There’s been a big debate this week all around the internet about the dangers and benefits that sites like Odesk offer to freelancers. Much of this was created by Odesk’s announcement that it was going to start offering insurance for freelancers who effectively paid to become W-2 employees. You can read the announcement here for yourself: it doesn’t give many details about the plan, sadly, but it’s a start.
In preparation for my series of posts this week on the various things that a copywriter can do to make your life easier, I thought I’d start off with some statements about hiring a freelance writer for any sort of work. The internet has changed the way we work drastically, and it’s worth exploring that in detail before I get into what types of work you can hire people for.
There’s a big debate about sites like Odesk, especially now that they, as well as sites like Demand Studios are offering insurance plans. Advocates of these sites argue that they provide both the writer and the employer with a way to ensure that they get paid and are happy at the end of the transaction. Detractors(specifically in regards to Odesk) argue that the system borders on employee abuse. These sites are known for paying ridiculously low wages(in some cases $1 per hour), and make it hard for freelancers to bid above them. In addition, employers can use systems that monitor key clicks per minute, or even take screenshots and webcam shots to judge employee productivity. Check out this link for more information about this debate. It does a good job of summarizing all the issues involved, including the issues surrounding the idea of being a freelancer versus an employee.
There are multiple markets for copywriters out there, and while there’s some crossover, most freelancers pick one or the other. Some really hate the implications of a system like Odesk, and choose to take the scarier route of marketing themselves directly to companies(for the record, this the side I have come down on). Others really love Odesk: a system that guarantees payment for hourly work is a big deal, and it can be a great way for less experienced writers to get started and build up a client base. That said, I personally don’t know anyone who is neutral about Odesk, or sites like that. Most writers that I deal with have a love it or hate it take on those types of job sites. So be aware that when you talk to writers about it, many of them have very strong opinions about the subject.
So what do I think? For me personally, this article really epitomizes everything that is off about sites like Odesk. I don’t think it’s the fault of Odesk, or of TextBroker, or any of those places. Any site like that ends up emphasizing low price work that tends to be rushed because of the hourly wage constraints. I initially checked out Odesk, and decided that it wasn’t for me. I offer a package deal that involves both writing and marketing consulting, and Odesk doesn’t have a way to account for that. I’ll also admit to having some personal ethical issues with the site: I believe that people should be paid a living wage no matter what country you work in, and Odesk enables companies to pay $.50 an article if there is a provider that will do it. For me, it’s a personal ethical thing. I don’t want to be part of a system that incorporates that.
The whole thing is a really thorny issue among freelancers and writers in general, and this post and the links contained therein really just scratch the surface. As a consumer, educating yourself about all the issues surrounding hiring writers online is the best way to protect yourself from being unsatisfied at the end of a project.
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