Find out what makes freelancers pitch you first
Ask the writers, photographers and illustrators you commission how pitching, editing and payment went. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What freelance contributor survey questions tell you
Freelance contributor survey questions ask the writers, photographers and illustrators you commission how easy you are to pitch, how long decisions take, how fair the pay feels and how editing went. Contributors may hesitate to complain to the editor who pays them, and these questions give them a place to say it.
Ask twice a year, by email to your contributor list or with a link in your own message, and a few days after a piece runs for the editing questions. Pick six to eight questions, and use a link survey for pay and editing so contributors can answer without their name; anonymous responses hold for website, link or QR code surveys only.
Each written answer gets a theme and a sentiment, so complaints about late payment and unclear briefs fall into their own themes. Give each response an owner in the inbox, so a payment problem reaches the person who can fix it.
- Questions
- 12
- Best asked
- Twice a year, or after a piece is published
- Industry
- Media
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 12 writing for us questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Who contributes and how they rate you
Start with the score and the kind of work, so you can compare writers, photographers and regulars.
- 11NPS
How likely are you to recommend writing for us?
A Net Promoter Score for working with you. Results shows the score and the split into detractors, passives and promoters; ask it twice a year and compare with the period before.
- 01Multiple choice
What do you make for us?
What the contributor makes for you, from news to illustration. Results shows a donut with each share; select Photography to compare how photographers rate you with writers.
- 10Number
How many pieces have you filed for us?
How many pieces the contributor has filed, typed as a number. Results shows the median and the middle half; compare new contributors with regulars.
Pitching and commissioning
Ask these together to see where a pitch stalls, from the first contact to the decision.
- 02Customer effort
How easy is it to pitch us an idea?
A customer effort score for pitching, on a seven-point scale. Results shows the average and the share who found it easy; a low score points to unclear contacts or forms.
- 03Yes / No
Did you get a reply to your last pitch?
Whether the last pitch got any reply. Results shows the share who said yes; a low share means good ideas may be going to other outlets.
- 04Ruler
How many days did you wait for a decision on your pitch?
Days the contributor waited for a decision, on a ruler up to thirty. Results shows the median and the middle half, a fair target for commissioning editors.
- 07Text
What would make you pitch us first?
An open question on what would win the first pitch. Each answer gets a theme, a list of the changes that matter most to the people you commission.
- 12Text
What should we change about how we commission?
An open question on how you commission. Each answer gets a theme and a sentiment; give each one an owner in the inbox so the change gets made.
Editing, pay and support
The questions contributors find hardest to raise, best asked through a link so they can answer without their name.
- 06Matrix
Rate writing for us on each
Rates briefs, editing, deadlines and payment in one grid. The heat map with row averages shows which part of working with you needs attention first.
- 05Big scale
How fair does the pay feel for the work?
How fair the pay feels, from one to ten. Results shows the average and a column per step; ask it through a link so contributors can answer without their name.
- 08Yes / No
Were your words changed in a way you did not expect?
A yes or no on unexpected edits. Select Yes in Results to read what those contributors said about editing, and share it with the desk editors.
- 09Multiple choice
Which support would help you most?
Contributors pick every kind of support that would help, from clearer briefs to legal backing. Results shows a bar per option, a short list for the managing editor.
Tips for asking about writing for us
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask twice a year
Send the survey to your contributor list in spring and fall, and compare the two periods in Results.
- 02
Let contributors answer without a name
Use a link survey for pay and editing questions. Anonymous responses hold for website, link or QR code surveys, and surveys sent through Usertick email are not anonymous.
- 03
Ask after a piece runs
Share the link a few days after a contributor's piece is published, while the edit is fresh.
- 04
Act on payment answers
Give every payment complaint an owner in the inbox, and reply once it is fixed.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about writing for us
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
Send the survey to your contributor list by email from Usertick, now or scheduled up to 30 days ahead, or share the link in your own message.
Yes, through a website, link or QR code survey, where no user ID, traits or visitor ID is stored. Surveys sent through Usertick email are not anonymous, so use a link for questions about pay.
Six to eight: the NPS question, the pitching ease score, the grid for briefs, editing, deadlines and payment, and an open question.
Yes, for NPS, CES, Yes / No and Multiple choice questions when Usertick sends the survey. Other question types are answered on the survey page.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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