If you hired a freelance writer and had a bad experience with them, you might be afraid of hiring a writer again.

There aren’t many guides regarding this aspect online so I decided to make one.

I’m a freelance writer with over 10 years of experience and I know the ins and outs of this industry. I know how to find a good writer and how to detect those that will waste your time and your money.

As in dealing with any kind of freelancer, there is always the risk of making a bad choice. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of honorable freelance writers out there.

The chances are one of the tips I’m going to provide would have helped you avoid the situation you had.

Let’s discuss how you can make the difference between good writers and bad ones. Here are my tips for this.

Don’t fall into the traps of false security

You go to Fiverr or Upwork and you see a writer with positive reviews and you think “hey, they must be great”. You hurry to make an order and receive something unsatisfying.

You can’t get your money back since the guy delivered the work, and now you see on their profile that the reviews they have are from people that can barely speak English.

Just because you are dealing with a freelancing platform doesn’t mean you are safe. You still have to do the same screening you would normally do with a freelance writer.

The same goes for hiring a writing agency. Just because they are a company and not an individual, that doesn’t mean they can be trusted without testing them.

The security is ensured by checking their portfolio and online reputation, looking for online reviews on platforms that anyone can leave a review, asking for a paid test, and signing a contract. The experience is only guaranteed after you worked with them.

Check out their portfolio intensively

The writer pitched you with some articles on a Google Drive folder and that’s it? That’s a major red flag.

Anyone can fake a portfolio on places that can easily be removed from. You want an online portfolio with live articles and maybe published books.

Don’t fall into the trap that writers with experience don’t have a portfolio because they sign NDAs. Yes, you sign NDAs, but that doesn’t stop you from creating your pieces of content.

I had over 100 articles on my blog AmbitionOasis.com even before I dared considered myself a writer.

It’s understandable to not have samples ghostwritten on all the topics, but there’s no reason to not have any.

Any writer worth their salt will have some sort of published work in their name. I’d suggest not working with someone that only has content that can’t be proved it’s theirs.

Watch for red flags

Do you feel rushed or pressured into making a decision?

Do you feel like your writer doesn’t provide enough details about the time of delivery and payment terms?

Your writer doesn’t offer to sign a contract for the freelancing work?

Your writer doesn’t have a website, a place where they collect reviews, and a published portfolio?

These are just some of the red flags that you should be careful about.

Chances are if you are saying Yes to one of these questions, you might be dealing with an amateur or a scammer.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and point out any fears you might have with your writer. A good writer will provide clear and satisfying answers.

Be willing to pay more

This is one of the last things covered, yet sometimes one of the most important aspects.

Like it or not, paying more will almost always results in better quality, both in writing and the service itself. I know that’s not always the case, but when you are dealing with cheap writers, the nightmare stories are more often.

The reason is fairly simple. Writing takes a lot of time and experience, and anyone that has both must have appropriate rates to justify their work.

If you find a cheap writer, you are dealing with an amateur, a scammer, or a really bad writer. Good writers know their worth and charge appropriately.

If you paid cheap (less than $0.20 per word), that might be the reason you are having trouble with your writers.

To learn more about having a good experience with a freelance writer, read my article 7 Ways To Protect Yourself When Hiring A Ghostwriter. Take all the steps written there and you should have a great experience with your writer.