Writing for the Yahoo! Contributor Network

Time to Move On

2011-03-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

When I first started this blog, it was with the intent to help promote my articles on Associated Content. Over the coarse of this blog, which has been running for almost 2 years, it has turned into an all inclusive help guide of sorts. The ranking shot up, traffic has been fantastic, and I've met many wonderful people and writers through here.

But I think it's time to let this blog rest. I may post every great once in awhile but it won't be near the frequency I have been. There is a lot of information on here that I hope can help writers on the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Because of recent events, though, I simply don't believe I can do an adequate job of providing the help and answers that writers are searching for.

My first reason is that there was a period of time earlier this month where I was without internet. That time without internet taught me the lesson that I was wasting too much time chasing what ultimately would do me no good in the creative writing field. This was coupled with the change in the FC program, so I was already feeling down in the dumps. The fact remains, though, that if Yahoo! thought I was skilled enough to be in their Featured Contributor programs, they would have automatically asked me to stay like they did a select few contributors.

Even still, I had every intention of re-applying for my categories and perhaps even some new ones as soon as I caught back up on other things after my internet outage. But this week has been terribly stressed as far as Y!CN is concerned. Some of those who have applied are being given test assignments. Some of those test assignments are accepted for their target Yahoo! sites but oddly aren't good enough to accept the writer into the FC program. Still others aren't even being given the opportunity to turn in a test assignment and are being rejected outright. Others whose articles are being rejected and reverted to Associated Content (now known as the failure Yahoo! site), are being given reasons such as:

-Very minor grammatical errors. I do not exaggerate. While I'm happy that Y!CN is finally buckling down on grammar issues, rejecting a piece for a typo which isn't common for that writer is crap. No matter how long a person has been writing, no matter how professional a writer they are, humans make mistakes. If they want perfect pieces then they need to either hire editors to correct content or they need to pay writers more so they can hire their own editors.

-Not having the Yahoo! "voice". This is one of those things that you either have or you don't. Telling fantastic writers that the quality of their work is exceptional but that they don't have the "voice" Yahoo! needs is contradicting. I don’t understand.

-I can even dig that Yahoo! wants educationally qualified people to write in these Featured Categories. But here's the thing; many who are educationally qualified likely have full time jobs and/or aren't going to want to write for what Y!CN pays. But look! They have writers who are qualified because of their track records in writing for the web in the categories they want featured. These writers are dependable, they are experienced in content writing, they bring in the page views, and they write great. But they are getting rejections, too.

There have been other reasons for rejections that I don't agree with but I'll leave these as the primary ones. You know, what makes me think I have a chance in hell of getting in when the likes of those wonderful writers aren’t even making the cut?

Oh, the memories...

This reminds me when I was working management for an oil company. When the company was small and local, my work with them was great. Then that oil company sold to a bigger regional company and suddenly I wasn't so good anymore. Whereas the old company dogs were talking promotions for me, I wasn't of much use to the new company. This has been my experience between the Associated Content to Yahoo! change.

Right now, I'm focusing on my creative writing (*shameless plug alert* head over to my author site). I'll still write for Y!CN where I'll keep up with my news beats for as long as they'll have me and where I'll still publish on Associated Content.

I'm going to leave this blog with this final thought; I still love Y!CN. I do recommend it to anyone looking to get their feet wet in content writing. If you have a passion for it, the opportunities since the Yahoo! change are fantastic. Just because I don't feel like I can dive into it head first, doesn't mean you shouldn't try. I'm sure they'll get this FC mess straightened out eventually.

Associated Content was my stepping stone into building confidence and honing my skills. If it wasn't for writing for Associated Content, I wouldn't have accomplished half the things I have in writing, and that includes my creative writing. I would have never been confident enough to put my fiction out there for others to read if not for AC and for that, I'm grateful.

Thank you for reading. You can catch me on my Y!CN profile and my author site to see what I'm up to. For anything else, here’s my other site.

My Withdrawal from the Superfan Program

2011-03-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything in awhile due to some hefty computer problems. And it looks like they aren't even completely fixed even now. I just hope it all holds up until I can get caught up with some assignments. In the meantime, I haven't re-applied for the featured contributors new program yet. I probably will eventually, but I'm trying to get some things caught up in both my online work and my personal life.

One thing I did do was withdraw from the Television Superfan program. I was very excited about this when it first started but as time went on, it's been a series of glitches coupled with the realization that we still didn't have a time line on when we would be able to submit recaps or timely material. There's only so much you can do with evergreen content on television shows. The upfronts were nice but ultimately the page views weren't cutting it. Trying to come up with quality evergreen content without cookie cutting the same idea for multiple shows just wasn't worth the time and effort in my opinion. So I withdrew. It got a nice invitation to return to the program should I change my mind in the future.

