downsizing rates of pay for writing sites
earning money or at least trying to
trying to earn extra money
writing sites
For Crying Out Loud
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
February 10, 2009 4:44pm CST
Rant alert:
I'm really ticked off about this. Many of us are searching extra means to make a little extra money,...right? So maybe if one is a writer one might write articles for Associated Content, Ciao, Reviewstream..whatever. But it seems every place is "downsizing" rates of pay. When I first did articles for instance for AC, the average article would go for maybe $8.00....now one is lucky to get a little over $4.00.
Ciao looked very promising, since it paid $1.00 per review and a bonus of an extra $1.00 for first time reviews of something. So I made a nice little bundle of money. Then THEY cut down to only 25ยข per review, and now nothing except for page views.
Well anyway, I also happen to blog for Today.com which pays $1.00 per one entry in one's blog a day. Okay I admit I've been slack on it and haven't written in it lately...maybe since I've been sick lately my energy has been crude and have only been concentrating on research and writing articles for AC...so I've neglected writing in my blog. Now I get this fricking email from Today.com that states the rate of pay for my blog has also changed and will only be paid $2.00 per 1,500 pages views...LIKE CRAP..my status might change upon further review, that is if I become consistently more active...still think it's a rotten deal though..LIKE EXXXCCCUUUUSSSEEE ME for being sick and not up to blogging every friggin day...I mean I think one of the main reasons I got sick in the first place since I was trying to stretch myself too thin writing here, writing there and lowering my immune system and just being burnt out. For those of you who also write for Today.com have any of you gotten this notice/email about rate pays?
And just in general for those trying to make some extra money...have any of you noticed drastic changes in any writing site you belong to???
I'm really ticked off about this. Many of us are searching extra means to make a little extra money,...right? So maybe if one is a writer one might write articles for Associated Content, Ciao, Reviewstream..whatever. But it seems every place is "downsizing" rates of pay. When I first did articles for instance for AC, the average article would go for maybe $8.00....now one is lucky to get a little over $4.00.
Ciao looked very promising, since it paid $1.00 per review and a bonus of an extra $1.00 for first time reviews of something. So I made a nice little bundle of money. Then THEY cut down to only 25ยข per review, and now nothing except for page views.
Well anyway, I also happen to blog for Today.com which pays $1.00 per one entry in one's blog a day. Okay I admit I've been slack on it and haven't written in it lately...maybe since I've been sick lately my energy has been crude and have only been concentrating on research and writing articles for AC...so I've neglected writing in my blog. Now I get this fricking email from Today.com that states the rate of pay for my blog has also changed and will only be paid $2.00 per 1,500 pages views...LIKE CRAP..my status might change upon further review, that is if I become consistently more active...still think it's a rotten deal though..LIKE EXXXCCCUUUUSSSEEE ME for being sick and not up to blogging every friggin day...I mean I think one of the main reasons I got sick in the first place since I was trying to stretch myself too thin writing here, writing there and lowering my immune system and just being burnt out. For those of you who also write for Today.com have any of you gotten this notice/email about rate pays?
And just in general for those trying to make some extra money...have any of you noticed drastic changes in any writing site you belong to???6 people like this
15 responses
@guybrush (4658)
• Australia
10 Feb 09
Holy Moly - that's a significant drop in rates and rules, Pye! I suppose they'll blame it on the 'global economic crisis', like everyone else is. I'm not aware of any decent paying sites for blogs - mine is an unpaid one on Wordpress - but maybe other myLotters will have some suggestions. It's a lot of hard work to research and write decent articles, and not fair if the payment isn't equitable. Have you considered contacting a local paper and offering to submit freelance articles to them? The print media is far more generous than online - you're being underrated and ripped off!
3 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47343)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
11 Feb 09
Godd suggestion, there, guy
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47343)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
11 Feb 09
I meant good. This keyboard doesn't want to obey my fingers very well.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
11 Feb 09
Well I don't know about local newspapers to write articles for...most have their own syndicated staff so freelancers like me wouldn't have a chance. I do from time to time try my luck with magazines and e-zines...in fact did recently have an article published for Fate magazine and waiting for the check..LOL..have to hunt around for more magazines..the competition is FIERCE....the higher a place pays the more competitive.
1 person likes this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
10 Feb 09
Oh nuts Pye. I hadn't even signed up to that blog site you told me about yet. I was just now working up a blog that I could do. I didn't want to go off half cocked. Now it looks like it might not be worth pursuing anyway.
