freelance writing gig (sort of)

[rm]

Well, sort of.

You all may notice all the weird articles I'm always talking about writing. I do these for Associated Content, which is a website that calls itself "The People's Media." Anyone can submit an article on any topic and, if you have a basic command of English (as most of you do) get paid for it. I started writing for them by banging out articles on New York, on acting and on celiac disease. Most of these paid me about $5 up front and then earned me pageview bonuses.

However, because they discovered I could write well, they started assigning me articles for specific websites. So I write a blog for a major retailer and lots of articles for a disability website. I've also started doing some articles on aging, some specifically requested tourism articles and, most recently, a voiceover script for a local TV commercial These things usually pay about $10 - $25 each (closer to $25 in my experience) and I can usually knock them out in about 20 minutes.

For me, Associated Content can earn me several hundred dollars a week. And it's pretty much instant money as articles are approved within 2 weeks (sometimes the same day) and pay via paypal comes 3 times a week.

They've instituted a referral program for their top content producers, which means that if you join up and write 5 articles for them by the end of September I get $10. You'll get paid for your articles and also get a $10 bonus.

So, if you need some extra cash, consider signing up and writing at http://www.associatedcontent.com/join.html?refer=9740

Comments

Just a few questions

[kiji-kat.livejournal.com]

1) What do you write about on AC? Are you given topic assignments, or do you choose your own?

2) If/when the door opens to write for companies outside of AC, how is the pay handled? Do you calculate your own rates and fees, does the outside company give you a set fee, or is the payment amount and schedule managed between AC and the outside company?

3) Does AC (or this offer) apply only to U.S. residents, or can people in the UK/Ireland write for the site as well?

It's funny that you mention writing a script for a commercial. I'm trying to figure out how theycallmeboy can break into that area to expand his script portfolio. Would you be willing to talk with him about how the process? (I should specify - the business process of pitching/being introduced to the company in question, how to talk with them about what they're looking for, setting up payment, etc. He can write scripts, but neither of us know too much about working with a company in this capacity.)

Re: Just a few questions

[rm.livejournal.com]

1. I can submit articles on anything I want and then they make offers, which I can accept or reject. These usually bring in offers of about $5 for me, which I'm fine with, as I can churn out enough product reviews in an hour to make that $20 an hour and it's not work I'd sell elsewhere.

2. They offer you work on a topic, word count, for a specific site, deadline and pay rate. You can accept or decline each one individually. I can usually get about $25 for a 400 piece that takes me 20 minutes to write. All pay is still handled through AC via paypal and paid as promptly as the rest.

3. I believe foreign residents can submit content for performance pay -- that is $1.50 per 1000 page views (that goes up at as you get more experienced on the website -- I get $1.75 now on top of base pay), but not for advance payment.

4. I can talk to him about the script, but doing it through a site like AC is unusual. As in writing exactly such a thing, that's very much one of those things that I think I only know how to do through genetics -- my dad was in advertising during the glory days of Madison Avenue and it's what I was raised on. But the logistics of it in a more normal context I'm familiar with because of all this.

Re: Just a few questions

[theycallmeboy.livejournal.com]

Hey, sorry for not commenting sooner. Any advice you could give me would be very much appreciated. My e-mail address is conorjosephduffy AT gmail DOT com.

Thanks very much!