After reading very disturbing comments on a Suite101 review, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about this topic in more detail.
Specifically, why would some people work their asses off writing for web content sites only to get a small return? Many copywriters seem to think this way, as it just doesn’t make sense to them why someone would work for pennies and accept low pay. They seem to think that other freelance writers out there, often the ones just stepping in the door, aren’t getting what they’re worth and therefore are the reason why the rest of the world believes that freelance writing is a low paying job. When people believe this, why would clients spend over $1,000 for a direct mail package? What’s the purpose of wasting so much money for a brochure when writers shouldn’t be charged so much?
Before you start thinking that web content writers are destroying income opportunities for the rest of us, here’s the thing: Clients who do think that freelance writers should be given low pay are the ones inexperienced with working with freelance writers for hire. Experienced clients recognize your worth, and so pay accordingly. They recognize that good copy is worth every dollar spent, for it makes the difference between a converted paying customer to a prospect “just browsing.” Inexperienced clients are the ones you have to convince, and many of them can’t afford you anyway.
Now that we’ve cleared up this “freelance writers are ruining the trade” fiasco, let’s talk about the real problem: Why would someone work for peanuts? Well, let’s take a closer look…
There are various content websites out there that hire writers to work for them and, in return, writers get ongoing residual income. While income might be low in the beginning, it does get better later on – especially when articles have had time to age and more content is added. Many content websites that pay per page view are just generally low paying and, in my opinion, not worth a writer’s time. Other opportunities, however, allow writers to earn based on how well the ads perform on the site. These earnings are often over ten times better than any site that pays based on page views alone. Such companies include Demand Studios, Suite101 and Info Barrel.
For example, Associated Content pays a very low upfront payment (around $2) per article. Writers then earn a certain amount of money per page view (which is also low). The only way you’d be able to make decent money from Associated Content was if your article became popular and received tons of page views. However, if you were to take this same article to, say, Info Barrel and earn based on ad performance, your article would probably make a lot more. Why? Because ad clicks would probably skyrocket with the number of page views you’re getting.
Even so, earnings in the short run are very low compared to earnings you might receive if you were writing copy for clients. So why would freelance writers do it? Is it just because they’re inexperienced?
Think about it: After a few years of hard work, you’ll be able to just stop writing for content websites, not do any work whatsoever and make enough money to get by. What would you then do with your time? Would you focus your time on family? Would you pick up a hobby or do something that you love (not writing, that is)? I don’t know about you, but I get all excited month after month when I’m still receiving PayPal payments from eHow (and I haven’t written for them in months!). That’s the power of residual income. Sure, you can start a blog, put up some ads and blog daily. However, content websites give you an advantage. You don’t have to start from scratch and slowly build up your page rank. The content site you’re writing for already has a high page rank to begin with, so you get indexed on search engines faster.. and your article gets on page 1 of Google faster as well.
You just cannot simply do this as a copywriter. What happens if you stop writing copy for clients? Your earnings suddenly cease. In other words, you need to keep writing copy in order to keep getting paid.
Personally, I’m in the middle. I understand why freelance writers would write for content websites and clients. I don’t necessarily think that one group is better than the other. Both groups have their benefits and both groups have their disadvantages. However, I am leaning more towards the residual income end, as it just seems more promising.
You can make a living off of residual income if you put the effort into it and spend many years writing web content. Lots of people have done it. However, to do so would take serious amounts of effort. Once you do start earning enough money, though, you don’t have to write another article in your life. Though, if you like to write like I do, you would probably keep writing articles every now and then. Or, you could take on a hobby – like writing fiction novels – and not have to worry about whether your book will be a best seller. You can just write novels for fun. If a book does get on the best selling list, great! More money for you.
I’d much prefer to do the extra effort now and not have to work later. However, I think the best way to make a living is to do a little bit of both: Write for residual income on the side while you continue writing copy for clients. That way, you’re building a residual income stream, making a name of yourself and decreasing the amount of effort you’ll have to spend working in the long run. Besides, a little extra money every month doesn’t hurt. It can only help.