With all these sites revamping their payout protocols it makes me worry that we might lose here too.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
11 Feb 09
WEll I think you should still go for it....as long as you make an entry everyday you should be all right...that maybe was my problem...I hadn't written anything new since Feb. 1st...got really side-tracked
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
11 Feb 09
savak03
I am interested in following what you do - keep us/me posted. Send my your link to your blog
1 person likes this
@irishmist (3814)
• United States
13 Feb 09
I know what you mean, everytime we find a good paying site, they lower the pay rate. I have not written for AC in a long time, as far as ciao goes, I really don't go there to much, and the only way to get page views is if you look at tons of other reviews and hope they pop over to your page. So I'm taking a slight break.
@marcialoyd (1173)
• United States
9 May 09
I think that they pay real well to attract more members and as more and more members join they start decreasing their payscale. I especially believe that is the case with Ciao. I haven't wrote for ciao since they quit paying for their reviews and started paying based on ratings only.
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
11 Feb 09
I write for AC too. And was surprised about the pay change. Seems like it is happening all over the net. I guess the economy hits hard on the internet too. Maybe things will pick back up soon. You might try Reviewstream.
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
11 Feb 09
Hi pye,
I don't blame you for ranting, because that is plain just peanuts they paying you, I am sorry to hear that you have not been very well, I hope you are feeling bettter. I don't do writing for any sites so I really won't understand their logic. Hope all goes well for you.
Bright Blessings.
Tamara
xxx
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
11 Feb 09
i'm so sorry to hear that pye... that is really lots of hard work to earn very little money... i think the recession cause many sites to cut down on their pay... i didn't belong to any of the site that you mentioned... so i didn't really know much about the pay... but one thing for sure is, i won't jeopardise my health just for the sake of the little money... it is not worth it at all... take care and have a nice day...
@Aurone (4755)
• United States
11 Feb 09
Yeah, I have noticed the decline in writing pay. Which sucks because now I need it since I am now living on a part time income, since my soon to be ex husband has left me in a bad situation. Epinions (a long time ago) used to pay per view at a decent rate. I don't write for Ciao much because of their rate decrease and I have noticed the pay decrease on AC, but they are still the best place to write for. I don't blog, too lazy to do it every day. Its too bad that it is so hard to make a little extra cash writing.
@4mymak (1793)
• Malaysia
11 Feb 09
hi,
i dunno how to respond actually, since i've never written anything (for money) on the net before.. but i guess the current 'economic situation'... everything is affected by it.. not sure how the 'paying sites' really make money to pay 'their writers'.. but i guess their funds must be 'shrinking', too...
more importantly... i didnt know that you were sick... since i've been 'away' from myLot quite a lot lately..
but i do hope that you're getting better !!...
take care !
@celticeagle (167070)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Feb 09
I didn't get the email but I have seen a decline all across the board. If things get better perhaps the payouts will go up. I wondered if this might happen. I guess things could be worse and we wouldn't get payed at all. And, we do still have Mylot. I am just happy we still get payed at all and hope that that continued.
@rosdimy (3926)
• Malaysia
11 Feb 09
As I understand it Today.com is meant to be for serious bloggers. That is the main reason why I have not joined it yet. Maybe you should have informed them that you were ill. You were probably marked down as being less active because the did not know the real situation. If I were in a similar situation I would write to them and explain the situation. Maybe they will accept the explanation and reinstate your status.
all the best in your writings,
rosdimy
rosdimy
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
11 Feb 09
Now you have me discouraged. I though I might take a foray into writing but I don't see the point in working for peanuts. I have a reasonable command of the English language and I have lots of opinions. The only reason I have not done writing before is that I never really liked it in school and I still do not even though I feel I have passable skills in that area. I could use the extra cash as I am on a fixed income and any help goes a long way. I guess the recession is going to hit the internet just the same as everywhere else.
I think one of the problems with the internet is that there are so many people who are struggling to make a few pennies it makes for a lot of competition.
@srinureddy52 (42)
• India
11 Feb 09
i ve not find any drastic chanf=ges to writing for the site because i dot vea habit to write the stiorie s for the sites even though i can understand the problem. .it is some tedious for us to forget the thing in which we lost the money after puttig the lot of efforts in it.. but i can sujest u that dont bother and bette luck for the next time
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
11 Feb 09
I've noticed that AC has stopped paying as much as they did for articles about a year ago. I haven't written anything for them in a very long time because they just weren't paying like they used to. I could make $100+ a month writing for AC and now, well I can barely hit $20. In fact, I've stopped writing online really except for posting here on Mylot. I just can't get any money from any places online. I don't have much time now of course, but really, the places that I could actually make money in, just aren't paying enough for the time I'd be putting into them.
