First, I’d like to pass along my condolences to Devon Ellington, whose beloved cat Elsa passed on after a long, happy life. If you read Devon’s blog, you’ve gotten to know Elsa and also know her health struggles of late. My prayers to you and to Elsa, Devon.
Carol Tice has a very interesting post up about her husband. Recently, she recommended he find work with Demand Studios. Now before you boil her in oil, know that Carol is not a fan of DS. She’s been one of the more vocal writers against using DS and their ilk as sole sources of work. But in her husband’s case, Carol believes this to be a decent choice. And in some cases, it could very well be.
However, I’m not sold. Yes, in the right set of circumstances, the quick-and-dirty work can be a temporary benefit. But I contend that anyone who is able to market should be able to find something better. Even one of the posters on Carol’s thread found a job paying more than double what DS pays. Already her husband’s prospects are looking better.
If you’re starting out, my advice is to stay far away from content mills. These places are traps. You get used to fast turnarounds, quick payments, and low pay. Then you get locked into the cycle. You don’t have time to look for higher paying work because you’re doing the fast turnarounds for the quick payments that are still low paying.
A content mill is not a great place for beginners. I think it’s a great place to get lost if you’re a beginner. At the beginning of the career, you set your own career parameters. If you sell yourself short from the get-go, you’ll struggle to move into higher paying markets. Instead, put that time into learning how to query, follow up, and market effectively. All these areas have been covered on this blog and others.
So would you ever recommend DS or a content mill to someone? Did you ever, whether cautiously or in a moment of desperation, consider it?
8 responses to “Bypassing the Trap”
I couldn't personally recommend DS to anyone I know, but that's more about their management's constant lies and half-truths (well-documented from their recent media blitz) than the pay. I would never send anyone I know to work with a company like that. I respect them too much to do that, and most would respect themselves too much to associate with that kind of client.
That said, as much as I dislike Demand, I've always said it might be fine and dandy for hobby writers (when you remove the frequent managerial mis-speak issue at least). Professionals can always do better if they care enough about their business to learn about their market and show the value they can offer that market. And it doesn't take a long time to do that (I was booked solid with a waiting list in just 3 months, one of our AFW writers was doing fairly well in just about a month, and when I coached Stacey Abler we had her content mill income completely replaced in just two WEEKS, to give you some examples). But hobby writers don't necessarily want more than a little spending money, or they'll choose the lazy way out because they really don't want to run a business — and for people in that group that's completely fine. So to them I say "have at it."
I left a harsh but honest post on her blog. I've worked in film and television for over 20 years. Putting a content mill on one's reel is a career killer. Period. He's been to UCLA, for Chrissake! Right there, in the alumni bin, are thousands of people who give you a hand up, the same way they do at NYU and all good film schools.
As you know, when I was desperate, I signed up with DS a couple of years ago. I never wrote for them because I found everything about the set up appalling, and that very day, I landed a much better paying, legitimate assignment. i've discussed the experience in detail before, so I won't go into it again.
On a separate note, thanks for all your love and support throughout Elsa's long illness.
I didn't bother reading that post. I glanced at it and saw that she was recommending DS for her hubby, who was a web video producer, and left. I don't know what reasons she gave for recommending it.
If he just wants to post some videos for fun as a hobby, then I would say it is a viable option. If he wants a career then he might want to think long and hard about that decision. I have no experience in the web video industry, but I can't imagine it's going to be much different than the writing industry when it comes to a reputation. I would never recommend any company, such as DS, to someone who's trying to build an online presence for a career. The reputation DS has is only going to drag his rep down.
First off, my condolences to Devon. It's always difficult to have to say good-bye to a beloved family pet. They are so much more than "just an animal."
I tend to take a stance of "it's your decision" and who am I to judge? Would I recommend DS? I can't imagine it.
I signed up for DS when I first started freelancing because I thought I needed the work for my portfolio. I never submitted anything for a couple of reasons.
First, I realized I had a lot more samples for my portfolio than I thought I did. Two, I found the pay to be far less than the effort it would take. Third, I found the topics absolutely absurd.
I knew absolutely nothing about DS or content mills. Freelancing is a very different world from Corporate and blogs like yours, Lori, Jenn Mattern's and Anne Wayman's have been extremely helpful in my education.
I admit I am very surprised to hear that Carol, who has been such a vocal critic, recommended DS to her husband-especially after the piece about them losing money. But, then, like I said, who am I to judge?
I appreciate hearing all points of views. It's what helped me decide that DS & content mills were not an effective use of my time.
Here's the thing – Carol does make a good point. As Jenn says, hobbyists are much better off there than pretending to make a go of things elsewhere. And Carol's point – to get her husband working and earning – was valid. I think she's probably as surprised by her reaction as I was. 🙂 But I get her message to him – find ANYTHING to get your name out there. He has a portfolio already, as her post suggested, so this isn't a beginner per se.
Jenn, you and I agree completely. The rhetoric, history, and horror stories are enough to keep me from recommending them for anything but extinction.
Love and support are always yours, Devon. 🙂 I agree with you on reaching into the alumni community, but I hear Carol saying her husband isn't a marketer. Sad, because his job is going to require that. Now if DS taught these people how to market, I might not have as much issue with them. But that's not their responsibility. It's ours.
Wendy, agree. I can't speak for Carol, but I suspect she recommended it because she's seeing the financial side we can't see. She sees the emotional side of his current situation, too. And let's face it – if you're married and one is working and the other not (not for lack of trying, either), it's going to cause stress.
Cathy, I think in this case I have to agree with that stance. It IS their decision. Carol of all people understands the pitfalls of this and can help him jump in and out of that place.
Yes, I don't think judging them in their personal situation is our job. I think it's enough for me that Carol is well versed in the DS BS. I'm just saying it's a trap, as I'm sure she knows already. Personally, I avoid such traps.
Don't have more than a minute to write, but I wanted to pass on my condolences to Devon. Thank goodness you had Elsa as long as you did–though I know from losing my Mr. Marley in May that it's never long enough.
Devon – I'm so sorry for your loss. Losing a beloved pet truly is losing a family member. Take comfort in knowing Elsa was lucky to have you.
I saw a link to Carol's post on LinkedIn. I normally don't click blog posts there (too many people only post links to their blogs and sites, and don't actively contribute to LI groups), but I clicked because Carol is active in LI discussions. And well, the title really got my attention! Given the title, I half expected a funny or sarcastic reason for suggesting he work for DS, so I was surprised that she wasn't joking.
I deal with a lot of screenwriters and filmmakers, from beginners to Emmy and Oscar winners. In the past year or so I've learned that many are using YouTube to get their work out. Some post their films there as calling cards. One guy even admitted one of the reasons he did it was to attract investors or product placement funding for future works. (That guy was a former sitcom writer who quit the business when reality shows took over. Now he's creating his own model for re-starting his career.)
Sure, You Tube doesn't pay, but it's a better marketing platform than a mill. And the filmmaker stays in control…I'd imagine all DS films are "work for hire" agreements.
Hmmm, maybe Carol's husband should hire her to do his marketing….