If freelance writers have written sample or test articles, they are usually easy to hire. If you’ve used major freelance job boards before, you already know this. Clients publish their projects and make it clear that authors who submit samples get more attention than authors who don’t. When a freelance buyer sees a test article, he or she sees a particular writer’s writing ability. A sample essay is a necessary part of a well-crafted cover letter and the writer should take it seriously.

It shows the following information about freelance writers.

General level of knowledge – Writing is a broad profession and covers many fields. Some outsourcing companies use freelance sites to find expert writers. These types of people are not only good at writing SEO articles, but also writing prose, web content, academic papers, travel articles, magazine articles, etc.

Uniqueness of the writing style used – There are many writers in the world and the writing style they use shows their uniqueness. Even if you decide to take a writing class today, your instructor will give you tips on how to develop a unique writing style, but eventually they will want you to discover it for yourself. Every writer has a very unique style of playing with words that may or may not impress a freelance outsourcing company or individual.

Level of Knowledge on the Subject – Freelance buyers have different needs for online writing professionals. Some of them have dedicated product websites and prefer to hire experts who can tackle certain topics time and time again. Others are owners of many content blogs and their goal is to find one or more contributors who can write many different articles every day. Examples can illustrate how well the author understands one or more topics.

Level of Creativity – A test essay on a particular topic can demonstrate your creativity level. If an employer finds excessive repetition and the use of too many words to explain something, he or she will conclude that your intention is to fill the space with meaningless sentences.

Grammar and Punctuation Skills – Any essay written can help freelance employers gauge your level of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. Many writers fall into this category, including me, whose previous projects have been rejected. Even the best professionals fail sometimes, and improving our written English takes effort and dedication.

Six Steps to Hiring the RIGHT Freelance Writer

Hiring a freelance writer can be a daunting task. There are literally hundreds of freelance writers from more countries than you might think. Salary ranges vary widely, and it’s reasonable to assume that talent levels will too. So, how do you find the right freelance writer for your specific job?

Here are six proven steps to help you narrow down the freelance writers for your work.

1. Evaluate the program you are looking for

Be honest about the program you are hiring for. Do you need a formal, well-trained writer (who will complete the previous sentence with “You assume”), or someone with more informal language? Does it really matter if your writer is a seasoned expert?

It’s easy to think that your writer’s skill level definitely matters. However, if your content is to be used for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) purposes, then you might be wrong. If you’re looking for keyword-heavy content to get your site at the top of search engine results, quality may not be what you need. Instead, focus on the amount of material. In short, if search engine spiders encounter these articles more often than people, quality can give way to quantity.

But if your project represents you or your company and can make or break your credibility, you can afford nothing less than top quality. Poorly written website content, articles, newsletters, white papers, media briefings, etc. will negatively impact you and your business.

2. Rate the “fit” of freelance writers

Once you’ve determined that you need a highly skilled writer or a prolific but imperfect writer, the next step is to identify the right person for your project. There are multiple considerations at this point: project length, theme, sound, style, format, and timeline. Consider each of these carefully before approaching a freelance writer.

Try to find writers who have worked on similar projects to the ones you hope to achieve. That’s not to say a sports nutrition writer can’t write an essay on eating habits for healthy skin — most writers enjoy researching and writing on a wide variety of topics. However, be sure to find freelance writers who have worked on projects of similar length, focus, and voice.

3. Interview multiple freelance writers

The best way to feel comfortable hiring a freelance writer is to interview multiple candidates and see what’s out there – a benchmark that helps you see what’s available and what different writers charge for different skill levels . The skill level is of course up to you (no one will admit that they are uneducated – usually even themselves!). Your freelance writer interview will also help you assess how well you communicate with each candidate. Good communication between you and your writer is the key to a successful project.

4. Ask for writing samples

Any good freelance writer will have plenty of writing samples to show you his value and experience as a writer. However, keep in mind that you can’t see if an article has been edited. As a professional editor, I can tell you that some of the articles I’ve worked on will look very different when I’m done! If the author takes credit for the final article, that’s his or her prerogative – after all, it’s the author’s name that appears on the article. Keep in mind that editing – a lot of editing – happens.

5. Request the test paper

The best way to determine if a writer is really a good fit for your project is to ask for a sample of written material that is relevant to your project. Note that some writers charge for this – especially the more professional ones. A great way to do this is to hire a freelance writer to write a smaller article or project before moving on to a larger project. This way you can determine what kind of writer you hire and whether that writer can produce the content you need.

6. Stay in touch

Stay in regular contact with your freelance writers throughout the project. If the task is particularly long or difficult, you may want to set periodic milestones to assess the author’s progress and ensure that the project’s direction is not lost.

Finding a great freelance writer you can trust for your important projects can be tricky, but done right can lead to long-lasting relationships that take all your writing burden off the table.