In the next few months there will be some major changes with this blog and with my online work overall. More details will come soon. I appreciate the continued support.

The New Feature Contributor Program / Google Hates Us

2011-03-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

The two focal points of interest with Y!CN as of late: Google's big screw up and the changing of the Associated Content Featured Contributor program.

Let's get the FC program change up out of the way first. I have not changed my mind about how unfair and time wasting it was to start from scratch; to accept some while telling other deserving contributors to reapply for positions they had already worked for... but since I already wrote how I felt about that, I won't go back into it.

Will I reapply? Yes. But how many I will apply for remains to be seen. I still have bills to pay. (I originally typed "I have bill to pay." Bill is my brother-in-law and as far as I know, I don't owe him any money.)

It's been a crazy and stressful couple of weeks. Which leads me to the next topic of Google trying to hold a monopoly over their search engines.

I don't understand all this search algorithm tech stuff. Even though I understand the basics of SEO, I don't speak tech. All I know is that Google has decided that since we are part of Yahoo!, they are going to shove us to the bottoms of search results, even if we have the information people want. That's the short version. Here's the long version. In the meantime, contributors across Y!CN report record losses of page views. And they report monetary losses of up to $100 or more.

My page views are the lowest they've been in over a year. Google has decided they only want to show content they have a vested interest in. In the meantime, every place that they are blocking or pushing to the bottom that has Google Adsense... well, you don't have to speak tech to understand how that will eventually turn out. It will end up biting them. Whoever's brilliant idea it was to start this crap and to mess with people's paychecks, I hope they end up eventually losing their job. Let's see how they like it when they can't pay their bills.

Whew. Now I feel better. If this continues, everyone is screwed, not just us writers. Small businesses are screwed, too. Just read through this article. I guarantee you won't like it any better than I do.

I'll keep y'all updated on the FC thing and hopefully Google will come to their senses.

Freelance Writing Tips: Your Client is Not Obligated to Please You

2011-02-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

Should your client offer certain perks? Are there certain things you should expect them to do besides pay you? When freelancing, sometimes it can be difficult to figure out the roles played by you and your clients. Is the client asking for too much - or are you the one demanding the impossible? In freelance writing, my number one rule has always been that the client is not obligated to please you. In fact, you should be instead be providing what the client needs. If you can't or won't, let them find it elsewhere. Here's why.

Read More

The Newbie's Guide to Success at the Yahoo! Contributor Network

2011-02-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a great slideshow put together by veteran contributor Lyn Lomasi. It outlines the steps you need to take in order to find your place and reap success from the Yahoo! Contributor Network. It's very easy to follow if you know how to work hard.

The Newbie's Guide to Success at the Yahoo! Contributor Network

Y!CN Contributor Rissa Watkins needs bone marrow

2011-02-17T06:58:00.000-08:00

Without it, the consequences could be dire.

Read up on the initial post I did on Rissa and how you can help her financially.

I woke this morning to this video.

Click to go to http://www.marrow.org and join the registry (if your health allows). You could save a life, maybe even Rissa's.

The Change in Associated Content's Featured Contributor Program

2011-02-16T07:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a pretty bad day for me. Y!CN announced that the Featured Contributor program for Associated Content from Yahoo! was dramatically changing and that Featured Contributors would have to reapply for the program beginning March 1.

This change is understandable as Associated Content is no longer the main platform for Y!CN publishing. Associated Content, while still a viable publishing platform, has become what I'd like to call the rejects of Yahoo!. Yup. It's given me a complex to say the least. Since the change over to the Yahoo! Contributor Network, I've rejoiced in the fact that many pieces of my content have been used on various Yahoo! sites. But then when one of my featured assignments would be reviewed and published on Associated Content instead of a targeted Yahoo! site, I almost view it like a failure. I thought I was doing really well on Associated Content until Yahoo! came along. I was just mediocre again.

And this is coupled with the fact that this was my first month as a featured parenting contributor. Now I have to change all my damn bios again.

Forgive me for being doom and gloom today. If you read back through my blog, I'm not usually like this. While I have been hard on Y!CN at times, I am generally one of the first to ask that contributors take it in stride and give things a chance before they start drawing storm clouds above their heads. I usually point out that AC/Y!CN has shown themselves to be above game in times like this. But I'm not going to say that this time (although keep in mind, I'm not dismissing it either).

