8/3/08

Making Money with Constant Content

If you've been reading my blog, you'll know that I don't agree with revenue-share writing sites. I think they rip off writers by underpaying them, not valuing them enough to even give them their rightful incomes for writing the content that makes the owners rich.

I haven't changed my mind. I still say AVOID REVENUE SHARING SITES at all costs. Period. Your writing career can do better that a few measly cents for all your effort.

Now I've got that off my chest, I have to admit that I've joined up with one of the dreaded article sites - and I've learned that this one is quite different. A few weeks ago a writer-friend told me to go and look at Constant Content and see what opportunities are available on there.

The same friend visited a couple of days later and asked if I'd taken a look around  Constant Content yet. Of course I hadn't. My friend told me this site is different to the others. They actually give you a chance to set your own price for your articles.

She knows me well enough to know that I won't accept pittance for my work. I value my time and my writing business needs to survive, so she also knew that if she told me that I could set a $50 sale price for each article I posted to  Constant Content then I would feel much happier about taking a look.

She also told me they have a marketplace (you'll find it under 'Requested Content'), filled with article requests from clients who will happily pay good money for articles they've specifically requested.

So I went and took a look around the site. I peeked at other articles. I checked out what is selling, what's being downloaded and how much people are asking for their work. I researched what topics seemed to be selling well and I did a quick Google search to learn a bit about what other writers are saying.

I admit I joined up the same day. The pay isn't professional level and it's not enough to retire on, but it IS enough to increase my business earnings by putting up reprinted/re-slanted articles (i.e. articles that have been sold and paid for somewhere else already, but reworded to make the unique again for this new market).

There is a drawback to  Constant Content - they charge a 35% fee on whatever you sell. If you make $100, they take $35 as their fee for finding a buyer for your work. So you just put your price up a little to cover the fee.

Regardless of this fee, I still think the benefit of being able to set your own sale price means  Constant Content has way more advantages than low-paying slave-labor places like Helium or Associated Content or Triond that only pay cents for all your hard work.

The fee they charge might seem high, but there's also the chance that they'll pay a share of any ad revenue they collect from your page views as well. Payment is through PayPal.

At first I refused to put unique articles into  Constant Content. My logic was they'll only get reprinted/rewritten stuff that I don't mind being sold again at a lower rate - but let's face it - those extra dollars from sales of articles I've already researched, written and sold before before means...

I just got a pay rise! :)

Since then I've begun submitting and selling highly-focused niche articles that are completely unique to  Constant Content simply because I can raise my price to $100 per article and still make sales comfortably.

The editors at  Constant Content are quite particular about the level of quality they'll accept from article submissions, so be sure you read the guidelines carefully before you submit anything and always edit your work before you submit.

Overall, I'm enjoying the boost to my freelance income that  Constant Content brings me each month. I'm happy to recommend this site to any writer looking for extra ways to earn money from writing articles.


3 comments:

Carolyn Cordon said...

Hi,
I've posted an article to Constant Content, with no result so far. How long does it take to get an article out there? Or does it just depend on someone wanting what you've written?

I love your website,still haven't finished going thru it. I'm supposed to do some housework sometime!

Bianca Raven said...

Every article submitted to Constant Content is read and checked for plagiarism by their editorial staff. It can sometimes take them a couple of days to approve or decline an article.

Be aware - the editors want quality on their site, so edit everything before you send it out.

The editors like their information delivered in short paragraphs with sub-headings or with numbered steps or something to break up big chunks of text. And don't start a numbered 'top ten list' with the numbers. The editors will ask for a small opening paragraph before the list begins.

Good luck

Wen said...

Hi, Does constant content accept international member ?