Hiring just one high-quality writer can make a huge impact on your niche site for many years.
I have worked with hundreds of writers over the past decade after filtering through thousands of candidates from Upwork and other sources.
In this article, I share my recommended places to find the diamond in the rough writers that will contribute valuable content for the long term.
This guide will cover:
- My favorite places to find quality writers
- Outside-the-box ideas for finding writer candidates
Let’s get into it!
1. Upwork
Upwork is my primary source for hiring writers for my sites because it is free to post a job and I typically get a good number of quality applicants.
It is also a great place to find experts in a specific field. I was able to find multiple Registered Dietary Nutritionists to write for me via Upwork.
When I submit a job posting, I like to do trial articles with about 10-15 applicants and pick 2-3 to continue working with. Usually, 1 or 2 of these writers stay on for the long term. It is a lot of work and expensive but its worth the effort.
Pros
- Upwork is the largest freelance marketplace with millions of freelancers
- It’s free to post a job ($29.99 for a featured listing)
- Good data is provided on freelancers including ratings, reviews, total earnings, and rates
- A large searchable directory of freelance writers
Cons
- Upwork takes a high percentage from the writer (20% of the first $500, 10% of the first $10,000)
- It takes time to filter out the low quality applicants (there is the option to limit applicants to U.S. only)
It is a good idea to try to hire at least one candidate per job post for a trial article. This increases the “Hire Rate” for your employer profile which encourages more people to apply to your job postings.
If it makes sense, I like to credit the author with a byline or short biography to help improve EAT (expertise, authority, trust) with Google. This gives the writer an extra incentive to submit their best work and helps them build their personal brand.
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2. WriterAccess
WriterAccess is one of the largest marketplaces focused on freelance writers. It costs $39 per month to get access to the marketplace in addition to a $0.70 order fee per article.
You can order articles from specific writers in their directory or post a “Casting Call” where writers interested in your project can submit a short written pitch explaining why they would be a good fit.
Pros
- Over 15,000 vetted freelance writers
- They provide a quality rating for each writer (2-star to 6-star)
- You can filter writers with specific niche expertise or experience
- Quick delivery time (the default delivery time is 5 days on orders)
- The membership fee includes an account manager who can recommend writers in your price range
- If you are not “delighted” with an order, you don’t have to pay
Cons
- It costs $39 per month for the membership fee
- There is a $0.70 order fee per article
- Writer Access takes a 30% cut from the writer
- Writing quality can vary a lot depending on the writer
3. Problogger Job Board
I have used the Problogger job board to find expert writers for The Website Flip and other sites in my portfolio. I find it to be one of the best job boards because it attracts professional writers with strong writing experience.
Prices start at $80 to post a listing to the job board or $160 for the “Featured Listing”. In 2021, Problogger job ads received an average of 80 applicants.
Pros
- Problogger attracts professional writers who care about the craft of writing
- By hiring directly, the writer doesn’t have to pay a cut to the marketplace (this can lower your rates)
- Job applicants have to register as candidates with ProBlogger which helps limit low quality applications
Cons
- Listings expire after 15 days
- There is no rating or review data on writers
- Prices can be high for top-notch writers
- You may get an insufficient number of applicants if you don’t pay for the featured listing (standard listings are displayed below the featured listings)
4. Passion Posts
Passion Posts is a content agency recommended by Jon Dykstra, Carl Broadbent, Income School, and others with a focus on high quality informational articles.
They follow a similar content approach taught by Income School such as publishing shorter “response posts” focused on a specific question and longer “staple posts” that covers a topic more comprehensively. They also include an “answer section” which attempts to optimize for featured snippets by answering the main question directly in the beginning of the article.
Pricing is $60 for a “response post” of 1000-1250 words or $110 for a “staple post” of 2000-2500 words. You can order single articles or a package of articles for a lower cost per article.
Pros
- Very good quality content from my experience
- Articles are reasonably priced (around 6 cents per word or less with a package)
- Writers typically conduct adequate research and add a lot of useful information with minimal fluff
- You can request a specific writer if you prefer their work
- There is discounted rate available with content packages of 10 or more articles
Cons
- Delivery time can be several weeks
- Response time for requested changes can be slow
- They typically don’t write buying guide or product review articles (only informational articles)
5. Niche Website Builders
Niche Website Builders is a popular content agency with owners that have experience building their own successful niche sites. What makes them different than other options is that they provide keyword research that identifies low competition keyword opportunities.
