Alternatives for Freelancer Writers
Guest Post by Eric Bank:
A majority of freelance writers will testify that the arrival of blogging and site-building assignments cannot be reliably predicted. Intense periods of non-stop activity are often punctuated by unwelcome spells of “enforced rest”. Unfortunately, expenses keep mounting even during the non-productive periods. There are, however, a few fee-per-article organizations that freelance writers can turn to when necessary.
With a daily viewership exceeding 70 million visitors, the biggest and most well-known of these “content farms” is Demand Media Studios (DMS), the company that owns AnswerBag, eHow and LiveStrong. As with most other content publishers, DMS requires new authors to submit a writing sample of approximately 400 words. Upon approval, you initiate a try-out phase in which you have a week to complete three blogs. It’s up to you to choose your article topics from the DMS portfolio of over 160,000 titles. You can winnow your picks by screening for topic, file format, and fee. Let’s analyze each selection factor:
- Topics: DMS provides sixteen top-level topics such as weddings and automotive. Each topic can cover dozens of subtopics that guide you as you choose your articles. For instance, should you like weddings, you’ll see subtopics on brides, decorations, engagement rings, and so forth. Even though most competent freelancers can write cogently on almost any subject, it is sensible to pick topics that correspond to your interests and background. DMS favors a helpful yet professional writing voice that requires some familiarity with your topic. In other words, you are encouraged to select topics you already understand.
- Formats: You can select from about two dozen formats, ranging from item lists to full “topic views”, which are well-balanced articles that explore a topic from an array of viewpoints. You needn’t be worried about the details of different formats because DMS has a style guide for each one. In fact, DMS has assembled a fairly comprehensive set of resources that aid new authors in rapidly acquiring a feel for their assignments. Articles require 400 to 500 words. (To be honest, I invariably write on business topics that, in my opinion, require at least 600 words to cover in sufficient detail. I once got slapped down for writing a 700 word article. Bottom line — you should stay close to the length limits). You initially may find it useful to work with several formats — you’ll quickly discover a few that match your inherent writing style.
- Fees: Seriously, you are not going to retire on a private island working for DMS, but if you have other sources of revenue, the modest cash you earn from DMS might come in handy. Fees for write-ups range from $3 to $40, but the majority of articles earn $15 or $17.50. In addition, you can sign up for a revenue-share plan in which an author creates articles from his or her own subject list; the articles pay to the degree they assist in generating click-through revenue for advertisers. Payday is semi-weekly via PayPal.
It’s possible to reserve up to a dozen articles at once, but be advised you have only one week to complete the bunch. I usually reserve just two or three because there are always a lot of topics from which to select. Every article you post is edited by an experienced copy-editor. These folks will occasionally return your work so that you can patch up any particularly significant errors. Most editors will make the small fixes for you. You will be evaluated with respect to grammar and research; it is a one-through-five point rating system sorted by month. Just hang tight and you’ll quickly learn how to satisfy the editors.
Besides freelance writers, DMS works with movie makers, copy-editors and topic professionals. Wages vary by job. Other players within the content creation and distribution industry include iSnare, Writer’s Access, Suite 101, and About.Com (operated by the New York Times). If you want or need to earn some extra cash and can devote a little time, perhaps a gig with one of these content farms will be worth your while.
Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Eric Bank has been a freelance writer of business-related articles since 1985. He holds a Master of Business Administration from New York University and an Master of Science in Finance from DePaul University. Eric freelances through HedgeFundWriter.Com and EricBank.Com.
Easy Steps to Get Approved as a Google Adsense Publisher
How do I get approved for Google Adsense? Read on to find out a great way to show Google Adsense that they should approve you as a Google Adsense publisher.
What is Google Adsense?
Google Adsense is Google’s revenue earning program for publishers. If you have an account, you can display Google ads and earn revenue from them. The program is contextual so Google will display relevant ads to your topic — this could be a great way to earn money from writing!
