Does not anyone need articles anymore?

34 replies
I was watching the movements and the comments in the Warriors for Hire section, and nobody seems to be ordering from content churners anymore. Is it because everyone has found writers to regularly work for them? Or is it because everyone's on YouTube these days and nobody cares about articles anymore?

Your 35 cents?
#anymore #articles
  • Profile picture of the author dollarswealth
    People still buy but have found where to get it cheaper
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Originally Posted by andrealouisechang View Post

    . . . nobody seems to be ordering from content churners anymore.



    Could it be that marketers are finally realizing that "content churner" articles are garbage and not worth the price?


    High quality, original, and professional articles on the other hand, still sell very well even though they cost considerably more.


    Steve
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    Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    There are people who still care enough about their readers to pay for well-researched, engaging articles. Sadly, you won't find a lot of them here on WF. The ones that are here, often have writers they've worked with for years.

    Setting up your own website and pitching your services to local businesses will result in better paying clients. Many writers choose a specific industry to write for such as realtors or dentists. Others focus on a market such as weight loss, pets, or self-help. This helps you build credibility as an expert on certain topics.

    https://problogger.com/jobs/ is a good place to find jobs.

    Writing your own blog or publishing on Kindle are other ways to make money with your writing.

    Even people who use video will pay for someone to write a good script.

    Rose
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  • Profile picture of the author Trey Morgan
    The internet is not the same as it once was. You need to have high-quality, and engaging content to attract and keep an audience. It's not about quantity, it's about quality.
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  • Profile picture of the author 1Bryan
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    Agreeing with Steve; most of these articles are pure trash, and pure trash doesn't rank on Google or position yourself or your brand favorably. Articles in general - from article bases - are extinct. Now folks finally realize that to succeed you need to become a skilled writer or hire skilled writers - said skills developing over years of practice - and knowing this, article writing and content churning is done. As it should be.
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  • Profile picture of the author Improveimpact
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  • Originally Posted by andrealouisechang View Post

    I was watching the movements and the comments in the Warriors for Hire section, and nobody seems to be ordering from content churners anymore. Is it because everyone has found writers to regularly work for them? Or is it because everyone's on YouTube these days and nobody cares about articles anymore?

    Your 35 cents?
    People now a days love to watch not to read. May be this is why now every coffee shop has their own Youtube Channel. But pure and fresh content is always welcome. Many people now changed their tactics and they just want write points regarding what they want to sell. Naturally when people want to buy or sell anything, like Smartphones, people will surely check videos rather than reading contents. Accurate and valuable contents are not overlooked . People always love to read authentic contents.
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  • Profile picture of the author 1Bryan
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    • Profile picture of the author andrealouisechang
      Banned
      Originally Posted by 1Bryan View Post

      Okay so last night I saw someone rant in this thread, angry at article writers.

      And you wanted to prove them wrong.

      Bad move.

      You don't want angry and resentful customers. You don't want to ever have to prove someone wrong.

      First - there's a market reality that has to be accepted. And that is - forums are NOT where business owners go to look for article writers. It never really was.

      Second - identify who your ideal client would be. What kind of business would they have? What kind of attitude would they have? What kind of relationship with them would you want to have.

      Third - when you have identified these clients, the next step is go and contact them to let them know you exist. There's this idea that folks have when they decide to write. They act almost as if business owners are supposed to know they are out there. Not happening. It's your job to get the job. It's your job to let them know you exist.

      That's basically it.

      But none of it involves plugging into a website, forum, etc.

      You have to have a very clear idea of WHO your ideal client is. And then you have to find those clients yourself directly.

      And you have to make it known to them that you exist. And give em a reason to work with you and not someone else.

      It's a straight line once you know WHO you want to work with.

      If you had a list of 50 potential clients and really worked on contacting them, making sure that those 50 clients DO regularly pay for content, are happy and easy to work with, etc.

      You might land 5-10 of them as clients.

      And as long as they buy enough content each month (at a reasonable rate for YOU) ...

      That might be ALL that you need.

      And if you put yourself to work, that could be accomplished in less than a month.

      So if you really get your hustle on and do it right -

      Meaning you stick to the script and find 50 business owners who are successful, happy, easy to work with AND regularly buy content at reasonable rates?

      You literally can have a full time writing business in like 30 days.

      Most folks do NOT take a straight line to what they want. They zig and zag and walk backwards and blah blah blah.

      So it's long, hard, and difficult.

