My favorite Avid Writer Kimberly Ben has a great post up this week about why some freelancers (not her, so don’t give her grief) choose to work with content mills instead of traditional freelancing routes. The idea came to her after reading a discussion/debate on a forum where some writers were defending, even justifying their decision to stick with the $20-an-article work. Give it a read and come on back. We need to discuss. Go on. I’ll wait….
Here were the main points Kim pulled from the discussion:
1. Writing for content mills is less stressful.
2. Don’t have to spend time marketing for private clients.
3. Writers can put more focus on writing for themselves.
4. You can crank out several articles quickly.
As you may have seen, I commented. How could I not? These writers were justifying their reasons, but none of them were addressing the key concern I have with this – they are accepting a tiny fraction of what they are worth and they’re working just as hard to get their $20 per as I am to get my $1 per word (maybe more). Why? If you read through the list of reasons above, one thing comes glaring out – this is a lazy way to work. It’s all about no stress, no effort, no hard work, and no income beyond the passive type.
I saw a few comments in which the writers were upset that other writers (us non-content mill types) were calling them hacks or otherwise demeaning what they’re doing. Sorry – you get no pity from me, folks. It’s about valuing yourself as a professional. If the value you place on your talents and your hard work equals twenty bucks, I’m thinking the issue isn’t how others view you, but how you view yourself. If you don’t want to be called a hack or if you expect respect from others, try respecting your own talents first. That starts by turning down jobs that aren’t paying you even minimum wage. If you’re a regular reader here, you know how I connect the dots between the lousy wages others accept and the denigration of freelancing rates on the whole.
Let’s face it – the Internet is loaded with passive income “opportunities.” Content mills may be paying $20 per now, but the more content they get, the less they’ll need that next article. Today’s $20 may soon turn into $1. At what price do you, content mill writers, say enough is enough? At what price will you say I’m worth more? Why not do it now, huh? The clips you have may be many, but are they edited, are they worth sending to another potential client?
Oh wait – these writers say they’re not interested in marketing. However, marketing is essential to the life of any business. Even content mill writers have to convince the mills (to some degree, though I’m pretty sure it’s an easy sell) they are worthy of that twenty bucks.
I spend a whopping two hours a week on marketing, if that. Wow, tough work, huh? And my stress level may be somewhat higher, but it’s not because I don’t have enough money to cover my expenses. The argument that one can turn out articles faster falls flat with me. I’ve written any number of articles that pay 200 percent more in practically no time whatsoever. And time to write for myself? Yes, I schedule that because I put my own writing first. I focus on that, which makes the rest fall into place and makes Lori a much happier camper.
So writers – do you write for content mills? Would you do it exclusively? If you do, tell us about it. If you don’t, tell content mill writers why.
I don't know if you'd classify them as content mills, but I have worked for middlemen (educational publishers, SEO services, etc.). My key to earning more has been to cut out the companies in the middle. Writers should know that these companies take as much as a 50% cut (I know because one I worked for told me). Your $20 article is probably selling for between $30 and $40. That's how they make their money. Connecting directly with a president, creative director, etc. can be a quick way to double rates without putting in any extra work. Amazing!
Also, I'm so sick of statements like these:
I get paid $5 for a 300-word article. I can do 8 an hour, so that's $40/hour, or $320/day, more than I can make in (insert location here). My thought is that you might do that for an hour, yes, but who in the hell could sustain that? That's 64 freakin articles a day. And I'm sure they're just absolutely compelling to read.
Sorry for the rant. haha. I've been following the discussion on the "popular site" as well, and I've been up all night working.
What you have to say makes so much sense…why are some people just not getting it?
Great perspective, Krista!
I worked for a few middlemen in my day, too – not always aware of it, either. One guy was transparent, though. It was the way he phrased things that indicated he wasn't the buyer.
It's like you say – you may be able to do it, but how can you sustain it? And what's that content look like? I'm a little to picky to let something I wrote go out the door without it being my best effort. Writing 8 articles an hour? They'd have to be really small, and they'd have to be done pretty sloppily. I'll stick with quality. :))
Content mills can't afford me.
When I see these wanna-bes boasting that they make $400 month working 4-6 hours a day — honey, that $400 is a HALF-DAY for a pro.
And it's not like those cips can be used to get decently-paid work, because most of the legitimate clients I know immediately strike a writer off their list if the writer uses "content mill" clips. An editor recently told me she won't hire people who work for sites like e-How, etc., because the content is only regurgitated, unoriginal, and the writing is so poor she can't get past the second sentence.
If all you think you're worth is $20, good for you. Leaves more high-paying clients for me. I have no time for you. And don't expect me to consider you a "colleague". My colleagues respect their profession.
For me it's about respect too, Devon. Respect extends beyond what you think of your own talents to what you're doing to others by devaluing your own worth.
Thanks for the insight into what editors are saying. Perhaps that's the real reason these folks don't market – they've not much of value to show for it?
I've never written for content mills and have no intentions of ever doing so. In fact, I was just going to blog about some spam I've been receiving of late that's near and dear to this topic. Even if I were desperate, I can't imagine drawing any kind of personal fulfillment from churning out articles. In that case, I'd rather pursue a different career altogether. When I first started out, however, I did write for some of the About.com clones, which didn't pay well either. When they started paying even less (as you predict the current crop will), I bailed.
