Writing for Content Sites and Networks
I received an email yesterday asking me to discuss content sites and blog networks. I was going to save it for the regular reader mail feature, but felt it was worthy of its own post. Since there are a lot of people who write for content sites and networks, I thought we could get a good discussion going.
As many of you know I got my online start with content sites and now write for a major blog network. So I do know a little something about them… Here’s an overview of some of the sites I know about - either I worked for them or have heard about them from other writers. Feel free to offer your own input and to tell us about the sites you write for.
Associated Content
A lot of writers get their start through sites such as Associated Content. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with starting out with AC, but I do know of a couple of issues - maybe A.C. writers can help fill in the blanks here as I’ve never actually written for them.
The first is that AC accepts everyone who applies. While this is good news for amateur writers, it also has a reputation for publishing typo-laden articles, many of which are factually incorrect. I remember a a few months back there was an issue on a Work at Home Mom forum because an AC writer came to the forum and asked "How much time do you spend working each day?" After a multitude of moms posted their responses the same writer wrote an article at AC about how work at home moms neglect their kids because they spend so many hours working. This writer never asked us when we work, what are kids are doing or anything else that may have indicated neglect, she only asked us how many hours we work. This type of bogus reporting wouldn’t fly with most reputable content sites. Because AC isn’t very selective, I know of several editors who won’t accept AC articles as clips, either, but that’s not the norm.
My other issue with AC is the low pay. While I’ve heard of a couple of writers getting $15 or $20 per article, the majority of writers I spoke with earn an average of $3 for accepted posts. Kind of low. I understand they do offer traffic bonuses now, however.
About.com
About.com is a great and prestigious gig if you can get in. It’s owned by the New York Times company and they have a very strict acceptance policy. I enjoyed my tenure with About.com and wish I didn’t have to leave. Keep in mind that if you’re accepted to try out for an About.com gig, you’ll have to spend a couple of weeks writing content and building up the site, and may not even be accepted. You won’t be paid for prep. The pay is good, $750 a month plus traffic bonuses.
Suite 101
Suite 101 was my first online gig ten years ago. They paid a monthly fee at the time. I think I earned $25 a month for two posts? I left when they stopped paying their writers. Now I understand they pay according to traffic, but I’m not sure. Recently I’ve seen them listed as non-paying and very low paying.
Love To Know
I worked for LTK for a couple of years and was a Group Editor for a year. It’s a great place to work - the people are top-notch. Pay isn’t bad, $25 per article, if I’m not mistaken. I left a year ago so things might have changed. They have a strict acceptance policy and you will be paid for training. My biggest issue with LTK is that you have to write posts and titles centered around keywords, some of which are kind of silly. It’s one of the better content gigs out there and if you’re good with keywords you’ll love this gig.
Blog Networks
There are plenty of blog networks looking for writers. Some like 451Press, hardly pay their writers while others, like b5Media offer a base pay plus traffic I just had a huge month with b5 - and truly you get what you put into it. While the base may be low to start for some, the traffic bonuses can make the gigs well worth your while.
Things you should know
When you work for most content sites and networks, you have to agree to posting or writing a minimum. Sometimes these quotas are hard to keep up with. Also, some places only offer a revenue share as pay. Before accepting one of these gigs it’s best to know what kind of traffic the blog or site receives, and how much revenue you’re likely to earn in the beginning and after several months. Don’t fall for the "some of our writers make…" lingo, find out what most of the writers earn. It stands to reason a site with very little traffic receives very little revenue. I know someone who worked at 451press for several months and finally left because after blogging every day for all those months she earned less than a dollar the whole time she worked there!
Good Place to Get Started
Content sites and blog networks can be great gigs for writers or all levels. Just be sure to read all the fine print and ask the right questions. If traffic and revenue are issues, get all the details beforehand. If you’re expected to write 5 300 words posts her day or 50 articles a month, make sure this is something you can handle before signing a contract.
There are pros and cons for all these sites, just as there are pros and cons to freelancing in general. What content sites do you write for? Any recommendations or sites we should steer clear of?
