Lothlorien:
Good morning folks,

I trust you all have had a pleasant day so far. I'll just dig right into the topic. I am keeping this “short and sweet”

Like Uatu The Watcher, I have been observing the “drama” between many Nairaland writers and their clients. It can be quite entertaining. Some of it is funny, some of it ludicrous, while some is just plain sad.
It can be quite depressing and aggravating when you get a “Kansas City Shuffle” played on you after toiling for hours(sometimes days or even weeks) on a 5000 word piece. It’s the stuff of nightmares!
However, I have discovered that the real problem lies with the writer. That’s right. Nairaland writers are their own worst enemies. Let me explain.

NUMBER ONE: Majority of you have no idea how the business of writing works! The ignorance and mediocrity is so thick and palpable you can almost cut it with a knife. If you want to enter any business or any field of study, the first thing you do is: AQUIRE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THAT FIELD! I mean isn’t that why people go to school in the first place? I see a lot of folks around here say “I am a writer” but can’t even construct a simple paragraph. Some of their paragraphs look like it was shot full of holes by some drug crazed soldier.

There is no rule of thumb that says you must have a background in the arts to be a writer, but in the name of the spirit of creativity, know your work! Quincy Jones once said: “you have got to respect the gift God gave you by learning your craft”. It’s that simple. How do you expect all the contractors and clients running around Nairaland to respect you when you write without skill? No skill, no fluidity and no coherence gets you ZERO money.

How do you hone your skills? Simple. It is a four letter word. READ! A good writer is not just a reader, but an insatiable reader. Read everything. Know something about everything, and everything about something. If you write for 1hour, read for 3hours. Why? What you read is stored in your mind even when you can’t seem to recall it. It flows into your writing over time. Ever notice yourself using words and expressions in your work you can’t remember where you learnt them? Chances are you read it or learnt it somehow. You want to be an exceptional writer? This is how you do it. No shortcuts. Anybody can call themselves “a writer”, but it’s not something you parrot. You earn it by investing days, months and years developing yourself. Many of you need to get off Nairaland and go learn some basic writing.

NUMBER TWO: BE SMART! For the love of God acquire and apply wisdom. It’s easy to see that many of you are simpletons and neophytes that’s why you keep getting scammed from every corner. It’s so easy it’s like taking candy from a baby. Now here is something to help you: NEVER release or submit a work without getting at least 50% of your fee. It is willful naïveté on your part to think that a client (who most times is faceless) will hold up their end of the bargain on a job, especially when you have never worked with said faceless client.

I have only done two(2) jobs in my life where I was paid in full after submitting the work. The first is the lowest I have ever been paid for a job. It was 5000 Naira for a one page speech. That’s right, one page. It was barely 500 words. And the money was practically ready before I delivered it. It took barely 30minutes to write.

The second was a piece I did for an online American magazine. It was less than 1000 words and I was paid 25k for it. Of course I had to wait because their method of operation(payment wise) wouldn’t work with my SOP. A piece of advice:

Barring a client whose integrity you have tested on previous jobs, don’t place 100% trust in any online contractor. What most of them even call writing offers on Nairaland are practically hopeless. When you are done with any job, withhold it and send bits of the finished work(ebook, article etc) enough to guarantee its authenticity but not enough for the client to piece a substantial part of the work from. For example, if you write an ebook for a client, send a few pages(no more than 2) from a middle chapter in the book. Make it random. For an article, send only one paragraph. Yes, I said one paragraph. No jokes.

Many of you are so eager to grab a “job” and show your “skill” that you inadvertently display your lack of tact and experience. Be wise. Show some common sense. Some jobs here are not even worth the time or energy. You would find it a more valuable use of your time learning how to rope calves than writing some silly article for some shady contractor.

