Demand Studios Changes Payment Policy

For any of you writers out there that still creates articles for Demand Studios, I have some news. Demand has changed their payment policy. Here is what they posted in the forums:

Hello everyone,

As you already know, Demand Media Studios has been expanding to include writers, editors and translators in Latin America for the growing eHow Espanol site. As the Studio community grows to include additional roles in new parts of the world, we have needed to review and update our current practices to best support our international community.

As such, starting June 5 we are making a change to the way payments are transmitted by the Studio. You will continue to be paid twice a week via PayPal. But going forward, payments will only be transmitted to you each pay day if you have earned at least $10 in the previous pay period. Anything below the $10 threshold will automatically be rolled over to the next pay period towards that minimum payment. So if your earnings for a given pay period were only $7 and the next pay period you earned $4, you would be paid out at the end of the second pay period the full amount of $11.

If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please post them here.

Thank you,

Demand Media Studios Team

Freelance Job Opening: TMDM Writer's Platform

I received an email from TMDM and I thought I'd pass along the information to my readers:

Dear Alina - 

Thanks for your interest in our platform: http://tmdm-llc.com. Please start with an application here : http://tmdm-llc.com/apply/

Once inducted - you can start accessing dozens of daily orders posted on there. The pricing is better than industry standards - therefore you would have write-ups that come with rates starting from 0.02$/word all the way up to 0.07$/word. Remember - these are flat rates paid directly to you - we do not take a cut because it is us, the platform, posting orders and not third party clients. In addition to the high pay, you would be dealing solely with the site's management - assuring you a professional experience.

TMatrix Digital Media LLC is a small Pennsylvania company, which owns and manages the above mentioned platform: http://tmdm-llc.com. Please think of us as an elance/odesk type of platform, only we collect and publish all orders from our varied sites and accumulate them on the platform. From there, all our tutors/authors can fish for orders automatically. The exact way the platform works is found here:
http://tmdm-llc.com/faqs/

The rest of the platform would not be accessible until your application is approved by the editors.

Best-
Will
Author Relations
TMatrix Digital Media LLC, PA
931 Congress Hill Road, Franklin, PA.

Best-

How to Deal With Rude Clients Without Ruining Your Week

Facepalm!

What is wrong with people?

One of my new clients recently used "ugh" and "this is really terrible" when sending back three articles for edits.

Now, usually, this unprofessional attitude wouldn't bother me. I would make the edits, collect my money and be on my way. Not with this guy, though. This guy told me to make edits that didn't even make sense. He said that even though my grammar was correct he still hated my sentences. He didn't like that I used the word "people." It went on and on.

Then, at the end of the tirade on what I should correct, he told me to just scrap everything and start over or quit. You know what I did? I quit.

After a while, you can also get a feel for people. Some clients will never be satisfied no matter what you write. I had a feeling this guy was one of those people. Super-rude and unprofessional clients get the door. That has been my policy for years and it has never lead me astray. Life is too short to spend time on people who can't act professional.

Busy, Busy Freelance Writer

It's that time of year again. Offers for writing jobs, editing jobs and book cover art projects are flying at me from all directions! I love it when I am overloaded with work.

Part of a freelancer's life is dealing with dry spots, but soon there are floods. You have to be prepared for both.

I stay prepared for the floods by staying organized. I keep track of due dates, estimate how long each project will take, and break it down into manageable chunks.

I prepare for the droughts by saving up money when I can and downsizing as much as possible.

How do you handle the ebbs and flow of being a freelance writer?

What is Writer Access?

I have recently joined up with Writer Access. They tend to pay on the lower side for projects, but, like other sites I've written about lately, they are a good way to fill in your income in-between bigger jobs. They pay on a sliding scale, which is posted on this page.

There are various types of projects, including articles, web page writing and blogs. Some of their customers ask a lot for very little money. For example, there was a post the other day requiring the writer to write three web pages for a total of $17.50.

The biggest problem with this site is that there are rarely any jobs posted. Here's a tip: They post jobs at 4:02 Central time every morning. You've got to get up pretty early to grab those elusive projects. It reminds me of Demand Studios.

Freelance Writing Jobs: Scripted

I have recently been doing some writing for Scripted. This site is basically a middleman. Business owners go to Scripted with a project and Scripted finds the best writer for the job using their database. Writers sign up, apply for niche areas to write in, and then are assigned work as it comes available. The rates vary, depending on the type of work. Blogs usually pay around $20, for example. You don't get paid extra for photos, though, which is my only complaint.

