Comments on: Writer Mills: You Can Do Better

By: Demand Studios Writer

Demand Studios Writer — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:59:10 +0000

I admit there are better opportunities out there if you can find them, but for those just starting out or in need of fast cash during hard times Demand Studios isn’t so bad. It’s the best of those types of sites I think and recommend it to some writers. Of course there will always be the ivory tower types.

By: Cognitive Connection, May 14: It’s the Third Annual Writers Worth Day « a.k.a writer

Fri, 14 May 2010 07:05:25 +0000

[...] say no to content mills. You can do [...]

By: Content Mills and Writer Mills 101: A Writer’s Self-Education is Key « a.k.a writer

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 08:09:20 +0000

[...] Writer Mills: You Can Do Better [...]

By: Cognitive Connection September 18: Special Writer Mills Edition « a.k.a writer

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:59:00 +0000

[...] 18 tags: content mills, Freelancing, Rates, writer mills, Writing by jesakalong Since posting Writer Mills: You Can Do Better one month ago, the number of voices participating in conversations about rates, content aggregators [...]

By: Why Writers Should Say No to Writer Mills and Yes to Free* « a.k.a writer

Why Writers Should Say No to Writer Mills and Yes to Free* « a.k.a writer — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:44:17 +0000

[...] writer mills by jesakalong Do I really think writers should write for free? No. As I’ve written before, writers should be paid for their time, expertise and skill. More specifically, writers should be [...]

By: Put Down That Hammer: Busting Blogger’s Block « a.k.a writer

Put Down That Hammer: Busting Blogger’s Block « a.k.a writer — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:32:45 +0000

[...] entering a debate can open up a number of new connections and fuel your writing. My piece on Writing Mills was written from my gut; I feel strongly about it. I never expected it to find legs of its own! [...]

By: jesakalong

jesakalong — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:47:00 +0000

Niche Momma, Thank you for sharing your experience–and being willing to be that dissenting voice. I have not heard many experiences like yours and it sounds like you are making an educated decision about how you’re approaching your work. My hope is that more writers will educate themselves so that they are not earning $1 an article. In addition to writing for eHow and some of the other places you’re writing, do you also pitch online and/or print publications?

Thanks again for sharing your experience here! I appreciate it.

By: Niche Momma

Niche Momma — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:19:59 +0000

I think I will be the lone voice of dissent here. I am having a good experience on ehow. I haven’t written an article since 9/20 and I am on track to make more money this month than any other.

Am I getting rich? No. But how many freelancers doing it the ‘right way’ would still have revenue coming in if they weren’t writing and actively developing clients?

Could I build this into a $500 a month revenue stream? Yes.

I think there are a few salient points being missed in this debate:

1. Not all pay-per-click-content mills are equal. Some are better than others. Suite101 and ehow are probably the best pay-per-click markets. As for content mills, believe it or not, Demand Studios is the highest paying content mill I’ve seen. I am not thrilled with Demand Studios–their editors sometimes appear to be maliciously capricious and they don’t allow for any back-and-forth with editors to clear up minor issues–but they are still the highest paying content mill and they are actually raising the bar, in my opinion, for other mills. The ability to just work and not worry about pitching, queries, acceptance etc… is refreshing.

2.Not all writers are created equal. I’m sorry, people who have written 100 articles and earned less than $100 are doing something seriously wrong. They are working with the wrong sites, don’t understand SEO or are otherwise failing to hit the mark.

I’m around the $5 mark and don’t yet have 100 articles yet. Nor have I even hit the one year mark as a pay-per-click writer. Heck, I haven’t even hit the six month mark. At a year, I will have earned $60 per article. Considering I spent _maybe_ an hour on each of my articles, this is a good return on investment.

A lot of the financial analysis being done to show how awful content mills are presupposes that the writers could actually get freelance work that pays top rates. I hate to say it, but some of these writers are at content mills because they aren’t marketable anyplace else. In addition, all the financial analysis is done with a steep negative bias. I calculate $60 per article, the naysayers only look at the earnings I have, not the one year projection. It’s a very selective view and I believe it is inaccurate.

3.Not everyone can take the time to nurture a client. I love the freedom of pay-per-click content. I have a small child at home and am limited in how much work I can do. I do not have time for a needy client. I’ve tried. They make my two year old look mature.

Are there downsides and valid issues, yes. I am not claiming perfection, simply that the downsides are not quite as steep as others believe and there are some nice upsides too.

By: jesakalong

jesakalong — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:38:24 +0000

Thank you so much, Kristine! I checked out your blog, too, and look forward to reading more of your posts.

By: Kristine

Kristine — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:59:43 +0000

I’m now going to follow you. This is an EXCELLENT post. I’m posting about the same thing, and I’m highlighting and linking your article. Thank you for saying it so well!