Since eHow writers, past and present, now must submit their eHow articles through Demand Studios after the famous writing platform switch, writers who want to continue writing for Demand Media must submit an application for Demand Studios. This has caused many complaints and mixed emotions for former eHow writers, especially since many of Demand Studios’ copy editors are increasingly strict when approving articles that are submitted.
However, working for Demand Studios isn’t too bad. It can be stressful when submitting your first 30 articles only to have them sent back for changes and rewrites. I know that at some points I would have happily ripped out all of my hair in frustration. Luckily, I was able to refrain myself, as hard as it was to do so. But, like most things, you’ll get better as you practice and hone your writing skills. After a few months of working for Demand Studios, you’ll find that your articles are approved without rewrites a lot more than they were before. Yes, there might be an occasional rewrite request, but overall you’ll see fewer rewrite requests as your writing improves.
Working for Demand Studios does have its positives. In fact, some people can earn a full-time income on Demand Studios alone – and they have! It all depends on how you budget your time and the speed in which you can write each article, while still maintaining quality. There will be some rough times when you’ll want to wring the copy editor’s neck. But there will also be moments of excitement and pride, like the moment when you notice an email from PayPal stating that you just got paid $225 from Demand Media after two days of work. If you want to make it to the top, it does take hard work. But, like I always say, hard work does pay off if you have the determination and willpower to make your dreams happen. If you want to take a look at my past and present Demand Studios earnings, view the Demand Studios Payment Proofs page.
Table of Contents
You can apply for five different roles when working for Demand Studios. If you have experience writing and don’t mind doing a bit of research you can apply to be a writer, where you submit high quality articles and get paid for it. If you have copy editing experience and can work on tight deadlines, you can apply to be a copy editor and get paid to review the articles submitted by other writers. If film is your thing and you can film videos in batches, apply to be a filmmaker, where you create groups of videos for pay. The other two roles that can be applied for are blogger and expert, depending on if you have experience working a blog or know a great deal about a topic and want to expand your reach. You can even apply to more than one position.
Whichever role you pick, there are topics for everyone when working for Demand Studios, no matter the interests. If you’re a writer who focuses on nutrition and healthy eating habits, you can go to the Dieting and Nutrition section in the Health and Fitness category and find topics to write about there. If you like writing topics on computers, you can filter your topic search to anything from Building Computers to Virus and Spyware Protection. Eventually, if you prove that you can write exceptionally well by raising your Grammar and Research score, you can chosen to write special articles that can pay up to $100 or more – and you may even have your article limit increased so that you can claim more assignments. Copy editors can choose the topics they review as well and filmmakers can choose the topics they film. There’s literally something to do for everyone.
However, before working for Demand Studios, you’ll need to prove your expertise and you can do this by submitting a resume. Demand Studios, like all jobs and careers, prefers workers who have past experience in what they’re applying for. If you’re not experienced, you will get rejected. That’s why it’s so important to build up an article library if you’re applying for the writing position. This way, you have a few months to a year of writing on your belt and writing samples to prove it. Demand Studios wants the best out there. If you can’t prove that you’re unique and if you can’t give a reason as to why Demand Studios should hire you, you will not be hired. You also will not receive another chance to be hired for that specific position (unless you’re clever like me, but I’ll explain more on that later), so you should spend a lot of time on that resume and make sure you have the experience before applying. I’m also willing to help anyone with their resumes if they have the dedication to write. Simply send me an email.
As I mentioned before, working for Demand Studios might be stressful and frustrating at first, but it will get better. This is especially the case if you applied to be a writer. Once you’ve shown Demand Studios, through your resume and writing samples, that you’re worthy enough to join their community, you’ll then have to prove to the world and each copy editor that reviews your new article submissions that you have what it takes to write high quality articles. This isn’t easy and sometimes you’ll receive outrageous requests from copy editors who don’t exactly know enough about the topic that they’re reviewing. Just don’t give up. Keep at it and, with practice, you’ll learn what is expected of you and what to expect from Demand Studios.
Every now and then, Demand Studios will host contests to entice writers and copy editors to keep on writing. Usually these contests are around the holiday season and the prize is usually a hefty sum of money. You can view more information about them in my Demand Studios Holiday Club article.
For writers, you’ll get paid every Tuesday and Friday for your approved articles (if you write articles for upfront pay). The amount of money you receive per article varies and depends on what format the articles are written in. Most “how to” articles, where you write about how to do something, are worth $15 each, while many fact sheet articles are worth $7.50 each. I personally prefer the “how to” format, mainly because I’m used to writing in that format when I used to be an eHow writer. Copy editors get paid about $3.50 per article when working for Demand Studios and filmmakers get paid around $200-$300 per assignment.
You can also get paid according to ad performance and earn a steady residual income month after month, without additional work put in. I actually prefer this type of payment, since I just have to do the work initially (write the article) to earn ongoing income (a portion of the ad revenue). However, since this type of payment isn’t set, how much your article makes will vary. Some articles won’t make anything at all, while others will make over $100 a month and continue making money (one of mine has).
Residual income depends strongly on your keyword research and how well you can optimize the article for search engines, since the majority of your traffic will come from visitors searching for particular keyword terms. The articles available for residual income are also limited, and I suggest to just create your own assignments (since you’ll have more control over what you write about).
When I first applied to work for Demand Studios a few years ago, I got rejected. I believe this was mainly because I just did not have the experience yet with freelance writing and my article library was pretty low. At the time of applying, I was just starting to get a feel for freelancing online and was just starting college. I only had a few articles under my belt on eHow and had tested out Xomba a little when I found Demand Studios.
Several months after my rejection, I talked with a friend of mine, who also happened to be a fellow eHow writer. He shared with me his Demand Studios earnings and how he made about $900 so far in the few months he’s been a member. This inspired me to submit another application to Demand Studios, and this time I had a rather large article library with over 110 eHow articles to use as writing samples. I fixed up my resume and resubmitted my application using my Yahoo email address, rather than my Gmail email, since the Gmail email address was already taken when I got rejected the first time. A few days after resubmitting my application, I was delighted to receive an acceptance letter in my Yahoo inbox. I remember the day well, since I was literally hopping around the room in excitement. I had made a huge leap in my writing career and I was ecstatic over it.
Within my first few weeks of writing 3 articles a day for Demand Studios (while taking a few breaks here and there), I made $300. It was hard at first to keep up with all the rewrites I had to do, but I made it and I’m proud of my accomplishments. Working for Demand Studios has been, above all, a learning experience. I could spend less time writing each article than I could before, and I received fewer rewrites to do over time. Instead of getting paid $15 an hour, I was able to start earning $30 for writing 2 articles an hour rather than 1. Several months later, I’d made over $800. Keep in mind that I was mainly using Demand Studios as a hobby and not a full-time career. If I had of spent more time writing, I would have made a lot more.
If you’re considering working for Demand Studios, I suggest to build up your current article library first so that you have a better chance of getting accepted into their community. Once you feel as though you have a large selection of writing samples, spend some time working on your resume – then submit an application and wait for that acceptance letter to be sent to your inbox.
Feel free to post your Demand Studios experiences in the comment section. I read all comments and will happily respond if you need help with the acceptance process.
Tags: Demand Studios, Review
I've been making money with my writing since 2008. With this income, I'm able to travel the world, indulge in my hobbies, and govern my own life. And the best thing is, I love every second of it!
Hillary Bost (1)
Insightful read. You are right the longer you write for DS the more you get used to it and the faster you are able to write an article. I have been writing for DS for 11 months and one can make money either full time or work for DS for supplemental income. I am glad you got through the learning curve and look forward to your future postings.
