telephone interviews and is fluent in the language of your choice, be it English, French, or even Spanish.

There are many options for finding freelance writers. You may even come up with multiple options. If you do, it’s a great position to be in. At that point you can ask some serious questions to determine which freelancer writer is correct for you.