You are a business owner looking for someone to write for your blog, but you’re wondering what type of writer would be best to hire? here are 5 wrong criteria to find a writer for your business.
You may be thinking that the writer has to be a native English speaker, and have a degree in journalism. So you are hunting for such specific criteria.
What you don’t know, is that while doing so, you’re missing on great talents that could be the right fit for you.
But how can you find out who’s the best fit for the job?
The best fit for the job is the kind of writer who can write about anything.
Someone who’s able to express himself or herself in a creative, conversational and entertaining way.
Someone who often times thinks in writing mode – meaning they are thinking as if they were writing what they are thinking.
Yes, people who write a lot tend to think that way a lot.
So, if you were to hire this type of writer, chances are that you would be hiring the right writer for your business, no matter what business you’re in.
At the moment, I’m working on several small projects, but I’m also working on a 20,000 word eBook discussing a subject that I knew absolutely nothing about.
How is that even possible, and how do I do that?
Well, that’s the job of the writer.
Being able to adapt to any situation and work at it like a pro.
Wouldn’t you want to hire such writer?
If so, I’m going to assume that you are in the market for someone to write your blog posts or other writing projects, and I’m going to show you what you should not be afraid of when you’re shopping around in search for a great writer.
By the same token, if you are a writer who feels intimidated by what I’m discussing here, I’m sure it will prove to you that you can do it too.
Here are 5 wrong criteria that are preventing you from finding the right writer for your business blog.
1 – The Writer Needs to be an English Native Speaker
This is the worst false criterion there is.
My mother tongue is French, but I’ve been living in the US for 22 years, and I’ve been thinking, breathing and writing in English for half my life.
You could say that English has become my second mother tongue, even though I’ve spent the first half of my life in France, which makes me a full blown French native speaker, and not an English native speaker.
But why is this not a good criterion you should be attached to when looking for a writer?
Because when you have a talent or ability for something such as writing, you’d be surprised how the language is not going to make much difference at all in the end.
One day someone told me that whether I spoke French, English or Spanish, I talked a lot and loud. Did the language change that “ability” of mine? No, of course not. Because that’s something in me. Not something that depends on the language I’m speaking at the moment.
A non-native English speaker who has the desire to write either for themselves, for others or both, is going to write perfectly fine. You’ll never know they’re non-native English speakers.
As a business owner looking for the perfect writer for your blog, don’t fall into the trap of eliminating a non-native English speaker to do the job. There are more non-native English speakers who are professional bloggers and freelance writers than you think.
Here are a few names you may recognize:
Henneke Duistermaat from Enchanting Marketing – Netherlands
Bamidele Onibalusi from Writers in Charge – Nigeria
Ana Hoffman from Traffic Generation Café – Russia
Mary Jaksh from Goodlife Zen – Germany
Farnoosh Bock from Prolific Living – Iran
These and many more, are top bloggers/writers whose mother tongue is not English. They are the living proof that this notion is totally irrelevant.
You need to treat a non-English native speaker like any other writer, solely based on the work they’ve done.
Here is just a snippet of the type of comments I get on a regular basis…
The way you explain your ideas is unbeatable! The article is rich in content, and magnetic too.
This is my first visit to your blog, I’m very happy Google redirected me to this page. You are talented no doubt.
It’s always a pleasure to read your posts. I love your writing style. Your posts are always so clear.
2- The Writer Needs to know about your Specific Topic
Just like an actor doesn’t need to know anything about a specific character type in order to play the role, a writer doesn’t need to know anything about a specific topic to be able to write about it.
As a freelance writer, I’ve written more often about topics I knew nothing about than I did about topics that I was expert in.
Actually, just about every time I write on topics that aren’t my own.
Only 3 things are necessary to help a writer come up with incredibly good work, and they are:
- Research
- Curiosity
- Passion for writing
Some research has shown that studying any given subject for 21 days will make you an expert on that subject.
It may seem incredible to you, but think about it!
Studying a subject anywhere from 5-7 hours a day for 21 days!
Can you imagine the amount of information you would have gathered?
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you have to have someone with a BA in the topic you need to discuss in your business blog.
This is a completely false notion that will make you miss out on great potential writers for your business.
3- The Writer Needs to Have a Resume
The more skilled and experienced the writer, the less likely he or she will have a typical resume to show you.
Why?
Their online portfolio is a heck of a resume already.
Writers may or may not have a resume, but if you are in the market of hiring someone to write for you, don’t be obsessed with resumes, but rather look for talent, originality, willingness and availability to do the job.
