As a buyer, what are things you look for in an article writer?

Greetings to you, fellow members and staff!

When you are considering hiring someone to write website content, articles, reviews, etc, what do you look for? Are there specific requirements that you automatically look for? Is there anything you would let slide? Are you a flexible buyer, or do you feel you're a little bit on the strict side?

It has been my experience, that everyone is different. Not one client is the same, nor do they have the same needs. Some things are very basic from what I've seen so far:

Good writing skills.

~ They have to be able to write the language well and use proper spelling, to where it makes sense to the reader.
You don't want to lose a customer because the client can't understand your content.

Consistent communication.

~ Be there for the writer and answer all of their questions. They very well may have lots.
It makes them feel more comfortable in doing business with you, and you want to have awesome content, right??
~ Check in on your content, and ask them if they have any questions.

Resources

~ Provide as much information you can to the writer, even if it's not required. If there's specific information you want mentioned, along with keywords, be sure to give it to them. If it's website content you want spiced up, give them your competitors site so they can knock them out of the water!

~ If you want them to get their information from certain places, then you have to provide them with the resources needed to make their job easier. They cannot by any means read minds... Or at least I can't.

Timelines

~ Be realistic with deadlines, and ask them what they feel would be fair. You're not going to expect a 2000 word article on cows in 24 hrs, when they have 3 due at the same time. Be flexible, or at least be upfront with your expectations.

If you are a flexible buyer, or someone who is more strict, you should tell them this from the very beginning of the journey. Tell them your expectations, and what you are looking for. This way, they can make the decision to take you on as a client. It's tough to find the perfect fit for your needs and budget, but a few things are certain...

You want great quality work from whoever you should choose

So with that being said, share with us what you look for in an article/content writer? What type of buyer are you? Tell us your experiences

You mention a well quality points NaturalWriter... I think I give more priority to timeline because if you can't provide service in given time period than people can't even look at your business....

bluehat: I care about how many keywords in an article and how standard for SEO to get better rankings than others same topics on search engines. (because you can write as well but couldn't get on top search for articles then they are not worthy)
bluehat: I care about who's providing me articles, they are native English or not hence they can give me standard articles.
bluehat: I care about their writing skills, how long they have been in this field.
bluehat: I care about what they will provide for my readers, If they are useful/interesting articles then my articles will have more shares, likes, plus...etc.
...etc...and....etc.....
I usually contact writers directly and send requirements what I need on each article.

I look for cohesion in their pitch. If their own sales page sounds like garbled English, then I avoid using them.

Hello, NaturalWriter!

All the points that you have stated are fair. I absolutely agree that communication as as much detail as possible are essential in working with writers (in fact, with any freelancers).

When I choose a writer to work with, I look at reviews by his or her previous employers. If there are no reviews or if I cannot learn anything particular from them, I contact the writer directly.

I think that direct contact is the best way to decide whether a person is the one I will be working with. Communication, attention to the details, asking questions to clarify something, asking for additional information that is not crucial but might help in some way - those are the best characteristics of a good writer, from my experience.

I always look to have a good balance between price vs quality. I don't care about deadlines. It is important to pay cheap and have good results. Right now I pay for 1000 Words articles $6 which is very good for me. On more orders I also get discounts. I am happy and my clients are happy.

Content writing is important so I guess you need to check out for quality of language, vocabulary, grammatical errors and how well the underlying idea is being communicated.

All the steps to select the article write is Good suggested by You. According to me the best way to select the writer is the strategies which he used to write the article and other their source from where he get the ideas of Articles.