What Exactly is Original Content?

One of the most misunderstood aspects of freelance writing is the term original content. Even among bloggers it is difficult to determine what is original, and what is a rewrite.

Freelance Writing Skills

One of the comments I hear most often is, "how can you write so many versions of the same article?" I wrote 20 articles on '100% Egyptian Cotton' a month ago. Inevitably, the same freelance writers who say this also claim they cannot get paid to write - or they cannot get paid a half decent amount of money. First - they probably don't have a good portfolio on the web. Second - they don't get it.

Get Paid to Write - What You Are Getting Paid For

If you are getting paid $2 to write a blog, then the client doesn't expect anything more than a quick rewrite of content found on the web. Is this plagiarism? No - there is a short phrase that goes 'if you copy one source it is plagiarism. If you copy several it is research.' In a way this is true. As freelance writers we are not paid to sit down and copy another person's work in our own words. This is unethical. However, the client does expect us to have enough understanding of the basics of a subject before we bid.

A client who pays more than $5.00 for a blog wants some 'how to' content added.

A client who pays more than .10 a word wants research and editing. They do not want rough copy, but something good enough for print.

Original vs. Rewrite

There is no such thing as original content. No matter who you are, the words you write are just regurgitated ideas parroted from books, magazines, and lectures. Maybe the Canadian who invented Javascripts a few years ago, or Einstein can claim to have had an original idea - but facts prove that most of us are incapable of having an original idea.