Posted
on
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 at 11:28 pm under
One of the things I noticed is when a content site is brand new, they may offer a decent rate. After a while, they may change their rate to something lower (as How to Do Things did - that was a great gig at first) or may shut down and reinvent itself with a lower pay (as Write for Cash seemed to do).
I’ve built up enough of a client base now that I’m choosing not to write for content sites any more. But when I was first starting out as a freelancer, I was able to build up quite a number of clips and bring in some money while doing it.
A little piece of advice I would give is that if a new site is starting, and they are offering decent pay, scoop up what work you can, but don’t begin to rely on that money. It could change very quickly. This could also happen with an established site.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:45 pmThat’s a good point Robin. I remember when Write for Cash closed it’s doors - so many writers didn’t know what they were going to do for money because they didn’t have a backup gig. I’d recommend not having all one’s eggs in one basket when it comes to content sites too.
You just never know…
March 4th, 2008 at 11:52 pmI started out with Suite101, and the pay is based on an unspecified cut of your articles’ overall Google ad clicks. Unless you have tons of articles up, and are writing in an ad-friendly niche, it’s not a money-maker at all.
I’m actually in the About.com guide prep right now, for the second time. Any tips for success, Deb?
March 5th, 2008 at 12:02 amI just signed up with Helium, any tips or advice on them?
March 5th, 2008 at 12:16 amI was just ok’ed for a new b5 Media blog. I’ve been excited about the network since a couple of friends work for them. I pitched a few and applied for a few, up until now I hadn’t heard anything. Now I’m excited to begin work soon! I like how they allow the writer to help choose the doain name and really seem to care about who is going in to a position.
Do you have any tips specific to b5 or should new bloggers for the network just use the tips already posted here and go with their gut, too?
March 5th, 2008 at 12:35 amI write regularly for EHow. They started me out at $10 per article. Some required a bit of research, some were simple to write, as you do create your own titles (as long as they approve them.)
They have since bumped me up to $15 per article, and I can easily get 2 done an hour. They also pay very quickly and with no hassle.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:15 amCurrently, I don’t write for any content sites. However, I wrote regularly for AC two to three years ago. Back then, I received on average $10 to $18 per 400 word piece - which wasn’t too bad. I like the performance bonus feature. I haven’t written for the site since September 2007, but my articles continue to generate $70 to $80 a month - that’s without any type of promotion. It’s not much, but it’s nice pocket change.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:16 amThanks Deb for covering this topic!
March 5th, 2008 at 1:27 amI started with suite101.com in 1999 and was one of few(?) writers who stayed on after the pay changed. I’ve switched topics three times, but I think I’m staying put with what I’m writing now. There was a writer a month or two ago that topped earning at $1000, but I think that was with one article per day added to their topic. I could be wrong, plus I have no idea what (or if) they did for promotion. My earning a very very low in comparison to “back in the day,” but I still like the site for some reason.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:13 amHas anyone written for Studio One Networks?
www.studioonenetworks.com/index.htm
They have great articles written by different freelancers, but it seems all you can do is send your resume.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:14 amAdd my thanks to the list for the info on this topic.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:18 amoops. Congrats Julie F! I didn’t find the adjustment to starting at b5media difficult at all. Since you are starting a blog rather than joining an existing blog like I did, you’ll probaby have a bit more work at the beginning.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:18 amI both took over old blogs and started new blogs at b5 and starting a new blog is definitely a challenge. Just know it takes time to build up a readership and not to be frustrated if it doesn’t happen at once.
March 5th, 2008 at 3:07 amI applied and tried out for an about.com job before X-mas and did not get it. I noticed only recently that the person who did get the job apparently does not have it any longer (i.e. there is no longer a guide for the site topic). Does anyone know if About tries to contact other guides who may have competed for the job as possible replacements or do they require that everyone go through their training all over again (if your accepted by them that is)?…Frankly, I would not want to do the latter. I am just curious. Thanks
March 5th, 2008 at 3:32 amI write for About.com (legal careers) and love it. Prep was quite time-intensive but well worth the effort. About.com treats their writers well and has been a great stepping stone to other projects.
March 5th, 2008 at 3:39 amI’ve just started working in the freelance market. Writing for Associated Content provides me with writing experience, and some monetary reward for my writing efforts.