4- The Writer Needs to Have a Degree in Journalism
If everyone talented for writing had to have a degree in journalism, there would have been many wasted talents that you would have never heard about.
What you need to look for in a writer, rather than a degree in journalism, is passion, talent, skill, and creativity.
No degree can assure you any of that, because passion, talent, skill, and creativity are not learned. They can only be improved if they’re already there to start with.
5- The Writer Needs to be Perfect
What is a perfect writer?
What is a perfect actor?
What is a perfect musician?
What is a perfect painter?
Do you see where I’m going here?
There is a difference between finding the perfect writer for you, and looking for a writer that’s perfect.
Being talented at something, and being perfect are two different things. The fact that you are a talented writer that can do the job doesn’t mean that you have to be perfect.
If you need a talented writer to handle the online writing that promotes your business, it doesn’t mean that he or she needs to be perfect.
What perfect means for you, may not mean the same thing for someone else, so forget about finding someone who never makes mistakes, or who does everything as you think they should be doing.
Make perfect of the imperfections of your writer and they’ll do the same for you.
Look for the right writer for you, not the perfect writer there is.
Conclusion
Being a native English speaker, knowing about all the topics under the sun, having a resume handy, a degree in journalism or being perfect, are not good criteria you should be looking for in your search for a writer for your business blog.
But if you are looking for such criteria, look out for my next post on this topic. I’ll be discussing the right criteria that you should be looking for to find the perfect writer for your business blog.
In the meantime, why not opt in for business blogging tips right now!
Hi Sylviane,
You are so right about all that you mentioned 🙂
I say this as being a fellow freelance writer, one goes through the same all the time! Yes, writers need to write on any given topic and that is where their skill lies – one doesn’t have to be an English Native speaker at all – and this one factor at times keeps people away from giving you work, unless they see your portfolio and know what you can provide.
A writer doesn’t need a resume or degree in journalism at all, but yes, they can keep polishing their skill and that happens over time – the more you write, the better you become, isn’t it? And no one is perfect – goes for a writer too, but writing in a way that conveys the point is what matters.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
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Hi Harleena,
I’m glad you came because I know you can relate to all these.
If I remember well, you did speak some English growing up, but at the same time it’s not 100% your mother tongue either.
Yes, every writer gets better as time goes on. The more we practice writing, the better we get.
Thank you for you input.
~Sylviane
Hi Sylviane,
I can’t wait to read your next article. I know so many business owners and entrepreneurs that would love to have a great blog or write a book, but they simply don’t have the time.
At the same time, they have heard so many horror stories from their friends and associates who hired a copywriter and the experience was horrible.
The reason it was horrible had a lot more to do with them than anything else. They were evaluating someone’s talent and skillset on the wrong criteria.
You’ve outlined some important ideas and steps that people ought to think about just in this article.
Bring on the next one… I’m ready and will be sharing it with my friends!
Have a great week!
~ Don Purdum
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Hi Don,
The reason I wanted to write this 2 posts series is because I see lots of ads for writers, and some people seem to stick to the native English speaker with a resume, and all this non-sense stuff. They need to hear the truth 🙂
While I realize that some non-native bloggers have some improvement to do, the fact that one is non-native, or a degree in journalism doesn’t make them bad writers at all, and the list of folks I included here is proof of that.
So far my clients have been happy with me, so yes, if you know people who need writers easy to work with, and that are no nightmare, send them my way 🙂
Thanks you so much for your support.
PS: By the way I connected with Kim George and gave her feedback on her post. I really love her site. Great new connection thanks to you 🙂
~Sylviane
Hey Sylviane,
I was just talking to my Mom today about writing and telling her that I didn’t think I could do what you do. Maybe that stems from the fact that I’m not exactly passionate about writing. I suppose if I were then I would want to do much more of it and it wouldn’t matter for who.
I definitely can see your point though because I’ve heard that a lot of writers have no clue about their subjects but have to do the research in order to be able to put together a great piece.
I’m familiar with the people you mentioned above and I too knew that none of them resided in the United States and Harleena is included there as well. I know she’s a freelance writer too yet lives in India.
There are just so many very talented people online today and I think given the opportunity will surprise a lot of people. Look at how well you’re doing my dear!
Thanks for sharing this and of course clearing this up for everyone. You did a great job explaining this topic for sure.
Hope you have an amazing week and you take care.
~Adrienne
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Hi Adrienne,
Writing is not easy, for sure. It requires a lot of work, and I totally understand that not everyone would be motivated by that.
