Why You Should Avoid Writing for Content Mills

Content mills have spelled the beginning of many freelance writing careers. They’re so popular because it doesn’t take much for them to accept you. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have and you can normally get ready to write straightaway. Now, what if we told you content mills aren’t good for your long-term career?

Here are some of the reasons why.

The Pay is Low

 

Even at the highest levels, which aren’t easy to reach, the pay isn’t fantastic. You can expect to work for some of the lowest rates within the industry. Yes, it’s true that the work often flows in abundance. That means you can work quickly in order to build up your bank account. It sounds good, but keep reading to find out why this isn’t a viable option.

They Still Expect High Quality

 

Yes, you can’t rush the work to earn more. The editors working for these content mills still expect the highest quality. You can find yourself working for less than a cent per word, despite the fact the site wants you to produce work that could sell for five cents per word. The standards are high and you’ll receive penalties if you don’t meet these standards.

Inconsistent Editors

 

In an ideal world, you would always work with the same editor. This is how it would work if you were working with a private client. Instead, your work will go into a general pool where any old editor can pick it up and edit it. That means any feedback you receive could completely contradict the feedback someone has given you in the past. This is confusing for newer writers and no way to improve.

Furthermore, many of these editors have no clue what they’re doing. We’ve heard hundreds of horror stories relating to editors who penalise perfectly good writers for grammar errors that aren’t really grammar errors. So now the writer has to purposely do the wrong thing to satisfy someone who has no clue what they’re doing.

How frustrating is that?

Nothing to Show for It

 

Content mills give you a small package of monetary compensation for your work. That’s it. You can’t claim credit for that spectacular piece you wrote on washing powders. Part of the deal is the client doesn’t even know your name. They order from the content mill and the content mill passes the work to you. There’s nothing you can do about this. It’s all in the contract you sign.

You could earn thousands of dollars from content mills, but it won’t help you in the long-term. You’ll still have no portfolio pieces to show potential private clients. You’re not moving forward with your freelance writing career.

So What are Content Mills Good For?

 

It would be wrong of us to say content mills are completely useless for every single person in the world. That’s not true. They’re fantastic for people who need money on the same day and are willing to earn almost nothing in exchange for it. If you need an extra ten dollars for groceries, a trip to the content mill is a perfectly valid way to get it.

If you want to build a lucrative writing career with your own team of writing clients, you have to leave the safety of the content mills. It may mean less work for now and it may not provide the security of work we all crave, but you will make and accomplish more.

Working for content mills now?

Reduce your workload and begin creating a website and finding private clients. Over time, you can gradually extract yourself from the content mills.

How to Focus as a Freelancer in Your Twenties

If you are a young entrepreneur, nothing feels better than creating your own schedule and paycheck. However, it’s tricky to continue the path of success as a young freelancer in your twenties with so many social and business opportunities abound. Click here to read the full article. 

Top 5 Forums for Those Looking to Get Started Making Money Online

Working online grants, many people the freedom to do what they love from the comfort of their own homes. For those with small children or those taking care of the elderly, the ability to make money inside of the home can make the difference between independence and falling out of the labor market entirely. There are numerous ways to get started, though the most effective places to put a digital toe in the proverbial water is through numerous forums available online. Today, I will be providing you with five of my favorite forums to visit when I am looking for new freelance clients quickly.

Access the full article here.

Are you a freelancer that frequents forums regularly? What are your favorite spots to hang out when you are trying to interact with other freelancers or sure some quick work?

Top 5 Resume Writing Tips for Freelancers

Even as a freelancer, a resume is important. A portfolio and samples of your work are not enough. A resume highlights your accomplishments along with your skills. The resume should also outline your short term and long term goals as far as business growth and status are concerned. This is your opportunity to shine and show off your skills to potential new clients.

Keep a Running Draft                    

Many freelancers make up a new resume for each submission. This is a lot of time wasted. Instead of this practice, keep a running draft resume that can be specified for specific clients. Consider this as a template to work from. It helps you to decide which clients are the best to use for the job you are applying for.

Use references that are strong and clients that you had a good working relationship with. Keeping the running draft also helps you keep track of projects and clients as well.

Create a Skills Based Resume

A skills based resume is sometimes a better option than a job history format. This is the opportunity that some freelancers need to display their special skills. Freelancers work to perfect specific skills sets, and some are quite diverse so that they can attract more clients.

A skills based resume allows for grouping of skills rather than a chronological order of jobs. This format works better for freelancers in many cases. Templates are available for skills based resumes if you are unfamiliar with this format.