As to the quality of the content. I agree it can be variable, but the site has a rating and comment system that do help to draw attention to bad content.
March 5th, 2008 at 3:44 amWhat kind of base pay does B5 pay? I am interested in a position they are advertising, but hesitant applying before I have a ballpark as to what I’d be making…
March 5th, 2008 at 3:58 amI wrote for Helium when they first started out. To date, my account is at a whopping $3. They have changed their format since then and now offer higher paid articles, but from what I see you submit your article and hope that your article is the one selected from all the submissions. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s how I have read it.
Associated Content helped jumpstart my freelance writing. One of the articles I wrote sold to a magazine six months after I wrote it. While I did not receive additional pay, I have the byline in the magazine and use it on my resume.
As for blogging, I started out with 451 Press and had a miserable experience. When I signed up, it was with a request of 3 posts per week. Then they changed the terms to 10 posts per week. After that, they started asking for screen clips of television shows (something that I still say is illegal without network permission), then they said performance bonuses would go to those who went to other sites and posted links back to their site, so I quit. For my two months of effort, I never saw a dime nor did other writers I talked to. Not sure how much they’ve changed now that they’ve established themselves, but I found that to definitely turn me off the idea of blogging for money.
March 5th, 2008 at 3:59 amSUITE 101 AND ASSOCIATED CONTENT:
First, SUITE 101: I applied with two, THIRD PERSON articles that were previously published in print magazines. I was rejected on the grounds that my articles were FIRST PERSON and full of typos and other English language errors ! Obviously, cliquey Suite 101 blindly and indiscriminately sends out form rejection letters. Furthermore, I identified myself as a certified personal trainer, and one of my articles was about walking on treadmills. The third reason 101 rejected me was because they said I didn’t have the qualified expertise in my chosen area of writing (fitness !!). So my advice is DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME applying to 101.
As for Associated Content, the money is really in the page views that your articles generate. My monthly “do nothing” bonus gets bigger each month. As for payment, I bang articles out pretty quickly, so when I submit a lot of articles to AC each month, the article payment total really kicks in. If you are skilled at keyword density, you can get a nice monthly bonus without even doing anything.
March 5th, 2008 at 4:07 amHi Deb
Thank you for discussing this topic. I’ve wondered about it and now I know a bit more.
March 5th, 2008 at 4:14 amWhen writing for a site that pays based on traffic, are you taking their word with regard to how much traffic there is?
March 5th, 2008 at 4:22 amI’ve written for both 451Press and Suite 101. 451Press now pays by the post as well as by revenue share, but there are a lot of requirements to get that pay per post, such as linking to other sites in the network and posting graphics. They got hit hard by the Google PageRank adjustment as well.
Suite101 isn’t bad for practice. Depending on the section you work for you either get some feedback or none. I used it to test my chops in areas I’m interested in writing in, but have no background with. It doesn’t pay much at all.
March 5th, 2008 at 5:03 amI went through About.com’s Prep program. Great experience, just for the sake of it, but it’s a huge let-down if you don’t get the position in the end. It’s turned me off from doing anything preliminary for free in the future.
I think the X factor in About’s program can be your “mentor,” or your contact person who gives feedback on your weekly deadlines. Mine was all positivity, giving only my Canadian spelling rather than American as my only thing to change, which I promptly did, and then I didn’t pass. Ultimately I guess I wasn’t what they were looking for, but I felt kinda let down by my mentor.
March 5th, 2008 at 5:10 amThanks so much Ann G. for the advice. And thanks to Deb for covering this. I’m new to writing for the web after spending years writing for print publications. I wanted to expand my writing capabilities, so I thought I’d start freelancing using these sites. So I’m thankful Deb got to cover this!
March 5th, 2008 at 5:14 amI am so glad that this topic generated as much feedback as it has, this has been something I’ve been curious about for a while. As a newbie (I’ve only been freelancing part time since October ‘07) I find that writing for Suite101 has provided me a great way to write about things that interest me, gain some kind of credibility and also offer me the structured writing environment that a newbie like me can benefit from. The pay isn’t spectacular, but that’s not the point. For me Suite has served as a strong base for me to learn how to write for the web (turns out it’s a lot different that writing for traditional print!).