Hi Alicia,
It’s great to know there are other DS writers out there. Demand Studios has its positives and negatives, but definitely can turn out to be some pretty good full-time income. Right now I’m treating it as a part-time job until I have more time on my hands.
Christina
This doesn’t make any sense. If you wrote 3 articles a day and earned $300, that would mean you earned around $3.33 per article, NOT $15. 30 days in a month times 3 articles per day = 90 articles. $300/90… NOT $15.
This is sweatshop labor. People at WalMart make more than this.
Thanks for pointing out this typo.
I didn’t write 3 articles a day for the whole month straight. I took a few breaks here and there. 3 articles a day is what I strived for. I was also approximating the $300 I earned from the entire month.
You can better follow my progress in the Demand Studios Payment Proofs section of this blog.
I’ll clear up the section questioned. The majority of article titles to choose from on Demand Studios pay $15 per article and these are mainly the How To articles.
Christina
Hey I just applied to DS do you think I will get accepted and how much do filmmakers make with them? You can see some of my work at icansavetheworld.com and zoomerrands.com thanks let me know
mike´s last [type] ..” An urban sprawl sits choking on it’s discharge overwhelmed by industry Searching for a modern day savior from another place- inclined towards charity…”
Hi Mike,
Well, Demand Studios requires a resume, so it depends on your resume, past experience, and samples of your work when determining whether or not you’ll get accepted.
Christina
I’ve written for Demand Studios at varying levels for about 8 months now. My general opinion is that it is a very good starting point for freelance writers who want to go full time, a great place for writers who are only looking for part time income, and and a solid place to always pick up some supplemental work. I’ve made as much as $2,000 in one month on Demand Studios, and while there are many copy editors I wanted to strangle for sheer stupidity or arrogance, if you’re going to let a few bad apples push you off a writing career, you don’t have a chance. While I could make a full time income here (and where I live $24k is more than enough to live very comfortably – go Midwest!) I do believe that there are a lot of headaches even once you are really well versed with writing for DS and if you can use it for a spring board to bigger and better things, then that’s exactly what you should do. So that’s my two cents for whatever they’re worth
Master Dayton´s last [type] ..Xomba Freelance Writing Review- How I Use Xomba
Hi Master Dayton,
Demand Studios is definitely an excellent starting point for freelance writers and can net you some pretty good part-time income. I currently use Demand Studios for part-time income and whenever I’m in a tight financial situation.
During my Demand Studios Work Challenge, I did notice that there were fewer copy editor headaches if you spend more time on your articles in the beginning until you can write articles on the same subjects without doing much research, since more articles generally go through without rewrites. Writing for Demand Studios is especially easier if you write on the same or similar topics each article. In the beginning, I would pick just categories I was interested in. These same categories became the main subjects of every article I write for the company.
Thanks for sharing and I hope your writing goes well. I checked out your blog, by the way. I like how you put everything together.
Christina
hello,
i read your whole story and i liked it.
i saw some payment proofs also.
i am already doing job as content writer and i will try demand studios as writer. but i would write only 2 articles a day..
so what my question is..
how much they are paying for each article..
and what is the word count for the article!!?
if i write 400 words article then what will be the payout?
please let me know…
Yamcha.
yamcha potter´s last [type] ..Bankruptcy Forms – Having The Right Ones
Hi Yamcha,
Demand Studios generally pays $15 per article, though there are some articles worth less. The majority is $15 though for a 350-500 word article. Articles that are around 100-200 words are usually around $5-10.
Demand Studios is great for just getting your foot in the door. They also offer residual income, where you get paid depending on ad clicks and how many visitors you receive to the article.
Christina
Well I really don’t know where to start. I write articles for Associated Content, Seed and did write for Demand Media. I started about a year ago for Demand and recently have gotten a lot of flack from them including a letter nothing like yours. It seems after doing a vast amount of articles for them and having fairly good responses and only 7 rejections in one year’s time, I have been sent a letter stating they do not require my services anymore. That is because I had trouble with one particular editor and wrote two grievance letters stating so. Needless to say I was scolded and told I would be put on limited account status while they did a review, however the review seemed to be unfair because after over a month time they have decided to let me go as a writer citing no specific issues just that they have decided that I am not right for their site. I was allowed to finish my work and all of them was processed without rewrites, as about 80% of my total work for them. I have learned something very valuable about this whole situation if you write for DS don’t send in a grievance you will get black-balled.
I have been trying to reach Mr. Rosenblatt about the situation because I really loved writing for DS but my emails have not been responded to so I have decided to leave information about the incident on the net see any one of the various sites I work for and type in my name and demand studios rejection.
I am a featured health and wellness writer for Associated Content and make very good money for both Associated Content, Constant Content and Seed.com.
KIMBERLY CUMMINGS´s last [type] ..Well today is FRIDAY YIPPEE
Hi Kimberly,
Thanks for sharing. I’m sorry that you had trouble. Copy editors for Demand Studios have been really cracking down lately, as Demand Media staff are getting increasingly strict about which content they’ll allow and which articles get published.
I’m glad you were able to find other means of income. Like that old saying: When one door closes, another door will open. Since you are doing so well with Associated Content, I would say just stick with them for now. Becoming a featured writer for any content website is a huge accomplishment. Wear it with pride.
Christina
I thought I’d read that some Demand Studios writing assignments paying more than $15. Is that true?
I understand that published articles pay $15 but I am curious if there is a higher pay scale once someone is a more established DM writing.
Hey,
It is true, once you become a more established Demand Studios writer. Becoming established may take a while, for Demand Studios will have to notice you first in order to give you a pay raise. Higher paying articles will also take longer to write and will be more complex than the $15 articles, so you’ll have to keep track of how long it takes you to complete a higher paying article to make sure that you are making more per hour. Sometimes, writing $15 articles might be better for this reason.
For example, if you can write two $15 articles an hour and it takes you 2 hours to write a $50 article, you’d be making more with the two $15 articles per hour. However, if you don’t work well under pressure and can easily lose motivation, the $50 article might work better for you because you’ll be less likely to experience writer’s block with one article rather than four.
Some writers who experience promotion even have access to $100 articles, though Demand Studios will demand more from you with these articles. Your copy will also be more strictly reviewed. You’re almost guaranteed to receive a rewrite on a $100 article, mainly because these articles have more weight and are usually for top clients.
Christina
Hi Christina,
Even though I work for Examiner.com and have almost 160 articles there, I was one of those that got turned down by Demand Studios. I am experienced with writing resumes and also made reference to some of my blogs, some of which have been around a while. It was all still a “no go”. I am not sure where I went wrong, but I have been writing online for quite sometime now. It would have been great to work for Demand Studios, especially since Ehow didn’t quite yield the best pay out, lol. I’m glad to see you out and about and please let me know what you are up to. Do you have any blogs on blogger?
Dawn Gagnon´s last [type] ..Dreamfields Pasta product review – Columbia home and living
Hi Dawn,
Thanks for sharing. I’m sorry that you’re having trouble. Did you make sure all of your writing samples were in active voice? How about the content? Can you make the content clearer? If you want me to critique your writing samples, I’ll be happy to do so. Just send an attachment to Christina@cashcampfire.com. Demand Studios has strict guidelines, but don’t be discouraged. They rejected me the first time as well.
As for how I’m doing, I’m doing very well. Thanks for asking! I used to have blogs over at Blogger, but I moved them to their own hosting server. Purchasing my own hosting just gives me more control over my blogs. I’m happy that you’re doing well on Examiner. I’ve never experimented with them, as I was more occupied with eHow and Demand Studios. Now I mainly focus on blogging.
