The WMF Archives

By Kerrie McLoughlin

Who doesn't remember Highlights Magazine from when they were a kid? With a monthly readership of around 2 million, saying it's popular is like saying Leona Helmsley was kinda mean. With such a diverse range of article topics to write about for Highlights, your challenge is to get published in Highlights and to report back to me!

Highlights for Children is a general-interest, advertising-free magazine for children up to age twelve. It was founded in 1946 by Dr. Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers, and is still owned and run by their family. The magazine has no religious or organizational affiliation. Highlights has a circulation of about two million and is published monthly. Below you'll find their writer's guidelines from their website:

•We encourage writers to read several recent copies of Highlights before submitting work. A sample copy will be sent on request.
•We do not accept submissions by e-mail or fax.
•We pay for all material on acceptance.
•We buy all rights, including copyright, and do not consider previously published material.
•Generally we prefer to see a manuscript rather than a query. However, we will review queries regarding nonfiction.
•We accept material at any time of the year, including seasonal material.
•Each submission must include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
•We do not pay writers younger than sixteen years old for their work. Guidelines for young writers will be sent on request.
•To find a listing of our current needs, guidelines for illustrators, and Fiction Contest guidelines, please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Send submissions to
Manuscript Coordinator
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431

FICTION should have an engaging plot, strong characterization, a specific setting, and lively language. No series or continuing stories.

•Stories for younger readers (ages three to seven) should have 500 words or fewer and should not seem babyish to older readers.
•Stories for older readers (ages eight to twelve) should have 800 words or fewer and should be appealing to younger readers if read aloud.
•Frequent needs include humor, mystery, sports, holiday, and adventure stories; retellings of traditional tales; stories with urban settings; and stories that feature world cultures.
•For stories that require research, such as historical fiction, please send photocopies of key pages in references and of any correspondence with experts.
•We prefer characters that set a positive example.
•We avoid stories that preach.
•We avoid suggestions of crime and violence.
•We seldom buy rhyming stories.

Payment: $150 and up.

REBUS STORIES, geared toward beginning readers, should feature a variety of familiar words that can easily be shown as pictures.

•Rebuses should have 120 words or fewer.
•Rebuses with a surprise or twist at the end often work best.
Payment: $100 and up.
VERSE, which is purchased sparingly, is rarely longer than sixteen lines and should be meaningful for young readers.

Payment: $25 and up.

NONFICTION includes science, arts, biography, autobiography, sports, world cultures, economics, service/self-help, careers, adventure, and history.

•All articles should have 800 words or fewer.
•Nonfiction articles geared to our younger readers (ages three to seven) are especially welcome. These should not exceed 500 words.
•Articles with a tight focus are most successful.
•We prefer research based on firsthand experience, consultation with experts, or primary sources.
•Articles about cultural traditions and ways of life should reflect a deep understanding of the subject.
•Biographies of individuals who have made significant artistic, scientific, or humanitarian contributions are strengthened by the inclusion of formative childhood experiences.
•We prefer biographies that are rich in quotes and anecdotes and that place the subject in a historical and cultural context.
•Complete bibliographies as well as photocopies of key pages in references must be included.
•Color 35mm slides, photos, or art-reference materials are helpful and sometimes crucial in evaluating submissions. Digital images should be no less than 300 dpi.
•We encourage authors to have their articles reviewed by an expert before submission. Please include the expert's response.
Payment: $150 and up.

CRAFTS should appeal to boys and girls of a wide age range.

•Crafts should have concise, numbered directions. They typically should have three to five steps.
•A well-made sample should be included with each craft idea. If this is not feasible, then a photo or detailed illustration would help.
•Project materials should be inexpensive and easy to obtain.
•Projects should result in attractive and useful gifts, toys, games, or decorations.
•Crafts that celebrate holidays or religious traditions are welcome.
•Frequent needs include crafts that result in games, crafts from world cultures, and crafts that appeal to boys.

Payment: $25 and up.

FINGER PLAYS and ACTION RHYMES should have plenty of action and minimal text. They must be easy for very young children to act out, step by step. Include directions for hand, finger, or body movements.

Payment: $25 and up.

PUZZLES should not require readers to write in the magazine; therefore, no crosswords, word searches, and so on. We welcome visual puzzles, math puzzles, and code activities.

Payment: $25 and up.

GALLANT KIDS articles should have 400 words or fewer. They should focus on children who are serving others through unique, interesting, kid-generated projects.

Payment: $150 and up.

PICTURE PUZZLER ideas should be primarily visual and include little text. These puzzles, featured on the inside back cover of the magazine, can include photos, drawings, or detailed art suggestions for a full-page illustration. Original board games that can be played on the page are welcome. Picture Puzzlers should not require readers to write in the magazine. Ideas should be original and should appeal to boys and girls of a wide age range.

Payment: $50 and up.

For more tips and information of interest to writers, visit www.HighlightsFoundation.org.

Writers may also find it helpful to search the magazine index or peruse the Fun Finder at www.HighlightsKids.com.

