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Theft, Rebranded

Posted on by lwidmer

Whew! Yesterday was quite a discussion day, wasn’t it? I want to thank everyone for chiming in, pro and con, over the content mill debate. I want to thank Deb Ng once again for voicing her side of things. Much appreciated, Deb. In Tuesday’s post, some disturbing commentary came up and I’m loathe to let…

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Content Mills: Deb Ng Responds

Posted on by lwidmer

While I may not change my mind, everyone who visits here has the chance to tell their side of an issue. That was my response on Friday when the content mill discussion turned to why people had left the Freelance Writing Gigs community. I extended the offer to Deb Ng, who has found herself in…

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Are We Finally Getting It?

Posted on by lwidmer

With the great content mill debate still fresh on my mind yesterday, I followed links left behind on Writers Weekly to see what the temperature was among writers across the Web. While there were a number of “Love (insert content mill name)!” posts, there was a groundswell of posts expressing comments like “fed up” or…

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Critical Learning

Posted on by lwidmer

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on Friday’s post expressing your opinion on the content mill issue. Deb Ng has agreed to stop by and write a post voicing her side of things, which given her history is exactly what I expected from her. You may not agree with her opinion, but she’s always been…

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The Definitive Word on Content Mills

Posted on by lwidmer

There are many reasons why I’ve been an Angela Hoy fan for years. Angela heads up the marvelous Writer’s Weekly site, the online Bible and writer’s manual for the freelance writing profession. Her ability to cut through the BS and give you a clear picture of specific publishers, magazine groups, and “employers” has earned my…

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Passive Marketing the Google Way

Posted on by lwidmer

Writing chum Dana Prince has a really cool blog post up about passive marketing. She makes a lot of sense in how valuable clients find us – the Google search. Click on her link in the post and see her suggestions. While she advocates posting to content mills to up your chances of being found…

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Selling Out

Posted on by lwidmer

When I posted my enthusiasm over Microsoft’s Office Workspace freebies, I worried I’d be viewed by you readers as selling something. Worse, when an MS employee stopped by to thank me, I felt like a real heel for even bringing it up, despite the fact that I was thrilled to pieces with what I’d found….

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Why You’re Not Cheap

Posted on by lwidmer

My favorite Catalyst Blogger Jen has an excellent post up about defending one’s prices to clients. She gives you great advice on defending, not lowering, your prices. I can’t help but think you’re sitting there, new to freelancing or just never comfortable talking price, thinking the client has some justification in debating what you charge….

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Technology that Rocks

Posted on by lwidmer

Stand back – I’m about to sound like an advertorial. I’ll admit I’m usually late to the technology dance. The newest gadgets or tools aren’t something I feel I have to have. But I just found some technology that makes my work easier by making it portable – Windows Workspace. Sporting a whole lot of…

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Rate Debate: Do Real Writers Actually Buy Into Low Rates?

Posted on by lwidmer

A spirited debate is taking place over at Michelle Rafter’s blog about content mills and rates. I urge you to visit and comment. Surprisingly, both camps have strong defenders. I think I’m now a huge fan of Michelle thanks to her no-nonsense look at the topic and her own thoughts, which echo mine. And naturally,…

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  1. Devon Ellington Avatar
    Devon Ellington

    I've said it before and I'll say it again — if you're good enough to earn a decent living writing, you do so. If you're not, you work for a mill content site.

    The clients get what they pay for. Period.

    Reply
  2. Jill Avatar
    Jill

    I just have a practical question: How does anyone make any kind of living doing these $3 or $20 jobs? You'd have to do 1,000(!) of the $20 jobs–three almost every day!–just to make $20,000 (pre-tax).

    Or are these jobs being taken by people who are otherwise employed but are trying to launch freelance writing careers?

    I just had to ask… I've seen a lot of discussion about this, but it hasn't yet affected me (I am an editor).

    Reply
  3. Michelle Rafter Avatar
    Michelle Rafter

    Thanks Lori! If you liked the debate and want to know more about what content aggregators pay, check out my story in the Nov/Dec issue of Writer's Digest, which goes into more depth about who's out there and what they're paying.

    Michelle Rafter

    Reply
  4. Lori Avatar
    Lori

    Give 'em hell, Michelle! (rhyme not intended, but kinda cool anyway) Good on you for educating folks via WD. The more we shout this from the rooftops, the more likely we won't suffer at the hands of the uninformed masses.

    Devon, you could't be more right. My only hope is the content mill crowd doesn't denegrate our profession to the point where no one will offer us acceptable rates.

    Jill, it's a very good question. Some people see these content mill jobs as a career move (huh? Are they kidding?). Some see them as supplemental income (I'd rather not supplement at that rate). Some are launching careers and when they search for jobs, guess what pops up?

    It's a combination of people. Then there are those who think "Wow! I'm working as a writer!" Uh, no. You're being exploited by thieves.

    Reply
  5. Wendy Avatar
    Wendy

    I posted this on Michelle's blog, but I do want to mention it here.

    I agree with what you said about taking the minimum-wage job if it's more than the project pays. But, I know some people that will choose to work for less than minimum wage just for one reason- to work from home.

    It's great to work from home, but it shouldn't be used to justify taking the lower paying positions.

    Reply
  6. Lori Avatar
    Lori

    Wendy, you rock. That's so true! Working from home means actual payment, not just work. Those who take these "jobs" are working for free. Oh sure, there's $3 involved, but that's less than your Aunt Edna would give you for your birthday.

    Reply
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