I have never taken a job from Nairaland because a great deal of what passes for “writing jobs” on this forum is nonsensical. Really. Add to that: a host of thieving and forked tongued clients and contractors. I get my jobs mostly from referrals and from Twitter. In my opinion, if you really want to make a living from writing, Nairaland is not your Eldorado. I am not saying you can’t get good jobs here, but don’t spend all your time chasing after every post that says: “Writers Needed” or “Opportunity for Writers”. You can’t even do a decent data plan from what they pay. This brings me to my third and final point.

NUMBER THREE: VALUE! In the business of writing, it is VERY important for you to know what you are worth. I can’t stress this enough. The only way to command good pay for your job is to know your value. And you can’t talk about value if you write like an inebriated youth. I am appalled at what Nairaland writers accept as “Standard Pay”. 1naira or 2naira per word. Really? Seriously? In this day and age? It is ridiculous and demeaning. I once saw someone advertise a job here and the pay was even in kobo. I was shocked! Wait, can you even buy anything on the streets today for 1naira You writers need to wake up! WAKE UP!! You are the reason why clients and contractors keep playing you around and acting like small gods on this forum. If only you know what some folks outside Nairaland are willing to offer for quality work, you will never waste time here again.

On another post offering a job, I observed a “writer” advertising his skills. Apparently, he could write short stories between 1000 and 2000 words for 500naira! Unbelievable! This is why I said initially that many of you have no idea what the business of writing is about. Do you know what it takes to write a quality short story or piece for 2000 words? Except your writing is poor or you intend to plagiarize, you will never accept such miserable offers. Some of these clients are your fellow writers. They take jobs worth 300k and above and rush to Nairaland to outsource it for 1naira per word. They may end up paying you 30k or 50k(if you are fortunate) for the job and waltz away with a cool 250k for doing nothing! If you are smart and wise(point number two)you will know how to hook them and bill them.

If you are reading this and still charge clients for jobs at 1naira, 2naira you need to reevaluate what you are doing. Like I said earlier, the lowest I have ever been paid for a job is 5k(and I don’t even accept that kind of job anymore). Please understand me, I am not saying you shouldn’t start from somewhere. There will always be the days of little beginnings. You can’t make it to the top in a single leap. But in writing, even your little beginning should have a firm footing beneath you.

Go back and work on your craft. You want to command good pay? Pay the price of painstaking study. I don’t mean go back to school. Read books from exceptional writers. Both online and offline. When you watch movies, cartoons or listen to music, be on the look out for words, expressions or ideologies that you are unfamiliar with. Read newspapers. Watch documentaries. Write what you see and hear until it becomes second nature.

I once submitted a piece for an online platform that I will not name. The editor in charge of our section sent me a mail and said: “your piece was incredibly well written”. When it was time for the editing proper, the process was fast and fluid. Why? I had done my home work. The piece in question was over a thousand words and it took less than two hours to write.

With deep thanks to God, I have never grovelled for a job. When I make a pitch, I let my samples do my talking for me(when you have done your home work, your confidence soars like an eagle). It’s useless to tell a potential client that you are a writer. I can write articles, stories. So? It doesn’t amount to the proverbial hill of beans. And this is something you should learn: every client knows great writing when they see one. Even when they try to act cool, they know when they have quality in their hands. When a job is worth 50k and the client wants to pay 10k, I explain politely why I can’t take the job and go my merry way. I don’t sweat it. I have gone months on end without taking any job. That’s because my previous jobs always pay well enough that I can go another seven months without bothering.

Once again, you need to wake up. Sharpen your skills and launch out into the deep. Stop playing games here. You will end up writing 10 articles of a thousand words each and get nothing but a classic WhatsApp block for your troubles. Acquire knowledge, work smart, be polite and graceful yet subtle as a serpent. That’s right, the advice in the Bible is still very much valid. And of course, understand the value of your time and craft.

Lothlorien.

Amazing post. Thank you for this.
Considering the global image challenge Nigeria is having right now, would you advice that a new writer register on a freelancing website as a Nigerian

OluwabuqqyYOLO:
I can relate. I always felt we were being exploited here but the depths, I couldn't tell. Well, until two or three months ago.