*You can find this family magazine writing opportunity and over 200 others in the upcoming Second Edition of my $9.99 e-book "Get Published in Regional Parenting Magazines" (2nd edition will be sent free to anyone who purchases the 1st edition) ... the testimonials are pouring in from buyers of this e-book who go on to sell their first article before they are even done submitting to the entire e-mail database I provide!

Writing Opportunity: Highlights for Children Magazine

By Pam Houghton

Several years ago, there was a women's magazine that was produced and distributed locally here in metro Detroit. It was one of the few magazines that featured three to four essays a month, written mostly by local writers.

I was lucky to get a couple of my essays published in the magazine. One was about my addiction to People Magazine; the other, about the time my mom ran out of a hair salon without paying because the new 'do failed to live up to expectations.

Since I was having pretty good luck, I decided to send another of my beloved essays: how I put ten years of photos into albums.

Not long after, the editor contacted me: the magazine wanted to publish the essay. Oh, boy! Three for three! I was on a roll.

As standard etiquette, the editor returned edited versions of stories to writers for approval before publication. The first two essays were returned to me almost word for word. I figured this latest would include the same 700 words as the one I'd submitted.

I opened their version of my essay. Holy cow, they'd chopped it in half! Took out all my humor! It was as charming as a dried up piece of salami. Why'd they accept it if they were going to do THAT?

Dejected, I called my writing mentor, Norm, for advice.

Call the editor and find out why they cut it. Maybe they had ad space issues. But if you believe in your essay, and they refuse to print the original version, you can always pull it and send it somewhere else.

I believed! I believed! But wouldn't I risk ruining my relationship with the magazine if I pulled the story a few days before print?

I called the editor, who said the cuts were made by the "editing team." Didn't sound like they were due to space limitations, so maybe the "editing team" didn't like the piece as much as I did. The editor was gracious: if I wanted, I could revise the edited version that afternoon and re-submit.

Hmm. No way could I change it that quickly; but no way could I let this flattened, lifeless version go to print.

After weighing the pros (a byline!!) and cons (half-assed essay), I pulled the story.

What a diva!

Did I make a mistake? Would they ignore my submissions in the future? I didn't know, but it was a risk I was willing to take.

Like a single gal on the rebound from a relationship gone south, I sent it to the Christian Science Monitor. It was a long shot, as I'd submitted essays to them twice before that were never published. A few days later, I received an email from the editor of the Home Forum section.

"Third time's a charm. I'd love to publish this."

And she did several months later - all 700 words.

Revenge is sweet!

If you're not doing anything for the next five minutes and you'd like to read the essay, in its entirety, here's the link to "March of the Family Photos" as published by the Monitor.

When an Editor Chops Your Story Down to Size...Run!

By Rebecca Sebek

Internet scraper sites are like online stalkers. According to Wikipedia, web scraping (also called Web harvesting or Web data extraction) is a computer software technique of extracting information from websites. This means your entire article or blog post is posted on another site -- you don't receive credit for it.

Google does what they can to catch internet scraper sites, but they can't police all of the websites on the internet. This becomes the job of website and blog owners.

The downside to these online stalkers is they take away from your page rank. If you write an article that winds up on a scraper site, Google may "scan" that website before yours. This totally bites!

Another downside to internet scraper sites is that Google frowns upon duplicate content. If you write your article and another site comes by and posts it on their site, you have duplicate content. It's not your fault but it doesn't help your page rank.

How to avoid internet scraper sites

Good luck trying to avoid scraper sites. They prowl the internet every day looking for great content to steal. You could contact the site administrator and demand they delete your article. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. You could spend precious time contacting the web administrator when you could be writing.

Report internet scarper sites to Google. You may have to do this numerous times before you receive a response from Google. Remember that Google is a multi-billion dollar; they may not do much about the scraper sites. It's worth a shot!

What can you do about scraper sites

You can be vigilant and monitor your website. Sign up for Google Alerts because you'll see posts come through that you may recognize. For example, I write for a travel writing website. When I receive my Google Alerts for "travel writing," I scan the alerts to see if my posts have been lifted. I can't tell you how many of my blog posts have been scraped. I notify our site administrator and she contacts the administrator of the scraper site. They'll remove the post, ignore the request, or give the website a backlink.

Some scraper sites will give you a backlink to your website which is better than nothing. It still stings to have your work lifted and posted onto another site, but at least you'll have a link to your website.

There are many prowlers on the internet. When you pour your heart and soul into a post only to find it on another website it's like a punch to the gut. Take it all in stride. There must have been something they liked about your post to go through the trouble of lifting it!

Gotcha Ya! Scraper Websites are Online Stalkers of Information

Today, I hit the mailbag to answer a question from WM reader Anna McDonald. Here's her situation, and her question:

I live in a very wealthy area and have a blog on a women’s view of sports. Because of my connections in the community and the population that I live around I am getting some positive feedback.

My goal is really not to run a successful blog, I do not have the talent or time for such an endeavor.

