I contribute to AssociatedContent.com (AC) and eHow on a pretty regular basis; I’ve posted a couple of articles to Helium. Regular readers of my blog and newsletter may wonder why I contribute to sites like this when I earn more from my SEO writing and other freelance writing gigs. Well, there are four reasons. One sitting in my inbox when I logged on this morning prompted this post. Why I Write for “Article Paying Sites” Like AC, eHow, Helium, etc. 1. Special Assignments: One morning when I logged on, there was an email from an editor at AC offering to pay $25 to write an article on How to Write a Small Business Plan. As I’ve written enough business plans in my life to do one in my sleep, this article will probably take 30-45 minutes to complete. While it may seem paltry to some, when you’re writing about what you know, it’s usually a breeze to knock out and it doesn’t take any research. For me, these are the best kinds of assignments. I’ve been writing for AC since April 2006. To date, I’ve submitted well over 500 articles. The bulk of them have been on the business of freelance writing. When I first started to submit, I submitted a lot of content I’d written as press releases from an old business I had. So, a lot of that content was business-focused, eg, How to Market Your Business Online. Over time, I’ve established myself as somewhat of a small business expert. And, this is probably why this special assignment came my way (I have no way of knowing how/why I was chosen for this assignment). The Direct Benefit for You: As large sites like AC build out, they hand out special assignments that pay more to proven contributors who write well (let’s not forget this part). 2. Residual Income: On AC, for example, they pay you $1.50 for every 1,000 page views. I usually earn anywhere from $20 to $40/month just from residual income on the articles I’ve submitted to AC. eHow has a similar program. A king’s ransom? Certainly not. But again, when looked at monthly, that’s another column I can add to my monthly income streams. The Direct Benefit for You: Over time, these little bits add up, especially when they’re little bits you don’t have to do anything for. I sometimes joke to myself that if Social Security isn’t around when I retire, I can count on my residual income from sites like AC to take up the slack. Exposure: Now, this is obvious, but I wanted to point out how it’s worked for me. Obviously, you’re exposed to a wide market when you contribute to heavily marketed sites like AC, eHow, etc. 3. Clients: I’ve been approached at least half a dozen times about work because someone came across one of my articles on AC or some other site. They would remark that they were impressed with my article (usually a business article) and wanted to know how much I would charge to write X for them. 4. Backend Sales (eg, ebooks): If you promote an affiliate program or write and publish ebooks, for examaple, the exposure is invaluable. I don’t exactly how many ebook sales I’ve made because of my articles on AC, eHow, etc., but I do know that in the last two years, I’ve gotten a pretty good flow of email from readers on those sites asking me questions. A few have written me directly, telling me that they bought my ebook and enjoy my articles on AC, et al. I have over 100 subscribers on AC, meaning that every time I publish an article there, there are over 100 readers who are so interested in my content that they’ve taken the time to subscribe (never underestimate what it means when someone subscribes to your newsletter, blog, etc.). This was a number I never used to pay attention to, until I looked up one day and saw that I had 84. I couldn’t believe it. I was humbled. NOTE: Most purchasers will not email to let you know how/when they came across your work; they’ll just buy. The Direct Benefit for You: This type of continuous exposure allows you to keep your name constantly in front of your target market. These are leads you don’t have to pay for, chase, beg or plead to - they’re easily accessible. So, the next time you wonder why so many so-called “successful” freelance writers contribute to sites like AC, et al, keep these reasons in mind. Overall, it’s just smart marketing - and it keeps those writing skills honed. About the Author:Yuwanda Black is a freelance SEO writer. She blogs at InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com and is the author of How to Make $250+/Day Writing Simple 500 Word Articles.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 22nd, 2008 at 7:48 am and is filed under Writing Store. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.