Odd Requests on Freelancing Sites
By NoWayRo
@NoWayRo (1061)
Romania
September 10, 2011 11:13am CST
I was looking for some new jobs on a freelancing site today, and I found one requesting 80 BMR articles (for those who don't know, Build My Rank is a site where you submit 150-200 words pieces, and they use them to create backlinks for you, for a fee).
So, I applied, discussed the price with the employer, everything seemed ok, and then he asked me: "So, can you deliver within one hour?"
Ummm... deliver what? One sample? Five samples?
"No, the whole project"
Ummm... is the whole project for 8 articles, and 80 is a typo, by any chance?
Then he said: "I don't understand the problem, I myself can do about 100 per hour, but I'm busy right now"
Right. So let's do the math. That means a minimum of 15,000 words per hour. That means a typing speed of 250 wpm. Absolutely no time for research, review, proofread, or a drink of water. I assume this particular employer can also fly around the world and turn back the time when the deadline gets close.
I type at about 90 wpm, and I consider myself quite a skilled typist. Under pressure, I can reach 120, but nowhere near 250. Do you know anybody who does that? 
And more important: what other odd and impossible requests have you met in your life as a freelancer? Or regular employee, bosses can be like that just the same.
And more important: what other odd and impossible requests have you met in your life as a freelancer? Or regular employee, bosses can be like that just the same.3 people like this
9 responses
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
10 Sep 11
I love requests like that. I wonder how he does 100 an hour... maybe he misread the requirements and thought they said 15-20 words...
I once had a request from a guy who wanted 50 blog articles on a variety of subjects in two days. All 350-400 words, fully researched and invented by me, no help given by the employer. So that's 17,500-20,000 words in two days, plus research, proofing, checking, second drafts and everything else.
When I quoted him my price he said "WHAT? They're easy, they shouldn't be so expensive!"
I pointed out that (a) I'd have to drop all my other work for it and (b) it's almost 20,000 words in two days. Even with two 8-hour days, that's over 1,000 fully-researched words per hour, without breaks.
He maintained that I was being stupid with the price.
I told him that, if they were so easy, he should write them himself. Oddly, I never heard from him again...
3 people like this
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
10 Sep 11
That's the only way to deal with such clients.
I only keep clients who understand that rush jobs are charged double my usual fee. I may charge regular fees for very small rush jobs now and then, or when I actually have nothing else to do - and I'm honest about these situations; but if I have to drop everything else for them, it's double or nothing. For some of my regular clients that resulted in far better project management skills on their part - what do you know, they can notify me about future jobs well in advance
20,000 words in two days is quite a lot. I hate it when I don't have a night's sleep in between the last draft and the final proofreading; the morning brings a new perspective (and highlights the typos)
20,000 words in two days is quite a lot. I hate it when I don't have a night's sleep in between the last draft and the final proofreading; the morning brings a new perspective (and highlights the typos)3 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
10 Sep 11
They shoot horses, don't they ? Your maths are correct, and you don't need only to be a good typist to write an article, not mentioning the breaks, including a bathroom break after your glass of water
.
In the future you should discuss first the time you need to do the job, though if it has not been discussed, you have 30 years to write your 80 articles in my country
.
I don't do online freelance, but ignorant employers are not only found online :(
.
In the future you should discuss first the time you need to do the job, though if it has not been discussed, you have 30 years to write your 80 articles in my country.
I don't do online freelance, but ignorant employers are not only found online :(1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
10 Sep 11
Why are you always trying to injure those poor, gentle horses, Top?
1 person likes this
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
10 Sep 11
You're right, topffer, I should bring up the deadline early on. I've had a similar problem a while back, with an employer who said his texts were easy, little research needed, blah blah; and the first keywords were quite decent. Then he gave me a batch on mathematical manipulations of wavefunctions (it was such a torture, I still remember the exact keyword years later), and I couldn't get him to understand that I needed more time for this.
Truth be told, I rarely get such clients, both online and offline, most people are very polite and cooperative, but just one is enough to mess up a whole week.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
10 Sep 11
Wavefunctions
? Is it a swearword ? I needed years to learn trigonometry, and I can't learn any maths when I don't see a practical interest. It was not an employer but a torturer
.
@purple: I have nothing against horses, but sadly the contrary is not true. These animals would have disappeared since centuries without the help of humans ; I think I am a bit human but they have no gratitude for me
.
? Is it a swearword ? I needed years to learn trigonometry, and I can't learn any maths when I don't see a practical interest. It was not an employer but a torturer.