However, I would like to be a freelance writer for periodicals. I am having a bit of difficulty figuring out how to begin this. I have contacted the local sports editor for the newspaper in town and they have said they are not interested in hiring right now. Do you have any suggestions for me? I strongly believe I have a very unique niche. My website is www.thegirlfriendsbatterseye.com.

How To Move From Blogging to Writing for Publications

Writing Avenues

Guest Blogger: Kelli Robinson

The WM Freelance Connection's website has undergone a transformation. Not only did we change our look, but we've made our site more user friendly.

Now, in addition to our new, stylish layout, you'll find tabs across the top of the site, from which you can access:

• The WM blog
• Author bios for each WM blogger
• WM's about us page
• A quick links page for easy navigation
• Info on B.S. Vigilante, our undercover writer
• A writer's resources page 
• WM's contact page
• The WM Shop

Stop by and let us know what you think of the new site! And don't forget to check out our community group for freelance writers at any stage in their careers! Participate in contests, join in the conversation, get and give advice or just commiserate with your fellow writers! Everyone is welcome.

Announcing The WM Freelance Connection's New Look!

By Kerrie McLoughlin

I am excited to bring you today's Writer to Watch: Lisa Russell. With around 150 articles on eHow.com alone, this woman is an online writing WORKHORSE and gives a good interview to boot! I knew she'd fit it perfectly with our Content Mills Week. Read on to learn a lot of good info ...



WM: What online sites do you write for?
Lisa Russell: I mainly write for Suite101, Examiner.com, Demand Studios and eHow.com, though I also have accounts at Bukisa and a few bookmarking sites, like Factoidz and Xomba.

WM: How did you get started?
LR: I actually started in 1999 for a company called Themestream. They paid ten cents a hit and I did a really good job of generating traffic. People liked my articles and some of them are still floating around online. Themestream went out of business in 2000 and simply disappeared without warning. They didn't give writers any notice and we weren't even able to retrieve our work. I don't know what's worse, not getting the $1200 they owed me, or not having access to my work anymore.

Because of that experience, I was reluctant to get involved with another company, I stayed away until December of 2007. My 6th daughter was born a week before we had to close down our family business, a restaurant. I felt helpless, I didn't want to go get a job with a newborn at home, so I threw myself into writing for Suite101 and Demand Studios. At Demand Studios, I was able to write $15 articles and although we still lost our house in 2009, we didn't starve to death or have our utilities shut off.

WM: How much time do you spend a day/week/whatever working on writing for these so-called content mills?
LR: At my peak last summer, I was writing about 8 $20 articles a day for Demand Studios, each one took me an average of 30 minutes to write. So 4 hours a day roughly. With 6 kids, I rarely get a continuous 30 minute interval to write, so I keep tabs open on my laptop all day. Before they wake up, I can usually get in a couple hours and sometimes if I'm still thinking straight after they go to sleep, I can write then.

My body of work on the residual sites has increased enough that I'm finding I need to write for Demand Studios a lot less this year compared to last year. Right now, our needs can be met with less than an hour a day of work. My short-term goal is to earn enough residuals from eHow and Suite101 so that eventually I won't have to write for Demand Studios at all. My long-term goal is that my own websites and info products bring in all my income, and I can afford to stop writing for residual sites. The way they're set up, I'll always earn income from my work, but as an active writer at Suite 101, I get a 30% bonus.

So, to clarify (because I think I made this more confusing than necessary)

January- Suite101- 4 hours- $750
January- Examiner- 2 hours- $5 if I'm lucky
January- eHow - 0 hours - $130
January- Demand Studios - 12 hours - $600
January- my own Websites- 20 hours- $900

The only work that I do this month that will NOT add to next month's income is Demand Studios. If i stopped writing for my own sites, Suite101 and eHow, I'd continue to earn indefinitely (without having to resell the articles).

One reason I write for Examiner, even though I'm not making a lot, is because I'm allowed to place links to my Suite101 articles, and to my own websites. When Google sees other sites linking TO you, they send you more traffic. Examiner.com articles are quick and easy (200-400 words)

WM: May I ask approximately how much money you make writing for each one?
LR: I have the same amount of articles on eHow as I do on Suite 101 (about 150ish) and I average $1000/mo at Suite 101 and a little over $100 a month at eHow. There are seasonal fluctuations. With a lot of homeschooling articles, August is a really good month and December sucks. Luckily, one of my own niche blogs makes up the December income, peaking in November and December.

If I write one Demand Studios article a day, I get $600 a month. That's currently all I need from them. We're saving for a house and we really like to travel, so I try to write 3 or 4. It just depends on what kind of a mood I'm in. This month I haven't written for Demand Studios for the past ten days because I met my $600 goal the first week of the month and my own websites have really picked up steam, with Adsense and sponsored advertising. In fact, I'm buying a camper this week :)

WM: Which is your favorite to write for and why?
LR: My own websites, but since I'm not a content mill, I have to say Suite 101 is my favorite site to write for. I love the training they provide, I credit my better-than-average earnings on my personal websites with the lessons I've learned at Suite101. They treat their writers very well, communication with editors is always professional and the revenue-share program is set up really well.