      It doesn't have to be.

      50 potential clients - close 5-10 of them - you have a full time writing business and YES ...

      It can be done in 30 days.

      P.S. start with a fictional profile and then find them in real life. Assume they exist. Somewhere.

      Like this:

      My ideal client is a small business owner in the travel industry with 10 full time employees, $ 1 million in revenue and spends $ 1500 per month on content.

      Then go find them.

      If you find 5 of them and they do buy $ 1500 a month worth of content ...

      That's $ 7500 income for you per month if you close em.

      (But start with a original list of about 50 so that you only need a 10% close rate)

      Make it happen!


      BEST. ADVICE. EVER.
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    • Profile picture of the author Improveimpact
      I'm the angry, resentful person you mentioned. The OP asked why aren't people using article writers like they used to on this forum. My reply was not a rant. it was the truth. Too many people have been burned and I named the person who burned me. That's it. I relied on positive reviews from other WF members when I asked this unnamed person to write 20 articles at a cost of $200

      Two months past the deadline this is a sample of what I received: All typos left in for your reading pleasure...

      "People are now experiencing evolution of the Internet, and witnessing the dramatic changes it will brings along. With advent of the Internet and latest technology, and everything is getting online. From money to movies, and learning to teaching and friends to business- we are almost on the Internet all 24*7. Engineers have discovered a digital alternate for almost everything. With the Internet becoming people's favorite, there has been a sudden big bang of the web-era."

      That was supposed to be an article on the difference between anti-virus and anti-hacking software.

      I didn't rant, I told the truth which is a single mom blew 200 bucks on drivel because she relied on the reviews of fellow WF members. In answer to the OP question: Having been burned, I learned from it and am not going to be burned again. Hopefully.

      Once you get done calling me angry and resentful and ranting about me supposedly ranting, I would like an apology. In your defense, I don't think anyone could have imagined the content would be as bad as it was. Especially since I provided articles that just should have been re-written into original content.

      I'm happy to send you the content which is the same as the example as I posted. Please ask yourself how happy you would be if you paid 200 for that content?
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      • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
        You certainly have a right to be angry. If I was in the same situation (and I have been) I would be furious to get an article back like that.

        Some ideas that may help you and others to avoid this situation in the future.

        1. Assume all reviews are fake. If reviews are considered, look at the user's posting history. Are they going WSO to WSO making great reviews in exchange for something free? Does the reviewer sound/act like they are competent themselves based on what they've posted. Is there a quid pro quo where one vendor does a positive review for another vendor and vice versa?

        2. Ask to see samples. In some cases, there are none available but each buyer will have to determine for themselves if not having them available is a dealbreaker or not.

        3. Don't be afraid to ask for refunds. Be aware of refund time limits with the payment processor that is used. For example, you mentioned the articles were 2 months behind schedule. That may have exceeded deadlines for refunds.

        4. Post an honest review in the thread. Don't call them scamming, lying, thieves or anything negative like that because it would be deleted. State the facts in a calm, logical, non-emotional way.

        5. If you don't receive what you pay for, report it to the mods. In a case like this, you received the articles so the mods couldn't do much if anything.

        Sorry this happened to you - it happens too often and it's a constant struggle to keep the lying, scamming, thieves at bay.

        Mark

        Originally Posted by Improveimpact View Post

        I'm the angry, resentful person you mentioned. The OP asked why aren't people using article writers like they used to on this forum. My reply was not a rant. it was the truth. Too many people have been burned and I named the person who burned me. That's it. I relied on positive reviews from other WF members when I asked this unnamed person to write 20 articles at a cost of $200

        Two months past the deadline this is a sample of what I received: All typos left in for your reading pleasure...

        "People are now experiencing evolution of the Internet, and witnessing the dramatic changes it will brings along. With advent of the Internet and latest technology, and everything is getting online. From money to movies, and learning to teaching and friends to business- we are almost on the Internet all 24*7. Engineers have discovered a digital alternate for almost everything. With the Internet becoming people's favorite, there has been a sudden big bang of the web-era."

        That was supposed to be an article on the difference between anti-virus and anti-hacking software.

        I didn't rant, I told the truth which is a single mom blew 200 bucks on drivel because she relied on the reviews of fellow WF members. In answer to the OP question: Having been burned, I learned from it and am not going to be burned again. Hopefully.

