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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.