Why don't big porn companies invest in staff writers?

[Rictor]

It doesn't cost that much to hire a fresh-out-of-college English major to your staff, so I'm wondering why more big porn companies with money to burn won't make that investment. So many of the huge affiliate programs have paysites that use recycled text on all their tours and hosted galleries, as well as text that's full of broken English that barely makes sense. Why not pay some kid $10-12 an hour to work in your office and write all the text for your company? I know you can outsource that job for $1-2 an hour to Asia, but it seems like that might be one job that's definitely better suited to a native English speaker. Also, writers tend to be better at communicating online, so you could have them spend their spare time doing e-mail support for affiliates or customers.

When I first graduated college, I worked as a technical writer for an ISP, writing mainstream website text, advertising copy, letters to customers and business partners, and whatever else was required. It was a low paying position that a lot of college grads start out in, and one in which more adult companies should consider investing. I can't be the only consumer that cringes when reading the tours of some of the larger paysites.

[artman]

because surfers are here to jerk off not correct 3rd world english on a tour?

[Rictor]

Okay, well, how about the fact that a lot of tours either barely have any text or embed the text they do have into the graphics? From a financial standpoint, the more text, the more search engine traffic, and the more SE traffic, the more money you will make.

Also, you might take into consideration that Playboy, the most successful porn magazine and company in the world, the company that owns GFY, hires some of the best writers in the world to write their articles, stories, and advice columns. Hugh Hefner saw the importance of good writing when it comes to selling erotica, but maybe Hugh Hefner's an idiot?

[Morgan]

jesus, they go all out: http://galleries.adult.com/playboy/p...9/?w=YOUR_CODE

[Rictor]

The Reality Cash and Playboy Cash tours have decent text compared to most sites, but I'm talking more about Playboy magazine.

You're just making my point for me, adult sites need to invest a little more into site text. The industry isn't in its infancy anymore, competition is fierce and every little advantage in marketing helps.

[Morgan]

Originally Posted by Rictor

The Reality Cash and Playboy Cash tours have decent text compared to most sites, but I'm talking more about Playboy magazine.

You're just making my point for me, adult sites need to invest a little more into site text. The industry isn't in its infancy anymore, competition is fierce and every little advantage in marketing helps.

i guess i figured you meant adult companies in general when you said "big porn companies". my mistake.

[basschick]

i've seen text on some tours that is literally gibberish and it drives me fucking nuts!!!! and don't the people doing this writing at least own spellcheck?

lately i've gotten a fairly large number of companies asking me to write - or rewrite - their site text. it's shocking how little some programs are willing to spend. you can see how they have to go with someone in a country where the dollar has a lot more bang - if i wrote their text for what they're offering, i couldn't pay my rent every month if i decided to eat, and i'm not kidding.

the sad part is that some of the sites i've rewritten the text for report a 15-20% jump in sales with new text. surely that's worth paying a college kid $12 an hour for. i would think even a 5% overall increase would be worth paying a native english speaker with a grasp of porn a per-description rate that allows them to make over mcdonalds wages - but what do i know? luckily for me, some programs are willing to spend what it's really worth to them

still, with some training, a recent college grad - or even a part-timer still in college - could be a very good option.

[LaoTzu]

Yeah, I'm with you guys on this. I've been paid to write for niche sites in the past because the hot designers in the industry generally know very little in terms of niche style and verbiage. When is the last time you've heard of a black man refer to his dick as a "great big dong" or a mexican talk about joining a "latino" porn site (should be latinA... important lesson for many... unless it's a gay site).

My biggest problem is with sponsors that go to the trouble of buying niche content, they get a flashy tour designed, and then get some dude in Eastern Europe to fill in the generic text. Their conversions will suck, and in all probablility they'll never update the site/tour again.

That said... you're absolutely right that big sponsors should have at least one person on staff to at least fix typos. I've actually had sponsors tell me that spelling errors and typos make a tour look more amateur produce better conversions.

At least most will let you use your own tour these days.

[ATL_Ryan]

I have writers available for adult blogs, reviews, gallery descripts and tour entries. I also have writers specifically for GAY sites, etc. If anyone needs a writer, let me know.

[chadglni]

Originally Posted by LaoTzu

I've actually had sponsors tell me that spelling errors and typos make a tour look more amateur produce better conversions.

At least most will let you use your own tour these days.

