Have 2012’s New Freelance Writers Raised The Quality Bar?

By Dan Smith

Although I’m not as involved in the freelance writing community as I’d like to be at the moment, I still keep an eye on various blogs and websites to see what’s happening in the world of freelance writing.

Whilst the industry does change slightly every year, the basic principles are generally the same and a freelance writer who started five years ago is unlikely to notice any major difference in the industry today compared to when they began.

However, saying that, I have noticed one difference, particularly in the last few months — and that’s the quality of new freelance writers.

For years, there seemed to be a common belief that anyone could write. People thought you could jump online, read a bit about freelance writing and then start writing for a couple of cents per word before quickly moving up the ladder in terms of everything from price per word to respect in the industry.

That is just my perception of how things have been, but it’s one that I believe a lot of freelance writers would agree with.

Since the beginning of the year, however, I’ve noticed a distinct lack of comments such as ‘I was great at writing at school — how can I leave me job and write for Apple?’ or ‘I’ve been writing for $0.02 for four weeks. Where can I find the $1 per word gigs?’ and an increase in the number of new freelance writers who are simply willing to listen and learn.

They’re eager, but not arrogant. Willing to learn and with a great attention span. Happy to start at the bottom, yet knowing that they’re writing quality is worth more than a couple of cents.

There’s no doubt I’m pleasantly surprised at this — it’s fantastic to know there are new freelance writers out there who not only want to succeed in the industry, but who are willing to put the time and effort in to achieve their goals — but I’m also a little confused as to why now.

In theory, anybody can be a freelance writer — in theory — yet for years there didn’t seem to be many new freelance writers who would stick at it long enough to work through all the low paying gigs and slowly develop over time. But lately, there seems to have been a distinct increase in both the quality of work produced and general attitude towards freelance writing from new writers.

I believe part of it is down to the fact that there is a greater understanding and awareness of just how difficult it can be being a freelance write and how integral and beneficial properly produced copy can be for an organisation, meaning it’s become apparent just how much onus there is on a freelance writer to deliver the goods required.

Is this the full reason why, though? I’m not entirely sure — but I’m definitely happy as to where the industry is headed.

Image: Colin Smith (geograph)