A Nairalander contacted me privately for a gig. I submitted outstanding samples and after it all, he said he would only pay at the rate of N1/W. After some petty haggling, he decided to increase the rate to N1.3/W. Unimpressed, I refused to accept the gig.

Later in the day, he was applying for a gig that required answers to some tricky questions and he reached to me. He sent me screenshots of the instructions and the questions. According to him, he was getting me a job. Of course I knew he was being patronizing but I saw the pay along with the instructions. It was a whopping N7/W when converted from dollars.

Motivated by the belief that I'd be earning at least N4/W, I answered these questions exceptionally and, as expected, he secured the job. Would you believe he offered me just N1.5/W? I couldn't believe it! I mentioned it and he replied that I didn't have a right to refer to the actual rate, citing the time and efforts he dedicated to conversing with the client. Needless to say, I was devastated and things went awry.

Having realized the worth of my craft, I've tried to pitch my tent higher but it's been remarkably futile. I haven't secured any gig with a payment rate of N2/W and it's honestly depressing. I have had plans of making a foray into the world myself but have failed to make any significant move.

The primary reason is that I'm still in school, currently maintains a CGP of 3.8; a distinctive result given that I school in a polytechnic and am striving to attain something even better. I fear that I might be unable to keep up with my educational standards if I become a fulltime content writer. So, like a bird unsure of its wings, I look on, afraid to take the leap; perhaps because I prefer the crumbs I receive to nothing at all.

Kindly tell, Lothlorien, what may I do?

Thanks for your input. A classic case and a sad one.

I can tell you one thing: many freelancers and "contractors" swear by the god of greed. So getting them to pay you something reasonable is an uphill task.

From your post, I see that you made a mistake. You should have settled what you wanted for the job when he contacted you again. You had the upper hand as I deduce that the client was desperate. Never, and I mean NEVER work under an assumption in this business. It is a road to disappointment and broken relationships.

Always insist on 50% of your pay before delivering ANY job. Settle this even before you finish the job. If a client is unwilling to agree to this, don't push it. This will save you a lot of trouble trust me. No matter how juicy the offer looks. You can only relax this method in exceptional cases.

Do some digging on your clients. Every small detail helps. I have been saved from entering into "tricky" jobs through this.

Now, I have provided a few suggestions on the main post and on some of my responses to comments that you will find helpful. In addition, I would like you to consider what matters to you most: your education or writing jobs? Freelance writing is education too, but it's a different type of education. One that may conflict with your programme.

Writing is not easy. Some projects can take up your entire day or week. 24hours round the clock. Seriously. So you need some balance.

I would advise you don't get into too many writing jobs if you know you can't cope considering your current academic pursuits/goals.

Use the opportunity to study, and do some research on writing. There is always a period in a writer's life when things look slow. Don't fret. Just don't stop growing.

Don't stop advertising yourself. Everywhere. Go for opportunities. Apply for as many as you can. This gives you opportunity to select. Remember, you can't work on too many jobs at the same time considering your schooling.

Since you have sent me a message already, I will answer your remaining questions via email in order not to drag this out.

Cheers.

Timcy01:



Amazing post. Thank you for this.
Considering the global image challenge Nigeria is having right now, would you advice that a new writer register on a freelancing website as a Nigerian

Websites like Fiverr and Upwork provide important platforms for writers. Both economically and in terms of expertise. They also have some disadvantages that I will not get into here.

Nigerians have really had it bad. No thanks to bad governance and the menace of internet fraudsters. I once did a job where I was the last to get paid because the US based company had to break protocol in order to send my pay. Naturally, the process took longer than usual.

You really can't stop pursuing opportunities on those freelancing platforms though. The process may be difficult but you just have to keep at it. If you have other sources of getting jobs, then no need to break your back over it.

I would like to mention, as ordinary as it looks: Facebook is a great way to get something going for yourself. Many writers want to make money but don't want to spend money. A well targeted Facebook marketing Ad can really open some doors for you. Some cost as low as 1k.

