Bright Hub is changing the way they assign titles. For those of you that do not currently write for Bright Hub, it is a wonderful site for writers with one huge downfall: It can be almost impossible for new writers to be assigned a title. This is because each channel assigned titles differently. A "channel" is a topic area in which they hire writers. I currently write for the Google, Green Living and Special Ed channels. Some channels are editor managed and some are self-managed. Self-managed is what BH calls it when you don't have an editor. The self-managed channels don't offer upfront payment.
Anyway, all the channels have a different, well-kept, secret location for their spreadsheet where they keep the next months content plans and titles. If you are a new writer and you can locate this spreadsheet, my hat is off to you because sometimes it seems they don't want you to find it! Of course, I am joking about that, but seriously the current process is so cumbersome. I finally found the spreadsheet for Special Ed and sent several messages to my ME about the titles I wanted to write. I didn't get a response. Hmmm.
Finally, I realized that the spreadsheet was managed like the one in Green Living, you simply type in your own name rather than waiting for an "okay" from the ME to write the title. All this is more confused by the fact that I write for Google, where not only is it a HUGE no-no to self-assign a title, but we must submit an article outline before they will consider assigning the title to us. (No, I'm not kidding.)
If all that made you dizzy, yeah, it should. I am happy to announce that Bright Hub listened to it's writers and has made plans to revamp that process. By the end of April 2010, available titles will appear in our pub tool, according to a message from my ME today. Hooray!
Oh, and one more thing for those of you that don't currently write at Bright Hub, the upfront payment is $10 for editor managed channels AND they pay residuals that turned out to be much higher than I anticipated. Bright Hub is a great gig, if you can just figure out what to write. :)
If you are interested in writing for Bright Hub, here is the information you'll need to get started.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Where to Earning Passive Income by Writing
With all the transitioning going on for eHow writers, a lot of them are asking where else they can write. I personally feel transitioning to the DS format is worth it, but if for whatever reason you didn't get your acceptance, or you simply want to write some where without an editorial process, here are some great sites:
1. Squidoo - Squidoo has no editorial process in place. They do flag spammy lenses. Many people get to Squidoo and find the publication tool confusing and give up. After figuring out the publication tool, I didn't see it as a worthwhile place to write until many months had passed. I was there about 6 month with 10 lenses before one started earning. A year later, I have 77 lenses and earn about a dollar a month per lens. Those numbers are a bit skewed, because half of those lenses are new and it takes a lens a while to get into it's groove and start earning. Four of my lenses that I put work into and promoted are earning $14.00 a month, so you can see that most of my income comes from those 4 lenses. If you put work into a lens, you can easily earn $150 a year from one. If you have questions about the Squidoo publication tool, leave me a comment.
2. Bright Hub - Bright Hub has an editorial process, but you can choose to write for self-managed channels, meaning you opt out of the editorial process. I currently only write for the edited channels, so I can't speak as to the earnings for self-managed channels. However, in addition to the upfront payment I receive of $10, I also earn residuals on my BH work. My residuals through the edited channels average 45 cents a month per article. From what I have read, the self-managed channels earn at a similar rate.
3. Info Barrel - I have 10 articles published here. There is an editorial process but it is not a complicated one. They are simply checking to ensure your writing abides by their standards regarding linking, photos, etc. How much can you earn here? My experience is it's on the lower side, but you will likely earn more writing here than on your own blog because of the community.
1. Squidoo - Squidoo has no editorial process in place. They do flag spammy lenses. Many people get to Squidoo and find the publication tool confusing and give up. After figuring out the publication tool, I didn't see it as a worthwhile place to write until many months had passed. I was there about 6 month with 10 lenses before one started earning. A year later, I have 77 lenses and earn about a dollar a month per lens. Those numbers are a bit skewed, because half of those lenses are new and it takes a lens a while to get into it's groove and start earning. Four of my lenses that I put work into and promoted are earning $14.00 a month, so you can see that most of my income comes from those 4 lenses. If you put work into a lens, you can easily earn $150 a year from one. If you have questions about the Squidoo publication tool, leave me a comment.
2. Bright Hub - Bright Hub has an editorial process, but you can choose to write for self-managed channels, meaning you opt out of the editorial process. I currently only write for the edited channels, so I can't speak as to the earnings for self-managed channels. However, in addition to the upfront payment I receive of $10, I also earn residuals on my BH work. My residuals through the edited channels average 45 cents a month per article. From what I have read, the self-managed channels earn at a similar rate.