Let me know if you have any more questions, and stay in touch!
Christina
Hi Christina,
My application was rejected by Demand Studios two days ago. I am a new writer and devastated by their rejection, as this is the second time I applied. I used a different email as well – the first time I applied was a little over a year ago.
Although, I am a college graduate (my degree is in Psychology and Masters of Human Relations); I never wound up working in my field. I submitted one writing sample and a functional resume to try to emphasis my ability to write because my work background is more related to finance.
I mentioned I had a few articles published a long time ago and that my professors encouraged me to pursue a writing career in my resume. I mentioned about 10 different areas of interest I had and tried to relate it to my work experience. I wonder if this was a mistake or maybe I just do not have what it takes to be a good writer.
I was recently laid off my job (downsizing) and working for Demand would had been a life saver. Do you have any ideas or insight as to what might have went wrong?
Also, I appreciate and can see from this site your willingness to help others.
Thanks,
Rita
Hi Rita,
Thanks for sharing your Demand Studios experiences. They aren’t always easy to work with, but don’t lose that determination. You sound like someone who’s eager to learn, and I’m happy that you’ve decided to go into freelance writing.
You mentioned that you were interested in 10 different fields or had 10 different areas of interests. I think here lies the main problem. 10 is a lot of fields, and I believe Demand Studios is looking for individuals with very specific areas of expertise. Even though you may be interested in all 10, I suggest limiting it to 1 or 2 (3 at the most). Because you have degrees in both psychology and human relations, but have work experience in finance, you may want to put in your resume that you specialize in psychology, human relations and finance. However, I think 3 is really pushing it, so you would probably be better off with just Psychology and Finance or Human Relations and Finance (if you wanted to keep the finance).
When you actually get accepted into Demand Studios, you can write about whatever you want by choosing titles on topics that interest you. You don’t have to just focus on the finance or psychology articles. Keep this in mind.
Also, you mentioned that you had published articles a while ago. How long was that? If it’s been more than a year or so, I suggest taking out the duration. I don’t know how well that will sit with the person approving applicants. Also, where were these articles published? Online, in magazines or in newspapers? Let me tell you – Demand Studios LOVES applicants who manage to get published in print. If you have, this is something you should definitely mention. If you haven’t, that’s fine too. When I applied, I had all of my work published online. If that’s the case, you could instead say that you have been writing web content since [enter year]. Stating it like that may even be an advantage if you did last publish an article a long time ago, since it shows that many years have past since you’ve been writing (even if you didn’t publish much).
Moreover, I suggest submitting more than 1 sample. It just gives you a better chance of getting accepted. 2 or 3 would be good. Whatever samples you submit, make sure that they’re informative articles in active voice and are factually correct. Stay away from fluff and never use passive voice. So, instead of “You should clean the aquarium tank with a water siphon,” say “Clean the aquarium tank with a water siphon.” It’s important that you edit each sample you submit to make sure that they fit those requirements. Another thing – Make sure the articles are non fiction. When you write for Demand Studios, you’ll be writing non fiction pieces. Stay away from fiction.
If you find that you have a limited number of samples, it’s OK to write your samples now to use them in your resume. They don’t have to be previously published somewhere. If you think you’ll be better off just writing samples now for your resume, by all means, go ahead. You can also edit previously published samples to make them better before submitting them. If you want me to go over any samples that you are unsure about, I’ll be happy to. Just send an attachment to Christina@CashCampfire.com. You can rest assured that I won’t use them in any way other than to critique them for you.
Don’t give up. I highly suggest that you re-send your application one last time once you’ve made all the required corrections. A different person may review your application and accept you this time, especially after you’ve made the changes in your resume. And as for your statement “…or maybe I just do not have what it takes to be a good writer,” your writing looks terrific. Never get into this mindset! That’s the problem with many writers; they just don’t think they’re good enough when they, in fact, are. From what I’ve seen so far, your writing is better than most. If you feel as though you need touching up, write some practice articles before reapplying to Demand Studios. Also, when you get accepted and start writing for Demand Studios, you’re bound to get rewrites (especially in the beginning). Take those opportunities to learn! No one is perfect. Even experts make mistakes.
I hope I was able to help. Let us know if you get accepted!
Christina
Thank you so much for responding Christina. I have been really down the past few days and felt like throwing in the towel. I appreciate your suggestions and will make the necessary changes before resubmitting my resume and writing samples to them.
I think you’re right on target with the areas of interest I cited in my resume. I think I came out sounding like a jack of all trades which was a mistake.
The three articles I published were over 15 years ago and they were print publications in magazines. Two of them I did not receive monetary compensation. The two non-paying articles were for Christian Psychological publications. The other was for the Readers Review, which publishes short articles for those working in office environments.
I think it is really awesome of your desire to help and encourage other writers. I also appreciate your offer to critique my work before submitting again to Demand. You have given me the desire not to give up and to try again.
Thank you so much and I will be in touch!
Rita
I’m happy I was able to help!
I would still include the print publications with the dates they were published. I think that will give you an edge over many applicants.
I can’t wait to see how it goes. Keep us informed!
Christina
thanks for this article Christina. I actually just wrote my first article and it was rejected. They told me to leave out examples in the How To which I think was outrageous and it made a good article not so good. I found the copy editor to be unfair and non specific. I was and still am really crushed about it but on the other hand, I wasn’t pleased with the changes they suggested so I would rather not be published than be published with a work I am not proud of (on a good day, other days I just want to be published)
I am sure I will try again but I am in the middle of a novel and this was taking away my focus.
On the other hand, I dont know how people can write 3 articles a day! How to you do and cite all the research in that amount of time?? I would love to know!
Hey Gabrielle!
Sometimes copy editors can be unfair. However, some are really nice. It depends on who you’re stuck with I suppose.
When I first joined Demand Studios, it took me about an hour or a little over an hour to write each article. When I started writing more articles around the same topic (business), it became easier for me, since I didn’t have to do much research and already had sources I could use to cite from other articles. The trick is to find articles on similar topics that you already know a good deal about. In my case, I knew a lot about entrepreneurship, so I was writing articles like How to Make a Business Website, How to Register a Business and How to Start a Daycare Center. Over time, I was able to write articles in 30 minutes, though I know some people who could write articles in 15 while keeping the quality.
Many people who live off of Demand Studios income write 7 to 10 articles a day. I tried writing 5 articles a day and only managed to keep that frequency for about a week before I burned out. It really depends on the writer. I personally can’t write more than 3 articles a day without burning out. Most of the time I just write 1 article a day for Demand Studios, mainly because the copy editors drive me crazy. I also tend not to do rewrites if I get them. I don’t get them very often anymore. If the article needs a small fix, I’ll fix it. But most of the time I ignore rewrites and use the article somewhere else if the copy editor wants it to be rewritten.
Christina
Christina-
how do you ask an editor a question about their comments without re-submitting? I was all over the website and can’t seem to find a way to contact them about it.
Also, I am confused about whether to list the names of places or not. I am in the middle of a re write on Maine adventure vacations and the comment is include lodging and dining but how do you do that without actually saying “well there is Mcdonalds here and a Chilis there”?
Hey Gabrielle,
I don’t think you can ask an editor a question without re-submitting the article. You would have to ask moderators on the forums if you’re confused about anything a copy editor said. The copy editor may also see your question and respond to the thread directly. If the copy editor doesn’t, you can always put in the comment section that you asked the forums to clarify whatever needs to be clarified and that you’re basing the rewrite off of the replies you received. That way, you’re making your best attempts to do what the copy editor requested and, if the attempts you made aren’t exactly what the copy editor meant, he/she can’t reject the article due to the miscommunication because you went out of your way for help.