Some basics:
1. There is an application process which makes it (at least in my opinion) a more professional content site.
2. There are editors who offer helpful advice and suggests on your articles.
3. Pay is based on Google ad revenue, so keywords and all that kind of stuff is important (still an area I need to work on).
Bottom line (IMO): It’s a great place to write if your looking to gain experience writing for the web in a friendly and helpful environment. Don’t quit your day job though, as the pay is good to fill up your gas tank, but that’s about all.
-Lisa
One question- for those of you who’ve either worked for or gone through the prep program at About.com: I’m hearing constantly that it’s very time intensive. Can you share a little bit about the prep program (what it entails, how much work is it really, etc)?
March 5th, 2008 at 8:03 amI almost forgot to mention, I also write at Helium. Their pay is BAD (in comparison with Suite101) however, they offer their writers the ability to write creatively which can be great if you like poetry (for instance). They also offer weekly contests which can generate extra money, as well as a marketplace where publications post article ideas that they are looking for and Helium writers essentially get to compete against each other for the “job” (and the pay). Helium is more of a “social” writing content site, as you also rate other writers’ work.
March 5th, 2008 at 8:08 amGreat discussion! I wrote a couple of articles for AC, when I first started out (and pay was higher than $3), and quickly decided to go the traditional query route. I’ve blogged a bit and written some online travel/educational content. My print articles were fun to write and financially rewarding, but I have very limited time to write (and I write slowly; travel writing requires lots of last-minute research), so I decided that writing for websites and blogs was a better use of my time.
Deb inspired me to try for About.com and I’m now in my 3rd month with them. So far, it’s been a ton of work, but very rewarding.
@ Colleen, CL and others, there’s a great thread on surviving About.com’s Prep over at Absolute Write. CL, sorry, but they do Prep all over again.
Having done Prep twice, I’m definitely not sorry. I’d have tried a third time had I not landed the Senior Travel gig.
I think it’s important to know how quickly you write, and to decide your minimum pay rate (per word and per hour), so you can choose the best opportunities for yourself. Prolific writers can do things I cannot; they will make decisions that work best for them. I have to budget my time carefully and make sure I stick to a schedule, or I get behind.
I’m looking forward to reading more comments!
March 5th, 2008 at 9:28 amThanks Nancy P and Amanda for your feedback regarding About.com. I could never find anyone discussing their Prep experience so it is interesting to hear about yours. Also I could never quite determine if the job was worth it, money wise or if attempting to go through Prep again would be a wise move. The Prep was difficult and a lot of work but it did help to improve my writing, even if I did not get the job. Maybe its worth trying again. Thanks for the discussion.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:36 amI am a mental health counselor with a master’s degree, and I have been watching the general Mental Health channel for nearly a year now. It continually says there is no guide. However, when I go to check the available topics, “Mental Health” isn’t one of them.
There are some nichey MH topic areas that I’m not qualified for, but the general one still looks available from crusing the website. And I can’t get anyone to answer a question about other mental health topics they might be choosing next, or what the deal is with “Mental Health”.
Nobody has answered my questions. Nobody. How does anyone get a question answered there if you aren’t in their training program? Anyone? Bueller?
March 5th, 2008 at 10:44 amI submit to eHow. One of the things you should know is that if you just create a profile there and start submitting, you earn on page views. However if you are hired through one of their clients, then you make the $10 or $15. They ask for a set number of articles (I was asked for 10) and you come up with the titles yourself.
I’ve done AC and found it to be helpful in the begninning but the more I write and learn about freelancing, the more I have decided that I am better to continue to market myself and leave the lower paying sites off of my resume.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:14 amI had a relationship with Suite 101 many, many moons ago, but it just wasn’t worth the time, at the time. I haven’t looked into it lately, so maybe it’s changed. As for other content sites, I have a number of articles on Associated Content, but I generally only publish there things I’ve already written and would like to find an outlet for. I’m happy to let the bonuses slowly build up. Sadly, the typos and “we take anybody” criticisms are valid ones, which is one of the primary reasons I publish on AC under a pseudonym.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:15 pmI am a contributing writer on both Suite101 and Helium. I’m also a subchannel site steward at Helium so I see behind the scenes a bit (but am unpaid)
Helium has several ways to earn money. In general anyone can write anything and get ad revenue. There are also contests that are user rated and the top ranked articles on the most topics get cash. And then there’s the marketplace and sponsers (recently including foreign exchange television, the pulitzer center, and the national press club). The marketplace pays more and is selected by the actual publications buying the material for the set price. I’ve racked up over $21 from ad revenue after over 50 articles. But there’s a pay per article promotion at the moment and that’s an extra $30+ next month if I can keep up my writing stars (there’s a user rating system)
Suite101 pays as previously stated, an undisclosed percentage of ad revenue. In 6 months, after almost 20 articles, I’ve earned about $13. And I often am a more informed expert in the health topic discussions than the featured writers they have in some of the areas.