3. Info Barrel - I have 10 articles published here. There is an editorial process but it is not a complicated one. They are simply checking to ensure your writing abides by their standards regarding linking, photos, etc. How much can you earn here? My experience is it's on the lower side, but you will likely earn more writing here than on your own blog because of the community.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
eHow's Writers Compensation Program - Is It Ending?
I usually enjoy my brick and mortar job, but Monday I was toying with the idea of resigning. My earnings working at home have been up and frankly I was annoyed with some things that were going on in the office.
At 2pm, Monday, April 5th, 2010, I logged into eHow and promptly got a message saying the Writer Compensation Program (WCP) was closing. My heart sank! I went to the forum to see what was going on and I learned that we had one week to publish on eHow through the WCP.
After 1 week, some writers would be able to publish eHow articles through the Demand Studios website, but that was only if you were approved. I got very nervous because I've been rejected by Demand. In fact, Demand Studios is one of the few places that has every rejected my application as a writer. I was trying to figure out what to do next, when I got the preapproval email to write at DS. Thank goodness! They based the approval on your track record as an eHow writer.
I logged into the Demand Studios workdesk and began checking things out. I learned that we now have to submit sources with our work and our articles will all go through an editorial process. I write for other sites that have an editorial process. I can't say that I am crazy about the idea, but I realize that it will cut down on the number of errors in the articles. For those that don't want to publish through an editor, Bright Hub and Squidoo have the highest residual payments I've found without an editor.
Back to eHow, I was still a little nervous and gulping down Easter candy when Julie from eHow called me. She asked if I had any questions. I asked about the new payment structure and whether the eHow forums would remain open. She said the residuals we would earn through the DS publication tool would be equivalent to what we were earning at eHow's WCP. She also said the forums at eHow would remain open and they were also planning some advances to the eHow community. Great! She also mentioned that the publication tool at DS was soooo much better and they were simply tired of fixing the broken one at eHow. She said it was like doing surgery on a 90 year old patient. He He.
I have to tell you I still feel a little sad. Why? Because I know the changes mean I will have to work my butt of to publish an eHow article, just like I do at other places I write with an editorial process. No longer can I slap up a quick piece of 20 minute work and earn a tidy sum of money. Yet, as I write that I know it was wrong to try to churn them out quickly anyway. I probably should have been going the extra mile all along and making my eHow articles just as good as I will now be forced to make them. :)
Honestly, I'm just so grateful to still be able to write for eHow. I do love that website.
At 2pm, Monday, April 5th, 2010, I logged into eHow and promptly got a message saying the Writer Compensation Program (WCP) was closing. My heart sank! I went to the forum to see what was going on and I learned that we had one week to publish on eHow through the WCP.
After 1 week, some writers would be able to publish eHow articles through the Demand Studios website, but that was only if you were approved. I got very nervous because I've been rejected by Demand. In fact, Demand Studios is one of the few places that has every rejected my application as a writer. I was trying to figure out what to do next, when I got the preapproval email to write at DS. Thank goodness! They based the approval on your track record as an eHow writer.
I logged into the Demand Studios workdesk and began checking things out. I learned that we now have to submit sources with our work and our articles will all go through an editorial process. I write for other sites that have an editorial process. I can't say that I am crazy about the idea, but I realize that it will cut down on the number of errors in the articles. For those that don't want to publish through an editor, Bright Hub and Squidoo have the highest residual payments I've found without an editor.
Back to eHow, I was still a little nervous and gulping down Easter candy when Julie from eHow called me. She asked if I had any questions. I asked about the new payment structure and whether the eHow forums would remain open. She said the residuals we would earn through the DS publication tool would be equivalent to what we were earning at eHow's WCP. She also said the forums at eHow would remain open and they were also planning some advances to the eHow community. Great! She also mentioned that the publication tool at DS was soooo much better and they were simply tired of fixing the broken one at eHow. She said it was like doing surgery on a 90 year old patient. He He.
I have to tell you I still feel a little sad. Why? Because I know the changes mean I will have to work my butt of to publish an eHow article, just like I do at other places I write with an editorial process. No longer can I slap up a quick piece of 20 minute work and earn a tidy sum of money. Yet, as I write that I know it was wrong to try to churn them out quickly anyway. I probably should have been going the extra mile all along and making my eHow articles just as good as I will now be forced to make them. :)
Honestly, I'm just so grateful to still be able to write for eHow. I do love that website.
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