I’m back again…exhausted from a mere hour of searching for freelance writing jobs. First, I checked my email and was somewhat heartened by a few job listings from freelance marketplaces like oDesk, Elance, FlexJobs and Guru. Excited, I grabbed a cup of coffee and went to scope out the sitch! Even though it shouldn’t surprise me anymore, I was once again shocked by the meager, paltry, pitiful and insulting offerings!
My Expression...Really!
In truth, I’ve been spoiled by the freelance writing jobs I’ve had over the last three or four years. I didn’t realize it at the time, of course, but I was. I grumbled and complained about writing for content mills, but now that most of those jobs have been decimated by the illustrious Google Panda algorithm updates, I find myself missing them. Really, really missing them. Or, more accurately, missing the associated paychecks I received without fail every single week/month. LovetoKnow was the first to take serious action by first putting nearly 100 freelance writers and editors out of work and then by reducing the fess paid to the remainder of their freelancers. They even went so far as to remove all mention of payment from their recruiting page. As a former employee still in contact with many of their remaining staff members, I know for a fact that the pay no longer matches the service.
Shortly after the start of LtK’s fall, Break Studios suddenly, and without notice, removed all titles from their content pool. Weeks went by and then a vague and poorly written message appeared in the writer’s dashboard. Once I got past the numerous typos, I found the gist of the message to state that there would be no more titles for eight weeks as they applied “program optimizations” to the company’s web technology. Eight weeks later…no titles, no message, no nothing for us poor, struggling freelance writers. Now, Break paid fairly low at $8 for each article of 200 to 800 words, however, the titles were fun! Case in point, I loved writing about the 5 Most Expensive Kinds of Liquor and Hair Styles for Thin Hair. No, none of my articles for Break were particularly insightful or sage, but as I said, they were fast, easy and actually kind of fun to write. Writers were also encouraged to put a little “flavah” into their work, which is frowned upon in most other positions. I miss that job!
Then there is the old standby, the Granddaddy of all content farms, the quirky and ever reliable Demand Studios. Early in October they sent out a message stating that the title pool would be shallow for a while as they shifted the focus to quality over quantity. The message also contained a poorly veiled threat that writers and editors who fall below their lofty and misdirected standards might find themselves ejected from the company’s noble ranks. Within days, the title pool evaporated into first a slow stream and then into a mere trickle. Three weeks later, it seems the pool has dried up completely for most of us, although I have it on good authority that the “teacher’s pets” still have access to semi-steady titles. Despite this, the job boards are filled with job postings for freelance writers and editors from Demand’s hiring team. Go figure!
Color Me Frustrated!
Where does this leave all us content mill graduates? You mean other than without much steady work? It leaves us in the lurch, berating ourselves, if not actually flagellating our own hides, for not laying away as many extra eggs as our baskets could possibly hold without bursting at the seams. It also leaves us wading through the murky and possibly dangerous waters of freelance writing for untested entities, who ( sadly) will only offer you a pittance for your hard work. I’ve never been especially fond of the type of writing I performed for content mills, and I can understand why Google made those adjustments, but the work I submitted was good work. I tried to find an unusual angle; I sought to provide useful information; I attended carefully to all matters of quality. I did a good job! My point is, I provided quality in return for payment and I miss having that to fall back on. Having said that, the main point (question, really) of all these ramblings is: Should we writers reduce the quality of our work and take on jobs that pay ridiculously low? I’m talking LOW-LOW, like $1.50 for a 400 word article. Sure, we can always pass on them, and I have so far, but what if times get really desperate? For myself, I know without a doubt that I cannot submit work of my usual quality for such a low fee. I would be starving and homeless within a week.
Anyway, as this blog has been so neglected, there’s a chance no one will even read this, but if you do, feel free to share your thoughts on the subject. If I keep on posting about freelance writers and writing, I’ll add some tips and resources that have really been saving my arse of late.
