Most of the work that I do is freelance writing with SEO and other marketing stuff secondary projects. Yes, I get the usual requests: please optimize my pages with select keywords, link these pages to other pages on our site and include outbound links, etc. That is a given when I write web content — my clients want an added benefit to go with the words that I write and I happily comply.

Not every job inquiry is something that interests me as the proposal has enough holes in it to walk through. Pay is too low, the research required necessitates using suspect sources, or the topic is simply not something I’m all that keen about covering — ladies hair products, for one!

Last week, I received one of those inquiries that wasn’t worth a response. Almost always I reply to messages sent via my contact forms or directly to my email inbox, but in this case I decided not to answer. The problem with the inquiry was this:

• We would like you to review a variety of car models and write these reviews along the lines of this site (withheld by me).

• Because it isn’t possible to actually drive each car, you can obtain reviews elsewhere on the internet and use those to write your article.

Well, in my book, what this person wanted was for me to plagiarize my work. Sure, I can certainly write about a car based upon the work available online, but I can’t “fake” driving one and basing my article on how a car sounds, feels, turns, starts, stops, etc. Moreover, the inquirer was from Europe and a number of the vehicles to be featured are not on American highways (Skoda, Fiat, Renault, and Peugeot to name a few). My ability to even write a halfway sensible article would  have to be based upon personal experience, not the review of another writer.

As I said, I didn’t respond to this person, choosing to laugh off his proposal with derision. I’ve had similar request to cheat in the past and I treat each one the same way — good-bye, so long, farewell….

The Proliferation Of Cheap Articles

Lately, I have been turning down jobs left and right when it becomes quite evident that employers want nothing more than ultra cheap labor. I suppose the proliferation of $3 per article writers from India and elsewhere has emboldened some people to produce proposals geared toward that segment of the writing industry. Let’s face it: few Americans I know can afford to work for chump change.

Working With Other Writers

On the other hand, I have had the opportunity to outsource some of my projects as well. Instead of going to the article mills, I have been referring jobs to three or four experienced writers who can write on subjects I know little about including pet care, beauty products, and more. Instead of getting in the middle of everything, I simply refer clients to the writers directly and let them make their own arrangements.

You Get What You Pay For

I know that I am mostly preaching to the choir when I state all of this, but it is worth a repeat: pay your people what they are worth and you will get superior and unrivaled writing that can only enhance your business. Settle for less and your business will reflect the shoddiness of your poor selection.

Copyright 2006-2008 – For additional information regarding Matthew C. Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his blog for wit, quips, and freelance writing tips.