Writer Spotlight - Hunter A.
Scripted Writer Hunter Amato has been making moves. Despite only having been with Scripted since last September, he managed to produce 145 pieces of content in the last three months with zero rejections. We sat down with him in this month's Writer Spotlight to learn the secret to his success and talk shop.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I went to school at Florida State University, where I studied a variety of subjects. By the time I graduated, I had well over 150 credit hours across two full degrees. Immediately out of college, I worked as a settlement negotiator. Next thing I knew, I was writing expert analyses of transportation technology, AI, current affairs, law, and investment planning.
Where are you from and where are you operating currently?
I was raised in Saint Cloud, Florida, a tiny little town on the outskirts of the outskirts of Orlando. The population was about 40,000 by the time I turned 18. Now, I live and work in New York City, more than 200 times that.
How did you become a freelance writer and how long have you been writing for Scripted?
I’ve been freelancing since college, but usually only for a couple one-time clients every couple months. Online platforms like Scripted made it about a thousand times easier. I’ve been writing for Scripted since September of 2019, but things didn’t really take off until November of that same year.
You managed to produce 145+ pieces of content in the last three months with zero rejections. That’s incredible. What’s the secret?
There really is no secret! Make sure to maintain good working relationships and frequent contact with the clients or their Scripted account managers. That helps clarify any questions you might have. But, more importantly, it makes them remember your name.
Are there any tools you use to keep your quality so high?
Oh yeah! For short articles around the 300-word range, I typically just eyeball it. It’s easy to tell where your structure or SEO practices aren’t working without using a tool. But for longer articles, I rely quite heavily on four free tools:
- The Content Analysis from SEOReviewTools.com.
- WordCounter from WordCounter.net.
- The metadata description length calculator from Spotibo.
- The Hemingway Editor browser app.
What is your approach to proposals? What have you found that works best?
What works best is when you have a detailed outline of what you plan to write. Clients love that. It might sound like it takes a while, but only the first couple times. Just plot out five or seven points and use the same structure for each proposal. Then change up the wording and you’re good to go!
It also helps to take a five-second look at the prospective client’s existing content so that you can come up with a headline that matches their tone.
How have you been able to balance your work as a freelancer with the rest of your life and the state of the world?
Given the state of the world, freelancing has pretty much been the only thing I have to do. So, yes! Scripted is the easiest freelancing platform in terms of balancing work and life, because I decide when I submit pitches. If I want more work, I pitch more. If I want more life, I pitch less.
What tips would you recommend for writers who are new to the Scripted platform?
Pitch everybody and everything. Focus on your areas of expertise first. But when that’s done, pitch everything else, too. You’re a writer, so you have great research skills. That means you can gain expertise AS you write, even if you didn’t have it beforehand.
Once you’ve produced high-quality content for a high-volume client and they like you enough to press that “favorite” button, you’re all set.