But both those writing networks helped me build the portfolio I needed to get a journalism job at an up and coming news site started by an award winning freelancer (MileHive) and an editing gig (found through this blog!) with a scientific editing agency.
I recently began checking out Assoc. Content…it’s not very appealing. And I’ve also gotten some articles approved by Triond since August. That’s not worth the time! The setup is horrendous for traffic and the ad revenue is dismal.
Alicia
March 5th, 2008 at 1:58 pm@NancyP—Thank you for the info regarding About prep. I’ll go check that thread out right now
March 5th, 2008 at 4:55 pmI have a friend who does really well with about.com and encouraged me to try out for a topic that I’m pretty expert at. My guide was very encouraging - no criticisms at all. My site was top notch and really, really good.
Both my guide and I were absolutely stunned when I was turned down. The people deciding what they want have no idea what they want because the subjects I gave them were exactly what the topic was about. The guide even went to bat for me and tried to get them to change their mind.
I don’t have a problem with being rejected for a job - that’s a writer’s life - but their rejection made no sense and they still haven’t filled the spot.
Let’s say that left a very bitter taste in my mouth.
I prefer my blogging at b5media now; it’s another topic but one I know a lot about.
March 5th, 2008 at 5:28 pmI was turned down by About.com, and like Marijke, they haven’t filled that slot either. I’m pretty sure it had to do with the fact that they preferred someone with a video camera for this cooking category and I don’t have one. I do have a digital camera without video functions and felt it should be enough. I’m not willing to run out and buy something that expensive, so I figure it’s their loss in the end.
March 5th, 2008 at 5:58 pmI went through the about.com prep program before Christmas and was turned down as well. It was a lot of work and I have to admit that I agree with some on here about not doing up front work for free. I did learn a lot though.
My guide was completely vague. No real positive or real negative feedback, just a few changes. So I really had no idea how I was doing throughout the process.
Hearing about the success of some after 2-3 attempts, now I’m not feeling so bad. Maybe I’ll give it another try.
Thanks for the great topic. Lots of helpful info.
March 5th, 2008 at 7:16 pmAs did Lori, my guide was very vague and somewhat ambiguous. I never really knew how I was doing either way and she did not offer much in the way of negative or positive reinforcement. She was kind of blah…so I am jealous of those who had a more interactive or positive experience! Anyway it was an interesting experience but one that I am not sure I want to do over. Love this discussion, though.
March 5th, 2008 at 8:21 pmErika,
I have asked a few questions concerning slots at About, nomally the answers are slow, but they do come. My last answer took over two weeks to come in and an apology for being slow was in the email.
Just keep trying! Someone will answer you eventually, may just be a huge backlog.
March 5th, 2008 at 8:45 pmInteresting discussion! I haven’t worked for any of these networks - consequently, it is interesting to hear about them.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:55 pmI’ve heard mixed reviews about About.com, but it still intrigues me…
I write one blog (which I took over from another writer) and co-write another (which my co-blogger and I built from the ground up) for b5media and am very happy there. I think the compensation is fair and the team is very, very supportive. It’s extremely community oriented and has been a totally positive experience for me for the whole 14 months and a few days that I’ve been there at http://www.livelywomen.com and 5 months at http://www.bizchicksrule.com.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:06 pmJulie F
What email have you used? Or what portion of the website could I go to to find the right contact person?
Doesn’t guarantee there’d be a topic I could do yet, but it might help me to understand what they are doing with that whole area (or what hope I might have).
