Writer Confesses Content Mill Tricks

I had to laugh...

I have always had a hard time understanding why truly talented writers would sell themselves short by working for content mills, and in fact, other companies as well. Yes, I know that sometimes people are desperate and need cash fast.

But in essence, the writer is simply a slave to the time clock. Write so many words, get paid for that time spent . . . and that's it. Done. Finished.

I want to get paid over and over again for what I write. That just seems like such a logical way to leverage one's time. I understand that some writers may not have a clue about starting an online business, writing a book to be sold on Kindle, and all the other ways to leverage . . . but to me, at least, getting paid just once, and at a very minimum wage, is no way to get ahead in life.

Steve

Exactly right. And it's also very true that not everyone is cut out to run a business -- and let's face it writing and running a business are two very different things. It's not to say that writers can't also be good at running businesses, but they're very different skill sets.

It's also important to note that most writers -- just like most people overall -- would be far better off financially by getting a job rather than trying the entrepreneurial route. For one thing, most businesses fail -- online or offline. And for another, even those that do succeed often take years to really get going. And that's not a luxury everyone can afford.

My business is currently in the process of trying to expand our writing staff. We'll pay in the $20 - $25/hour range -- not fantastic admittedly, but also not horrible, especially since part of the deal is that our writers can work at home and on their schedules. And of course, the other aspect of that wage is it's guaranteed. If what they write sells, they get paid. If what they write bombs, they get paid. We shoulder the risk not them. Moreover, they will have an instant audience of literally millions who will read their writing, so they'll be getting exposure for whatever future work they might do.

Even at $20/hour, at 40 hours/week our writers will make $800/week. Not enough to have a fantastic Manhattan apartment or a BMW, but then again, how long did it take most of the entrepreneurs on the WF to earn $800/week? From my experience at least, for our first several months we would have been happy to make $800/month, let alone $800/week. And I bet that there are plenty of other people here who have been at it for years who would still love to make $800/week. The point is that it's often the case that a writer (or a developer or anyone else) does better working for someone else than for him or herself. And there's nothing at all wrong with that.

Kay,

Of course you are right. It's the entrepreneur in me that questions why someone would not want to work for themselves as compared to trading hours (when they can get them) for dollars (which they can't always control).

The key that makes what you're talking about possible (working when you want for the amount of money you want) assumes two things: (1) that you will always be able to find enough work to keep yourself busy, and (2) that you will always be paid "enough" (whatever that is) per job to meet your income requirement.

Both these "ifs" are somewhat out of the writer's control unless you are really good and have established places where you can pick up writing jobs whenever you want them.

For most of the newbie writers that I see coming to the forum . . . they are not experienced, top quality writers and they do no have established venues for their writing services. I would say most, if not all, new writers are not going to be able to have all the work they need and be paid what they want for it for quite some time.

Steve