The WMF Archives: Guest Post: The Hullabaloo with Yahoo! and the Content Mill Debate

Monday, May 24, 2010

Guest Post: The Hullabaloo with Yahoo! and the Content Mill Debate

1:50 PM

Carol Tice's post last week on the acquisition of Associated Content by Yahoo sparked quite a debate among our readers, both here on The WM Freelance Connection and in several other forums. Since we're all about telling "both sides" of every story, we've invited writer Lauren Nelson from Part-time Diva, Full-time Mom to respond in today's guest post.

The Hullabaloo with Yahoo! and the Content Mill Debate
By Lauren Nelson

The recent acquisition of popular publishing platform Associated Content by Yahoo! has caused a large amount of controversy. Yahoo! made the purchase for $100 million dollars, which is hardly chunk change. Concern now is revolving around what this means for Associated Content’s current writers and the future of the platform.

What We Know

So far, the majority of the news is coming out of Associated Content itself. According to the FAQ section recently posted by the company on this subject, the compensation system is going to continue as it has. When referencing changes, the company only talks about expanding opportunities for income and writing gigs. In other words, those who want to write for Associated Content can continue to do so for at least the same pay rate, with increased earning potential in the future.

Criticisms of this move have been widespread and varied. Major concerns revolve around whether or not the money from the deal should have been distributed to the writers, and general trepidation about content mills on a whole. Let’s talk, shall we?

Validity of the Acquisition Terms

First, this purchase was not a move to screw over writers. With platforms like Associated Content, you are not technically the company. If anything, you are hiring them to promote your writing in exchange for part of the revenue generated by ads and exclusive publishing rights for a predetermined amount of time. Are these the best terms in the world? Perhaps not, but we’ll focus on that in a minute. The point is that Associated Content is a business. They made a business decision. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, acquisitions such as these do not result in a check being cut for the little man (or woman) in any other industry. Why would that be the case here?

Content Mills Vilified- Shocker.

The majority of the remainder of the conversation over this acquisition has been the repetition of tired arguments against content mills. I won’t address them all here, as I could theoretically go on for hours, but let me explain how the mills can be beneficial under certain circumstances.

1.    Newbies- Mills are a great way for people interested in starting a freelancing career to get started. It gives them experience writing to specification, and the opportunity to polish different skills like search engine optimization and effective researching techniques. It also gives them the ability to generate up front cash quickly while making the transition to more profitable freelancing work.

2.    Moonlighters- If talented, educated individuals are looking to make a little bit of money without having to learn all of the tricks of the trade, mills are incredibly convenient. They provide product placement, advertising, and often, structure and direction for individuals interested in making money on the side. A lack of desire to go pro doesn’t make these writers any less qualified. They just have different priorities which mills allow them to focus on more effectively.

3.    The Cash-Strapped- Let’s be real. Some people can pull in high paying gigs on a consistent basis, and that’s awesome. Some people can’t. Granted, their luck could be changed by following the tips of experts like Carol Tice and the other writers on this site, but while they’re tweaking their approach, there are still bills to be paid. Writing for mills can provide the quick cash necessary to make ends meet while you work on other projects.

4.    The Passive Income Planner- Some people just want to make sure money is coming in for a rainy day. There’s nothing wrong with that. Residual earning sites like Associated Content, Triond, and Suite101 provide a basic platform to generate passive income off of. Does this mean you’ll earn $100 in a day off of the pennies your articles generate? Maybe eventually, after a couple of years of constantly adding SEO driven content. Still, prominent bloggers and freelancers like Felicia of No Job for Mom, Deanna of Write Moms, and Pat Flynn of The Smart Passive Income Blog have used passive income sources to supplement the more active work they’re doing, not to mention some of the bloggers on this site. Extra spending cash? Yes, please.

Disclaimer

I want to be very, very clear. Mill work is not always good. If it takes you four hours to write a $15 article, then it’s not for you. If you’re making $30 an hour writing for a mill when you have other jobs ready and waiting that will pay you $100 an hour, you’re foolish. If you aren’t willing to do research and put out quality work, then please, abstain. If you aren’t willing to do the work to make your article profitable, consider work elsewhere. If you find the rates insulting, then, by all means, pass up the projects.

