Many content purchasers may wonder exactly what goes into a valuation of the content that is provided on the web. Valuation of content on the internet is very interesting because, for the most part, only a freelance writer will be able to look at content and quickly understand the effort that the content will require. Hiring a ghostwriter for a romance novel, for instance, is far easier than hiring one for a mystery novel but many of those not in the industry would not understand why.
Content that Requires Extensive Research
Any content that requires research will often take a freelance writer twice as long to complete. However, many content purchasers may not realize how niche the information that they are requesting is. Those that are in specific industries such as medical, construction or finance should know that much of the knowledge that they take for granted is not necessarily common knowledge. Sometimes a writer will have to do significant research to form the basis of knowledge required to write a unique and compelling article.
Content that Requires Keyword Jamming
Many content purchasers actually believe that content requiring keyword stuffing is easier. This is because the content purchaser reasons that they have already provided the writer with the bulk of their content. As any freelance writer knows, this usually isn’t true. Keywords are usually very awkward to place into text and rewriting the text so that it does not sound clumsy can take quite a lot of time. This is especially true if the keywords are lengthy phrases and if they need to be repeated very often. The writing becomes quite a lot like a puzzle that the writer has to solve.
Content that Requires Creativity
Humor and creativity can often be more difficult to manage than a simple, factual article. A writer usually has to be in the proper mood to be creative and interesting, and this can be very difficult to artificially manufacture. Many writers may find it very difficult to find clever ways in which to express themselves and this means that humor articles can actually take longer than dry, factual articles requiring expertise. Content purchasers that require entertainment news and jokes should keep this in mind when pricing their material.
Content that Requires Common Knowledge
Articles that are based more on common knowledge than extensive research can usually be priced fairly cheaply. These are articles that may require some information but likely not much, such as articles on how to purchase a vehicle or how to properly cook a common recipe. This is also likely why romance writing is so prolific whereas mystery novels are not: everyone knows how to fall in love, but not everyone knows how to solve a murder.
Content valuation can be made simpler by simply asking the writer what they would charge for a specific project. However, this can be a little difficult when items are being priced through websites. Most websites today price items based on overall quality of the writing per word, but this can be somewhat misleading because not all research topics are made equal regardless of the quality of the writing.
Jenna I is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
