I just can't figure out what to cover so I'm going to make this a "kick-things-off-then-answer-the-questions-that-follow" thread.
How do you define a "quality" article?
As vague as the words "quality" and "article" are, this depends almost entirely on the purpose of the content. Sometimes perfect spelling and grammar is unnecessary and can even be counter-productive. Something could read like a 6-year-old wrote it on his first day of school, and it would be 5-star content if it does what it was intended to do.
How to become a better writer
Read. A lot. A lot of the particular kind of content that you want to be good at writing. The more you read the better - it's why copywriters spend so much time reading other (successful) sales letters. Want to be good at writing software product reviews? Get ready to spend a lot of time on CNET.com. Want to master the art of trolling? You're on the right track (here).
For content providers
My advice would be to create a near-failsafe system that virtually guarantees a consistent level of quality and turnaround times with no surprises. But how? Here are some ideas:
1. Keep rates reasonably high - this will motivate writers to produce quality work rather than waste your time with dogshit.
2. BUT supplement the higher rates with stricter rules/penalties, e.g. I'd love to see a system of monetary punishment for writers who give up on an article and cancel it since it's time wasted for everyone. Stricter rules = more consistent quality and turnaround times
3. ???
4. Profit
Basically what I'm saying is you should balance incentives and deterrents to create the perfect shower head - one that will ensure a steady stream of warm water of the perfect temperature, rather than sending out unpredictable bursts of scalding hot, freezing cold, rust water, dog semen and everything in between (can you feel my frustration with flaky writers yet?)
PS. I don't write. In total I've written around $15 worth of content on WF which was more than enough for me realize that I hate writing with a passion. My brain just isn't wired for it - writing a 500-word article is enough to burn me out for the rest of the day.
How do you define a "quality" article?
As vague as the words "quality" and "article" are, this depends almost entirely on the purpose of the content. Sometimes perfect spelling and grammar is unnecessary and can even be counter-productive. Something could read like a 6-year-old wrote it on his first day of school, and it would be 5-star content if it does what it was intended to do.
How to become a better writer
Read. A lot. A lot of the particular kind of content that you want to be good at writing. The more you read the better - it's why copywriters spend so much time reading other (successful) sales letters. Want to be good at writing software product reviews? Get ready to spend a lot of time on CNET.com. Want to master the art of trolling? You're on the right track (here).
For content providers
My advice would be to create a near-failsafe system that virtually guarantees a consistent level of quality and turnaround times with no surprises. But how? Here are some ideas:
1. Keep rates reasonably high - this will motivate writers to produce quality work rather than waste your time with dogshit.
2. BUT supplement the higher rates with stricter rules/penalties, e.g. I'd love to see a system of monetary punishment for writers who give up on an article and cancel it since it's time wasted for everyone. Stricter rules = more consistent quality and turnaround times
3. ???
4. Profit
Basically what I'm saying is you should balance incentives and deterrents to create the perfect shower head - one that will ensure a steady stream of warm water of the perfect temperature, rather than sending out unpredictable bursts of scalding hot, freezing cold, rust water, dog semen and everything in between (can you feel my frustration with flaky writers yet?)
PS. I don't write. In total I've written around $15 worth of content on WF which was more than enough for me realize that I hate writing with a passion. My brain just isn't wired for it - writing a 500-word article is enough to burn me out for the rest of the day.