I really like this site. There's no need to submit bids or hunt for work. If you need a good site to supply you with filler work, then I highly recommend this site.

Here is some more information on Scripted.

Analyzing Other Writers and Articles

Recently, on one of the Facebook groups that I am a member of, a writer posted a link to an online article. She then proceeded to ask the other writers how they felt about the article because she was confused about how the article fit with the voice of the site. Another writer promptly posted that it was wrong to critique another writer's work in a Facebook thread because it may hurt the writer's feelings.

Umm, huh?

If a person can't stand being criticized then they have no business being a writer. God knows many editors (in the publishing world and online) are very blunt and tactless when it comes to their crit of a piece. When you put your work online you're opening yourself to being analyzed. Don't want your work analyzed? Show it to your mama. Either you get a thick skin or you self-publish or you cry in your soup every night.

We all, as writers, have the right to analyze other writers publicly. How is this any different then posting a review of a book on Amazon? If we post a negative review of a book are we supposed to be afraid that the review will hurt the author's feelings? Of course not.

I'm not saying there is a green light to flame writers we don't like, but critique is a normal part of being a writer. Receiving it helps us grow and giving it can help us see errors to avoid in our own work. Constructive criticism is good for everyone.

Most-Read Articles Ever on How to Be A Freelance Writer

I came upon a blog with a posting that listed links to their most-read blog post. I think that's a great idea. I mean, how else are your readers going to know where the hot information can be found? So, I made a list for this blog. (You should try this on your blog, too!)

Here is How to Be a Freelance Writer's most read posts:

Freelance Jobs: What is Emerging Cast?

May 24, 2010, 21 comments

A New Residual Income Site: Wizzley

Jan 5, 2012

Demand Media Studios Now Charges for Revenue Share...

Jan 5, 2011, 3 comments

Tweet for Money

Jul 20, 2010

What is 4Writers.net?

Oct 14, 2011

Job Opening: What is Yovia?

I have been a member of the Yovia group for a long time now and they are a great way to fill in the holes of your freelance writing income. They pay on the 10th of the month and have a payment threshold of $50.

Usually, I don't deal with people who have a payment threshold, but I almost made the threshold today after 30 minutes of work. It's quick money for writing blog entries, posting Facebook photos and networking.

You can also sign up for a lot of free stuff, too.

Give it a try and tell me what you think in the comments.

Blog Changes Boost Earnings: Avoid Blogger Dynamic Views

If you visit often, you may have noticed that this blog has been redesigned. Since I have made these changes, the earnings have gone up 1,088% in just a week's time.

I'll explain why.

The other template I was using was the new Blogger Dynamic View template. These templates look very professional, so I figured they would be a great way to spruce up the blog. I noticed after a few months of using the template that my views rose but my earnings all but stopped. I ended up just making a couple dollars per month. This is because when you use Dynamic Views, Blogger doesn't let you add anything to the sidebars other than one Adsense block. So you can't add affiliate advertising, links to your favorite blogs, in-line advertising...nothing. I tested my earning/views with Dynamic Views on one of my other blogs (that had a completely different audience) and found the same results.

So, if you also write your own blog you may want to avoid using Dynamic View templates if you want to have control over your earnings and your sidebar information.

Freelancing Moms: Here's How to Get a Scholarship for Moms

Kim Stezala is known as The Scholarship Lady because she knows the best tips for finding scholarships. Here are her best tips on how to find scholarships for moms:

Know who you are.  Sounds simple, but busy moms might not take time to look carefully and closely at their personal profile including volunteer work, accomplishments, family heritage, memberships and more.  Were you a Brownie Troop Leader?  Well, that’s called leadership.  Sunday school teacher?  That’s volunteer work.  These traits matter when seeking and applying for scholarships.

Know the keywords to use in searching such as “returning adult student” or “non-traditional student.”  Scholarship providers have their own way of describing who they are trying to reach.  Know their lingo and increase your odds of finding a match.

Know that you are more than a single mom or a woman and expand your search beyond your marital status or gender.  It’s good to identify scholarships for your situation but don’t overlook scholarships based on career choice, geography, diversity, intended major and other categories.  If you meet the criteria, you can apply.