Every site is different, though. Some writers do better at other sites, there really is something for everyone.

One thing I notice is that the site owners know what works best. When you're writing for a percentage of the income, the site WANTS you to earn. It means they're earning, too. The guidelines and rules exist because the site knows what works best for them. You have to trust that. You wouldn't get a job at McDonalds and start inventing your own burgers. But you can learn how McDonalds manages a crew and maintains consistency, then bring the knowledge to your own business.

Writing for several sites gives me insight into reader behavior, search engine behavior, the affects of social media, and practical experience with several different publishing platforms.

WM: What do you think about content mills versus writing for print?
LR: They're two different worlds. For one thing, I think that a readers have changed a bit. Some print publications will survive this change in the industry, but others will die, and it's just the way it is. It's not that web content is replacing print, there will always be a need for magazines and newspapers, but they're going to have to keep up with the times, and some of them will, some won't. When people flip through an Asian Cooking magazine, for example, they're not looking to solve a specific, immediate issue, like they are when they Google "how to make Teriyaki sauce."

I think there's room for both kinds of writing in the world. Print isn't dying, and it isn't being replaced by web content. If anything, print editors will be relieved of mediocre submissions because us mediocre writers can make a badass living online, instead.

WM: Do you think I'm lazy because I write one article and sell it as a reprint over and over instead of cranking out tons of pieces for online content mills? (this isn't a loaded question, just my token trying-to-be-humorous one)
LR: No way. Selling articles is work, too. It's an entirely different game. Am I lazy when I post the same reworked article on five different websites? Maybe we're both lazy; how long does it take to write an article? Learning how to query, submit and communicate with print editors is a skill. Learning how to use Search Engine Optimized keywords and social networking is an entirely different skill. They both have value. Contrary to what some writers think, it's not a war. Those of us who aren't fighting about it, are making a really good living.

[Kerrie's answer to Lisa's question is that it probably takes about 5 hours to research, get quotes for, write several drafts of an article, etc. Not much if I only sell it once, but decent if I sell it 10 times]

WM: Do you think people who gripe about not making money on eHow.com and Bukisa and the like are big whiners who aren't writing enough good content?
LR: Content mills pay a few ways. #1 per hit (Examiner & Bukisa) #2 percentage of ad clicks (eHow and Suite101) and #3 per article (Demand Studios)

Each kind of pay model requires different skills. None of them requires any fancy writing skills, other than basic grammar & spelling. Actually, Bukisa doesn't care much about grammar & spelling. Neither does Helium or Triond. Unfortunately, those sites hardly pay anything, either.

Writing for content mills isn't a lifelong career for me. It's a means to an end in my 5 year plan. My goal was to earn enough from home, without leaving my kids, and I've reached that goal. As I learned more about the industry, I decided to go out on my own and build my own websites. My sites would not have been as successful had I not learned so much writing for these mega-sites. Additionally, my own sites have benefited from incoming links and my relationships with these content mills.

I feel very blessed to have worked with some of the highest-earning sites on the web, and the lessons I have learned have helped me grow my own websites.

People who whine about not making money aren't necessarily bad writers. On the contrary, I have a friend who is an excellent writer. Her work shines, it's beautiful. However, it takes her nearly 2 hours to research and write a $15 Demand Studios article. She's making $7.50 an hour. I write $20 titles, and I can do 2-3 an hour. I'm not a better writer than she is, I just don't work as hard.

People who whine about not making money on revenue share sites, like Suite101 and eHow are usually not using keywords properly. Web readers don't go to Google and search for "ten ways to combat chocolate cravings" they look for "alternatives to chocolate" or something like that. The clever wording of headlines that catch our eye at the newsstand are not the things we look for when we're using the Internet. While "The History of the Coach Logo" might be an interesting read, it won't generate as much income as "Coach Handbag Outlet Stores in Pittsburgh".

Like I said before, the revenue share websites WANT your articles to earn income through ad clicks. Proper keywords ensure that the search engines know what your article is about. They also ensure that the ads appearing alongside your article are of interest to the reader. If no one ever sees your article, or if the ads are off-topic, no one is making any money. Follow the site's advice and guidelines about how best to earn. Learn from the people who are actually making good money (not the other whiners) and STICK TO IT. A lot of the whiners spend more time in the forums complaining than writing or learning. Don't take your work so seriously. If your goal is to be an excellent writer, good luck making any money online. If your goal is to make money online, then read my website. I started 30queries30days.com because I wanted to stop writing online and start querying magazines. I never made it, my online income took off and now I use the website to help other people learn how to work the internet for writing income. The whole "content mill controversy" amuses me. I don't understand why it's a problem. There's room for everyone. Words are free. The idea that ANYONE makes a living from making up words amuses me.

Writers to Watch: Lisa Russell, Online Content Writer

By Pam Houghton

I hooked up with a writing contractor a little over a year ago to write 750-word articles for a web-based information provider. The hierarchy looked like this, with writers at the end of the supply chain.