Mill work is not for everyone, and it is not a permanent solution for serious freelancers. I am not saying that serious freelance writers should focus on mill work alone to generate a living. I am not discouraging people from marketing themselves and going after higher paying jobs. These are good things, and goals I’m working at myself. What I am saying is that mill work can provide benefits to a large subset of the population. There are a lot of other arguments against mills that I have tried to address elsewhere. For more information, check out my blog, Part-Time Diva, Full-Time Mom.

Bottom Line

The acquisition of Associated Content by Yahoo! is indicative of the perceived value in mill work, and tells us that the mills are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. The impact that the purchase will have on Associated Content’s writers remains to be seen, but so far, so good. In the meantime, perhaps a meaningful, warranted, evidence-supported dialog on content mills should take place in the community. The more we can engage with one another, the more understanding we can foster and the more solutions we can create. Until then, happy writing.

Labels: Angela Atkinson, Associated Content, Carol Tice, content mills, guest blogger, Lauren Nelson, Yahoo

14 comments:

Carol Tice said...: Some interesting thoughts there, Lauren.

I've been covering business for nearly 20 years now, and I just want to read behind the lines of that FAQ and tell you what's going to happen a year or so down the line: They're going to screw you.

This is just my gut instinct, based on my decades of experience covering many, many corporate mergers. I'd LOVE to be wrong here, for the sake of all the thousands of writers whose livelihoods are tied up in what becomes of AC. But no matter how loving and reassuring they are now, bet your bottom dollar -- things are going to change. And likely, it won't be good for writers.

Here's a couple clues from the FAQ (emphases mine):

"Your compensation is not changing IN THE NEAR FUTURE." They of course then quickly come in with "If anything, it will only increase...." Yeah...until we change the pay parameters once the Yahoo merger is completed, and we let a little time go by.

"Content will continue to be published at www.associatedcontent.com AT THIS POINT. Specific assignments may be published to different sites and or partners - check your assignment details for this info. (Translation -- or, some of your pieces may NOT appear on AC anymore.) As always, we will communicate any changes we make to the location or re-location of your content assets."

They're spelling it out as big as they can -- they reserve the right to change the deal and kill your royalties in future. If I wrote for AC and had been counting on their royalties as a future income stream, I'd be coming up with a backup plan NOW.

The thing to remember is Yahoo is a different company than AC, and they will not be obligated to keep the terms of your deal the same. Being a big, publicly held, struggling company with thousands of shareholders to answer to, they will likely look to pay less to keep their bottom line looking good for investors. They're under more pressure to pay little than AC was as a private company. And, they have the Hollywood-style glamour to offer writers of just plain being Yahoo! If you were willing to write for peanuts for no-name AC, how little would you take for the thrill of writing for Yahoo! Think how many suckers -- um, writers -- they can get to write for them just for the exposure? It doesn't take a lot of imagination to see where this could go in a year or two.

Yes, there'll be more opportunity through Yahoo!, but there may also be a stampede of writers into the channel, so competition may greatly intensify.

I have to say I can't agree that mills are "a great way for people interested in starting a freelancing career to get started." More details on the many ways mill writing can hinder your attempts at creating a viable writing career here.

Finally, the expression is chump change, not "chunk" change. Something you might want to know for writing for other-than-mill clients. Out in the rest of the world of paid writing, they tend to want writers who can use the language accurately. Thanks for beautifully demonstrating the difference.; May 24, 2010 2:24 PM
Lauren Nelson said...: Carol-

I certainly appreciate your experience and insight. You could be absolutely right about Yahoo! and where they're going. Until we know, speculating is pointless, especially since I agree with you that relying on one platform for income is a terrible, no-good, very-bad idea anyway. My only thing with whole acquisition is that until we know what's coming next, we shouldn't write off AC altogether, and all of this uproar is a waste of energy.

I think our major point of disagreement stems from conceptualizations of content mills and their purpose. We agree on one thing- content mills aren't a career. However, I see their utility for certain groups of people at certain times.

I read your post about content mills. Here's the thing- your arguments only apply to very specific writers. Writers who don't know how to research yet, are looking for a career in journalism, or are making a concerted effort to go pro in the very near future probably shouldn't turn to the mills. However, your analysis fails to the respond to the idea that mills can start teaching you to learn to write to specification, be productive, and respond to criticism.