        Once you get done calling me angry and resentful and ranting about me supposedly ranting, I would like an apology. In your defense, I don't think anyone could have imagined the content would be as bad as it was. Especially since I provided articles that just should have been re-written into original content.

        I'm happy to send you the content which is the same as the example as I posted. Please ask yourself how happy you would be if you paid 200 for that content?
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        • Profile picture of the author Improveimpact
          Thank you you Mark, That was great advice for everyone on this forum and would make a great post by itself on how to be wise when hiring any freelancer.

          I did ask for a refund which was refused.

          I did file a claim with paypal which I lost. They reviewed the content and agreed that it was unusable, they do not guarantee content. In essence had he failed to deliver, they would have refunded me. since he delivered they can't subjectively decide it was crap even though they agreed it was. Hope that makes sense.
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      • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
        Originally Posted by Improveimpact View Post

        Especially since I provided articles that just should have been re-written into original content.
        To take one article and simply rewrite it is called a derivative work. I'm not saying people don't do it, or that you'd ever get sued for doing so -- but any writer who agrees to do that is admitting from the start they don't mind breaking copyright laws. Never a good starting place.

        A legitimate writer is going to take the article and look for several additional sources of material. They'll add statistics that they know are from reliable sources. They'll also use a unique angle and maybe a story to engage the reader. It may be on the same topic as the first article but everything else will be different. But they're not going to do it for $20.

        All that being said, I'm very sorry you lost $200. My children are grown now but I was a single mom for many years and I know that's a big hit to the budget.

        It's always a good idea to purchase only one or two articles from a new writer to be sure you like not only the quality of their articles but also the style. Even samples are not always indicative of the quality of writing you'll receive.

        Rose
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        • Profile picture of the author Improveimpact
          This content was from an affiliate product where they provide swipe copy. I just wanted to not have my site penalized for duplicate copy. I had permission to use and re-write by the affiliate product.

          99.9 percent of the internet is derivative work. Google "signs your boyfriend is cheating" and see how many 10 signs... articles are identical, just re-worded... or many times not.

          The difference between those who make make money on their site and those who don't are those who add value to that content.

          I hired an article to rewrite to avoid duplicate content and then I was going to add my own content to that in hopes that adding value would cause someone to feel like buying the affiliate product which was anti-hacking software.

          Either way I was trying to answer the OP question of why people are slowing down on hiring article writers on this forum and sharing my personal experience of why I stopped.
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  • Profile picture of the author affmarketer101
    There are several sites that people can order contents, and that's the reason.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    Especially since I provided articles that just should have been re-written into original content.
    If someone sent me articles to 'rewrite' - I would turn down the work.

    What you should provide to a writer are the keyword phrases or sub-topics you want covered by the articles you are ordering. I've had customers who sent a list of primary/second/tertiary keyword phrases for every article ordered. Others sent only a list of sub-niches or keyword phrases they wanted covered by articles..

    As Rose said above - order a few articles from the writer. I would suggest 3-5 articles for the first order or two from a new writer. In the sample you posted above, I'd guess that freelancer is an excellent writer...in his own language.

    ALSO - exchange a few PM's or emails with the person. Don't rely on forum testimonials....the level of language/spelling/grammar is often very apparent in a PM or email.

    I was a freelance writer for several years. One thing I thought strange was that so many in English speaking countries hired ESL writers to 'keep costs down'. Meanwhile,in the U.S., I was writing exclusively for European site owners who wanted native English to promote to the US/UK/etc. They were great to work with as they valued quality and were willing to pay for it.
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    • Profile picture of the author sethczerepak
      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      If someone sent me articles to 'rewrite' - I would turn down the work.
      This become my practice about 18 months into being a writer. Especially since most of the time, people are asking you to "rewrite" PLR garbage content. Rewriting that junk is about as practical as remodeling a house that has a cracked foundation. The entire damn thing has to be torn down. It's easier to build it from scratch. Problem is, people who hire rewriters often assume that rewriting is easier than starting from scratch. It's not. Like the good book says:

      "What is wholly corrupt cannot be purified. What is wholly crooked cannot be straightened."
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by sethczerepak View Post

        This become my practice about 18 months into being a writer. Especially since most of the time, people are asking you to "rewrite" PLR garbage content. Rewriting that junk is about as practical as remodeling a house that has a cracked foundation. The entire damn thing has to be torn down. It's easier to build it from scratch. Problem is, people who hire rewriters often assume that rewriting is easier than starting from scratch. It's not. Like the good book says:

        "What is wholly corrupt cannot be purified. What is wholly crooked cannot be straightened."
        About half of the people who used to approach me weren't trying to salvage PLR articles. They were looking for someone who could help them get around copyright laws. I turned all of them down on ethical grounds.