• Web-based, information provider wannabe (aka, content site), that contracted out to...
• Publisher of educational materials, that contracted out to...
• Start-up contract writing outfit, that hired...
• Low-cost writers

Even though writers were only paid $22.50 per article, I was excited that I didn't have to chase down work. Plus, I was in transition from full-time corporate work to freelance, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra experience on the resume.

Rather than receive assignments, writers "claimed" stories in a database. The topics were as varied as cosmetic dentistry and GED classes to careers in dance and employee benefits. Even though writers were at the bottom of the food chain, we were populating a website that would be the go-to site for everything-there-is-to-know-in-the-world.

Knowing nothing about my first topic (and wanting to provide in-depth knowledge), I spent ten hours researching, finding credible sources and links to include in the article, and re-writing much of what I found on the Internet so it passed "Turnitin", the software program that makes sure work isn't plagiarized.

The editors loved it. I felt like their golden girl!

The next several stories passed muster too, but I wanted to boost my speed. Plus, we were required to increase our output to five stories a week.

I gave it my best shot, but I couldn't research and write that fast and churn out decent articles. My stories started to sound like gobbledy-gook, even though I convinced myself they made sense before I submitted them.

Needless to say, my once "golden" status tarnished quickly as a few articles were kicked back for revisions, and in a couple of cases, total re-writes.

Judging from e-mails sent to writers on the project (from the editors at the little contract firm), the content site was unhappy with the overall quality of the articles. It seemed there weren't many writers who could meet the standard of write well, write thoroughly, write fast - for $22.50 an article.

Though I think their intentions were good, the little company that hired me didn't realize what a challenge it would be for writers to create high-volume, high quality content at such a fast rate; and on topics where they had little expertise. Thus, they initially bid too low on the project, and could not afford to pay writers a fair wage.

After the project ended, I was offered an opportunity to work on another. I passed.

Another Content Mill Story

By Rebecca Sebek

Content mills get a bad rap because some of them pay next to nothing. However, there are some content mills like Demand Studios that have a steady following. Some writers earn $1,000 or more per month. This isn't too shabby if you're a new freelance writer. Hey, you have to begin somewhere and it beats writing for free.

Many writers "poo-poo" content mills because they believe they take advantage of writers. There are some decent content mills that pay writers $20 or more for a blog post. Finding those companies takes some effort from writers. Don't sign up with every content mill on the internet because you're desperate to earn income. You'll set yourself up for disappointment and failure. Choose your content mills with care. Get rid of the desperation right now!

Alert: Investigate content mills before you sign up with them. All that glitters may not be gold! Make sure you read and re-read the guidelines, policy, and terms of services.

Content mills can be a great place for an aspiring freelance writer to get their feet wet. Don't quit your day job! Freelance on the side, build up a portfolio, and then market your services. Make sure your boss and company don't find out. Some businesses frown upon those who "moonlight" on the side.

You may be able to negotiate your pay with a content mill. If you're a strong writer who is demand, write your own ticket. Speak with the owner or manager of the content mill. Perhaps you can receive a pay increase because clients keep coming back to the site and use your services. It doesn't hurt to try.

Before you put the brakes on writing for content mills, give them a chance. You may be surprised at what you find. You could have the potential to earn $1,000+per month. That's income you could use to start a savings or emergency fund account!

Make Content Mills Work for You

Making Money Writing Articles?

WM: Is it all free? Did none of the people who decided to publish your articles pay for them?

What She Got Out of Writing 100 Ezine Articles: A Q&A With Angela Wills

by Kat Foust

The following interview was conducted with Michelle Devon (Michy). Some of you may know her from her writing contests or her publishing works.

WM: Ms. Devon, thank you so much for agreeing to do the interview for WM Freelance Connection. I know your time is valuable, so I'm going to get started.

What is your profession?

Michelle Devon: I am a professional freelance editor and writer, author, poet… I also call myself a professional dreamer, mostly because I am living my dream, doing my dream job. I love every minute of my ‘work’, because it doesn’t feel like work to me!


WM: How long have you been in this profession?

MD: I’ve been freelancing part time for about 14 years, but started full-time freelancing about seven years ago.

WM: How did you begin your career?

MD: Originally, I started offering some administrative writing and bookkeeping services to some people I knew who had small businesses, and with word of mouth, those services grew. Then, when the internet really started being more commercial, I moved to an online presence. A friend of mine suggested a freelance bidding site called Elance to me. I signed up, filled out the information, and then placed a few bids. Within days, I had several ‘jobs’ I had bid on come through and I made over $10,000 on Elance my first year with them. Mid-year, I added Guru.com, another freelance bidding site, to my work list and between the two sites, I stayed quite busy.

Eventually, I had a website designed for me and started working with clients directly. Word of mouth really is the best advertising and marketing there is. Most of my clients came from people who had worked with or talked to other people who had worked with me on projects. In between all that, I was submitting, querying and writing for print and online publications. Around 2006, I discovered some content sites, like Associated Content, Helium, and Suite101 and started writing online for those sites. Mostly, I used them as places to put articles I couldn’t sell to higher paying or more prestigious print publications. I also started contract/royalty editing for some small and indie publishers. Things just continued to grow from there.

