How to hire a freelance writer for corporate writing jobs.

Save yourself time, money and consternation. Follow these tips for finding a writer you’ll love to work with.

Think through a project first.
Everyone is so time-crunched, that this first step is often overlooked. Before you call writers, know what the written piece should communicate, who your audience is, and what your time frame, word count and sources will be. If the writer can tweak the piece to serve several needs (i.e., Web site content, an e-newsletter and an HR bulletin), determine that in advance, too.

Your writer will be better able to tackle the job without bugging you; you will receive a more accurate job estimate; and you’ll get more bang for your buck!

Be open-minded.
Ideally, you’d find a freelancer whose experience exactly matches your needs (i.e., someone who writes nothing but annual reports for heavy-equipment manufacturers – if that’s the business you’re in.) Finding a perfect match could be time-consuming or impossible, however. Instead, consider freelancers who write about related industries or in related mediums (general manufacturing, construction, white papers and annual reports in general).

Talented writers easily transfer their skills and instincts from one subject or format to another.

Weigh using a talent agency with the advantages of hiring a writer directly.
Yes, talent agencies can be “one-stop shopping,” where the search is done for you. They can have good talent on their rosters. But the folks who do the matching do not always understand a job’s parameters and subtleties because they do not do the work every day. And they pay their writers approximately half of the hourly rate they charge you, which tends to attract younger, less-experienced or part-time writers to assignments.

Hire a writer directly and there is no wasted time with misunderstood abilities or availability. The writer who receives a fair market rate in full will go above and beyond to deliver what you need and then some. After all, good writers take pride in your being their personal client.

Look for writers who are thorough and conscientious.
They’ll be organized and have systematic approaches for research, drafting a piece, obtaining approvals and delivering copy for production.

Organized writers work from a timeline and often like to prep corporate sources before an interview to get to key messages as quickly as possible.

Seek a writer with creative spark.
Creativity is not all flourishes and colorful adjectives. It can be the angle of a story, the way information is organized, an on-the-nose metaphor or an effective way to obtain approvals.

Look beyond hourly rates.
Compare how much writers charge for the project, not by the hour. As with everything else you buy, the cheapest bid is not always the best deal. But a high price had better come with something extra, too.

In the Chicago market, experienced writers charge an average of $75-100 an hour for corporate work. Question qualifications of someone who charges really low rates. Specialists, such as speechwriters and strategic consultants, may charge $125-200 or more an hour.

Don’t hesitate to negotiate. Writers often will charge less if the job requires more editing than writing. If the initial project is one in a series to be given to the writer, ask for a discount.

Request a job estimate before the project begins.
It should include details on what the writer will accomplish, what will be charged (using a low-high range) and any other terms, such as paying for out-of-pocket expenses, kill fees and billing cycles.

Go get a drink together when the project is finished.
Better yet, make that writer take you to lunch and share a few stories of your own. We writers like to know what matters to you.