If I’m not wrong I think that Ana Hoffman lives in Texas, and I think that Henneke leaves in the US as well, no? But I don’t know for the other ones, except for Oni who does live in Nigeria for sure. Harleena lives in India, but grew up speaking English in School and also at home some. She told me that a while back.
Either way, all those guys write great English for sure.
As for me, I sure didn’t grow up speaking English at all, and didn’t start learning it until my early twenties. So I always smile when people ask me if I speak French still, over there in good USA 🙂
I’m glad you like this post. The next in this mini-series will be about the qualities people should be looking when hiring a writer.
Thanks so much for coming, and your input.
~Sylviane
Hi Sylviane.
How are you?
Great tips you have shared
On what it requires to be a writer.
Did you take a lot of time
To analyze and put thee down
Or did it happen automatically?
Thanks for sharing.
Regards
Hi Vee,
Well, pretty much everything I write comes out of me like water out of a faucet. When I write for myself anyway, because I already know what I want to discuss, and usually know it like the back of my hand too. So now I’m curious, why you ask?
Thanks for coming, and have a great day!
I was just curious Sylviane.
Enjoy your week.
Regards
Hi Sylviane,
OK, you convinced me about non-native English writers. I wouldn’t have guessed you are a French native by reading your writing. I think as long as the writer has enough experience in a regional dialect to know the idoms, etc., it doesn’t really make a difference. What I look for in a content writer is originality and the ability to pick a thoughtful angle. You definitely have that!
Hi Ian,
Well, thank you so much for the beautiful compliment. I’ll use it the future for sure.
The list of writers/bloggers I mentioned in my post is all the more proof that you don’t have to be an English native to writer great.
Thanks so much for coming by and hope to see you around soon.
~Sylviane
Well, I’d never have guessed English wasn’t your first language.
Writers should be judged on individual merits, rather than if they fit a rigid criteria set by a non-writer.
Previous work samples and a portfolio can tell you a lot about their ability and writing style, links to a portfolio of work is a worthwhile addition to any resume.
Hi Claire,
Great, that’s the goal. Obviously, if someone can tell that you’re not an English native, as a writer, then there’s a problem. However in the case of top writers, no one can tell.
Thanks for coming and for your comment.
~Sylviane
The point about not needing a degree in journalism is key, I believe. Admittedly, I’m a little biased but when assessing a writer you should judge them based on their adaptability and the work you’ve seen by them.
That’s totally right, Charlie.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
~Sylviane
Hey Sylviane,
Going off of your first point, The first people I thought of were Ana, Henneke, and you of course. You sincerely don’t have to be a native speaker in order to write well enough to sound professional and give an understanding to your audience. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be able to tell that any of you were native English speakers if nothing was said.
You’re right about perfection. I mean what is perfection? That’s subjective meaning everyone has their own idea of what perfection is.
There were people who harped on my grammar and speech since I do have a Southern accent, but I pointed out that there isn’t really one standard perfect way of saying things, or even writing them. I figured if that’s the case, you have to discredit all other forms of English, from Great Britain to Australia. The only thing we really need to be cognizant of is the slang we use in everyday language within our environment compared to the rest of the world the speaks your native language.
Thanks Sylviane for sharing! Happy Hump Day!
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Hi Sherman,
You said it. There is no right or wrong way to speak with a certain accent. One of my favorite answers when someone would say, you have an accent, I would say, well you do too, we all have an accent don’t we? That usually was enough to shut them up and make them think. Didn’t want to be mean, but I love to make people think anytime I can 🙂
Sorry for the late reply, and thank you for coming.
Hi Sylviane!
I can verify through my own experiences that what you’ve written is true. When I was first starting my Kindle publishing business, I wrote all of the books myself. Was I an expert on the topics? Not at all.. but I could take the information I learned and reorganize it in a way that suited Kindle well. I’ve received plenty of 5 star reviews.
Now I must admit when hiring freelancers I’ve only ever hired native English speakers, but that was only because I was told time and time again that this was the way to go. You’re right, I am sure it as not as necessary as we may have initially thought so long as we take time to screen writers. Even the native speakers I have hired don’t write as well as you… so good job proving your own point hahaha.
In the end it comes down to who can get the job done well, and it seems like one’s background doesn’t have as much of an effect as some may have originally thought!
Thanks Sylviane!
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Hi James,
Yes, people are a lot like sheep, they just follow the crowd. Truth be told, many English speakers suck at learning another language, and writing correctly in that language is not even imaginable, so they figure that a none English native could never write like a pro, but that’s where they are so wrong.