Thanks for trying to help me out!
Erika
March 5th, 2008 at 10:30 pmI’ve worked for 451Press, Suite101, and gone thru the About prep program. Twice.
451Press was just plain worthless. I was getting a few dollars a month. When they changed their requirements, I stopped posting.
Suite101 was Ok for what it was. I did about 30 or 40 articles there and am still getting (only) about 10.00 a month from them from page views. The experience was ok, the support was terrible. It took nearly 8 months to get the categories I wanted, and by the time they did that, I was getting articles flagged for some of the stupidest reasons so I stopped writing there, too. Suite101 was good for the experience and the portfolio, but that’s about it.
About prep. Well, it was interesting if nothing else. I tried out for two different but similar topics. The first topic was given to someone else who is doing a great job, the second topic was not used, so I took that one a bit personally. I equated it to the fact that my slightly conservative beliefs were trumped by the New York Times’ extensively liberal slant. The experience was good, and I was able to use most of the content I created for both prep sites in other venues. I don’t know if I’ll apply for another topic. It’s a lot of work, but as Deb (and some others) will attest to, it’s a great stepping stone for a writing career. I’ve watched this site absolutely explode once Deb started writing at About.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:41 pmHELIUM CRITICISM
I am registered with Helium. Don’t even bother. Every time you write something, you must either peruse pages and pages of topics to see if your article fits in one of those topics (and this is time consuming, because their type-in-the-key words thingie isn’t always efficient), OR, you must create a brand new topic.
So suppose I have a slew of articles I’d like to write about building shoulder muscles with dumbbell exercises. I have to keep creating new categories and getting increasingly specific. This really is a drag and I soon ditched Helium.
If I did a search on their site to see if a matching category was already in there, like I said, this didn’t always work.
Whereas with AC, you just submit the article; takes seconds, and that’s that. Also, AC has become more strict with what they pay for. Yes, they’ll print anything as long as it’s not obscene, but they will NOT pay for anything.
I’m also surprised nobody here has reacted to my scourging criticism of suite 101.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:33 pmOH, ONE MORE CRITICISM OF HELIUM.
Helium pays you via Paypal. At some point, I terminated my Paypal account and got a new one (because I terminated the e-mail account). I had the darndest time finding an e-mail address on the Helium site to send the question of how I can tweak my records there so that they send payments to my new Paypal account.
In fact, I believe I had to post a question about this in their forum, because nowhere on their bloody site is an e-mail address for tech help.
One of their staff responded, but after several e-mail exchanges with his feeble attempt to direct me in how to change my Paypal account in their system, I gave up. He was inept and kept sending me vague instructions that failed to work.
Also, do you realize just how many articles you must have on Helium, and over what length of time they must be up, in order to start qualifying for payment? It’s ridiculous.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:38 pm[…] you work for a content site or as a blogger, your work is published as soon as it hits send. Other sites require you to send […]
March 6th, 2008 at 12:18 amThere is a lot of misinformation above about 451Press that I’d like to clear up. I currently have 3 blogs on the network and am being paid fairly with the base pay and the traffic bonuses now (of course I’ve been there for almost a year, so my per post rate is higher than what you start at). Some of the requirements have been changed as well, as they don’t require linking anymore. So basically you get paid a flat rate per 250 words and a picture. The network isn’t taking in new writers right now, though, but should open it up again soon.
One place I haven’t seen mentioned is HowToDoThings.com. It’s where I started out when they were in Beta, so I got some great money that way. I think now it’s a revenue share for your articles there. I haven’t written anything new in a year or so, though, so I’m not certain on that.
March 6th, 2008 at 1:54 amBlogcritics is a cool online magazine to write for. It’s all volunteer writers, so you don’t get paid for your articles. However, you can get some really cool free stuff - books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Write a reveiw, get published, it’s a pretty cool gig. They have editors to help out, too.
March 6th, 2008 at 3:30 amTHANK YOU so much for this post! I am a beginning freelance writer who is not having a lot of luck, and for a long time I avoided the content sites because I assumed the pay would come out to a few pennies through ad revenue. But at the same time, I really need to build up a better collection of clips, and a few bucks here and there is better than the nothing I’m making now. So I’ll be looking into some of the decent sounding sites mentioned here. Thanks again everyone!