WM: You're very well informed about various websites for writers. I'm sure you've researched and worked with a lot of content mills as well as other types of publishing formats. What is your opinion of the content mills?

MD: Well, perhaps ‘content mills’ is a little harsh, but these websites that are primarily focused on churning out large volumes of content in order to attract online advertising revenue are a relatively new advent in the publishing industry. There are many die-hard old time freelancer writers who will tell you the content mills are the bane of the publishing industry. I agree and disagree. The surface of the publishing world is changing. Content is changing from print to digital, from paper to electronic. I think these content websites are, for right now, a good way for writers to make a little residual income, extra income for selling things they might not have sold any other way, and for some rare writers, it might just help launch a writing career they wouldn’t have had otherwise, because these sites give people some confidence and a little feedback to help keep them moving forward. I don’t think anyone should write exclusively for online content sites—especially any one site—because they are here today and can easily be gone tomorrow. I’ve seen writers banned from sites with no warning, losing all their income, sites go down and not come back up, and sites change policy mid stream and cutting income for writers. As long as writers realize these sites aren’t guaranteed and they could disappear at any moment, then they are definitely one way to earn a little money on the side for little additional work.

WM: Do you yourself hold a position with any content mills?

MD: No. I’ve never worked for one of the content sites as an employee. I have done some volunteer-type work with some of the sites to help the writers on the sites, but I’ve never held a position with any of the user-generated content sites other than a member or writer position.

WM: What do you see as the rewards of this position?

MD: I enjoy writing for content sites, sometimes, since I can relax and write more of what I want to write, instead of what an editor or publication might want. It gives me some freedom and lets me get paid a little for it too. Also, I like the residual income aspect of it.

WM: There has been talk of phasing out content mills. Do you think this is something we will see in the near future?

MD: Not sure who would be talking about phasing them out, since they are very popular right now. They do have a reputation for poorer quality writing, because of the open anyone-can-submit- format, but I figure as long as there is pay-per-click and pay-per-impression advertising and as long as search engines use content to rank websites on the internet to get people to click on and view those ads, there will always be some form of an online content mill. The only way to change that is to change the advertising backbone of the internet, and I just don’t see that’s going to happen soon.

WM: If you were to mentor a new writer, would you have them start at a content mill and if so, why or why not?

MD: I highly recommend writers look for high-paying professional bylines, preferably in national publications—whether that be print or online—so I don’t recommend building an entire career on writing for content sites. I also don’t recommend using user-generated content sites as a means to get your feet wet with freelance writing. The reason for this is simple: the type of writing required to be successful as a content writer on the internet is very, very different from the type of writing required to be successful as a print writer, feature writer, columnist or reporter. Online content writing that pays per page view or per ad revenue share requires a writer who can write short, concise, key worded and search engine optimized content that will not work for print venues; likewise, print style writing is hard to monetize and be found on the internet. I advocate writers learn how to write well for print first, where they can make the most money. After that, learning how to tweak the print writing style for SEO can help a writer make additional money and residual income off things that won’t sell to a print publication.

WM: You have a firm grasp of how content mills work. Can you please explain the premise behind them so that writers who have never heard of them can understand how they work?

MD: Content mills, or rather, user-generated content websites, generally pay a writer either a small amount upfront for their content, or a small amount upfront and then a residual amount that is based on page views or on ad revenue earned by the site. Some content mills also sell content to other websites who need content on their site in order to draw clients, customers, clicks, traffic, etc. The writer might or might not receive additional compensation. The writing that is needed for this type of work is usually SEO-friendly writing, that is, writing that has keywords and LSI so that the content can get indexed in the major search engines and drive traffic to the site where the content is posted. The way to make money for the writer on a content mill type website is to churn out massive amounts of content in a short period of time. If residuals are paid, the website either pays a small percentage of the ad revenue earned for the content or pays the user a small fee per page view. For example, some website will pay .015 cents per page view; that’s less than a penny per view. Common page view revenues for online content sites are between $1-4 per 1000 page views, on average. This can add up to a hefty sum once a large library of content has been created, or when a surge in traffic occurs due to being promoted or discovered virally and organically on the web. Otherwise, the pennies trickle in and it takes a long time to even reach the payout levels most content mills set as the minimum payout threshold (as low as $1.50 on a site like Associated Content and as ridiculously high on sites like Mahalo at $150).

WM: You have an excellent reputation as one who encourages writers in all phases of the field. What advice do you have for those who strive to be professional writers?