They also sell many aged domains bundled with a content package of 50,000 words or more of content.
I have reviewed several aged domain packages they have sold and the keyword research and content quality looks strong. From our analysis of 72 aged domains that they offered for sale, a few aged domains experienced good growth while most didn’t receive much traffic.
Pros
- They use in-house writers who are native English speakers
- They can provide both informational content or affiliate content
- Price includes keyword research, formatting, and uploading to WordPress
Cons
- Price is higher than other options (7 cents per word)
- Content is not A+ quality but is good enough to rank
6. Fiverr
Fiverr can be a useful resource for finding a writer with experience in a specific industry. Delivery times are typically quick at just a few days.
Fiverr is unique because you can search for writers with specific expertise and then place an order directly on the seller’s profile page. Their profile also shows the writer’s rating and reviews and their turnaround/delivery time.
Pros
- Ability to search Fiverr’s large freelancer directory by keywords
- You can view how many current orders the seller has and their delivery time
- Easy to quickly test a writer by placing an order on the profile page
- Save time by not having to submit a job post and wait for candidates to apply
- View data on the quality of writers based on rating and reviews
Cons
- Buyer pays a 5.5% fee for each order (plus an additional $2 fee for orders under $50)
- Fiverr takes a 20% cut from the seller
- Fiverr doesn’t attract many professional writers in the US (compared to other marketplaces)
- Writing quality may not be as good as other sources
7. Facebook Groups
There are several Facebook groups with thousands of freelance writers where you can post freelance job listings for free. Look for groups that are well moderated with strict requirements to limit spam.
Some examples worth checking out include:
- Freelance Copywriters & Content Writers (40k members, minimum $0.10/word rate)
- Writers’ Group (144k members)
- Freelance Copywriter Collective – The Job Board (19k members)
8. Transfer Writers from Acquired Sites
When I acquire a site, I ask the seller if the current writers can stay on and continue writing for the site.
They are already trained on the format and writing style for the site and typically have some valuable subject matter expertise.
It saves time since you don’t have to look for new writers and they may be available to write for other sites in your portfolio.
9. Referrals from Contacts
If you know other website builders or investors, there is a good chance that they can recommend writers that they have had a good experience with.
Similarly, you can make a post in a forum community that you belong to and ask if anyone can recommend a writer.
10. Recruit Writers from Other Sites
Another approach to recruiting writers is to contact an author who already writes articles in your niche for other sites and ask if they are available for freelance writing.
They will likely have a high level of subject matter expertise and can typically produce better content than a generalist writer.
If you can’t find their website or a contact email, you may be able to find and message them on LinkedIn.
One idea is to start a Google Sheet and continuously add authors that you come across during research. Then contact all of them at once when you have a good number of prospective writers on your list (a VA may be helpful for this task).
11. Large Job Boards (LinkedIn, Indeed)
It is free to post a job listing on many large job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn.
Typically, the candidates on these job boards are looking for full-time employment but there are also people that are looking for part-time remote work.
Craigslist may also be a good option for finding people interested in part-time or remote jobs and costs $10-$75 depending on the location. If you are looking for a writer that is local and available to meet up in person, Craigslist would be a good place to post.
Remote work job boards like Working Nomads ($149) may be a good fit for recruiting writers seeking the flexibility of remote contract work.
Other Content Agencies Worth Considering
There are several content agencies that are recommended by the community. If you do not have time to find your own writers, content agencies can be a good option. Your results may vary.
These include:
- SteadyContent (starts at $0.13/word)
- WordAgents (starts at $0.12/word)
- Hands Off Publishing (starts at $0.08/word)
- Content Refined (starts at $0.08/word)
- Textbroker (starts at $0.02/word)
- iWriter (starts at 0.01/word)
🔥 Recommended Agency is Open for Work
I’ve used tons of agencies over the years and have never found one that I was confident using on a daily basis.
That’s why I acquired Clockwork Copy, a boutique content agency with a team of real native English writers from New Zealand.
My agency provides native English human-written content. Our writers get to pick topics that interest them and are paid well to write the best piece of content you will find.
If you are interested in being connected to the agency, fill out the form below:
You will be introduced to my co-founder directly via email. You can ask questions, ask for samples, etc.
Wrap Up
Strong content writers are the backbone of your team and critical for growing a successful affiliate or content website.
It often takes a lot of time to read through applications and test writers, but it is worth the investment when you find a great writer.