You see most of the people I mention here, including myself, come from a language that’s more complex than the English language, so when we master it, it’s no big deal anymore.
Thanks for sharing your great experience with Kindle.
Hi Sylviane
Very valid points you mentioned here and the first one is sufficient to tell how people have developed so many wrong criteria and that is why so many times they suck.
For my green blog I receive guest posts from people related to green niche and the only criteria I focus is their passion to work for green planet and they sometime in very simple words share a biggest reality related to their niche.
Many thanks for sharing such a thoughtful post on an important topic quite helpful for those who outsource content writing jobs.
Have a great weekend ahead.
Hi Sylviane. I would have thought that a native speaker would be important. As I think about it though, it might actually be better if they weren’t a native speaker. Non-native speakers usually haven’t learned all of the bad habits that native speakers have developed. Therefore their grammar may be better so that the text can be read more easily.
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Hi Sylviane,
A wonderful piece of advice to people looking to hire writers for their blogs and businesses.
I know you’ve written this largely from your own personal experience, because you’re not a native English writer, and you probably don’t have some of the other things that people often think are important of a writer.
Yet, you’ve still built a great reputation and business through your writing skills.
This article is yet another addition to your sparkling portfolio, my dear.
And for people looking to hire writers for their own blogs or online business, keep in mind these 5 important points.
Don’t choose writers based on the wrong criteria. It’s too important a part of managing your business.
-Donna
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Hi Sylviane,
This is like a breath of fresh air. You have successfully demolished the typical advice given by ‘those who know’.
I particularly like the point you make about Native English speakers. You’ve listed some great writers, none of whom are native English speakers. The key point is that talent, hard work and dedication are the real qualities a writer needs to acquire the pre-requisite skills. Country of birth is a non-issue.
All of your other points are spot on, as well.
I look forward to the next instalment.
Kim
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Hi SYLVIANE,
Content is the most important part of building a successful online business. It is the most effective way to connect with your target audience. Finding a good writer can be the best thing that can happen to your blog or website. It would ensure you can produce quality content for your blog visitors on a consistent basis. This will help you build a relationship with them which can help grow your online business. I really love the useful tips you have shared in this post about finding an appropriate writer for your business. Thanks. Would look forward to reading more such useful articles from you.
Hi Sylviane,
Thanks for this wonderful post! I work as a Content writer for many professional bloggers. And i am not a native English speaker. The real Bloggers choose the writers on the basis of their capabilities and passion towards writing. I was not good at English writing when i started,but working with others helped me to improve my English Grammar and Vocabulary.
Thanks again for this post!
Happy Blogging!
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Hi SYLVIANE,
Content is the most important part of building a successful online business. It is the most effective way to connect with your target audience. Finding a good writer can be the best thing that can happen to your blog or website. It would ensure you can produce quality content for your blog visitors on a consistent basis. This will help you build a relationship with them which can help grow your online business. I really love the useful tips you have shared in this post about finding an appropriate writer for your business. Thanks. Would look forward to reading more such useful articles from you.
Hii the things you mentioned for choosing a Content Writer are right and I agree with with. But the thing is if some one is running short of budget so he/she will hire any writer even without looking at his/her experience and I would also like to comment on Your point 4. It’s not necessary that the writer should hold a degree in Journalism even there are some guys who write very well even they blog to some other fields.
Thanks for sharing
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Hi Sylviane,
You’ve got an interesting subject here. It all comes down to message and putting it across to your audience. I think any writer who truly understands the essence of what message is being relayed is writer you need.
There’s always someone who will have an opinion either way. Mine is that there’s not enough British English on the web. It’s all mostly American English and this can grate a bit with me when I’m reading a blog owned by a British person. I’m all for hiring writers from anywhere to write for my blog whose message echoes mine and I wouldn’t re-write their content to make it match my British English. But I’ve had my writing re-written into American English.
Also, it depends on the audience. They choose who they want writing the content they read on a particular blog, or in particular books. I know some bloggers won’t accept guest writers because guest posts aren’t popular with their readers. That’s okay. I wonder though, if they hire ghost writers.
Like I say, interesting subject, Sylviane, thanks.
– Tom
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Hi Tom,
Yes, American English really dominates the web. I’ve even read some ads for writers that said that they wanted “American English” on their site, not British English. I found it interesting since the most proper English of the two is the British.
Thanks for coming and sorry for the late reply.
Have a great week!
I have been struggling to get the right writers. Thanks for sharing this
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