March 6th, 2008 at 5:24 amI cannot believe that no one has mentioned Constant Content! I fell upon AC and Constant Content at the same time and quickly stopped writing for AC. I wrote 6 articles for AC and have to date (with page views) earned about $12. I’ve sold 25 at Constant Content and made hundreds.
Constant Content does not buy your articles itself, but you post them for sale at prices you choose. You can write on spec or respond to public requests, which are plentiful and varied. Constant Content takes 35%, so you get 65%; price accordingly. They pay their upkeep and marketing costs with their part, and since they bring the buyers to the authors, I find this very fair.
You can choose to offer usage, unique, or full rights. Most articles sell for full rights, but there are some authors there who have made a niche of writing short articles for usage rights only and earned a lot.
There’s a great forum with highly responsive staff (editors included) and active writers. They hold their authors to very high standards, and they will reject articles that do not follow their submission guidelines. This keeps the site very professional because all of the articles have been approved by Copyscape and a human editor. (Also, if you follow guidelines, you’ll have no problem, and if an article is rejected, you will get a reason so you can edit and resubmit.)
Here is a link to Constant Content: http://www.constant-content.com/?aref=13413. It is my referral link, and if you sign up through it, I receive 5% (not taken from your commission but from CC’s). I’m saying that upfront so you can erase the referral part if you disagree with it; however, if you honestly haven’t heard of it and decide to sign up, I’d appreciate being credited with referring you! And here is a second link to the submission guidelines: http://www.constant-content.com/area/writerguidelines.htm.
I’m happy to answer questions here or at lauren dot alyssa at gmail dot com. Happy writing!
March 6th, 2008 at 6:05 ami write at http://aisledash.com. It’s part of the Weblogs, Inc. Network, another one that wasn’t mentioned. They pay a flat rate per post. I’m enjoying it so far.
March 6th, 2008 at 8:08 am@GH
I do some stuff for blogcritics too. It’s fun to do politics there, and I’ve done some family articles and game reviews too. Good place for “visible” exposure (they have a lot of page views). And you can get some good clips.
@Heather,
I doubt you’re seeing “mis-information” here. And to be honest, I somewhat resent that you are implying that the statement I made about my experience was anything but accurate and would ask that you refrain from further insinuated digs at my character in the future. Mkthks.
You seem to be one of the few who are having success at 451Press. Listen to them in their forums. They (used to) talk about it all the time, I’m sure they still do.
March 6th, 2008 at 7:20 pm@Erricka- I went right through the customer care link/form.
http://www.about.com/gi/pages/pform.htm
And no problem, you’re welcome.
March 6th, 2008 at 10:19 pm@Matt - I have to agree. I never misrepresented a thing. I started with 451 when they first launched in October 2006. My contract stated a few posts per week. Then that was changed to 10 times a week in a message on the discussion forums. Then you had to link your blog to other blogs around the Internet to boost 451s exposure online. Then you had to take screen shots to add photos to your blog. I knew this went against copyrights and refused. I left in December and never saw a dime for October or November’s writing. 451 had collected all of my SS information so that they could pay and then never did. I was never comfy with that!
A few months later, there was a lawsuit that came out about bloggers using photos without permission. http://www.redherring.com/Home/21434 In this case the blogger was a big name, but you never know…
I talked to a number of others who left 451 Press and never received any payment.
While things may have changed since the site launched, I still had a lousy experience with them and resent hearing that I’ve “misrepresented” anything.
March 6th, 2008 at 11:08 pmJulie,
Your message is directed to me but you have a link for about.com
??
I didn’t post anything about about.com
March 6th, 2008 at 11:24 pm@ Matt and Ann
I think you misunderstood what I said. The misinformation I was referring to was that CURRENT expectations for the network are not what was being posted above. I have no doubt you had a lousy experience, several people do at all kinds of networks out there. My post was to clarify what is CURRENTLY happening at the network. It has been quite some time since I’ve seen anything negative on the message boards over there and the new expectations are not unreasonable any more for the pay and we’ve been paid on time and in full for the past few months. Just because you started out when the network was new and going through changes doesn’t mean that it will always be that way. There are currently over 100 bloggers there who have no problems (at least not publicly). You have every right to express your displeasure with the company during the early stages, but you also have to let others express current opinions and counter examples. The current expectations are very reasonable: 250 words per post (or 2 125 word posts a day), one picture per post (which is a good blogging practice anyway), and a minimum of 15 posts a month of any size, even if they don’t meet the paid post requirements. You get paid per post and a flat CPM.