@purple: I have nothing against horses, but sadly the contrary is not true. These animals would have disappeared since centuries without the help of humans ; I think I am a bit human but they have no gratitude for me.1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
11 Sep 11
I had a client ask me to write a short 250 to 300 word piece and gave me 24 hours to do it. That was all fine, BUT he then gave me a list of keywords he wanted in the article that was a mile long. I didn't bother to count them, but I'm sure there were well over a hundred. A hundred keywords in a 300 word article meant that every third word needed to be a keyword on the average. An article with those words would have read like a grocery list and been about as interesting.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160696)
• United States
11 Sep 11
Freelancers can do miracles, daily, while standing on their heads and typing behind their backs with one finger. That just sounds so awful to even think about.
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
11 Sep 11
It's stupid to put tons of keywords in every article, search engines are not that dumb... but you can't convince people to listen to reason all the time. It's just the same when you get a longtail keyword, and a density of 5-6%. Not much stylistic effort wasted on these orders
@Youreyes4Today (2356)
• United States
10 Sep 11
I would ask this person what kind of software he has running to allow him to do that many in one hour.. sheeshh. 12,000 words per hour for 80 articles comes to 200 wpm for the minimum of the 150 word articles. I am sorry I do not know any human yet that can do 200 wpm without errors and the mind of a genius to do such a task without research.
So did you all figure something out or pass this one by?
1 person likes this
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
11 Sep 11
I passed on this job and let somebody else do it. I assume the only way to deal with such orders is to have a company, and a team of 5-6 people ready to work on the same order at the same time. But on the other hand, if you have a company and your 5-6 employees are just standing around waiting for work, this can't be good for business
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
10 Sep 11
So, these "words" ... do they have to be actual words that are found in the dictionary and have a definite meaning or can they be made-up words with your own definition?
Because if it is the latter, then I could probably do it for you for half the fee.
Because if it is the latter, then I could probably do it for you for half the fee.1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
10 Sep 11
Perhaps the other person thought to ask the same question that I asked.
That is just a really weird situation. I think it is best that you did not get the bid, because it sounds like you might have had problems getting paid unless the payment is guaranteed before you do the work.
That is just a really weird situation. I think it is best that you did not get the bid, because it sounds like you might have had problems getting paid unless the payment is guaranteed before you do the work.1 person likes this
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
10 Sep 11
You're full of good questions today, purple, I didn't think to ask that
But you've been outbid already; I just got notified that the project was awarded - to somebody who charged 10% of what I discussed (and the employer had no problem with my price, only with the deadline - so I don't understand why anybody would go so low... but not my problem).
Anyway, the job was awarded 6 hours after it was supposed to be ready within the hour... that was a rush job alright
But you've been outbid already; I just got notified that the project was awarded - to somebody who charged 10% of what I discussed (and the employer had no problem with my price, only with the deadline - so I don't understand why anybody would go so low... but not my problem).
Anyway, the job was awarded 6 hours after it was supposed to be ready within the hour... that was a rush job alright 2 people like this
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
10 Sep 11
Fortunately this site guarantees payments for such projects, but there are times when you have to turn down a potential client anyway. There's no telling what else he could ask for next. Maybe a translation of Thomas Mann's complete works, done by tomorrow noon into four languages?
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160696)
• United States
11 Sep 11
As you tell all these tales, and I read through this discussion I can see everything I have to look forward to. Recently I have become an expert on spicy condiments by a particular manufacturer, but it was fun. I hate it when I am given keywords that do not make grammatical sense, but I have to use them or not get paid.
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
11 Sep 11
Sometimes it's fun to learn new things. Not so sure about auto insurance, but we do what we have to
With keywords that contain grammatical errors, sometimes I write the article with the correct keyword and, after each occurrence, I put in brackets "commonly misspelled as...". Some employers don't want that, so I just use them as they are. Annoying, but what can you do?
With keywords that contain grammatical errors, sometimes I write the article with the correct keyword and, after each occurrence, I put in brackets "commonly misspelled as...". Some employers don't want that, so I just use them as they are. Annoying, but what can you do?
@allknowing (136535)
• India
11 Sep 11
I have been doing tasks for Sharon Bucks which earlier had just a couple of key words that we needed to merge in the article but now there are quite a number of them and it is not easy to fit them in the articles. I do these articles no doubt but it is a tiring job.
@allknowing (136535)
• India
11 Sep 11
I have one more problem. Sharon posts her tasks at a time when India is about to sleep. If she gives a day then these tasks could be completed but she gives only 10 hours which means one would have to stay awake in the night which I do not do.
@asasikumar05 (318)
•
10 Sep 11
am new to freelancer,is it any fake projects like this please clarify me ,which projects can i choose and where is the best places to write articles.
i am having one article writing project accepted ,but still not having any ideas about that projects.please anyone can clarify me.
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
10 Sep 11
The best way to stay clear of scam projects is to work with employers with a proven record of payments. All freelancing sites record the employers' activity, so you can look at their past projects. They select freelancers based on feedback score, but we should do the same with them.
Also, communicate with your employer at all time. It's vital that you understand his specifications - and, if he takes the time to answer your queries and shows decent e-mail etiquette, most likely he's not a scammer.
