Qualities of a Good Writer

Whenever it comes to hiring a person for any type of job, you want to make sure that you are hiring a dependable person that you can trust. This is no different when hiring a writer or a ghostwriter. As a company, we’ve worked with several different writers and we look for the same qualities in our writers that our clients look for in us. We want a person that:

• Meets deadlines
• Proofreads
• Speaks US English and lives in the US!
• Great communication

Four simple qualities shouldn’t be hard to find, but you would be incredibly surprised at some of the people we have met that can maybe get one of these qualities covered, like speaks US English and lives in the US. Unfortunately though, this doesn’t always necessarily mean they speak and write proper English. In fact, we recently worked with an individual who asked us how many errors per article she could have! Wow! That’s a great way to make a first impression! Needless to say, we didn’t work with this person. You wouldn’t go to work at a bank and ask them how many times your cash drawer can be short! Why would you, as a writer, ask how many grammar mistakes you’re allowed to have?

The bottom line is, we all have qualities we look for in a person that we are working with, whether they are employees or one time independent contractors. If the job goes well, you may even want to work with this person again. When it comes to the qualities of a good writer, it’s not always about how well they write, but it’s also about the type of person they are. Do they meet deadlines? Do they proofread? Can you feel comfortable when you receive the work you paid them to do that it will be well-written, quality work that you have to do very little editing to and preferably no editing at all. However, it is important to realize that we all have different writing styles, so just because one writer doesn’t jive with your style doesn’t mean that they aren’t a good writer, they just write differently.

When it comes to hiring a writer, do take the time to browse their portfolio and check out their samples. Their samples in their portfolio will tell you a lot about a person before you even email them. For instance, if there are proofreading errors in the samples they provide you, then chances are they don’t always proofread. Granted, mistakes can be overlooked when proofreading your articles, but if you’re trying to get hired, then you need to make sure your samples are squeaky clean. Communication is also important. You’re always going to have more success with a person that emails you back right away. There are those freelancers that are also working “real” jobs, but they should at least email you back within the same day. It’s even better if they are full-time freelancers and email you back within minutes, then you know they are busy working.

One important thing to remember is that most writers hate to talk on the phone! Don’t be offended if a writer would rather deal with you only via email. It doesn’t mean they aren’t going to provide you with excellent customer service; they would just rather do it through email than on the phone. Additionally, the phone can be very distracting for a writer. Your working world literally stops when the phone rings and you lose all train of thought. It’s much easier for a writer to switch over to their email quickly to make a reply rather than stop mid-sentence and answer the phone. It can be difficult to get back into the flow once you’re interrupted in a middle of a thought. On the other hand, there are writers who are more than happy to talk on the phone all day, so that might be something you need to consider if you have a busy work day ahead yourself J

Words You Want may be a company and a staff of writers, but you would never know the difference. As a company, we are extremely focused on customer service, and let’s face it, customer service is hard to find these days! You will always be dealing with one individual and you will always receive nearly instant responses. Because we are a company, you don’t have to worry about dealing with someone who has a day job and you can only communicate with in the evenings. You don’t have to worry about deadlines, because we have never missed one – ever! You don’t have to worry about proofreading and grammar errors because all articles are sent through editors to ensure quality and consistency. Plus, we are located in the US, our writers are located in the US and we speak US English, plain and simple. As a company, we are a team and a family and that’s not something you’re going to find when you meet a company and they outsource their work to people in other countries. We just don’t believe that’s how you run a business.