I’m not saying 451Press didn’t have growing pains, but currently everything seems to be on track.
March 7th, 2008 at 8:02 pm@ Ann again (sorry)
I have no idea where you got the idea about “screen shots” on blog posts because that was but that was never a requirement. One photo was, yes, but we have an account with WireImage to use those photos that are paid for and there are several places where you can get copyright free photos.
This is not an attack on you or your experience, but I only think it’s fair for others to hear a different side of the story.
March 7th, 2008 at 8:10 pmI write for 451 press as well and while there have been some bad times, (i.e. growing pains) things are pretty good with the current requirements.
One of the reasons why most people got paid practically nothing in the beginning (including myself) was that the pay was all traffic share based and when the network started up there wasn’t a lot of traffic. It took a lot of time before it was even worth it because I had to draw traffic to my blog. When the new pay model hit, it became even better.
And Ann, it isn’t against copyright to take a screen shot of a show you are discussing. If that was true there wouldn’t be any television blogs out there with pictures of the shows they are discussing. That’s covered under fair use. If you are taking a screen shot of a television show and are talking about the show it’s totally fine to have a picture of said show. If you take a screen shot of a show and use it to sell a product, then that’s illegal.
March 7th, 2008 at 10:48 pmI too work for 451 Press, have been there a little less than a year and I get paid great. Maybe it is the fact that the ones talking poorly of 451 Press didn’t have good content on their blogs. I have 4 blogs with 451 Press and make well over the amount of any other blog network out there. I don’t know why it is a constant that 451 Press keeps getting slander’ish statements made about them, but I agree with Heather in backing up the fact that 451 Press is a great place to blog at. I am sorry it did not work out for you there. But, maybe it is better you, and the others that are bad-mouthing 451 Press, are no longer acquaintances with the blog network of 451.
March 8th, 2008 at 12:55 amDeb hit the nail on the head earlier in this discussion. For anyone that starts writing for either a network or content site, TEMPER YOUR EXPECTATIONS and know that you will not become a blogging rock star overnight!
I started writing for 451Press in December of ‘06. I think my total earnings for the first three months was enough to by myself a bag of chips and a Coke.
But I kept writing, networked with other blogs (both within 451Press and with other sports related blogs), and eventually the traffic and money came with it. It’s been a GREAT experience.
Oh, and I’ve never had a problem with payments either (they are a few days late from time to time, but nothing to flip out over).
March 8th, 2008 at 1:47 amI wasn’t impressed with Helium at all. It just didn’t/doesn’t seem worth the time and effort.
I’ve been with 451 since the beginning, and the hiccups were a bit rough at the start, but things are great now. I’m paying bills, I enjoy what I do, and the post requirements have become quite reasonable. Plus, the community is great.
March 8th, 2008 at 6:23 amI am also a writer for 451press, and have been there almost a year. I have always been treated fairly, and paid for my work. I think the people there, as well as the requirements, have taught me to be a better writer. I am glad to be part of such a wonderful blogging network.
March 9th, 2008 at 4:19 amThanks everybody. Best info on this topic that I’ve read!
For Canadians: E-how only has a compensation program for those who live in the U.S. - in other words if you’re a Canadian you can’t make money at all at E-how. Too bad. It looks like a great site to write for.
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:17 amI run my own blog, omigod.net, which is in the Blogads network. But I just started writing for 451press also. I received my notice that I was accepted the next day, and things seemed like they were going fine. I have set up my blog and such (simple), but I have sent them about 3-4 emails which seem to have been ignored (?). I don’t know what else to call it. Since I just started I’m not being paid just yet, so I can’t make a comment on that. If you write for 451press feel free to contact me at kyle@kyledylanconner.com and enlighten me.
April 27th, 2008 at 8:09 am