This is true with amateur stuff. However, when the spelling errors and typos are on a big ass flashy tour that was obviously done by someone with experience it's a lose lose situation. I don't think I've seen but 2 or 3 single girl sites in my life with a proper design for the niche.

[dbavaria]

It doesn't take a college grad to do the work, anyone in highschool should be able to write some damn english...

[Richard - Triplexcash]

i get a kick out of misspellings in webmaster areas ;)

[Sarah_Jayne]

because everyone thinks they can write when they can't

[chadglni]

I tried to hire some "industry writers" awhile back and the price they wanted was about 100 times what the job was worth.

[Egomancer]

;)

Egomancer

[Sarah_Jayne]

Originally Posted by chadglni

I tried to hire some "industry writers" awhile back and the price they wanted was about 100 times what the job was worth.

but still less, i bet, than copywriters in nearly any other industry would get

[chadglni]

Originally Posted by sarah_webinc

but still less, i bet, than copywriters in nearly any other industry would get

I very seriously doubt it unless copywriting is one of the highest paying professions on earth.

[SkyWalker2k]

because no writers spam themself? :p

[darksoul]

Thing is. Why do you worry about what other do or don't ?
If you think its something worth it do it yourself and cash in.

[DamageX]

Originally Posted by chadglni

I very seriously doubt it unless copywriting is one of the highest paying professions on earth.

Good copywriters make very good money. However, keep in mind that even in non-adult business sectors you'll still have companies outsourcing their text writing to Asian countries, to save a buck. This is, most of the time, done for non-critical text, but you'll even get some "paysite text" like jobs outsourced. I suppose that, in many of the cases, it comes down to how big a priority the text itself has, in the budget. Same thing in adult, if they don't really have a budget for it then they may not see it as a justified expenditure, even if it may well increase their revenues past break-even point on that particular cost.

[Phoenix]

or the other employees could do it

trouble is most people who work in adult..are lazy

[chadglni]

Originally Posted by DamageX

Good copywriters make very good money. However, keep in mind that even in non-adult business sectors you'll still have companies outsourcing their text writing to Asian countries, to save a buck. This is, most of the time, done for non-critical text, but you'll even get some "paysite text" like jobs outsourced. I suppose that, in many of the cases, it comes down to how big a priority the text itself has, in the budget. Same thing in adult, if they don't really have a budget for it then they may not see it as a justified expenditure, even if it may well increase their revenues past break-even point on that particular cost.

Put it this way, not 1 but 2 of the people I was referred to from GFY would be making more than Wiredguy would charge for SEO consultation. I'm talking about several hundred dollars per hour average based on their quotes. Sorry that's just stupid for writing a 15 year old could do.

[DamageX]

Originally Posted by chadglni

Put it this way, not 1 but 2 of the people I was referred to from GFY would be making more than Wiredguy would charge for SEO consultation. I'm talking about several hundred dollars per hour average based on their quotes. Sorry that's just stupid for writing a 15 year old could do.

Writing is not a problem and in essence not a value-creating task. Writing WELL, on the other hand, is. However, justifying paying x dollars per paragraph or whatnot will always be closely connected to how fast that job will help pay for itself and turn a profit. Which, in our industry, often relies on how much traffic is sent to the site that the text is used on.

Put it this way, I sometimes create gallery templates, if time allows me, for which I charge a VERY high fee, compared to industry averages. However, I also guarantee a 10% CTR with those, to justify the price. But that 10% CTR will be worthless to someone who only gets a very limited amount of traffic to that gallery, so there would be no justification to buy a template for me no matter how high a CTR I'd guarantee. Someone with LOTS of traffic, on the other hand, may well break even and make a good profit on the price within a day or less. Same with text on sites, some just can't justify the expense, especially in the case where the paysites are fresh out of the box and they have no idea how many will promote them.

[mikesouth]

Now theres a concept, people who cant write, writing about people who cant write for people who cant read.

Good Lord....

[MediaGuy]

I agree that the state of writing in adult needs a kick in the ass; it's gone down since all these east-european sites starting spreading like mushrooms.

I'm sure conversions would go up for many if the writing made sense, communicated clear descriptions of content and "how to" use the site on top of which, by simply not having any fuckups in the text, communicated a more stable, assured organization that knows that the hell its doing.

A surfer that trusts is a surfer that spends.