If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know I have several private clients (who I appreciate and love to bits - thank you all!), but I also work on a content mill to help bring in some extra cash flow, as well as write articles to offer for sale on an article marketplace.
(I should clarify here that I don't bother with 'bidding' sites, like get-a-freelancer or e-lance, so they're not included in this post)
Keeping up with all of these things means I can pay my mortgage every month and comfortably pay all my bills without any other form of income coming into the household.
However, here are some pros and cons to each type of writing activity as I see them.
Private Freelance Clients - Pros
There are so many benefits to having your own private freelance clients that you should always remember to treat them like gold. Not only do they email you directly to place article orders, but they generally pay into your account at the time of the order. Some clients pay 50% up-front and 50% on completion, while others are happy to pay the full amount in advance when they place the order.
Either way, this means cash flow coming into your account on a semi-regular basis that can help with those unforeseen bills that arrive throughout the month.
Another big benefit to working with private clients is that you begin to develop a rapport with them. You can start to understand their needs and tailor your own writing to suit their preferences. This makes them appreciate your writing efforts even more, because you always just seem to know what they want.
You also have the freedom to dictate your own prices. Your clients come to you initially based on your price and some samples. If you set your price too low, you will receive plenty of clients who are only price-shopping. If you set your price higher to cover your time and effort, you weed out those bargain-hunting clients and in return you get much nicer clients who value your writing efforts.
Private Frelance Clients - Cons
The only difficulty I can think of with accepting work from private clients is that you don't always get a choice of topics to write about. You're bound by what topics they need to suit their sites and this can sometimes make research difficult.
Perhaps another minor downside to private clients is the unpredictability of when they'll order next. I have clients who order a month's worth of work at the beginning of each month like clockwork. I also have clients who order whenever they need something written. This can sometimes make it difficult to know how much time to keep aside during each working week (but I still love all my clients...). It can also make it a little scary when they all place orders at the same time and even scarier again when they don't order for a couple of weeks in a row.
Content Mills - Pros
I still work for a couple of content mills on a semi-regular basis because of the ease of available work. When I've caught up with any outstanding private orders, I'll log into a content mill and pick up work I think I can complete quickly.
The good part about the content mill system is that you only have to accept topics you know something about, or that you're familiar with. Most of them also pay either weekly or fortnightly, so the extra cash flow is handy.
Content Mills - Cons
Unfortunately, in order to remain 'competitive', many content mills pay pittance - generally $5-$7 per article (and even less again if you're with TextBroker). This is the primary reason I'll only pick up orders where I know something about the topic and don't have to waste time researching. The clients also seem to expect miracles for a few bucks. They haven't grasped the concept of paying a writer adequately for their time and effort (yet).
The other downside is the lack of flexibility. In most cases, you're discouraged from contacting the client directly, even if you want to ask questions about the topic or the client's preference for format. This means the writer is left guessing as to the type of article the client really wanted.
Article Marketplaces - Pros
The biggest pros to uploading your own articles to article marketplaces (like Constant Content or Daily Article) is the freedom to write what you enjoy. You're not limited to the client's word counts and you're not constricted to anyone else's keywords.
You also have the benefit of being able to set your own prices, which can be great if you write in really popular niches.
Article Marketplaces - Cons
Unfortunately, while marketplaces are excellent for the freedom of writing whatever you like, there are plenty of negative aspects. The majority of marketplaces pay monthly. If you rely on your freelance income to pay the bills, this can be a long time between checks.
The fees are also outrageous. For example: Constant Content takes 35% of your sale price as their fee. This eats into your profits and reduces you income.
Perhaps the biggest downside to uploading your articles to marketplaces is waiting for a buyer to find your articles. While I've had some great luck with most of my work being picked up relatively quickly, there are plenty of horror-stories around from writers who have waited months for their articles to sell.
So there you have it. My take on the benefits and draw-backs of some ways to derive a freelance income. I'd love to hear of any pros and cons you can think of that I might have missed...
;)
5 comments:
I don't know if they are still doing this but, back when I was writing for Constant Content, they used to have a payment threshold you had to cross before they would pay you for the articles you had sold.
Toward the end of my stint with them, I had slowed way down on submitting. They owed me money, but the amount was just under the threshold.
I emailed them and asked if they would pay me since their policy was to do so in such cases if the request was made in writing.
They responded that they would only pay me if I were closing my account!
I hadn't originally intended to close the account. I was just taking a break. That response so offended me that I did close my Constant Content account.
Would you believe they emailed me a few months later asking if I wanted to make a submission to their site?
They've reduced their payment threshold now to a very low rate, so if you don't sell much you'll still make pay out.
Hi Bianca,
When you write for your private clients, content sites or other places of that nature, do you keep the copyright on any of that type of work?
Thank you!
HI Janice,
No. When you write for a private client or a content mill, you're paid as a ghost writer. The client retains ownership of the copyrights.
If you sell your work on Constant Content, you have the option of ticking the rights boxes so that anyone who buys your articles may only use them on the condition that your byline remains with your name showing.
I should do a post on ghost writing, shouldn't I?
It's nice to see a balanced assessment. I think that too much of the writing world is far too reactionary when it comes to lower paying gigs, etc.
Admittedly, I'm biased. I've written plenty of cheap content over the years as part (just part) of my overall business model and I now co-own a fledgling little content mill.
That being said, you outlined a reasonable approach--you go after the low-lying fruit when it matches your interests, needs, etc.
Sounds pretty smart to me!
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