Getting Started with Content Websites – Part 2

In Part 1 of this Content Websites series, I discussed how to get starting writing for companies. I included two websites that you can begin with to get your feet wet with writing web articles.  These will allow you to get some published work online, so that you will have some writing samples to present to potential clients. Now that you’ve done this step, let’s focus on getting accepted to write for content websites.

When Should I Begin Applying to Content Websites?

It is typically recommended to have at least 6 months to 1 year experience under your belt before applying to popular web content sites. Each site has specific guidelines and requirements, you will have to wait longer to apply to them as opposed to others. Waiting until at least 6 months for those that require no or little experience will only increase your chances of being appoved.

Where Should I Begin Applying?

I recommend starting with Textbroker. They are not the highest paying site, but they require no experience. Plus, the pay is not too bad if you are rated 4 stars, and it is vary good if you are able to access the 5 star articles. To apply with Textbroker, you will need to complete the author registration form and activate your account. You will then be asked to submit a small writing sample. This sample will be used to determine your initial rating, so take time to send them a high quality sample.

Once you are appoved, you will be given access to all orders that are your star rating and below. Writing good articles consistently can mean a raise in your rating, meaning higher paying articles for you to write. Clients can also send you direct orders through the site, so be sure to include a price per word for those orders.

Once you have been writing for Textbroker for a few months, you may choose to branch out to other content websites. The ones I recommend going after next are (in order):

• Break Studios
• Demand Studios
• WiseGEEK

Break Studios seems less strict and difficult to get in with than the other two in the list, so I would try them immediately after Textbroker. WiseGEEK is the most difficult (I couldn’t even get on there), and you must make sure you adhere to their guidelines or you will not be accepted. For this reason, I would not apply to them until you have at least 1-2 years of writing experience.

How Do I Make Myself Stand Out in the Crowd?

First off, providing high quality writing samples is the key to getting accepted with these companies. Only submit your best work, and not something that you threw together in 10 minutes. If you must write an original sample for the company, be sure it is well though out and easy to read. Have someone proofread it for you to check for misspellings or grammar errors.

Most companies want to know where you interests/expertise lie when it comes to writing topics. Be sure to include this, and present samples that prove you are knowledgeable on the subject. If you boast about having extensively knowledge in health and fitness, for example, it would be best to submit a sample that fits that niche, rather than an article on dogs.

I hope you’ve gained some insight on getting started with content websites through this 2 part series. I feel that this may be a brief overview for some people, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I may consider doing a follow up post on frequently asked questions to further help everyone get started with their writing journey.

Getting Started with Content Websites – Part 1

This will be a two part series on getting started writing for content websites. You may wonder why you should listen to me about this topic. After applying to and being accepted with four of these sites, I just want to write this series to let my readers now what helped me get accepted. Some people may not think this route is for them because they are more interested in working for private clients, but Part 1 can help you no matter which type of work you hope to receive.

When beginning in freelance writing, it is important that you write articles and submit them to online directories. Frequenting these directories will expose you to good content, as well as provide you with public writing samples when you begin submitting your own articles.

The two places I recommended getting started at are Associated Content and InfoBarrel.

• Associated Content – Payment can come in two forms: upfront pay or residual income based on page views. This website has a good Google Pagerank, and articles posted here can sometimes make the first page of Google for its keywords. You are free to publish topics you enjoy writing about, or you can claim an assignment for an article the company is currently looking for.
• InfoBarrel – This website is newer than Associated Content and some of the other residual income websites, but is quickly gaining a good reputation with the search engines. Pay with this site is based on ad clicks, so you must have a Google Adsense account to sign up (the website shows you how to do this, it’s no big deal). The site accepts a variety of articles, from how to’s to reviews.

Submitting your writing to either (or both) of these two sites will allow you to sharpen your writing skills in preparation for applying to content creation websites. As I mentioned above, they will also give you a public space on the Internet for your articles, which can be used as writing samples when requested by content websites (or private clients). There are other places you can submit your content, but these two places will give you the chance to get paid, so that is why I recommend them.

In Part 2, I will discuss the best time to begin applying with content websites, which ones to start with, and how to make yourself standing out amongst the crowd of applicants.

Now a Writer for QualityGal!

I applied for QualityGal early last week, and completed my test assignment over the weekend. Monday, I received an email stating that I was approved as a writer! I haven’t begun to claim assignments just yet, as finals are next week and I want college out of the way before I become more focused on my writing work again. I requested payment on my test article, and I should have the money by the weekend. I plan to follow up this post in a few weeks after I’ve been paid and have written a bit more for this site. I will definitely let you all know if they are worth your time. I’ve heard plenty of recommendations for them though, so I am sure I’ll have good things to say!