MD: I love helping writers realize the potential that is found in freelance writing. For some, writing online and replacing a minimum wage salary while sitting at home with their kids, being able to be there when their kids get home from school or to actually home school their children, while still contributing to the family, well, that’s just amazing! For others, their potential can literally bring them upper five and six figure incomes by submitting articles, content, and even fiction works to high-paying publications. Freelancing isn’t for everyone, but for those who can stay focused, keep productive, and be consistent, making real money working from home can make a big difference in their life and the quality of it. Unlike some, I don’t condemn those who choose to write for content sites, as long as they are making an informed choice. There are people out there who will pay $25 on the low end and upwards of $2-4 thousand on the upper end, for ONE article. When money like that is to be had, some will wonder why anyone would want to write for a content site and sell an article for $3-5 bucks. I highly recommend everyone strive to earn just as much as you can by always submitting to the highest paying market for the articles you’re going to write.

But I know how hard making some of those higher paying gigs can be, and how submitting to them isn’t guaranteed. When someone needs to make ends meet, the surety of getting that steady payment every day is sometimes better than the gamble of the higher-paying jobs that might or might not pan out. My advice, though, to all writers, no matter their income level, education or experience, is this: every week, even if it’s just one submission, find a market that you feel is out of your comfort zone and submit to it. It’s just one market per week. If it doesn’t sell where you submit it, you can always put it on a content site and make some money on it, but at least you tried!

Think of it this way, if you sell one article to a higher market and make $100, and you usually only make $5 at a content mill, you are 10 times ahead now! That’s a whole day or two days worth of churning out content for a mill, thus giving you more time to write to and submit to more larger markets.

WM: Is there anything else you would like to add?

MD: One thing I do want to add is this: remember that even the very best freelancers only sell about 60% of what they write and submit, and they are the best, experienced writers. If you are just starting, you can expect your rejection rate to be higher than that. I don’t say this to be discouraging; quite the opposite. You see, if even the best are not selling all that they write, if you get a rejection, it doesn’t mean you’re not a good writer! It just means the market is competitive. If you take the time to submit weekly or even daily to the larger markets, use the things you don’t sell for the online content sites, you can start building a pile of tear sheets and a portfolio of published credits that will constantly help your sales percentages increase. Content mills aren’t all bad if you keep them in perspective and don’t let them prevent you from breaking out and achieving even greater things with your writing.

Keep writing! Thanks for the interview. Excellent, thought-provoking questions about content sites. For writers looking for more information about freelancing or fiction writing for pay, stop by the writing forum and network with other writers from all walks of life in various stages of their careers too. http://accentuatewriters.com/. See ya there!

Interview with Michelle Devon

Before we begin our guest post by B.S. Vigilante, The WM Freelance Connection would like to congratulate the winners of this month's writing contest, listed below The winning entries can be viewed in the WM Freelance Connection's Group. Check back on February 23rd for a guest post from this month's winner.

1st Place: Kelli Robinson
2nd Place: Janel Van Beek
3rd Place: David Suresh Marumudi

Lets take a minute to congratulate them and thank everyone who participated in this month's contest!

Investigating QualityGal.com
By B.S. Vigilante

I received the following letter from an anonymous source:

Dear B.S. Vigilante,

Have I got a site that is perfect for your skills. When I began my online writing career, I heard many writers rave about the online site qualitygal.com. I quickly set this site as a goal of mine to strive for. Once I thought I was ready, I applied. My first thoughts of the application process was that it's a bit odd. It was not the usual application process, but instead you had to send a series of emails stating certain comments. I hear they have since changed this procedure.

After my application was successfully approved I excitedly began writing for this company. I noticed their format was strangely complicated for the payment they were offering but I figured once I got used to it, it would be better. So I jumped right in, completing my first task.

After confidently submitting my assignment, I was horrified the next day when I received an email from QG stating I had plagiarized and I was under review!! I take pride in my work, as most writers do, and am appalled by plagiarism accusations. Upon reading their reasons for flagging me for plagiarism, I was astounded at the accusations!

While I can not state exactly what was written due to the contract I signed, they accused me of plagiarizing the words "severe skin irritation." I am by no means a genius...but isn't that a rather common phrase? This issue was resolved by them giving me a warning and telling me to make sure I copyscaped my work. I figured it was my mistake and continued working for them. The "plagiarized" work had been denied and they said they could no longer use it. I figured what any writer would, I didn't do all that work for nothing, so I did a basic rewrite and published it on another site. Might as well make some profit. right?

Everything was going well, and I had worked for them for a few months without any other problems. Then, one day I received yet another email telling me I was terminated for voiding my contract! Apparently, even when work is denied, you are not aloud to resubmit it elsewhere, even though I had rewritten it.

Now, while I don't have any conclusive evidence, I have heard rumors the reason why you are not allowed to do publish with someone else is because editors are actually turning the work in under their name! I have not been able to prove these rumours but I have heard a few people state their rejected work has been found published under someone else's name. My question to you B.S. is how is this legal? Is there any way we can prove these rumors?

I have bitten my tongue about this site until now due to the contract I had to sign in order to work for the company. You are not allowed to say anything negative about this company for a year prior to employment with them. I learned this the hard way because I had written a blog post about my experience in my personal blog and was promptly threatened with a law suit unless I immediately removed the post and shut my mouth.