In addition, I think the process can be educational when it comes to writing for SEO and for research. You're correct in that some of the articles produced at mills are junk. Some aren't researched. On the other hand, quality content that is produced at revenue share sites requires a great deal of thought, planning, researching, and revising.

As for the change issue... I've heard it both ways, and fortunately, I'm not trying to get paid for this post :) We all make mistakes. Thanks for pointing mine out!; May 24, 2010 2:48 PM
Carol Tice said...: Oh, I've been out-front from the get-go that I think mills are a great place for anyone with no writing-career aspirations who just wants to make a little fun money. GREAT for that. For writers hoping to earn a substantial living they pose some real problems, and for most who use them, I believe they limit earnings. All I know for sure is nearly every mill writer I meet wants me to help them kick the habit and find better clients of their own.

Helping writers with serious career aspirations to earn more is my passion. Because of my business-reporting background I feel like I have some insight into where this is all going. I don't consider it a waste of my energy to give a warning about how their deal may change. More on the order of a public service. Heaven knows Yahoo isn't going to give writers any warning before it lowers the boom.; May 24, 2010 6:01 PM
Lauren Nelson said...: With all due respect, I think there's a difference between giving a warning and sensationalizing. A warning would be saying that this COULD happen, this is where it has happened BEFORE, and here are WARRANTS as to why this situation is similar. I understand and respect your experience, but you haven't given me any explicit, situation-specific data to support your arguments. Your reasoning could theoretically float, and I'm not saying you are 100% wrong, but I would love to have a reason for it to apply. So I guess my question for you is can you give me an explicit example in the mill world where this has occurred, and point out the similarities between that situation and this one?

Also, just out of curiosity, have you ever worked for any of these mills before, or is your opinion based on the accounts of others?; May 24, 2010 8:59 PM
Carol Tice said...: I am thrilled to say I have never written for $20 or less. Thanks for the opportunity to clear that up! My opinion is based on decades of time spent studying business and how the American business world operates.

We haven't seen a mill acquisition before -- just mills going under, of which there have been quite a few. So this is new in the world of mills...but my point is it isn't a new situation in the world of mergers and acquisitions, where I've spent a LOT of time hanging out. My opinion is based what I've seen there.

A company buys another company...and they promise the moon. We won't change your brand! We won't change your pay plan! But later...they almost always do. Unless they're Berkshire Hathaway.

In general, companies buy other companies to create efficiencies. Eventually, they will get rid of everyone who started AC -- a year is a long time for founders of the acquired company to survive in place. Everyone who believed in the original deal you got may be gone. To the tiny extent they had writers' backs, that will be lost.

Often, the new owners sometimes also get bored with their new toy and simply discontinue it and write off the purchase price. In the end, Yahoo will do whatever makes sense for Yahoo.

And remember, there are lots of people who think Yahoo itself is a doomed also-ran in the world of search! So it could have the best intentions, but if it goes bust, there goes AC, too.

Just want to help writers understand how all bets are off, so savvy writers who've been counting on some AC residuals can start hedging their bets and finding ways to replace their AC income in case they wake up and find AC has become a free promotional site, or ceased to exist, or starts making everyone take a writing test, or whatever's coming down the pike. It's writer beware time.

Maybe the Yahoo purchase will turn out to be the most awesome thing for writers since the invention of computers...but market pressures at a public company weigh strongly against that possibility. Just sayin'.; May 24, 2010 11:20 PM
theBarefoot said...: Ms. Nelson, I found your write-up to be well-reasoned and free of emotion. If I had yours and Ms. Tice's article side by side, I would certainly be swayed to your side of the debate simply by the difference in tone. Your logical approach appeals to me much more than Ms. Tice's condescending sensationalism. The 1st paragraph of the second comment above captures that perfectly. It's easy to shout from a soapbox. It's harder to debate from a factual position. Ms. Tice's article was the former and yours the latter. I say, "Well done," even if your spellchecker didn't catch "chump change". It was a minor error that has nothing to do with the meat of the matter. Only someone in a weak position would try to tear down the entire article based on that.; May 25, 2010 7:19 AM
ChanaCecelia said...: As a new freelancer, I am very interested in this debate, and have been doing quite a bit of waffling on the issue. Both sides have valid arguments to support their opinions. For me, I decided to do some mill work for a couple of reasons...both valid:
1) I'm new to this and trying to build a small portfolio.
2) I've always written "opinion" pieces, graduate school research papers, etc. NEVER AP Style. I am using the mills as my classroom to learn that style of writing.
Having said that, at this point I have no intention of staying with the mills (too much work for too little money) but for now they help me learn and move forward.; May 25, 2010 8:17 AM
Lauren Nelson said...: Carol- I think we can agree that caution and awareness are the order of the hour. I was merely curious to see where you were drawing your comparisons from.