Lori:
Thanks for the perspective. I know I'm just getting started on the freelance path, but I'd see some of those ads for $5 or $10 per post and wonder how anyone could make any money doing it! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one thinking that way.
Mark, I'm glad you're questioning those ads – you should. They're absolute garbage and they don't pay you anywhere near what you're worth. If writing were so easy, they wouldn't even put up the ads, right?
Kathy, I bet I'm getting the same ones. I'd love to compare notes!
I love the irony. These people who don't want to spend time marketing themselves are the same ones spamming as many people as possible with links to their "articles." Don't they get that they are marketing? Worse yet, they're marketing for the content sites!
I also love Devon's comment: "…don't expect me to consider you a "colleague". My colleagues respect their profession."
I've never worked for a content mill, but when I first started freelancing, I did connect with a middle man. The pay was a bit low but it was a good way to get my feet wet and get a feel for the freelance market. Plus, I learned quite a bit from the middle man, who was also a freelance writer (who just happened to outsource some projects).
I agree though, writers need to stop devaluing their work. If you can't get a decent rate once you have a few months of experience and a decent (if slim) portfolio, maybe you need to step back and reevaluate your skill level.
Marketing is essential. For anyone.
There are still content mills that pay $20 per article? I thought it was down to single-digit numbers.
I did start out writing for content mills. I was freelancing part-time on the side of a full-time technical writing, and I can't be too down on it, as content mills served my purposes at the time — to try my hand at freelancing. But when I started freelancing full-time, I very quickly stopped depending on content mills.
Another reason why I veered away from content mills is that they started paying less and less. I got anywhere from $15 to $30 an article starting out, but by the time I went full-time, I had noticed rates dropping and sites going out of business. Sure, I can make $20 an article work if it's an easy subject AND if it's not my primary source of income. Any less, though? Forget it.
I also have to say that my favorite client — the ones I've mentioned before, that I've kept on at a lower rate than I usually charge — is also a middleman, though an SEO marketing firm rather than a content mill. They pay on the lower end of the spectrum, but I still don't give them up. The reasons are similar to what Kim indicates: I can count on payments, and assignments for them are quick to crank out.
The difference, though, is that they are not my only gig. I still market (not much though, like you, Lori), and I have plenty of other clients with whom I work with directly. Yes, I suppose a hard-liner would say that I'm selling myself short with my favorite client, but I don't care. We have a great business relationship, they'll give me as much or as little work as I want, and working with them is actually relaxing after some of the clients I have to deal with. I wouldn't give them up unless I absolutely had to!
I've seen some writers proudly boasting that they can fork out 10+ articles in a couple of hours. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around that. If I tried it, the articles would be crap.
I started out at a content mill, but decided it wasn't for me. They wanted too much done in too little time for way too little money.
Devon beat me to the punch and said what I was going to mention about some clients not wanting to see clips from sites like ehow. I've had a few clients that asked for clips and specifically requested that the clips not be from Associated Content or any similar site. Some of those clients explained that since most of the stuff they see on those sites are junk; they won't take writers seriously anymore if they provide links to those sites.
I don't write for any of them, but I notice a few writers offering advice to others to use links to these sites for their clips instead of having their own website. I also notice that if you say something to these people- no matter how nice you are about it- they will bite your head off for mentioning it.
You'll keep your head here, Wendy. 🙂 Totally agree.
Katharine, I think you make a good point. If they're serving your purpose at the beginning and you're intent on moving on, it wouldn't kill you entirely to work for them. It's just not going to make you rich.
Paula, I rather like the irony of it, too. 😉
Melissa, I suspect you made a bit more than a few bucks an article. Most of us have worked for someone as a subcontractor. I'm fine with that. I'm not fine with devaluing ourselves to the point where we fight and try to outbid each other for a crap job paying less than a babysitter makes.
Thanks for the link love, Lori my dear (sorry so late responding – this summer has been crazy busy).
@ Katherine Swan: I started freelancing full-time in the fall of 2007 and wrote for a content mill paying $20 an article for about two months. I don't know if $20/article gigs are still around. I tend to see $5 and $10 gigs nowadays.
Great post, Lori.
Kimberly, I think I've seen a couple of recent $10 per article gigs for content mills, but they are few and far between. Most of the ones I see are $5 and under.
Wow, I'm amazed at the liars who make $800 a day.
"When I see these wanna-bes boasting that they make $400 month working 4-6 hours a day — honey, that $400 is a HALF-DAY for a pro."
Ooops, maybe you're talking about some other kind of profession.
Although most writers are not good at math, I highly doubt any freelancer is making more than $200,000 a year. That is absolutely ridiculous and an amount that even writers of national best-selling books rarely attain.
If you so-called freelancers are really real, why don't you all post some links to all of these $5,000 a pop articles you've written? The reason is: They don't exist. At best you've probably done three or four magazine pieces at a few hundred dollars apiece.
Also, what are the so-called content mills that have gone out of business? I wasn't aware there were that many of them. What are the names of the ones that went out of business?
This is nothing but a forum for you to try to make yourselves feel better. The problem is….lies don't really do that, do they?
Thanks for the laugh, losers.