As for your second question – If I’m not mistaken, I believe you can list names of places if you’re writing an article on a specific area. The places might have to be unique to that area though, so I’m not sure how McDonalds or Chilis will work.
I hope I helped!
Christina
What experience is needed to be a copy editor. I am a teacher and have to proofread quite a bit of documents submitted by students. Grammar is probably high on the list of skills needed
Hi Barbara,
I believe you have to have 5 years of copy editing experience. I’m not sure if that will qualify, but you can try submitting a resume and see if you get accepted.
Christina
Hi Christina,
This is a great post, thanks! You’ve given a lot of really useful info on here. I love writing and would love to do it freelance. I’m just not sure where to start!
Do you mind giving me some pointers? I am a university graduate from the UK, a hypnotherapist and football (soccer coach) and I blog at the website I’ve included on affiliate marketing, and I’m also fluent in Spanish.
I am looking to move away from my current job (unrelated to my professions) but am not really sure where to start or how to tailor my CV. It sounds like DS are really strict and I’d love to get started asap!
Experience wise, I have self published a guide on how to stop smoking and am in the middle of writing a biography.
Do you have any suggestions on where I should go to start?
Thanks
Dan
Dan Fargher´s last [type] ..Best Clickbank products and refund rate
Hey Dan,
I’m so happy that you’ve decided to get into freelance writing.
First, you’ll need to decide what kind of format you want to write in. You obviously have an interest in blogging and web content, so those are good places to start.
I have two article series that could probably help you. You mentioned that you wanted to join the Demand Studios community, so you first might want to give my Become a Successful Demand Studios Writer series a look. For a general idea on how to make good money content writing, check out Writing Web Content for Websites.
Then, I suggest thinking about which direction you want your blog to take. How do you plan to make money from it? Affiliate marketing? Or do you one day want to sell your own information products, such as eBooks, online courses, and so on. Once you have a good idea on your blog direction, you can start working on increasing traffic to your blog. One way to do this is to guest post on other blogs related to your niche. You can also participate in blog carnivals, SEO tactics, forums and so on. In order to gain traffic to your blog, I suggest to start forming relationships with other bloggers by commenting on their blogs, talking to them on social networks (commonly Twitter or Facebook), chatting to them through email, asking questions, guest posting and just getting to know the individuals behind the blogs.
I also have several books, blogs and online course recommendations if you need further guidance. Just let me know.
Christina
My time at Demand has been a mix of good and bad. I have to disagree with you saying that people who aren’t experienced get rejected. I wasn’t even a freelance writer before I applied to Demand and I still got accepted. At first, I didn’t take it that seriously, writing only two articles per month at most. Recently because I can’t find anything else and I need the exposure as a student, I’ve made Demand my full time gig. It doesn’t provide me with the same sort of creative flexibility, but it helps. I’m thinking of using Demand to save enough cash to move out and get a room. I’ll see how that goes soon enough.
Hey Hannington Dia,
Thanks for sharing.
Demand Studios generally doesn’t accept writers to work for them unless they have experience. You don’t have to be a freelance writer, but you must have some sort of experience writing, or you wouldn’t be accepted. Either that or they seriously lowered the bar for new applicants (which is always a possibility).
But I’m happy that you were able to get accepted to write for Demand Studios and that it has helped some in obtaining income. I agree that it isn’t very flexible, especially considering the other writing professions, but the income does help time and time again. It’s always good to keep your options open as well.
Christina
does anyone know of any other sites that pay as much as demand?
Hey Tiffanie,
Well, Textbroker.com pays 5 star writers $25.00 per 500 word article. However, you’d have to work your way up from 2 or 3 stars (depending on where they place you). At 3 stars you only get paid $3.50 per 500 word article. As the quality of your articles on average increases, you get promoted up a star. You then get paid twice a month through PayPal if you exceed the $10 threshold.
Other than Textbroker, I’m not sure about others that pay a higher upfront payment. Does anyone else know?
Another alternative would be to set up your own freelance writing business and find clients to write for. It may be more work extensive, but you’ll definitely get paid more, since you’ll be able to set your own rates.
Christina
Well,I sent them something from my blog. Don’t remember exactly what, but it did the trick. Problem now is, I can barely find anymore articles to do for the site. And I hate how they always dumb down your work. For instance, I just had a piece on Filipino restaurants in Queens and the editor cut a small part out of my intro that I felt added to its spice. I get irritated whenever that happens.
At Demand Studios, you simply can’t have a soul when it comes to writing. I can see why the average work life of a Demand writer is only two months. Sigh
Hey Hannington,
Thanks for comment. Demand Studios definitely isn’t easy working for, and I don’t like how they seem to dumb down your work either. Now, whenever I write for them, I just avoid details and it seems to go through alright. Nevertheless, it’s still a shame that most articles you write will never be the best they can be because of the probing eyes of copy editors.
Christina
Yeah. Fortunately, I grabbed a bunch of writable pieces to do for now, so I’m good for the time being. By any chance, do you know how I could step up to writing for private clients? For better money as well? Thanks. Any suggestions would be awesome.
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Progress
Well, first you’ll need some type of way to advertise your writing services. Most writers create an online portfolio to do the job (where they put up their writing samples, rates, and the type of work they do), while others bring in clients through their blog (they have a little “hire me” button on the sidebar or blog header that links to another page or their online portfolio).
Once you have your service information and samples up, you can then increase your exposure by looking for clients advertising for writers in other online directories, such as Elance.com or Monster.com (there are a whole ton of others out there too).
Copywriting, which is often the term used to describe this kind of work, is a very wide, vast field to get into. To explain it all, I would be here all day, writing page after page of information and still wouldn’t be finished.
A book that I recommend, though, that does a pretty good job explaining (and has also helped me personally a great deal) is Secrets of a Freelance Writer by Robert Bly. He also created another book called The Copywriter’s Handbook – which also goes into detail (keep in mind that those two links are affiliate links).
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Christina
Hmm. I actually do have my own blog. I’ve been a blogger for three years actually. Matter of fact, I even received a personal invitation from Lenovo to participate in a nationwide blogging competition where I became a finalist. I’m very passionate about the blog, but it doesn’t necessarily have a specific niche. Check it out and see what you think! I also don’t know exactly how eLance works.
hannington-hd.blogspot.com
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Progress
Hey Hannington,
I checked out your blog, and it looks pretty good. However, I do suggest to buy your own domain name and hosting if you intend to attract clients from your blog. Having your own domain name and hosting will make your blog look more professional because you won’t have “.blogspot” at the end of the web address. You’ll also have more control over your site.
I also recommend building a blog with a particular niche, depending on what kind of clients you want to work for. This is completely up to you, but I think a well targeted niche will help you find more targeted readers and potential clients. Once you have your own domain name and hosting, you might want to think about making money off of your blog as well. Affiliate marketing is a good option and less obvious than having ad blocks everywhere.
If you do want to upgrade your blog’s hosting and domain name, I recommend DreamHost. I use them and haven’t had any problems. When signing up, you can even enter the coupon code “cashcampfire” and you’ll get a discount from the overall price. For a cheap domain name, I recommend GoDaddy. Each .com domain name is $10, but you can often find promotional codes online that will reduce the price to $7.
Ok, so I just created a GoDaddy account. As it pertains to my niche, I really don’t know what would suit me. Perhaps a snarky, comedy thing, but I’m not sure. Based on what you say on the blog, what would you recommend?
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..HDs Top Ten of 2010!