theBarefoot- Thank you for your kind words. I really do appreciate them. Having been a debater for years, argument is important to me, and should be for any writer. You can read more about that on my blog.

ChanaCecelia- Best of luck to you as you move forward! I truly believe the mills can be a great place to earn a little extra cash and learn as you go. However, in response to your first warrant for testing the mills out, Carol and I agree- mill work is not great for building a portfolio. Perhaps Carol can make some recommendations for you, as portfolio building is something I am still working on myself!; May 25, 2010 9:45 AM
WoeIsMe said...: I'm a copy editor who likes to write. But writing doesn't come easy to me, so I don't do it unless I'm really earning decent money. As a copy editor, I want to go on record: The quality of writing at the content mill I work for is atrocious, at least 50 percent of the time.

Don't get sidetracked with the chunk/chump issue. Most online writers have strong opinions about something, but they simply cannot write. They didn't learn grammar, they don't know how to spell, and no one corrected their papers or tried to teach them. Spellcheckers certainly won't save us; I don't know what can.; May 25, 2010 1:33 PM
Lauren Nelson said...: Out of curiosity, WoelsMe, what mill do you work with? I can agree that some content mill work is awful, but in my experience, manure smells worse than flowers, so you're a lot more likely to notice the awful stuff than the little spots of brilliance. Realistically, the parameters set forth by some mills don't leave a lot of room for genius writing.

I've said it once, and I'll say it a million times over, mills aren't really about becoming an established writer. If you're thinking about maybe/eventually/possibly going full-time with writing, it's like a kiddie pool. With money flavored cocktails served pool-side :)

WoelsMe, you are correct. Improving as a writer, regardless of where you're working, is something we should all shoot for. I think what CAN save us is fostering an open-minded, helpful atmosphere where writers can come and learn from each other.

Whether you need help with grammar, structure, productivity or your career in general, the community created on this site and others is indispensable. We don't see our co-workers in an office. We see them in forums and on threads like this one. We are each other's most valuable resources, and we should put each other to good use.; May 25, 2010 2:17 PM
Carol Tice said...: Thanks for the inside view on the writing quality, WoelsMe! The general quality of writing among high school or even college graduates in this country is sort of a national scandal. On the other hand, permanent job security for those of us who can put a strong feature article together with multiple interview sources...; May 25, 2010 5:10 PM
WoeIsMe said...: I've copyedited about 25 articles for Demand Studios. I'd say about 8–10 have been worth publishing. Two were so bad the writers just let them expire, didn't even try to fix them. Most of the time, though, the writers attempted to take my suggestions. I'm pretty sure that Demand will drop me soon because I can't even begin to meet the quotas they set. Meanwhile, I'm thinking of changing my online moniker to WoeIsWe.; May 26, 2010 10:34 AM
R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen said...: Carol,

You say you have been covering business for 20 years. However, you do not seem to know what the definition of acquisition is. Mergers and acquisitions are two different things. A merger is a combination of two companies to form a new company, while an acquisition is the purchase of one company by another with no new company being formed.; May 28, 2010 11:26 PM
R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen said...: Lauren, I totally agree with Barefoot. This post was unbiased and well-written. I have never read anything from Carol that was helpful or unbiased. Everything she writes is attacking others. And, if Carol thinks the print industry offers job security she obviously doesn't follow business well. Newspapers and magazines are going under.

I personally believe in supporting all writers regardless of the platform they choose to publish on. Content mills can provide people with an incredible income if they have the skills.; May 28, 2010 11:39 PM

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