The main thing I have to take into account how things have worked at Y!CN since the change over. Even though there are great higher paying opportunities, there are a ton of tech/help issues, some of which are costing contributors page views. Everything from botched notifications, to lagging page view updates, to articles in limbo, to having to sign in sometimes two or three times (and then click back to the article) to leave comments, *to not being able to switch from one site to the other on our profiles, and more... never, since I began writing for this site have I seen such a dragging of issues not being fixed in a timely manner. Let me reiterate; issues addressed, yes. Fixed, no.

*ETA: Since I published this post, I can now switch from one site to the next on my profile page. Hurray!

Second, I don't see where this is the best solution. The troubles with the old FC program was that there were too many people who weren't following the guidelines as an FC (not a professional byline or picture, not submitting assignments, etc). You don't have to shut down the entire program and start from scratch to weed out the ones who aren't doing what they are supposed to. This, in my opinion, is a complete waste of time on both the staff and the contributors and it's caused an unnecessary amount of frustration and worry.

Third, and this was the kicker for me yesterday as I read through post after post of discussions on the subject, there were people who were/are FC's who were told that they didn't have to reapply for their positions. Everyone else would. While I'm happy for those contributors who do not have to reapply, I did NOT receive such a message and I am pissed about it. As if I didn't already have doubts when my work isn't chosen for a Yahoo! site, here I'm going to have to reapply for positions that I already have. So here's my funk; I've never missed an FC assignment. I may have had one decline toward the beginning of the program when I got categories confused but have otherwise done very well... or so I thought. I write consistently, I write well. I get descent page views. I realize I don't write as much as some because I have two little ones still under school age but I have always thought I was doing pretty good. Shows what I know. To sum it up again, I suppose I'm not as much pissed as I am crushed. I know there are others out there who feel the same way. In a way, it's degrading.

I don't think I would be so upset had events unfolded differently. When AC still had category editors, I was specifically asked by a staffer to be a category editor; I didn't even know that I could be a CE. Only a few short months later, they scrapped that program and introduced the Featured Contributor program. I didn't apply for awhile but I kept getting messages urging me to do so. So finally I did and was accepted very quickly each time I applied. Now that's being scrapped and I have to reapply... while others are able to write without having to worry. I guess I'm so upset because I feel like I put so much effort in, I work my ass off, but it seems a bit in vain now.

I am very fortunate and thankful for the TV beats and the new news beats that I've gotten. That is probably the only thing that keeps me from being a total gloomy gus about this whole thing. I'm going to apply for what I can when March rolls around and just sit and hope that it's good enough to go through.

So I leave you today with this final thought: In order to have (and keep) some form of happiness writing content for any site, don't expect anything. If you have beat assignments, enjoy them while they last because you never know when something will change. If you don't expect to keep them forever, you won't be so quick to be down when they are pulled.

And that's all for now. I'll update when more information comes my way. Thanks for reading.

This post brought to you by All Holidays Fever.

How to Burn and Promote an RSS Feed of Your Yahoo! Contributor Network Pieces

2011-02-14T18:06:00.000-08:00

You work hard publishing at Yahoo! Contributor Network but promoting your stuff is a drag. By creating an RSS feed of your published work you can create animated graphics on your blog or social networking site, send automatic tweets whenever a new article is published or even place a graphic in your email signature promoting your most recent pieces. The benefit of this is the fact that after the initial setup the promotion is automatic, allowing you to concentrate on creating great content.

Read More

Articles Vs Blog Posts '" What's the Difference?

2011-02-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

As a mentor of my writing peers, I am often asked to discern the difference between a blog post and an article. When submitting work to clients and content sites, how do you know if your writeup should have gone to your blog instead? Blogs can certainly be professional and articles can definitely be conversational. However, even though you can publish an article on your blog, it's not very wise to submit something that should have been a blog as an article. In some cases, it may even hurt your career. So what's the difference?

Read More

What is and isn’t okay when someone posts your articles on their sites?

2011-02-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

I realize that this is a little confusing for newbies to understand. With all the talk of usage rights and plagiarism, it’s easy to be a bit bumfuzzled about what is and isn’t okay when you come across a completely different site with your article on it whether it is part of your article or your whole article.

Whole article

If you find your article in whole on another site, first check to make sure that it isn’t a partner distribution from Y!CN. Look under your content tab on your account page. You’ll see the word “Partner” on the right. Click on it. Check to see if the article is listed there and what site it went to.

If you don’t find it, look under payments for any payment that was a distribution payment.

If you’re still coming up empty handed, it is likely plagiarism. Note that one key item that can tip you off if it’s plagiarism is if they don’t have your Y!CN byline on it.