In all, writers must be wiling to do the grunt work to get their works out there.

Lothlorien:
Good morning folks,

I trust you all have had a pleasant day so far. I'll just dig right into the topic. I am keeping this “short and sweet”

Like Uatu The Watcher, I have been observing the “drama” between many Nairaland writers and their clients. It can be quite entertaining. Some of it is funny, some of it ludicrous, while some is just plain sad.
It can be quite depressing and aggravating when you get a “Kansas City Shuffle” played on you after toiling for hours(sometimes days or even weeks) on a 5000 word piece. It’s the stuff of nightmares!
However, I have discovered that the real problem lies with the writer. That’s right. Nairaland writers are their own worst enemies. Let me explain.

NUMBER ONE: Majority of you have no idea how the business of writing works! The ignorance and mediocrity is so thick and palpable you can almost cut it with a knife. If you want to enter any business or any field of study, the first thing you do is: AQUIRE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THAT FIELD! I mean isn’t that why people go to school in the first place? I see a lot of folks around here say “I am a writer” but can’t even construct a simple paragraph. Some of their paragraphs look like it was shot full of holes by some drug crazed soldier.

There is no rule of thumb that says you must have a background in the arts to be a writer, but in the name of the spirit of creativity, know your work! Quincy Jones once said: “you have got to respect the gift God gave you by learning your craft”. It’s that simple. How do you expect all the contractors and clients running around Nairaland to respect you when you write without skill? No skill, no fluidity and no coherence gets you ZERO money.

How do you hone your skills? Simple. It is a four letter word. READ! A good writer is not just a reader, but an insatiable reader. Read everything. Know something about everything, and everything about something. If you write for 1hour, read for 3hours. Why? What you read is stored in your mind even when you can’t seem to recall it. It flows into your writing over time. Ever notice yourself using words and expressions in your work you can’t remember where you learnt them? Chances are you read it or learnt it somehow. You want to be an exceptional writer? This is how you do it. No shortcuts. Anybody can call themselves “a writer”, but it’s not something you parrot. You earn it by investing days, months and years developing yourself. Many of you need to get off Nairaland and go learn some basic writing.

NUMBER TWO: BE SMART! For the love of God acquire and apply wisdom. It’s easy to see that many of you are simpletons and neophytes that’s why you keep getting scammed from every corner. It’s so easy it’s like taking candy from a baby. Now here is something to help you: NEVER release or submit a work without getting at least 50% of your fee. It is willful naïveté on your part to think that a client (who most times is faceless) will hold up their end of the bargain on a job, especially when you have never worked with said faceless client.

I have only done two(2) jobs in my life where I was paid in full after submitting the work. The first is the lowest I have ever been paid for a job. It was 5000 Naira for a one page speech. That’s right, one page. It was barely 500 words. And the money was practically ready before I delivered it. It took barely 30minutes to write.

The second was a piece I did for an online American magazine. It was less than 1000 words and I was paid 25k for it. Of course I had to wait because their method of operation(payment wise) wouldn’t work with my SOP. A piece of advice:

Barring a client whose integrity you have tested on previous jobs, don’t place 100% trust in any online contractor. What most of them even call writing offers on Nairaland are practically hopeless. When you are done with any job, withhold it and send bits of the finished work(ebook, article etc) enough to guarantee its authenticity but not enough for the client to piece a substantial part of the work from. For example, if you write an ebook for a client, send a few pages(no more than 2) from a middle chapter in the book. Make it random. For an article, send only one paragraph. Yes, I said one paragraph. No jokes.

Many of you are so eager to grab a “job” and show your “skill” that you inadvertently display your lack of tact and experience. Be wise. Show some common sense. Some jobs here are not even worth the time or energy. You would find it a more valuable use of your time learning how to rope calves than writing some silly article for some shady contractor.

