Are You A Pro Writer Or A Low Baller?

Ten days ago, a prospective lady website owner visited my blogsite and left me a message. She inquired about my fee for a 500-word article on love and romance. I promptly wrote her back that I charge $25 for it.

“That’s too high,” she emailed. “I can get the same job done at elance for $5”.

I thanked her for her interest in my writing services and encouraged her to try the elance bid.

Yesterday, I heard from her again. She said that she wanted me to write that 500-word article on love and romance.

“How about those freelance writers at elance who charge you $5?” I asked.


“Their finished articles were way below my quality expectations, “came the prompt reply.

You get what you pay for, I silently sighed under my breath.


Anyway, this particular client thought that we, freelance writers, are the same. She never knew that, in the writing industry, there exists professional writers and low-ballers. These low-ballers have a negative impact on you and in the writing profession as a whole.


You may ask, “What’s a low baller?” Good question. In my own opinion (and I always stand corrected on this!), a low baller is someone who purposely lowers down the market-driven writing fee just to earn that extra money.

Too often, he or she is not really a writer by profession but merely someone who occasionally dabbles at writing. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course, except that low ballers are not keen on quality.

Contrast that with a pro writer. A pro-writer writes for a living. He or she could be a professional and published book writer, a screenplay writer, essay writer, content writer, etc. He or she has a great talent for writing honed up in several years of hard work and experience. A pro writer ALWAYS ensures quality output and on schedule. And he or she can be depended upon, pays for electric bills, taxes, Internet connection, PC maintenance, and valuable time. Most of all, a pro writer has a good reputation to keep.

Should we, pro writers, lower our fee just to stay in the market? My opinion is, we should not. We will focus on quality and let quality writing dictate market price. Sooner or later, it will catch up with us.

What should we do with low ballers? Honestly, I don’t know. In my particular case, I just grin and bear it. If they accept below market price writing fee, let them be. As I’ve said a while ago, I will focus on giving quality service.

When clients need serious writing, they do not go to these low ballers. Instead, they go to us pro writers despite the marked difference between our fees. These quality-conscious clients are willing to pay for that extra money in return for well-written, engaging, informative, and plagiarism-free pieces of content.

And that, I believe, is the distinction that tips the balance in our favor.