Hey Hannington,
Well, I would suggest to first tighten your niche a bit. If you’re unsure about what kind of niche you’re working with, that might be a sign that it’s too vague and covers too many areas. If you can’t tighten your niche, you might want to create different blogs on different topics that you’re already covering on your main blog right now. So, one blog can be about lifestyle choices, another can be about freelance writing, and so on. That way your readers are more targeted and readers who are only interested in one topic on your blog are more likely to stick around.
If you’re absolutely stuck, you can always just use your own name as your brand. A lot of people do it, and it could help establish you as a writer when you get into copywriting. Of course, then you’d have to find another domain name for your actual writing portfolio (most copywriters use their own name for their portfolio domain name, though they don’t always do so).
Let me know if I helped,
Christina
Also, I’m kinda confused about the whole domain thing. I’m at the activate your domain page at GoDaddy and I’m seeing this offer for getting the domain for $1.99 if I buy some email addresses to go along with it. I have no idea how any of this stuff works. What should I do?
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Time 2 Upgrade
Well, first of all – GoDaddy is notorious for product promotion to get customers to buy more than necessary. I only use GoDaddy because the domain names are pretty cheap. I recommend just ignoring the extra offers you see – you don’t really need them. In that example, you can create email addresses for free using gmail or the free email usage that comes with your blog hosting.
If you do it right, you should be able to get the domain name for about $7 if you’re buying a .com domain, instead of $10. With the link I gave you, I’m pretty sure you don’t need to use additional promotional codes. But if it says that the .com domain name is around $10, try searching on Google for “Goddady .com coupons” or promotion codes and copy the code you see into the “promotional code” section when purchasing the domain name, then update the cart.
Let me know if you’re still confused.
Christina
Ok, cool. There’s the problem. I write about a crap load of things, so I can’t pinpoint a specific niche. I think the name brand thing would work with my best work from my blog. I was leaning more towards a parody style, but I don’t know if there’s a suitable market for that.
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Time 2 Upgrade
Sorry for asking all these questions, but I have a few more. I officially have my own domain name. Trouble is, I don’t know how to customize it or even put my work on it. I’m having a hard time figuring out the schematics. I appreciate all your help!
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..HDs Top Ten of 2010!
Hey Hannington,
It’s alright. I love questions.
First you need to change the nameservers on GoDaddy to point the domain name to your hosting provider. Are you planning on continuing with blogger or moving your site over to its own hosting server?
Christina
Hmm. Well, I plan to still keep using Blogger, but I think I’ll have to make my blog less vulgar if that is to work. Need to maintain a sense of professionalism, but I can get somewhat crazy on blogspot. However, I do have a few pieces I’d like to place at my domain. So If I want to transfer it to my blogspot, I click on foward my domain?
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Craigslist Henchmen- Hoes and Pimps
Here’s a guide that will help you target your domain name to your blogger blog: http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55373
Also, I think you may be confusing the domain name. The domain name points to your blog so that when people type that domain name into their address bar, your blog displays. Just like if someone were to type hannington-hd.blogspot.com into the address bar, your blog comes up now. You can’t just put articles on this new domain name unless you make an entirely new blog.
Christina
Ok. I’ve finally done it! Check it out: http://www.thehanningtonworks.com. Now that I’ve done this section, I have to fill it wirh my best works, that aren’t too inappropriate. Hopefully I can find some clients now. Thanks for all the help! Any other suggestions?
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Craigslist Henchmen- Hoes and Pimps
Congrats on the new site! Now you just need a clear call to action, like a hire me page, and link to it on your sidebar or footer. You’ll also need to decide your rates and whether you’ll charge clients per project or per hour. This post that I wrote several months ago may help.
By the way, to make your articles easier on the eye, you might want to separate each paragraph with a break. I noticed that many of your paragraphs weren’t separated.
To continued success!
Christina
Ok. I’ve decided to include my top ten articles. I’m gonna make sure they’re free of any inappropriate stuff. Is the about me good? I hope so. And I’ll look into separating the paragraphs. Not sure how to add a hire me button, but it should come to me. Thanks
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Craigslist Henchmen- Hoes and Pimps
Hey Hannington,
Your about me sounds fine. The only problem I found was the last sentence – “Contact me at hannington16@yahoo.com for information.” More information about what? I think you should be a bit more specific here. Also, I noticed that you mentioned nothing about your freelance writing business (if that was something you were planning on getting into), so you might want to expand upon that.
Overall, it looks great.
Christina
I hope this sounds better:
I am a freelance writer for Demand Studios, with over 100 different articles on eHow, Answerbag and Livestrong.com to my name. I have previous experience as an editor and contributor for my downtown youth center’s summer yearbooks. In 2007 I officially began blogging, the perfect outlet for me to disseminate my views on current events and media reviews, with a snarky, humorous and engaging tone. These are a few of my writing samples. I am available to work with clients and may be contacted at hannington16@yahoo.com for inquiries.
Also, I’m not sure what to charge people. By project or by hour? Well, I’ve been doing $15 articles for the past 13 months now, so would it be justified for me to ask for $20? I know I have to work my way to higher plateaus, and I’m willing to do more work to get there. Especially if I don’t have to deal with Demand’s contradictory editors, lolz. Also, I can’t find any hire me button widget on Blogger.
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Craigslist Henchmen- Hoes and Pimps
Hey Hannington,
Sounds better. Writers normally suggest charging by project. So, if you were to write a sales letter for a client, you could charge more for that than, say, a blog post. The price is really up to you and what you think would be fair. Over time, you can increase your rates as you start working for more clients.
By the way, freelance writers generally charge more than $20. If you’re hesitant, you could probably start at $20-50 to see how things go and reduce/raise the price as you go along.
Christina
Thanks! I’m really irritated with Demand now. They just rejected a article I did called “How To find listings for cell phone numbers.” It was rejected because the CE said I shouldn’t lead readers to search the internet. Which made no sense because to find such or any listings of anything, you have to do some searching. I gave examples of reverse cell phone sites and search engines. Can’t do all the work for people. That Demand guideline is kinda dumb.
Anyways, I’m just about finished with the site. I added some links to my published works, but they can’t be clicked on for some reason. I’m trying to figure out how to fix that. And land my first client.
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Craigslist Henchmen- Hoes and Pimps
Hey Hannington,
Yea, Demand Studios can be frustrating. Did you save a copy of your cell phone article? You can put it up on another content site so that it doesn’t entirely go to waste.
Good luck with your new copywriting business!
Christina
OK. I was thinking of buying some business cards and handing them out. I also have to search for my first client. I’m looking on Craigslist for clients. I think I should buy that book you referred me to. I’ve already bookmarked the link, so I’ll see what happens.
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Craigslist Henchmen- Hoes and Pimps
Hey Hannington,
It would be REALLY helpful. I normally don’t recommend stuff – but that was an exception. I’m positive you’ll like it.
There are others that are pretty good too – like The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman. I think you should start with Secrets of a Freelance Writer first though. Peter often likes to shorten words and sometimes the shortened versions are hard to remember – a few times I would forget what a certain word would stand for, so then I’d have to flip back to find the word all over again. Other than that, The Well-Fed Writer is also a really good book. So is The Wealthy Freelancer, but that’s a more advanced book once you start getting hired by clients.
Anyway, hope you’re enjoying your Christmas!
Christina
Thanks! Still looking for a client, but I think I might’ve found someone who can lead me to one. And I’m planning on getting some business cards too. As for the article, I had it appealed. I’m not gonna take it lying down. I’ve heard people place their rejected articles on sites such as Suite 101 and the like, but the money seems kinda crummy.