You came along just in time B.S., this company needs to be unveiled as the untrustworthy site it is. If there is any truth behind these rumors, it needs to be brought into the light so no one else is affected by this scam.

Sincerely,
Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

While I've never personally written for them, I have done some research on Quality Gal's practices, and have discovered some very interesting things. First, for those who don't know, Quality Gal is a ghostwriting website which hires writers to complete assignments they take from their own clients. As of January 27, 2010, my sources indicate that writers can claim up to five titles at once, and that the application process is fairly complicated.

Potential writers must first register with the Quality Gal website, and then complete and fax "several forms" which contain all of the "fine print" that gave Quality Gal the opportunity to effectively take advantage of you (and many other writers, according to my research.) These forms include signed copies of Quality Gal's Content Release form, Style Guide, SEO Writing for Dummies, Non-Compete agreement and W9 form.

And, according to Quality Gal's own representative, "An article might require 40 links, but only end up being 200 words. Finding authoritative links can be a challenge, thus our structure for payment based on number of links rather than per word…”

One anonymous Quality Gal writer had the following to say about Quality Gal's practices:

"If you're considering writing for Quality Gal, save your time; you're better off writing for Associated Content. I worked for them shortly (less than 2 months) and finally decided I was being overworked and underpaid; so I sent in a note saying I would no longer be writing for the company. After the note, somehow my latest payment got "lost" in accounting. Later, I was informed by a former employee that Quality Gal doesn't even have a formal accounting department; it's all handled by the same woman who "helps" writers (not Quality Gal).

I was given the runaround for almost an entire month until I finally received my payment. When my payment finally came, it was $24 short; as were several of my other payments. If they can get some free articles from you, they will. Don't be surprised if you have a payment of $300 and mysteriously find $12 missing. It's probably too small of a fee to go after, so you won't report it; that's exactly why they do it. If you think Demand Studios editors are bad, wait until you start writing for Quality Gal. Their editors must have a really uncomfortable stick up their a** because they will find something wrong with your work 99% of the time. This was my experience when I worked for them; they have a terrible business ethic. Their writers are slave writers, very underpaid. It's not like they can't afford to pay more. After all, they are charging $80 per article and writers are currently getting a $10 to $12 cut.

OH! I forgot to add that they have worked a non-disclosure into their current content release form. Now, writers aren't allowed to vent or warn others about their horrible experiences with the company. Isn't that just the icing on top?"

Another anonymous potential Quality Gal writer said that she got so frustrated with the complicated application process that she just gave up. And, she said, "Whomever I dealt with was unprofessional and rude and just completely turned me off to even wanting to deal with the company."

Other complaints which seem to ring out consistently from current and former Quality Gal writers include lack of communication, slow or no pay, too little pay for the amount of work required (even from people who write for other content mills) and rude and inaccessible editors. Many writers also complain about the non-compete agreement they're forced to sign when coming on board with Quality Gal.

"I have never heard of anyone barring a freelancer from writing for other companies!
No writing or blogging for any site Quality Gal considers any kind of competitor — there’s a concept. By its nature freelancing involves providing services to multiple clients," said one writer. "Is there something I am not understanding here, or do I just trust my gut that this requirement is so far beyond unreasonable that there is no point in applying to what otherwise seems a good quality site run by a reasonable person?"

Plus, according to many writers, Quality Gal has a grading system, in which each submission made is assigned a grade of A, B or C. Apparently, the higher the grade, the higher the pay--and if you get too many C grades, you'll be fired. One former writer said that although Quality Gal recently raised their rates, it didn't mean much since editors started giving lower grades than before for similar quality work--essentially maintaining the existing payment structure.

I wasn't able to confirm the rumors about Quality Gal's editors stealing the rejected work of its writers, but there are many former writers who share this belief, according to a number of forum posts I was able to access on the topic.

To be fair, there are also several positive reviews from writers who have worked with Quality Gal in the past.

For example, one Quality Gal writer had this to say about working with the company:

"I’ve done several assignments for Quality Gal and they are great to work with — reliable payment and excellent support. I’m picky, so sometimes it takes me too long to find the links, but if you’re quick with that and/or are very familiar with the topic, then you’re golden. They also have a very different mix of subjects than most writing sites, which is a welcome change of pace for writers."

Even so, as you're clearly already aware, Quality Gal is quite adept at squelching negative comments about their company. Though I don't recommend working with the company, I'd advise writers who are considering writing for Quality Gal to very carefully read the necessary legal paperwork and clearly understand everything before you commit yourself.

Sincerely,
B.S. Vigilante


Have you been scammed, screwed or mislead? Did a publisher take your work and refuse to pay? Maybe you got stuck in a bad contract because of some fine print? Want to get the word out to other writers but you're afraid of the consequences?

B.S Vigilante is your man. Email your story to B.S. at bsvigilante@gmail.com. He will keep your identity as private as he keeps his own, but he will tell your story and help protect your fellow writers from the scum of the industry.

B.S. Vigilante: Investigating Quality Gal