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Are You Protected From Offshore Writers? Here’s How…

By Michael Stelzner

No offense to those of you outside the United States (especially India), but many folks here are a bit concerned about job security.

As writers, many of us have reason to worry. The fact is that offshore writers will accept a far smaller pay to do our work. All you need to do is snoop around Elance.com to see what I mean.

So when I came across Michelle Murphy’s article entitled Protecting Yourself from Offshoring in the Society of Technical Communicators monthly Intercom Magazine, I just had to share some of it.

Note: Much of this applies to ANY writer, freelance or corporate.

So, here is what you need to do (per the article):

Be a strategic collaborator.

Know your company’s [or clients] strategic plan. Your company most likely has a strategic plan, which may or may not be published. Find out if it’s available and how your department supports it. If it’s not available, find out who you can talk to about the company’s goals and objectives.

Until you know these goals, you can’t intentionally support them. Know how to strategically articulate your department’s contributions. Once you know your company’s strategic plan, write down how your department supports it. Taking the time to complete this activity will help you understand your role in your company’s overall business approach.

Clearly articulate your value.

According to Jeff Thull, noted business speaker and author of multiple marketing books and articles, “Value truly is in the eye of the beholder. If your customer can’t perceive the value you provide, it doesn’t exist. Period.”

Keep a detailed log. Tracking your experience, knowledge, and skills makes it easier to remember what you bring to the table.

Know your results. For instance, “I help users overcome the learning curve associated with using complex software by designing dynamic online help packages” helps get listeners beyond your job title to the results you produce.

Engage in self-promotion. Many of us may not like to “sell” ourselves because we feel like we’re bragging or—worse—getting into the weeds of what we do (as we watch our listener’s eyes glaze over). The reality is many people may not understand what we do.

Keep your skills current.

Take a class to learn something new. Don’t be afraid to branch out. Learning things outside our field helps us relate to those we might be trying to influence most.

Attend conferences. Attend conferences that are relevant to your interests or that may help you investigate potential future interests.

Get your graduate degree. There’s no better way to plug into what’s going on in the field than to go to graduate school.

How big is this threat from offshore writers? Have you taken any steps to secure yourself? Let’s hear from you.

  • I don't think you need to worry about Indian writers. It's a totally different type of writing as compared to American writing.
  • It's exceptionally rare that anyone interested in my services is talking to anyone from India or any low rate copywriter.

    And once I start working with a client this becomes even less of an issue.

    The reasons are:
    1. I position myself deep in a niche - in my case I specialize in writing online copy for information marketers - especially in marketing related fields.

    2. I help my clients make substantial income from my copy and from suggestions they simply could not have got anywhere else.

    When you have deep experience in a niche you know more, see more and can create far more value for your clients.

    This also tends to eliminate competition - it's very easy to be the leading writer or copywriter in a small niche.

    Kindest regards,
    Andrew Cavanagh
  • Matt, Jim, Jonathan and Whitney;

    Thanks for the lively discussion!

    Jim, I think you hit on an important point when you said "The key is to add value beyond merely writing." If you, the writer, can add some value on the marketing side or even existing topical knowledge on the subject, that should add brownie points.

    Mike
  • My point about "basic tasks" such as programming wasn't a condemnation of American programmers, but it is a fact that with software programming, one doesn't have as much flexibility as writing descriptive text.

    If you stray from structured programming guidelines the program doesn't run. This adherence to a formal, structured programmig language is where the Indian labor market has benefited, and where (unfortunately) U.S. software companies have seen little difference between what the Indian programmer and their American counterpart.

    Whether this approach has worked or has caused more problems is a discussion for those in programming circles and the companies that employ them. I can only go on what I have heard from those that do, and their reasons for sending programming work offshore to India.
  • I don't think that *anyone* who speaks English as a second (or third) language is competition for experienced American writers who need to write solid documents in English for an English-speaking audience. (The same statement extends to our friends in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Canada who need to write documents in their flavor of English for their markets.)

    But that doesn't mean that there hasn't been a whole lot of companies trying to outsource technical documentation and training manuals to the Indians (and others) to do.

    A year ago, a friend got a contract project to write training manuals for a company in the Northeast. The company had already sent the project to a service in India; the total cost of the work they did was in the neighborhood of $2100. I'll abridge my description of the writing to say that it was blatantly obvious that English wasn't the writer's first language (and it was barely their second). When the company asked for revisions, the service couldn't comprehend what it was that was wrong with their output.

    Enter my friend. She couldn't use anything from the Indian-produced manuals -- not even the screen shots because there were typos in the data fields in those. Had to start from scratch. Total bill for her manuals: $5300 and change.

    The client company never went back to the service in India...or any others over there. They continued to outsource to my friend until just recently, when they brought an American writer back on staff full-time.

    Although I understand where Mr. Kantor is coming from, having worked in software development groups with programmers, I'd personally be hesitant to make blanket statements about outsourcing programming to India (or lumping programming in the same sentence with "other basic tasks in volume" unless I wanted to pick a fight with programmers). There are lots of cases where outsourcing programming -- to anywhere -- creates operational, workflow, and communications problems and issues that wouldn't occur to the same extent if the programmer was sitting in-house.

    We tech writers try to stick up for our programmers. If a company is shoving too many programming jobs out the door, the tech docs group usually takes a big hit as well.
  • I dont' view the Indians as being able to compete with a talented and experienced American business writer.

    The Indians use "Kings English". Describing things that would take us a few words using American English, takes them many more words and sentences to accomplish the same task. I have seen papers written by Indians, and after reading it, you scratch your head wondering what they were referring to. As a result, this creates a disconnect with American business executives.

    Indians are great for writing programming code or other basic tasks in volume. When it comes to creating a highly effective white paper that needs to be used a valuable business marketing tool, they fall far short of the goal.
  • The key is to add value beyond merely writing. If what you offer a client is perceived as writing, you become a commodity and price will determine the decision to hire your services.

    I position my services such that my writing is a tool or "thing" that I do, it's nor what my customer's buy. My customer's buy more sales leads, more new customers, increased profitability, etc. I deliver those things with written words. The real value is me, which they can't get elsewhere.

    Elancer's aren't my competition. They can't compare.

    This position is available to everyone. The idea is to determine what you're selling and not allow your services to be a commodity.
  • I'm never going to be able to compete with Indian writers on price, but I've been lucky in that I've found a few regular clients who actually want content for readers so are prepared to pay a reasonable fee. I can imagine how demoralising it must be trawling the freelance writers job listings on a weekly basis and seeing the numerous offers of $10/500 words.

    My advice is that when you find a properly paying client that you cling on to them by making yourself indispensable and writing to your highest possible standard.

    In terms of competing with US writers – there’s nothing better than a bit of healthy competition to help raise your game.
  • Hey Matt - I see you are from the UK. Do writers in India pose a threat to you as well? Or do we in American compete also? - Mike
  • In my experience, Indian writers seem to use a slightly different sentence structure, vocabulary, definitions etc.

    For an SEO company offshore writers might offer the cost effective solution. But if a website wants to attract readers, and turn them into customers, then they need concise, lucid writing which only a properly paid professional can provide.
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