How much can you make on Google Ads?
The amount varies. Google will not disclose how much they pay in an effort to keep the system honest. Ad payments can range from cents to dollars in payout amounts, depending on many factors such as competitiveness, action taken, etc.
How does Google pay?
Google pays via cheque or via direct deposit the month after your account reaches $100.00 (or a higher amount if you raise the payout threshold for your account)
How do you display Google ads?
In your Google Adsense dashboard, you can easily create ads based on colours, types, etc. Google then gives you html code that you paste onto your site. (Tip: display text and image-based ads for maximum impact!) Or, you can join a revenue share such as Bukisa or a blog network that displays ads for you (but in these cases, you’re most likely sharing your revenue with the site owner).
How do you get approved for Google Adsense?
Google requires that you apply to join their program. When applying, you need to demonstrate why you’d be a good fit. For this reason, you should have established online content to show them. This content should be valuable, interesting, and well-written. Here are some tips:
- Read the Google Adsense terms of service. Check out https://www.google.com/adsense/adsense-resources for helpful tips and info. Then you’ll know which topics are taboo and you’re sure that you won’t inadvertently break any rules.
- Start a website or blog. You can set up your own through your own hosting or you can set up a free Blogger blog. Don”t use a free WordPress.com blog — those blogs don’t allow contextual ads.
- Start submitting content. (Tip: Rome wasn’t built in a day! Write posts and publish over a few weeks. Be patient! A good dozen or so blog posts should be up before you apply for your Google Adsense account)
- Apply.
Gotten rejected from the Google Adsense program?
What should you do if you’ve gotten rejected as a publisher? Chances are that either Google didn’t have enough info to make a decision, your application broke one of their rules (content type, etc.) or your examples didn’t appear high-quality enough. Re-review the rules and attempt the process again — taking your time. You might even want to seek help from a professional web content writer.
Caution: When you do get approved, do follow all rules. Otherwise you’ll get rejected from the program and forfeit any/all earnings.
How much have I made from Adsense? I’m not allowed to say but I’ve been in the program since 2006 and while it took until 2007 to hit my first payout it has definitely been profitable for m.
Got tips to share or questions? Have your say in comments!
Farewell to the Bukisa Index – Hello Google Adsense Revenue Share
I’ve had a Bukisa account since the site first launched. I haven’t made a whole heap of money but I’ve made several payouts and most of that is passive as I haven’t spent a lot of time there since the first month or two.
How much can you make on Bukisa?
I’ve made $148 since early 2009 with about $99.00 coming from my own content. I really only put up content (51 articles) in the first few months and have done very little since then.
Up until now, Bukisa has run on the Bukisa Index, a fee for every 1000 page views. I recently discovered that Bukisa was changing to a Google Adsense revenue model.
Bukisa Google Revenue Sharing – Good or Bad?
I think the Google revenue share is, for me, better.
Why?
#1: I have an established Google account.
#2: I have a successful track record of making money with Google Adsense.
#3: I have articles on decent high-paying topics.
Those who aren’t happy with this tend to be those who haven’t yet discovered how to profit from Google Adsense or those who don’t have a Google Adsense account.
If you’re not yet an Adsense publisher, you’ve got until the end of January 2011 before the Bukisa Index ceases to exist. If you’re reading this in December, you do have time to act so that you can transition into the program. I’ll post next on how to get approved for Google Adsense. If you’re reading this after the Index has stopped paying out, you can get approved for Google Adsense within several weeks — if you do it right.
If you haven’t yet joined Bukisa, feel free to join so you can make money writing for Bukisa.
For more info for members, visit the Bukisa Google announcement when logged into your account. (If you’re not a member, join using the banner in this post). It’s easy to link your Bukisa account to your Google account and you can add Bukisa as a URL channel to your Adsense reporting so you can see where your earnings are coming from.
How will this affect Bukisa referral earnings?