Know how to combine the power of the Internet with the power of the press and good old-fashioned word of mouth.  Use internet databases (www.scholarships.com, 

www.fastweb.com

 are a few)  and      search engines but also read the local newspapers, check in with women-oriented associations and membership groups and most of all, tell people in your network about your search for scholarships.  The small local scholarships might not make it into search engines but through networking you can find out about scholarship resources such as 

Women Empowering Women

 and the Edmund Springman Daycare Grant, both focused on adult female students. 

Know that persistence pays off!  Just like you make time for buying groceries, driving your daughter to soccer practice, mowing the lawn or any other task, a meaningful scholarship search takes time.  Put time on your calendar and don’t give up.  Your competition might lose faith after a few days or weeks but you are slowly but surely building your scholarship empire.

Source: Information Provided by Kim Stezala, The Scholarship Lady (SM), author of Scholarships 101:  The Real-World Guide to Getting Cash for College (AMACOM 2008) and founder of www.scholarshipstreet.com, a free site for scholarship advice.

Fast Style for Freelancers

Okay, I usually don't post style tips here, but I've just learned a tip that I think will help a lot of the mommy/freelance writers out there. You know when you need to do your hair for a video chat with a client, but only have a few seconds? The answer is the sock bun.

Yes, you use a sock.

And it comes out beautifully.

Apparently, women in the military have been using this trick for years. Well, now it's our turn, ladies. Here's a video to show you how:

Suite 101 Is In An Upswing

I haven't written about Suite 101 in a long time. Since the Google Panda down-turn, I haven't given the site much of my time and have focused on other freelance writing pursuits, instead. Lately, though, my Suite earnings have been going up. Last month my earning were up by $10 and it looks like this month will almost double my January earnings. Other writers are finding that they are getting more readers and earnings, as well.

So what has Suite been doing to earn an up-tick? Well, I know that they cleared out a lot of the garbage articles they had on the site. That was sure to help. They've also started a collections feature where writers can put articles into groups. Some writers say that making collections is helping out their earnings, though I haven't tried it yet.

Hopefully this momentum will continue. I would really love for my earnings to go back to where they were. They were paying my car payment back in 2010 and then some.

Knol is Shutting Down

For those of you that have written content for the Google site Knol, I thought I'd let you know that they are shutting down soon. So, you should move your content ASAP if you want it to still be online. Here's the email I received from Google:

As part of Google’s prioritization of product efforts, we will be retiring Knol. From now through April 30th, 2012, Knol will work as usual, but we’ve made it easy for you to download your knols to file and/or export them to Wordpress.com. From May 1, 2012 through October 1, 2012, knols will no longer be viewable, but can be downloaded and exported. After that time, knol content will no longer be accessible. We hope that this timeline provides you ample time to transition your content. For more information, please visit our FAQ: https://knol-redirects.appspot.com/faq.html

Thank you,
The Knol team

The Content Authority is Hiring Freelance Writers

I recently heard that the Content Authority is hiring freelance writers again. I've seen many writers jump at the chance to writer there, so I thought I'd post some facts about the site so that writers can make an infomed decision before putting in their application.

First, writers are payed in tiers:

Tier 1 Rate pays $0.007 per word  Tier 2 Rate  pays  $0.01 per word  Tier 3 Rate  pays  $0.015  per word  Tier 4 Rate  pays  $0.030  per word  Rewrites pay only $0.005 per word 

Plus, the site says, "You must have a minimum of $25.00 of approved articles in your account to be paid for the week." At less than a penny for each word, it would take a long time to accumulate $25. Let's see, for a 500 word article, you would make only $3.50. So, assuming they accepted every article, it would take a little more than seven articles just to get paid. 

According to some who write there, the site's editors are incredibly picky and reject articles quite a bit. There's a good chance you could write over a dozen articles before reaching payout. 

Beginners, let me tell you, YOU CAN AND SHOULD DO BETTER.

International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association Invite Food Wine and Travel Bloggers to Become Members

I just got this press release and I thought I'd pass it along to my readers:

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (February, 2012)

2012 is a going to be a great year for blogging. It's still one of the best tools in the SEO toolbox, and a great way to brand oneself. Professional bloggers command attention and lead a remarkable life influencing trends, creating benchmark ideas, giving readers some of the best information out there.

Due to the online media growth exploding over the last few years, blogging has grown in popularity and has certainly caught the attention of the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). As a result, the board of directors is issuing an invitation to professional bloggers to join the IFWTWA.