I have never taken a job from Nairaland because a great deal of what passes for “writing jobs” on this forum is nonsensical. Really. Add to that: a host of thieving and forked tongued clients and contractors. I get my jobs mostly from referrals and from Twitter. In my opinion, if you really want to make a living from writing, Nairaland is not your Eldorado. I am not saying you can’t get good jobs here, but don’t spend all your time chasing after every post that says: “Writers Needed” or “Opportunity for Writers”. You can’t even do a decent data plan from what they pay. This brings me to my third and final point.

NUMBER THREE: VALUE! In the business of writing, it is VERY important for you to know what you are worth. I can’t stress this enough. The only way to command good pay for your job is to know your value. And you can’t talk about value if you write like an inebriated youth. I am appalled at what Nairaland writers accept as “Standard Pay”. 1naira or 2naira per word. Really? Seriously? In this day and age? It is ridiculous and demeaning. I once saw someone advertise a job here and the pay was even in kobo. I was shocked! Wait, can you even buy anything on the streets today for 1naira You writers need to wake up! WAKE UP!! You are the reason why clients and contractors keep playing you around and acting like small gods on this forum. If only you know what some folks outside Nairaland are willing to offer for quality work, you will never waste time here again.

On another post offering a job, I observed a “writer” advertising his skills. Apparently, he could write short stories between 1000 and 2000 words for 500naira! Unbelievable! This is why I said initially that many of you have no idea what the business of writing is about. Do you know what it takes to write a quality short story or piece for 2000 words? Except your writing is poor or you intend to plagiarize, you will never accept such miserable offers. Some of these clients are your fellow writers. They take jobs worth 300k and above and rush to Nairaland to outsource it for 1naira per word. They may end up paying you 30k or 50k(if you are fortunate) for the job and waltz away with a cool 250k for doing nothing! If you are smart and wise(point number two)you will know how to hook them and bill them.

If you are reading this and still charge clients for jobs at 1naira, 2naira you need to reevaluate what you are doing. Like I said earlier, the lowest I have ever been paid for a job is 5k(and I don’t even accept that kind of job anymore). Please understand me, I am not saying you shouldn’t start from somewhere. There will always be the days of little beginnings. You can’t make it to the top in a single leap. But in writing, even your little beginning should have a firm footing beneath you.

Go back and work on your craft. You want to command good pay? Pay the price of painstaking study. I don’t mean go back to school. Read books from exceptional writers. Both online and offline. When you watch movies, cartoons or listen to music, be on the look out for words, expressions or ideologies that you are unfamiliar with. Read newspapers. Watch documentaries. Write what you see and hear until it becomes second nature.

I once submitted a piece for an online platform that I will not name. The editor in charge of our section sent me a mail and said: “your piece was incredibly well written”. When it was time for the editing proper, the process was fast and fluid. Why? I had done my home work. The piece in question was over a thousand words and it took less than two hours to write.

With deep thanks to God, I have never grovelled for a job. When I make a pitch, I let my samples do my talking for me(when you have done your home work, your confidence soars like an eagle). It’s useless to tell a potential client that you are a writer. I can write articles, stories. So? It doesn’t amount to the proverbial hill of beans. And this is something you should learn: every client knows great writing when they see one. Even when they try to act cool, they know when they have quality in their hands. When a job is worth 50k and the client wants to pay 10k, I explain politely why I can’t take the job and go my merry way. I don’t sweat it. I have gone months on end without taking any job. That’s because my previous jobs always pay well enough that I can go another seven months without bothering.

Once again, you need to wake up. Sharpen your skills and launch out into the deep. Stop playing games here. You will end up writing 10 articles of a thousand words each and get nothing but a classic WhatsApp block for your troubles. Acquire knowledge, work smart, be polite and graceful yet subtle as a serpent. That’s right, the advice in the Bible is still very much valid. And of course, understand the value of your time and craft.

Lothlorien.

Thanks. Please how much would be ideal to charge for writing a complete biography?