Anyways, I’ll see what I can do. Demand’s interface is acting up now, so I’m working on my portfolio in the meantime. And would you know how to make the links clickable? Would people care it they weren’t?
Hannington Dia´s last [type] ..Craigslist Henchmen- Hoes and Pimps
You can make links clickable with an html code. In WordPress (if you had a WordPress blog or set a blog up on your own hosting server), it can easily be done by clicking the “link” button in the post editing section. Otherwise, you might need to enter the code manually each time you want to link something. The code is pretty easy to remember (at least in my opinion). I can’t write the code here, since anything I write will end up a link – Google “html link” or something of that nature.
Christina
Hey,
Great posts. You actually revived my determination for Demand. I’ve netted about $300 just now for their site.
Hey Steph,
That’s awesome! It looks like a good year for you with Demand Studios.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
Christina
I have worked for demand studios off and on. I have so much other work to do that I have not had much time to work there. However; I would say it is good to get you out of a fix. If you really need to make some quick money, you can just knock up a few articles and get paid. The pay is twice a week so that is good. However; sometimes the titles just are not there! You end up with titles that you really don’t feel like writing. So, I feel that DS has its ups and downs. I would never knock it and I would never champion it. It is good and bad, and can be a good income for those who spend more time doing it.
edina jackson´s last [type] ..Video Marketing for Writers- Can Mitch Sanders help You
Hey Edina,
You make some great points. Demand Studios is a good way to make some quick, reliable cash. However, it can be hard to find the titles you want if you have no mechanical experience (which I don’t and, I’m sure, most writers don’t as well), since many titles tend to be for mechanics – at least when I last checked. As a result, these titles tend to sit and build up over time. It is nice to know that Demand Studios is there whenever you need the extra cash though.
You can also make up your own titles for residual income, which I have been doing more of in the recent months. While money won’t flow in immediately, residual income is good for the long term if you incorporate SEO.
Thanks for sharing, and drop by again soon!
Christina
For the last two years I have been working online for Leapforce and now Lionbridge b ut still need a way to supplement my income. I’m nervous about trying Demand Studios because Im not very confident in my writing skills. I was wondering if there is a site that could give me some pointers on how to write articles??? Also in another one of your posts you mentioned programming, I was wondering how difficult is it to find these type of online jobs without a degree or training??
Hi Gennifer,
I answered your questions in the last comment. You should receive an email notifying you of the new comment reply soon.
Christina
Hey Christina,
Must say that I <3 your blog and writing. Writing blogs are my guilty pleasure! I totally relate to yours because it helps me so much as a newbie!
So, I started on Textbroker and am now writing for DS! I just got my 1st article accepted on DS without a rewrite request
Anyway, I wanna keep my momentum going but how do I keep going if I am not a technical/mechanical professional? These titles are a little discouraging
HELP
Aww, thanks Jessica. Comments like these really brighten up my day!
Congratulations for getting accepted at Demand Studios! You must be excited.
Many writers have the same problem with there not being enough non-technical titles. If filtering the titles by category doesn’t help, you can always write for residual income. That way, you can pick your own titles and still get paid for the same articles years down the road.
However, since you’ll be writing for residual income, your earnings will be based off of the traffic your articles bring in and the ad revenue from each article. There’s also no guarantee that each article will earn money – some may make you $50+ a month, while others will only earn pennies depending on how high your articles are ranking in search engines, among other factors. Learning SEO is crucial here.
If you’re still determined to make an income writing for upfront pay, you can try checking back for new article titles time and again. Demand Studios adds titles randomly throughout the day, so it might be good to check back later if there’s no titles that you like under a specific category. You can also branch out and find something in other categories. Also, if you’ve been just searching for $15+ articles, you can try lowering the bar and writing a few quick articles for $5 and still maintain that $15 an hour or however long it takes you to write each article.
Additionally, you can also qualify for a special field and write articles on specific topics (like health) for higher pay, though I’ve never taken the time to do so, so I don’t know the specifics in how that works.
I hope I helped!
Christina
Christina,
I’m glad I helped brighten up your day a little! When I see one of your new posts, my day brightens up too
Thanks so much for the info! I will read up on residual income, because that seems like a good path for me. Do you have any good/simple SEO learning resources?
Update: I submitted my second DS article and got a rewrite request
. I’m missing a lot of statistics to back up my claims, which is a little discouraging.
Girl, how the heck do you write an article in 30 minutes?!?!
You’re my hero!
J
Aww, thanks Jessica.
I highly recommend browsing around SEOMoz if you want to learn more about SEO. The blog gets updated quite regularly, and they offer a plethora of information in that arena.
As for your other question – it just takes lots of practice. I’ve been writing for years, and the topics that I write about for Demand Studios I know inside and out. If I need to do more extensive research for an article, it will usually take me longer – about 45 minutes or so – to get the article submitted. But, really, I think it all boils down to lots of practice.
Thanks for the comment!
Christina
Christina,somewhere in your description of applying for Demand Studios you mention “when you have done your 30 articles”
Do you mean that when I apply I would have to do 30 articles before being accepted?
Fran
Fran Civile´s last [type] ..How Could You Get Some Kind of Home Business Up and Running
Hi Fran,
Nope, you don’t have to write 30 articles before acceptance. Just submit the resume and writing sample to apply. If you get accepted, you’ll receive an email not long after (in a day or so). Then, they pay critical attention to the first few articles you write. If you get no rejections, you should be all set.
And don’t worry – most writers that I know don’t get their articles rejected the first time they start writing for Demand Studios.
Christina
Hi Christina,
Thanks for the help you offer on your blog. I have a few questions please. When you apply for a position as a writer, does Demand Media acknowledge receiving the application? If there was no acknowlegment of an application do you reckon that someone should resend their application? Finally, how long does it take them to either accept or reject an application?
Thanks
Hi Jacky,
I’m glad you found the blog useful!
It usually takes DS anywhere from 24 hours to 1 week (on rare occasions) to reject or approve an application (for me, I received the email the next day). If you didn’t receive a notice after the third day, check your SPAM folder. It might have gotten caught in there. If not, try contacting them. Go to the Help Desk and click “Applications > Was my article received? > Need additional help?” to contact them about your application status.
If you need any help, just let me know.
Christina
Christina,
I am so………….. totally impressed with both you and your blog. I have been following your response to comments, and appreciate the time, expertise, concern for others that you convey. I plan to submit my resume’ and samples to DM, after much procrastination and trepidation. I would love to run everything past you first, if your offer to assist still stands. Congrats to you! I love your blog and wish you the life you’ve imagined!!
Hi Venita,
Thanks for the warm compliments! Comments like this really brighten up my day, and I’m so blessed to be in a community of writers where everyone looks out for one another.
Good luck with applying for Demand Studios, and I’d love to go over everything before you apply. You can contact me anytime through the contact form, and I’ll get in touch!
Wishing you the best,
Christina
Well I did not get accepted my DS. I think I will try again in a few months when I have some time to practice on my writing skills. The pay is what attracted me to DS so are there any other companies that pay like DS but may be easier to get accepted????
Hi Gennifer,
I’m sorry that you weren’t accepted! If you want, when you’re ready to try applying again, I can look over everything for you before you apply. It might help increase your chances of acceptance with another eye critiquing your work.
As for other companies that pay like Demand Studios, I haven’t personally worked for any, but I can point you over to someone who might be able to help you. My good friend Ken wrote a list of Demand Studios alternatives. I’m sure there might be some there that you’d like.
Let me know if you need help!
Christina
I found both the article and the extensive comments very helpful.
Hey Sam,
I’m glad the article was useful!
If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.