        It's like the old saying, you can't be a little bit pregnant.
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  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    Sorry about your experience.



    What you seem to not understand is that there are markets in the writing world, like everywhere else.


    $10 an article gets you what you paid for. That's the value for that level of writing in the market you entered.


    It is a market made up by people who want correct English and so many words but not content that has content.


    And for people willing to provide it for a low price (because it requires little effort, compared to other markets).


    There are even worse markets... content for 2nd tier sites that's going to be spun too!


    And there are high-level markets.... Many.


    You need to do more research. A lot more. And never order 20 articles the first time (unless you've seen several of the writer's articles).


    And, of course, be willing to pay the higher price for the superior quality articles.


    Originally Posted by Improveimpact View Post

    I'm the angry, resentful person you mentioned. The OP asked why aren't people using article writers like they used to on this forum. My reply was not a rant. it was the truth. Too many people have been burned and I named the person who burned me. That's it. I relied on positive reviews from other WF members when I asked this unnamed person to write 20 articles at a cost of $200

    Two months past the deadline this is a sample of what I received: All typos left in for your reading pleasure...

    "People are now experiencing evolution of the Internet, and witnessing the dramatic changes it will brings along. With advent of the Internet and latest technology, and everything is getting online. From money to movies, and learning to teaching and friends to business- we are almost on the Internet all 24*7. Engineers have discovered a digital alternate for almost everything. With the Internet becoming people's favorite, there has been a sudden big bang of the web-era."

    That was supposed to be an article on the difference between anti-virus and anti-hacking software.

    I didn't rant, I told the truth which is a single mom blew 200 bucks on drivel because she relied on the reviews of fellow WF members. In answer to the OP question: Having been burned, I learned from it and am not going to be burned again. Hopefully.

    Once you get done calling me angry and resentful and ranting about me supposedly ranting, I would like an apology. In your defense, I don't think anyone could have imagined the content would be as bad as it was. Especially since I provided articles that just should have been re-written into original content.

    I'm happy to send you the content which is the same as the example as I posted. Please ask yourself how happy you would be if you paid 200 for that content?
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  • Profile picture of the author Shubho C
    Bill Gates said Content is King.. and it is rightly so..



    However, content is evolving..

    Copywriting and content creation as it once was has evolved!

    Nowadays, we have a separate type of content for every step of the digital marketing journe/ funnel..

    and the entire content is so finely knit into each other that its actually exciting.. but it takes some time to develop that skill..
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeremy_S
    Just to add my 2 cents .I've hired article writers over the years and generally I've found you pay for what you get.

    The ones you can hire on problogger.net i've found to be the best and also the most pricey. At the end of the day if you want to build your personal brand you're going to have to write it all yourself, because you're going to look stupid if the way you write your content on your blog differs from your emails and your fb posts, the way you talk on YouTube videos etc etc

    Jeremy
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  • Profile picture of the author turfy
    After you get screw up by the writer for missing the deadline and fake promises, you gonna give up. Might be easier to train someone in-house.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven Henry01
    Article is not dead, it's a main part to get promote the services. We just hire cheap content writers with good quality content...
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    • Profile picture of the author turfy
      Originally Posted by Steven Henry01 View Post

      Article is not dead, it's a main part to get promote the services. We just hire cheap content writers with good quality content...
      Do you mind to share the price and number of words ? Do you hire them from the article writing network / agency ?
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  • Profile picture of the author deeanne59
    I think another reason is that there is a growing sector online that is using scrapers on the web for content, then they are running it through spinner software so that it will pass CopyScape. I have actually been lurking on a forum that tells their members to do that...all for free. I think that is deplorable, but it is getting harder to fight against "free". I would much rather get a concise, well written article from an expert writer than deal with "scrambled egg" garbage.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rory Singh
    Articles that actually have great content and are well written aren't cheap.

    And the ones that are 'affordable' are 'Questionable'.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Originally Posted by Improveimpact View Post

    I'm the angry, resentful person you mentioned. The OP asked why aren't people using article writers like they used to on this forum. My reply was not a rant. it was the truth. Too many people have been burned and I named the person who burned me. That's it. I relied on positive reviews from other WF members when I asked this unnamed person to write 20 articles at a cost of $200

    Two months past the deadline this is a sample of what I received: All typos left in for your reading pleasure...