Tags: Copy, Residual income
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)
I’m with you, I believe a freelance writer should explore a variety of different revenue opportunities. I, too, am an eHow writer who has not written for them in months, yet my PayPal balance increases every month because of the 93 articles I did write for them. One has earned over $500 and is still bringing in $12-$15 a month! But here is something else that has happened because of my articles on residual earnings websites: in the past year, three different people have read an article, and then contacted me for additional work! I contracted with an East Coast web-based training company to write curriculum and teach after their training director read my article on APA formatting, a national department store chain had me write several bios for their annual report after one of their employees read my article on creating a professional bio, and just today a woman in Detroit contacted me to help her set up some online classes after she read my article about teaching online through a blog. So, don’t discount the residual income Websites – they are a great place to build your rep as a writer!
JanieWrites´s last [type] ..The Business of Freelance Writing
Wow, Janie. Very inspiring story. I’m glad eHow is working out for you. This just proves that valuable, quality content is a sure-fire way to attract clients.
I’m also a huge residual income fan. It’s especially terrific when you accidentally write that golden article that keeps paying you tons of money each month, with no additional effort on your part. Years down the road, you’ll still be earning $15 a month for that single article. Compared to other writing assignments, article writing isn’t even that difficult. Some freelance writers can complete an article in less than 30 minutes, often 15 minutes, and still maintain quality.
Thanks for sharing, Janie.
I’m in the middle as you are. On one hand, having an article online that will pay you for months — heck years on end — is in some cases better than receiving upfront pay. However, with the uncertainty of websites lasting, putting all your trust in one website hoping that they’ll continue paying their members is always a crapshoot.
In the end, having a mix of both income streams: passive and upfront, is a great balance.
Thanks for sharing Yolanda,
Like you said, I’d rather go with a balance of residual income and upfront pay. Residual income is really hard to build up at first and starts off slow, whereas writing for upfront pay can burn you out since how much you earn depends on how much effort you put in. Payment is also a one time deal per article. So, by going with a balance of residual income and upfront pay, you’re cutting off a lot of work later and still have somewhere to go if money ever gets unstable or an income stream dries up.
Christina
Thank you so much for this post. I wrote down the companies that you mentioned for residuals. Any others you might recommend?
I write for Suite101 and earned $12! Woohoo! It was my first writing check so I was excited. It did take 3 months but money is money. I write a lot of articles to lead people to my other business so the residuals from the articles would be great extra income, kind of like a retirement plan.
Thanks again!
Keith Dennis´s last [type] ..MLM Blog Help For The Internet Un -Savvy
Hey there Keith,
If you’re looking for more residuals, I compare 8 of them in my post here. Another one not on the list is Examiner – I’ve talked to some writers who have had success with them, though I haven’t personally tried them myself.
By the way, congratulations! $12 is a great start, especially if you can maintain that (or more!) in the months ahead. Also, it usually takes about 3 months for articles to reach their full potential in search engines, so you should start seeing a nice increase in income soon if you haven’t already. How many articles do you have written so far?
Keep up the awesome work!
Christina
Hi Christina!
Thanks for the encouragement! I have about 25 articles on Suite101 so far. I have noticed that the revenue is going up much faster now, about the three month mark.
Thanks for the link to your post. I have been working on my own list and was thinking about putting it on my blog as well!
Have to say that about.com hands down is the best deal I have found if you can make the cut and they are looking for your specialty. They pay $675 per month to start according to their website plus revenue sharing. That is for four articles per month and updates to the blog a few times per week.
I have my MLM business but I also own an investment business and work with annuities, annuityhelpnow.com. I applied for the annuity guide but who knows? There could be 10,000 people applying. Either way it is good to pass on.
Thanks again for all of the great information!
Keith
Keith Dennis´s last [type] ..Fed Up With Your MLM Business Opportunity No Leadership- No Help- No Real Advice
Woah, $675 to start? For 4 articles a month (plus blog updates)?
That’s incredible! I certainly didn’t know that! I’ll definitely be checking them out again.
I was considering applying months before, but decided against it because I didn’t want to tie myself down to any one company at the time. However, I thought there was a lot more writing involved than that. This definitely changes things! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Thanks for the awesome info!
Christina