Christina
Hello all, I just wanted to thank the commenters on this blog who have saved me a lot of time and headache. I went ahead and tried Demand Media anyway (like an idiot)…but I went ahead and left this message on their forums and figured I’d drop it off here too.
So I’ve just waisted a good 6 hours of my life attempting to write 3 articles for Demand Studios. 3 articles…that’s 1200 words (which I can normally spew out in an hour) I’ve just waisted 6 hours of my life on. After this expenditure I figure I’ll be needing something from this company, and since I won’t be receiving any money I figure I’ll just put some things out there. I’m a desperate person, I’ve actually been unable to feed myself at times for the last 6 months and I thought Demand Studios was the place to be. I could not have been more wrong.
As I said before, I am accustomed to spewing out $5.00 per 500 word articles that take me an average of 15-20 minutes to write. While the website(s) in question may not pay as much per article, they do not send my work back for revision. In fact I cannot recall the last time my writing has been questioned this much. Now, many of you zealots will chalk this up to the inadequacy of other websites’ standards (or my writing), and you are free to do so. In fact though, Demand Studios has little to no standards to speak of, the format being imposed upon writers is 3 parts SEO, 1 part fluff and 1 part usefullness (assuming each part accounts for 20% of the dribble here).
I understand that there are some talented, desperate and scared people writing for this company…up until 10 minutes ago I was one of them. In fact, many of the people working for this company are very smart and creative people who are being oppressed. I empathize with you all and bestow upon you what little wisdom I have to offer in my 20-some years on this earth. “This too shall pass” is my best advice, this is the single best thing I can share with you, my freelancing brothers and sisters. We have to stand up for ourselves and not admonish these monsters, but abandon them…nightmares disappear when you pay them no mind.
I cannot share with everyone where I am headed (my little secret), but I will say that the pay is better and the editors are only as strict as they need to be. I will not waste my time talking about the editors on this site (that has been done more than enough by other people); but, what I will bother to share is that the people of the world have had enough. Companies who abuse people and put them through a meat grinder have much to answer for not in the court of popular opinion or even a court of law…no these people have to answer for their indiscretions right here on the Internet.
To the zealots and baffoons who will defend this monster of a corporation I can only encourage you to either open your eyes or come at me /b/ro, I’m right here and I’m not afraid of any of you. The people in this country are waking up fast, we’re realizing that dreams are realized in the gutters…not on assembly lines. Once you check into a roach motel like Demand Studios you will not be checking out. I really did give this place a shot and (much to my chagrin) was let down in droves. I will prosper because I am not a writer, I am a marketer. I plan on making my own money much the same way Demand does, but I will not be abusing people.
Wake up or fall by the wayside, the choice is yours.
This message will be posted to every major article distribution network I can lay my hands on, and every blog I can comment on and believe me, it will have an impact.
“He who cannot obey himself will be commanded.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche
Hey there James,
Wow, what a massive comment. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I do agree that DS is unnecessarily hard on their writers, and some of the copy editor requests are utterly ridiculous at times. It also doesn’t help that they give their writers and copy editors such a low pay for the time and effort required to write the article and deal with the rewrites.
However, I do still think that DS can be a wonderful opportunity for new writers stepping their foot in the door. While you may not agree with how they run things, working for the company can be a good learning experience, especially with working under pressure and dealing with tight deadlines (useful practice for starting a freelance writing or copywriting business).
DS is also useful when determining “hot” topics and keyword phrases with the most earning potential by looking at the articles performing well (if you’re writing for residual income). I’ve found that some categories have a higher earning potential than others. And it can come in handy when you’re short on cash or just need a quick buck.
Of course, DS isn’t for everyone and you may not agree with me (you’re thoughts are always entirely welcome nevertheless!), but that’s just my opinion.
I’m not happy with everything about DS, but they’ve still helped me tons in the past, especially in my earlier writing days, which is probably why I’ll never drop them entirely.
Thanks for the wonderful comment and sharing your opinion.
Best of luck with all of your writing endeavors,
Christina
Well I am new to writing industry, and I am seriously looking for a career(atleast part time) in this field.
But I am not perfect at grammar and using new words and thus could not write a professional article.
I do not know know how to improve upon this, whether i should start paying attention to my grammer or this or that??
I don’t know how do i get my writings reviewed for errors.
I start writing for some small websites, but frequent rejections have killed my hope. But since its my passion, like you have, i am wondering around to find something that could seriously help.
Could you please suggest something special, that could really make out a good writer out of me.
Hi Amit,
Well, welcome aboard! The Internet offers an amazing opportunity for writers – and there are simply so many ways that you can make a living online with your writing. However, it’s also a learning process more than anything else – and you really need to be dedicated and put in the effort if you want to succeed in this field. And I’m so happy to see you determined to make this work.
First, I seriously suggest picking up these two books and reading them through (they’ll help you immensely!): Woe is I and Eats, Shoots & Leaves (aff links).
Then start browsing blogs on writing. One blog that I recommend is Freelance Writing Jobs. They cover everything about writing – and they even have an awesome Grammar Guide section.
But practice writing often – that’s the best way to learn. And every time you learn something new (whether from the grammar books I mentioned or other guides on the Web), put that into practice in your writing. Over time, you’ll get better; don’t lose hope if it takes a while – the important thing is that you’re improving.
And if you have any questions or need help with anything, just let me know and I’ll try to do the best I can.
Good luck, and have an amazing weekend!
Christina
Hey I just applied with DS, submitted my resume and also a sample of my writing. Stupidly I didn’t add links to my other published writings. I’m guessing that I will be rejected and will have to try your other e-mail trick. My question to you is, do they accept articles written in languages other than English? I’ve also written some articles in German that I would also submit if they do indeed use other languages!
Hey Jen,
Well, let me know how it goes! Since tomorrow is a holiday, you probably won’t receive a letter back from them until Monday.
Demand Studios currently only accepts fluent English speakers in the US, so I honestly doubt that they’ll accept writing samples in German. Maybe sometime in the future they’ll open up to accept writers in other regions.
Best of luck – and if you want me to look over anything, just let me know!
Christina
Christina, seeing someone standing behind me, has really imparted a new confidence in me. Thank you very much for the help.
But there are other problems as well. I would like to request people through this blog, that I cannot afford to buy that cheap eBook, so can anyone share or donate the eBook to me, so that I could get started. Its really hard to disclose all these things but after your positive comment I could not control myself.
Once again thank you, one day I will surely become as successful as you are Christina. May God bless you.
Aww, no problem Amit. I’m always happy to help!
Which ebook are you referring to?
Christina
I am talking about Woe is I and Eats, Shoots & Leaves, which you preferred for a massive start.
Hi Amit,
Woe is I and Eats, Shoots & Leaves are physical books, not ebooks.
Check for an email soon!
Christina
Christina, I would like to ask a very important question, to which I have not received a satisfactory answer till now.
Everyone around says, that you must research on a topic, about which you are going to write about. But I would like to know that if I research a particular thing, and then re-write about it again, then what’s the viewer getting new out of that. They could find the same content at other sites also.
Hi Suzzaine,
That’s a good question, and one I think every writer contemplates at one time or another.
The truth is, most guides that you find online aren’t very credible and often times even have false information. What makes a piece unique is when you capture your own story in your articles and write facts based on your own experiences working with the topic, while backing them up with credible information that you find elsewhere. Now, it doesn’t have to be obvious that you’re writing the article based off of your own hands-on knowledge (and most times when you write factual articles on Demand Studios, it won’t be), but you should at least have some sort of background with the topic you’re writing about, even if it’s just years of intense research.