    "People are now experiencing evolution of the Internet, and witnessing the dramatic changes it will brings along. With advent of the Internet and latest technology, and everything is getting online. From money to movies, and learning to teaching and friends to business- we are almost on the Internet all 24*7. Engineers have discovered a digital alternate for almost everything. With the Internet becoming people's favorite, there has been a sudden big bang of the web-era."

    That was supposed to be an article on the difference between anti-virus and anti-hacking software.

    I didn't rant, I told the truth which is a single mom blew 200 bucks on drivel because she relied on the reviews of fellow WF members. In answer to the OP question: Having been burned, I learned from it and am not going to be burned again. Hopefully.

    Once you get done calling me angry and resentful and ranting about me supposedly ranting, I would like an apology. In your defense, I don't think anyone could have imagined the content would be as bad as it was. Especially since I provided articles that just should have been re-written into original content.

    I'm happy to send you the content which is the same as the example as I posted. Please ask yourself how happy you would be if you paid 200 for that content?
    I completely understand your anger. But it sounds like your original "rant" that was deleted mentioned the seller by name. That has been a no-no around here for longer than I've been around.

    Another unfortunate fact of life, that you had to learn the hard way, is that glowing reviews are currency in the marketplace. There is no end to the anonymous usernames that will whore themselves out for a freebie product.

    If you get burned again in the future, vent your anger the right way -- with a scathing review of the product itself, not the vendor. Venting in the discussion areas, even if it's a well-intentioned warning, will be deleted if you mention said vendor by name.
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  • Profile picture of the author EvanRice
    I found a good resource on American history and can write articles myself. Sometimes I study the history in addition to self-education. For example, today I read and made notes about the life of Dorothea Dix. It was interesting and amazing. You can also use the information about Dorothea Dix and other historical figures if you need historical information.
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  • Profile picture of the author IGotMine
    I'm the angry, resentful person you mentioned. The OP asked why aren't people using article writers like they used to on this forum. My reply was not a rant. it was the truth. Too many people have been burned and I named the person who burned me. That's it.
    Welcome to Internet marketing.

    Show of hands of people who have been at this more than a year who have never been "burned."

    (crickets)

    It's an effective albeit painful lesson.

    Learn from it and move on.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ian5
    People become lazy everyday, they dont want to read a long boring article, because it's easier to watch a video. And you can earn more information faster and shorter from video.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Speaking as a writer, I can share experiences I have had. I get people, often from third world countries, asking me to write 10000 words and they'll happily pay me 20$ (note the $ comes after the number in their requests, often the first bad sign). I have had people ask me to edit their writing for $X and it has been so bad that I have been forced to refuse because it was like reading another language.

    On the positive side, My first client started with me on day 1 in December 2009 and I still work with her to this day. I have several other long term regulars that have been with me for 5+ years. I have gained lots of referrals and repeat business, and even a few tips from ecstatic customers.

    If the right client and writer can find each other, then both sides will be happy.
    a 2 month past the deadline.......wow, that person should be drawn and quartered. I cringe when I am forced to be 1 day late, and I always tell the customer up front (not that it's a frequent occurrence). There are plenty of sources of good writers if people have the patience to invest time and look. I also add...know EXACTLY what you want when you're ready to hire somebody.
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    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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  • Profile picture of the author Janvi Arora
    Banned
    Though videos are easy to create and supply, a high quality, unique(original) and fresh content is still in demand. such content ranks high in search engines results and keeps readers engaged in it. But soon videos will take over the traditional text content as recent study have shown that people have shared 90% videos of the overall content.
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  • Profile picture of the author amuro
    I don't buy articles.

    I have tons of PLR about 45K in my drive

    But still haven't finished using them
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Originally Posted by andrealouisechang View Post

    I was watching the movements and the comments in the Warriors for Hire section, and nobody seems to be ordering from content churners anymore. Is it because everyone has found writers to regularly work for them? Or is it because everyone's on YouTube these days and nobody cares about articles anymore?

    Your 35 cents?
    Sounds like you just checked out Warrior For Hire. There are plenty of people online looking for high quality articles for their site/blog. As far as a "content churner"... sounds like people who write articles for people who are in the same marketing circles they are. I write articles for a parody/satirical black news site and get paid for it every weekend. Keep your search going - and remember that nobody on this site is God.
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