Four Great Reasons to Hire a Freelance Writer
This is a reprint of a column I wrote and published online in March 2008, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. But that’s a whole ‘nuther story.
Every business or organization relies on good communications to succeed. Brochures, sell sheets, press releases, white papers, Web sites, newsletters, promotional articles, and even blogs, can all play an important role in reaching new clients, staying in touch with established ones and maintaining a presence in the community you wish to serve. Non-profit organizations also rely on effective communications to raise funds and promote their causes.
All these things require good writing, and a professional writer can provide excellent services, tailored to your particular needs. But you might ask, “Why don’t I just write it myself? I’ve been reading and writing most of my life. Why spend money to have someone else do it?”
I can think of several reasons, and in no particular order, they are:
1–You hate to write. It never ceases to amaze me, but there are plenty of people out there who just can’t stand writing. Some of them choose careers that don’t involve a lot of writing, like furniture making or home decorating. Some of them simply grit their teeth and force themselves to do it.
If you really hate to write that much, though, consider the quality of what you’ll produce if you’re forced to do it. It probably won’t be your best work, especially if you rush through it (and if you hate writing, you probably will). It’s so much easier and you’ll get a much better result if you hire a professional for the job. That’s exactly why I hire someone to do my taxes. It’s easier and I get a better result when I leave it to a pro.
2–You suffer paralysis by analysis. Maybe you don’t hate to write, but you just don’t know where to start. Or you tend to start writing, only to begin rewriting before you’ve finished the first paragraph — or even the first sentence. You proceed in this fashion — writing and rewriting two, three, four times or more, until you throw up your hands in disgust and just write any old thing that comes to mind or put the task off until it absolutely must be done (see #1 about rushing to finish the job). Meanwhile, you could be spinning your wheels for hours, days even, grinding away on continual rewrites or just staring at a blank screen.
Professional writers don’t have the luxury of giving in to writer’s block. Writing is our job, and we show up for it every day. And like any other job, some days are tougher than others. But the pros get the job done well and within the deadline.
3–Time spent is time lost. Good writing takes time — and once you’ve used that time, it’s gone for good. It’s time that could be better spent on face-to-face networking, pursuing leads or doing work for a client. As part of your marketing and networking, you may do volunteer work or serve as an officer in a business organization. All of these things take time, and if you want to still have a life along with owning or managing a business or organization, you need to manage your time well.
Just as you might hire a virtual assistant [Blogger’s Note: I include that dead link for amusement value only. Apparently, whatever’s coming is Coming Soon.] to handle administrative tasks, hiring a writer allows you to devote your precious time to all the essential duties that only you can handle.
4–Your staff writers are swamped. Let’s say you’ve got the money and resources to hire a writing staff. Then, suppose there’s a sudden, temporary increase in writing workload that overtaxes your staff’s abilities. Or your boss is calling for staff cuts (even though the work hasn’t lessened) and you need to do more with less. In either case, hiring another employee isn’t a viable option.
That’s where freelance writers present the perfect solution. Freelancers are flexible and can be hired for one project or several, either ad hoc or on a regular and continuing basis. As contract workers, freelancers are easier and cheaper to hire than employees (no benefits, leave or payroll taxes to worry about). And, if you find someone good, you’ll know who you can turn to if an immediate need for help arises again.
Convinced yet? If not, take a look here (an actual live link to an awesome-looking blog) for even more reasons to hire a freelancer and here (whatever this is) for a whole laundry list of reasons “not to hire a freelance copywriter (and why they’re all poor excuses)”.
And think about them the next time you’re staring at that blank screen or grinding your teeth while spending hours working on clever Web copy, an engaging description of the past year’s achievements for an annual report, a persuasive grant application or a few interesting new articles for your newsletter.
PS: It’s fascinating to see what’s changed and what hasn’t since 2008.
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