But if you write about a topic that you know well (both online and off), your own personal experiences will be what you bring new to the table. Demand Studios just likes you to back up any factual knowledge with other reputable sources, so that’s why it’s recommended to do the research. And researching the topic well may help clear up any fuzzy details you’re a tad shaky on.
I hope I helped!
Christina
Hi Christina,
I live in Ireland and I am trying to find out why Demand Studios only accepts people from the UK, Canada and the US. Also is there any way that people from countries such as Ireland can apply?
Thanks
Great posts – thanks Christina! Very useful info.
A word about DMS; I was a writer and it is everything others have already said. If you want to write for them DO NOT appeal rejections and do not say anything negative about their CEs. Make sure your research is top notch and try not to be upset when your edits are contradictory and confusing. And be sure to read every notice posted by the editors. If you tend to take criticism personally I suggest avoiding DMS – the stress probably isn’t worth it. Good luck…
Great point Dayton! I think writing for DS is a good way to earn some extra cash. Overall the copy editors are quite helpful, the more you write though, you come across some annoying characters. Some of their comments can be way out of line especially when it comes to rewrites and rejecting articles. I’ve learnt to abandon rewrites rather than haggle with an irate copy editor. Cheers.
I remember the time when this whole Demand studio thing had came into existence. All I did after ending up frustrated was to start my own online business, and here I am.
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I write for Demand Studios and find it worth my time. I think many professional or quality writers instantly get disillusioned with their system and trash it or give up. Demand Studios does not historically produce high quality articles, edits can seem arbitrary, titles often don’t make sense, and it can become a little mind numbing if you’re trying to do it for hours every day. That’s not to say writers can’t produce quality articles there, but DS obviously values quantity over quality.
I am a professional writer, but I use a pen name for DS. I personally feel it would detract from my writing portfolio, and I want my name to come up in the search engines with the high paying clients I work with, not $15 articles.
Writers shouldn’t make DS into something it isn’t. It’s a place to make some money, work from home, and flex your writing skills from time to time. Some professional writers never get the hang of it (which is understandable as it can be maddening at times) and sink too much time in it. I can write an article in 40 minutes. If it takes you more than an hour, it’s probably not worth the time.
Use DS to your advantage. But it’s not going to make you famous or probably land you any profitable work with other clients.
I’ve read this forum with interest, being new to demand media. I agree with the comment that you don’t need to be an experienced writer to get hired. Having said that, I applied for livestrong.com and supplied a writing sample, although I’m sure my credentials in health care likely had a lot to do with being accepted. I’ve done the initial 3 articles, the first and 3rd articles did have reasonable editorial comments, the 2nd had some totally random comments, one I didn’t even understand or make sense, the other was a suggestion completely outside the scope of the article, if not complete opposite, of the article title, that I was to add to the very end of article, so I ignored it. I didn’t realize you get one chance for rewrites, then it gets rejected and all your time and effort is for nil. So, for the good two plus hours per article (if my 3rd article is accepted), I’ve netted $50–the hardest $50 I ever earned!! Six hours plus, including rewrite time, is probably close to minimum wage where I’m at. I think I can flip hamburgers for comparable wages. Looking at other $25 articles seem to have 4-5 references, not worth the research time needed. Maybe I’ll focus on the $15 articles, so the per hour rate may make it worthwhile if it takes 1/2 hour, with experience. Maybe demand media is just not for me.
Good morning Christina!
Thank you so much for this informative blog, and the equally wonderful comments you’ve given other readers. I’ve been rejected three times by DS, as of last night, and I’d like to ask your advice, if you have the time.
The first thing I should say, is I have no official freelance writing experience. I think I am a fairly excellent writer (humility my strong suit is not), but without the experience on my resume, it’s not really surprising I got rejected. I’m not looking for DS to be a full-time gig, as I’ve already written a book soon to be published, and I’m starting my own publishing company. I would LOVE to squeeze in there if I could though, as they seem to be one of the best cash cows for upfront freelancers thus far. Revenue sharing isn’t really a concern for me.
I applied to Break Studios today, but have heard that they have a long turnaround for editing and acceptance. Also, I’ve heard their content pool dries up frequently. If possible, may I send you my resume and writing samples, to get some advice on how to increase my chances for the next attempt say…in a month or two? I was accepted at TextBroker today with a 4-star rating, and wrote an article, but I won’t be sticking around there. I hate their selection, and the instructions from the clients are usually very vague and frustrating.
Any help you can give me would be immensely appreciated! I’m just nonplussed, because a friend of mine applied right out of high school, with no writing experience, and was accepted.
Thank you so much.
I finally got in and have been making good money. But now they just recently placed many writers in something called the “Writer Evaluation Program”, in which you can only write three articles which will be reviewed by a senior copy editor. If one article gets rejected, your ‘fired’. But even if all 3 do get accepted, there’s a good chance you’ll be ‘fired’, as it goes by previous work and many other factors. Even if your article ratings are average or proficient, you can still get placed in the program, like me. This has got me very nervous, as I am relying on this money for many reasons, and I know there are many writers who have been placed in it that write full time as well and rely on this money to feed their families. I think DS is going downhill. I’m not sure what I’ll do if I get ‘fired’, I just hope I don’t.
I currently work for Damned Studios, and I am anxiously awaiting the day that I can find a real job.
As one who appreciates well-crafted and informative writing, the mind-numbing and soul-stealing nature of the work itself is bad enough, but after about a year, I have gotten used to it. This is partially due to the fact that I have moved up the ladder a bit, allowing me to make a marginally decent income instead of a pittance.
Before I go into bashing DS, though, I must admit one thing: I love their method of payment. No one pays freelancers as quickly and efficiently as they do. However, DS’s virtues end there.
The first issue with DS is, obviously, the pay scale. I recently had an editor tell me to revise my article so that it could be on the level of something one would see in a major national magazine. I thanked the editor for his/her input, which actually was very professional and intelligent, unlike input I have gotten from other DS editors. After making some token changes, though, I informed the editor that I would not be engaging in the multiple hours of research that his/her suggestions warranted, reminding him/her that a major national magazine would pay $100 – $400 for such an article. (I was making $25.) This story is relevant because the editor’s comments were in accord with DS’s expectations.
The second issue with DS – and probably the most important one – is the fact that too many freelance editors and DS staff are just plain stupid. I do admit that I have written a few sub-par articles in my time that were rejected for at least somewhat valid reasons, but please remember that I was never getting paid for quality to begin with. Despite a few understandable rejections, though, most of the article rejections I have received – and subsequent appeal denials from DS staff – came as a result of a lack of basic reasoning abilities.
One example is an article I wrote about business profitability. In the article, I mentioned that product size is something that affects business profitability. The editor rejected the article, though not because of that statement. When I appealed his rejection, the DS staff member who dealt with my appeal said that he stopped reading the article when he came to my statement about product size. He said that this statement proved that I knew nothing about business and finance and suggested that I perhaps should not be writing articles about business and finance. But, the DS system being what it is, I could not respond with a quick list of the various ways in which product size does affect profitability, such as when you have to ship it, store it or display it.
This is just one of many examples. Despite its attempts to cast itself in another light, DS is a cheap, low-quality outfit that is successfully spamming the entire Internet by crowding useful information out of search engines. If I ever do get to move beyond this gig and become successful, I will hope that no one ever says, “Hey, I read an article you wrote for eHow!” I do not claim responsibility for the poor quality of those articles with my name on them. As I have said, I am not paid for quality, and even when I do produce quality articles, their idiotic editors have proven to be well adept at inserting incorrect grammar, vague phraseology, and false information into my articles without my consent.