To Hire or Not to Hire a Freelance Writer
When Outsourcing Articles is (or isn't) a Good Idea
Jul 14, 2009
Every month when it’s time to figure out how the next issue of a magazine/E-zine/newsletter will come together, there’s always a chance that there will be more story ideas than available editors. While looking to freelancers may sound like a quick way to get additional content, considering a few basic things before deciding to comb Craigslist for writers can help determine if this option is best for the publication and management style.
Is a Good Freelancer Really in the Budget?
It doesn’t matter if a company is a large corporate entity with a traditional budgeting style or if it’s a small firm that makes budget decisions on the patios of the local Starbucks—good writers don’t come cheap. Many expect a down payment of up to 50% of the total up front and the balance within 15 to 30 days of completion. The more the freelancer has to do from scratch to pull the project together (interviews, research, etc.) the higher the cost. Many freelancers also charge rush fees if the project turnaround time is short. If it is in the budget, hiring experienced freelancers is a great way to balance the workload among full-time editors. If it isn’t in the budget, managing editors should tweak content plans and move forward.
Does the Potential Freelancer Already Know the Business/Market/Target Audience?
The whole point of hiring a freelancer is to get more writing done with fewer headaches. This can easily backfire if the freelancer doesn’t have a clue about the publication, the market it serves or the readers that receive the content. If the available writers fall into any of these categories, getting quality content can be a very time consuming, frustrating experience for a publication’s staff and the freelancer. However, finding experienced writers that already know a particular market can be worth every penny of the cost. Novices can be cheaper, but working with them often requires more training than busy managers have time to give.
Are Off-Site Contributors a Good Fit for the Management Model?
Many freelance writers appreciate jobs that let them telecommute, submitting work via mail, email or fax. If the nature of a business and its management style is flexible enough to handle this, it can be a win-win for all involved; publications get the additional writing without the expense of another full-time employee.
On the other hand, if the assignment editor doesn’t excel at communicating ideas in writing or on the phone, s/he may have to look for a local writer willing to come on site for meetings (which can narrow the pool of writers available for a project). Also, working with people in remote locationsmeans everyone’s organizational and scheduling skills need to be top notch. If “out of sight, out of mind” is one of a company’s mantras, hiring freelancers across the U.S. may involve more juggling than desired, especially for a small staff.
Outsourcing some writing needs on occasion to the right freelancer can definitely help keep editorial goals on track, but editors must stay realistic. They should look to hire affordable, experienced freelancers that can successfully write about a specific topic with little training; and, editors should only hire professionals that respect mutually established time lines and are willing to stay in touch as the project moves forward. With any luck, editors and writers are then able to build a long-term relationship that’s a perfect fit for the publication.
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