Follow the Basic Resume Writing Rules

Even if you are compiling a skills based resume, following standard and basic resume writing rules is ideal.

Basic rules include:

• Plain white paper
• No graphics
• Use action verbs
• Use numbers properly
• Avoid repetition

Resumes should be short and to the point. The length should not exceed one and a half pages. Potential clients and employers dislike reading long, drawn out pages of information. Keep the information short and to the point. Within this short text you should use strong action verbs and an authoritative tone. The more conviction you display in your skills, the more attention it is going to get from potential clients. The above resume writing rules are important to follow if you wish to land more attractive clientele.

Freelancer Resumes can be Powerful

Many freelancers think that their resumes are going to be weak because there are a variety of clients to enter and they may not have much time in the industry. This does not mean that the content isn’t powerful. The skills that you have perfected prove your abilities.

Many in society see freelancers as lazy, unemployed persons. The fact of the matter is freelancers typically work three times as hard as traditional employees do. A freelancer’s accomplishments are a direct reflection of how passionate they are about their work.

Pick Entries Wisely

It is important as a freelancer to know which are the right clients and skills to include on a resume. You do not have to use the same resume for each submission. Customize the resume so that it pertains specifically to the role you are applying for. For instance, if you are a freelance writer in the medical field, highlight works that are published under your name and high-profile projects. This displays your skills set and lets clients know that you are in-demand in this niche.

Freelancers may have a harder decision to make when it comes to writing a resume. This is mostly because of their vast variety of clients that each has specific needs. What the freelancer tends to forget is this adds diversity to their skills sets and makes them more desirable overall.
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5 Excellent Ways to Make Some Extra Dollars this Fall

Fall has fallen upon us and that means the kids are back at school and the holiday season is right around the corner. Naturally, this means lots of dollars are about to magically disappear from your bank account. If you don’t feel like going through the annual holiday squeeze this year, why not take a look at earning some extra dollars?

 

In this article, we give you five excellent ways in which you can make some extra dollars this fall.

 

1.       Etsy Crafts

 

The more creative amongst you may want to sell some of your creations. Whether you sew, make models, or paint, there’s someone who’ll want to buy whatever you make. Set up an Etsy shop and sell some of your items here. There are literally thousands of ways you can sell what you make.

 

Furthermore, if you don’t feel like making something yourself or taking commissions, you can simply sell something digital. People have made hundreds of dollars from selling guides with colourful illustrations.

 

2.       The Yard Sale

 

The obvious way of making money is to have a yard sale. We’d rather take this one step further. If you have the time and the patience, attend some local yard sales. Fall is the best time of year for it because everyone is preparing to clear their homes for the upcoming holiday season.

 

Pick an area you know lots about and try to find something going cheap at yard sales. Once you find something, sell it on eBay or Craig’s List for a profit. Take along a smartphone for checking prices on the go. Make sure you have the potential to make 50% profit to make it worth your while.

 

Here are a few extra tips:

 

•          Sell electronics on eBay.
•          Bigger items sell better on Craig’s List.
•          Name brand items should be sold through consignment stores.

 

3.       Start Your Own Kids’ After-School Program

 

With school starting up again, you’re presented with the challenge of finding something for your kids to do. If you have some extra time, setup a club in your local neighbourhood. Of course, you can expect to charge a small fee for it. You can impart your own unique brand of knowledge onto the local neighbourhood kids and get paid for it.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Simply teaching kids to draw or tutoring someone in a difficult subject can put some extra dollars on the table.

 

4.       Going into Business Online

 

Starting an online business is one of the fastest ways to earn money. You have no overhead, apart from the cost of hosting a website. The chances are if you’re good at designing, writing, editing, or coding you can find somewhere to work online. Places like Odesk and Elance are perfect for people with skills like this.

 

You have full control over your time and you can work as much or as little as you want. It’s never been easier to go into business for yourself online.

 

5.       Become a Brand Ambassador

 

The big brands are already starting up their holiday marketing campaigns. This is where they want to start using brand ambassadors to spread the word about what they’re selling this year. With bigger budgets on offer around this time, they’re always hiring.

 

What’s a brand ambassador, though?

 

Basically, it’s the sort of person who gets on the floor and gives out samples, all whilst answering questions from the general public. All companies demand from you is your smiling face.

 

You do have to dedicate a little more time to operating as a brand ambassador, but it can pay well if you’re successful. It’s also something else you can add to a future job resume.