I am a full-time freelance writer. I have had a long-term understanding this is a highly competitive business and that it requires hard work. I have built my freelance writing career by understanding you not only have to work hard, but you also have to work smart.
I’m active on numerous writing sites; WriterAccess which for me is my “gravy”. I write more pieces on this site than any other. At this site, writers pick up work that is assigned by clients, they are the only on with access to the assignment and when the customer accepts your piece you’re paid for it. Relatively straightforward. Writers are assigned a “level” from two to five when they start and they can move up to Level 6.
The “competition” on this site comes from clients; many use what are known as “love lists” and some of them are – shall we say crowded. Clients may post five pieces and have 22 writers on the love list meaning there are potentially 22 people competing for five pieces. Some you win; some you lose. As a Level 6 writer, on average, I earn between five and ten cents a word for each submitted piece.
When a client rejects a piece at WriterAccess one of two things can happen: First, when the writer followed directions as a rule of thumb WA will purchase the piece, pay the writer and take ownership of the piece. Second occurs when the writer simply missed the boat: The writer takes ownership of the piece and they’re not paid for it. In fairness, with nearly 2,000 submitted pieces, I’ve only had a couple of outright rejections.
Article Document is another site I frequent; this site pays a per click rate although from time to time, there are paid assignments. My goal here is to always to compete with myself. This site posts a list of topics and writers pick their piece from a list and write to their hearts content. In this case, the writer (level) rating is determined by the editor rating.
Most pieces require 500 words and once they are submitted they go through an editor. Editors review the piece and grade each one based on a scale. You’re never going to make a million dollars on this site unless you write solely there every day and you are willing to spend hours a day sharing your work. However, it’s a great way to build a portfolio of writing and get a few extra dollars spending cash ever month. If I ever calculated my “pay per word” I would probably never write again!
It’s also worth noting that once a writer picks up a topic it becomes invisible to other writers. Since I’ve never had a piece here rejected, I have no clue what the rules are. However, I’m assuming if the piece is rejected the writer still owns the piece and therefore can use it for another client, on their own blog or for whatever.
Then there’s Blogmutt. A different kind of animal. Literally and figuratively. Writer “levels’ are determined not necessarily by how well you write but by how much you write. Everyone starts at zero and you move up based on the number of pieces you write. The “points” can be a bit confusing so I encourage you to review the FAQs that explain the process. Freelancers earn about three cents a word regardless of how long they’ve been writing at Blogmutt and regardless of how many posts they have submitted. It’s important to be aware if a client rejects a post at Blogmutt you can recycle the post to another client or you can use it any other way you elect to. You own it, period. The average rejection rate is around 10 percent. My current rejection rate is about six percent (higher than I like it!).
Then there’s the client list: Blogmutt has many clients in various fields including business, technology, medical and legal. Clients have a couple of options; they can order “generic” posts based on “generic” keywords or they can post what are known as “one-time keywords”. Clients also have the option of determining how many words they wish to pay for. The minimum posts are 250 words and the writer earns $8 if the post is accepted.
The current “maximum” is 1200 words and pays $72 (six cents a word by the way); keep in mind, only writers who are at level seven or above can write these longer posts. There are other “longer” posts which are 900 words open to writers at level 5 or above which pay four cents a word and 600 words which are open to writers at level 4 or above that pay 3.2 cents per word, the same as the 250 word posts.
Here’s the rub: There is no process in place to curb competition. In fact, one of the things I personally like most about Blogmutt is there is an “open” process where writers can pick the client they wish to write for. However, this is sometimes tricky because of the one-time keyword option and a source of consternation for many writers.
What’s the problem? Well simply put some writers feel there should be some form of “curbing” of who writes a one-time keyword for a client. Blogmutt has a system in place that shows a writer if someone has a “draft” in progress. It’s important to note this “warning” only appears for an hour. With one-time keywords, many writers simply avoid the piece if someone else is working on a draft. For myself, I don’t and here’s why.
First, it’s helpful to understand something about how the Blogmutt dashboard works. When writer looks at a client file they can see a few things: Which posts the client purchased, which posts the client rejected and which posts are pending purchase. Now, a smart writer (which I consider myself) will look at all three of these before they actually write for a client. First, it makes sense to know what they like and don’t like. Since the “bone of contention” here is whether a writer should write a SECOND or subsequent post for a “one-time” keyword it’s helpful to understand WE can all see what’s been submitted. So, here’s what I typically do: If I see a one-time keyword that interests me I’m going to read, not once but twice, what another writer has submitted for that keyword. Then I’m going to make a decision about whether to give that client another post (that could potentially be rejected!) based on answering the following four questions:
- Can I write another post from a substantially different point of view? – This is a no brainer. If I can write a post that differs in point of view or approach, I’m going for it even it if means that post may be rejected.
- Can I write a more professional post than the prior writer submitted? – Let’s face it, we all have different skill levels and different writing styles. If I see a business article that has a slightly casual voice, I may give a shot to writing a “better” post based on a more professional approach. Now this doesn’t mean the prior writer is a bad writer, just that I think they have used the wrong approach to meet the client’s needs.
- Can I clear up some common mistakes in posts? – This is a bone of contention with me. If you’re going to write about finance, you best have a working vocabulary in the finance industry. There are certain “key” words and phrases that are a dead giveaway that show someone who has experience in this field and someone who doesn’t. Legal writing is another one: For example, I see several posts on a weekly basis where writers use the word “specialist” or “expert” in legal posts. As a Paralegal, I am aware this is illegal in nearly all states. Someone who only “writes” legal material and doesn’t understand this could have a post rejected or sent back for revision. Simply put, if you’ve made common mistakes you can rest assured I’m going to submit another post with the right information.
- Can I recycle the post to another client or for my own use? – THIS is huge for me. I write very limited topics. Legal, business and finance. I seldom stray from this although I’ve been known to from time to time. I am fully aware of the fact that my decision to write about a one-time keyword that you’ve already written could mean my post is rejected. I get that and I live with that for one simple reason: Because I limit my “fields” of writing, I KNOW that if my post is rejected I will be able to reuse that post. Not only do I have the option of recycling the post at Blogmutt to a “competing” client, I also have blogs that focus on legal, business and finance topics. Therefore, if a client rejects my post I have options: A couple of them and inevitably I’m going to make money from that post.
So here’s the bottom line: you may not like it that I’ve decided to “keyword poach” as so many people call it (and by the way that’s really offensive) but here’s the facts as I see them. First, there’s nothing wrong with giving a client options. Second, it’s important to understand that freelancers run a business and we all make decisions about our business based on what’s best for US not what’s best for YOU. Third, like it or not, freelance writing is very competitive and I’m interested in doing whatever I feel necessary to stand out from the competition.
If that means I’m stepping on your toes, then so be it. I won’t be the first and chances are if you’re a seasoned freelancer it won’t be the last time either. The bottom line is simple: don’t take it personally, it’s not about you, it’s about my business and my business decisions. I’m not your friend, (or your enemy) I’m another business owner making decision that impact MY business. I’m not trying to denigrate your skills nor your business but I’m going to continue to do what’s best for me even if that means I’m submitting another choice for a client with a one-time keyword. Time to put your adult panties on and get over yourself.