According to Vice President Michelle M. Winner, "Simply put they are a great part of the new media landscape. But not all bloggers are professional writers. We'd like to offer vetted bloggers an association to grow and develop with. I'd like to think they have something to offer us too. A synergistic relationship is key with an opportunity for IFWTWA to welcome a new market and younger members. "

There are many benefits to joining a professional writing organization such as an investment in professional credibility and personal development; however the greatest benefit for the professional blogger might be in staying connected to fellow writers who are going somewhere, and don't mind sharing their knowledge on the journey. It's incredibly comforting to know that although a blogger spends a great deal of time alone in front of their computer; they are not alone on their career path.

Minimum requirements for to become an IFWTWA blogger:

1. Focus of blog must be food, wine, or travel, or combinations thereof (little or no off-topic posting);

2. Minimum length of time that blog has been active: 6 months

3. Minimum level of activity: twice (or more) monthly postings

"Most of the bloggers I've met fall into three groups: The first are established writers who blog to cover subjects not included in articles; the second are passionate about the subject and on a quest to keep discovering more and sharing; and the third are those just doing occasional posts. We welcome the first two groups as they represent what food, wine and travel journalists have done for years and believe they have much to contribute" comments Maralyn D. Hill, President.

Bloggers interested in food, wine and travel may apply at www.ifwtwa.org

The Future of Publishing: My Opinion

I believe that the future of publishing will continue towards online venues and digital formats. Print is a great format, but it is expensive to create and hard to sell, especially when more and more people are using their computers, tablets and readers to get most of their information. Writers, publishers and editors need to keep pace with the changing technology to keep up with the market needs. Eventually, I believe that almost all written media will eventually be in digital format.

Will this mean that many magazines and papers will have to close their doors? Most certainly, but that doesn't have to mean a loss of jobs. The publication could simply move to an online format to retain profits and readers. Those publications that realize this now instead of waiting will be the ones that are better off in the long run. Those that act first are the innovators who will reap a loyal following.

What is Hyperlink Publishing?

Hyperlink Publishing hires writers to create 1,500-3,000 word mini-books. These books are how-to guides and cliff notes on books and TV shows. The site offers writers two different payment options. You can either collect 20% royalties for life or take a flat rate of around $25 to $50. There is also a third option that appears from time to time. You can take 20% royalties for life plus a $20 flat fee.

The rates are low, I know, but it may be a good gig for times when you need filler jobs in-between clients. I think that's what I'll use them for. You can fill out an application here. If you decide to apply, use my name in the "How did you find out about us?" field. Yep, I get a small referral fee. I rarely ever post referral links, so I thought I'd do it this time. 

Awesome Free Portfolio for Your Writing Clips

I have found a new site that I love. It's called Contently and its purpose in life is to give writers a kick-butt way of displaying clips in one location. I'm usually not so enthusiastic about sites, but this one is just so well-planned that I can't help it.

The best part about Contently is that you can type in a general web address and Contently will find all of the articles you authored on that site and add links to them in your profile. You don't have to do it manually. For example, I am a regular contributor to Thalo Magazine. So, I type www.thalo.com into the search bar and the site finds every article I've ever written for the site and gives me the option of adding the links to my portfolio. If you don't like a certain article, no problem. You can choose which ones end up in your clip portfolio.

Seriously, if you're a writer, you need to join this site. I have three invites to give out. Be one of the first three to email me and I'll give you one. No, I don't get anything but the satisfaction of helping for the pleasure of inviting you. 

A New Residual Income Site: Wizzley

I've been hearing a lot about a new residual income site named Wizzley. This new site looks really nice, so I gathered some information to share with you.

To make money with Wizzley you create content and add your Google AsSense code or Chitika code to your account so that you can get paid. You can also use their ad modules to add affiliate links, but they only accept Amazon, Zazzle and AllPosters.
According to the site, "After you have created 50 quality articles, your ad share will increase to 55%. After 100 articles we'll give you the maximum share of 60%."

You can also make money by recruiting. If you recruit new members you get a 10% share of the person's ad impressions. The 10% you earn comes from Wizzley.com's share, so it doesn't take money out of your friend's pocket.

The best thing about Wizzley is that they have quality control. You don't see many residual income sites that actually have that.

Do you use this site? Let me know how you like it in the comments!