This isn’t okay. And it isn’t just NOT okay, it’s illegal. But what you do next is determined by what rights to the article you’ve retained when you published it on Y!CN. If it was Exclusive, then shoot an email to the legal team at Y!CN and let them take care of it. If it was Non-Exclusive or Display Only, then you’ll have to deal with it yourself, however you want to deal with it.

Part of the article

If another site is going to link your article, they should only take a paragraph or two with a link back to your article. I do this on my TV Slugs blog all the time. This is completely okay. More than okay, really, because it gives you a link back and more exposure.

But some sites do get greedy. I found the whole first page of an article once on another site. They linked back to my article but after reading the entire first page, only a small fraction of readers, if any, was going to click through to my article. I politely thanked them for providing a link back to my article but taking a whole page wasn’t proper etiquette. (Anyone who does niche blog content exposure knows this, so I’m sure it wasn’t news to them.) I asked them to shorten it or remove it.

But that’s it. If another site takes a paragraph or two and links back, great! Anything more then that is cause for concern.

For more info on plagiarism topics within this site, click here.

Succeed in Freelance Writing by Making Goals More Attainable

2011-02-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

It's time to pay the bills but your freelance writing hasn't pulled in nearly what you need. Staring at the figures in black and white may make you cringe if you're a freelance writer who hasn't quite reached your ideal goal. Maybe you haven't even touched the surface. But don't give up hope. Perhaps you just need to change your strategy. If you have all the tools and talent, but still can't quite get there, try making your goals more attainable. It's easy to set goals and expectations too high or make the possible impossible by over analyzing. If you aren't meeting your goals in freelance writing, it's time do a complete overhaul of your strategy.

Read more

Car Shopping Made Easier

2011-02-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

My husband has been driving the same SUV since 2004. I have been driving mine since 2001. But since he had more mileage on his, we decided he'd be the first to get a new vehicle. It was hard to shop for and one website would lead to another and another but in the end it really didn't do us any good. We were able to get specs and add-on information but that was about it. In the end we did okay with our purchase, though it wasn't without some frustration.

Now it's my turn to shop and I've just been introduced to a website that will help. The Car Connection is so detailed that I can't help but be impressed. So what kind of vehicle am I looking for? My friend, Jennifer says I should go for a convertible like a Mazda Mx-5 Miata or a Volkswagen Eos. Those are nice vehicles but they aren't really my style. I'm a mom and I'm just starting the whole "transport your kids to ball games" thing so I'll need something a little more practical. The Ford Focus looks alright but with two boys, I believe I'm going to need something a bit bigger, like maybe a Chevy Tahoe.

Whatever I end up deciding on (I'll be waiting until this fall to make my purchase when the best deals are), I'm sure I can find all the information I'll need like reviews, news, and more. PP

Yahoo! TV Superfan program - First round of cuts

2011-02-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

If you were in the Yahoo! TV Superfan program, you should know by now that the first round of eliminations has been completed. (This almost sounds like a TV program in itself.) Some beat writers were cut for various reasons, many stayed. I’m happy to report that I survived the first elimination for all four of the shows I’m covering which is “Criminal Minds”, Blue Bloods”, “House”, and “American Idol”. Our submission limit has been uped to 2 per month and on our assignments, we’re still being instructed to write evergreen content. While I’m glad that our limit has gone up, I’m discouraged that we’re still having to do just evergreen. Recaps get more page views (if they are indexed quickly and are on the right feeds, that is), but from what I understand, if we survive the next few rounds of cuts, we’ll be able to do those recaps with a mixture of evergreen content. (I have to wonder if by then, some of the seasons will be over!)

Another big change in the program is that upfronts have gone down on these assignments slightly. Most people I have talked with actually expected this change and aren’t that concerned about it. While I’m okay with getting a lower upfront, I hope it doesn’t get to the point where we’re only making a couple of dollars a piece on them. I'm not sure any lower upfronts would be worth the research for evergreen or be worth the long review time.

Congrats to everyone who made it through the first round of cuts. May you all have a prosperous month and happy writing!

This post brought to you by TV Slugs.

Why You Should Be a Proud Content Writer

2011-01-31T08:52:00.000-08:00

You may have seen some articles or blog posts around the web about a little thing called content mill writing. Essentially journalists and print freelance writers feel that sites such as Demand Media, and others are

nothing more than content mills. The question is, why is that a bad thing?

To understand what a content mill is and what they are looking for is the first step in making a living as a content writer. Also it is important to realize that you have no need to be embarrassed or feel any shame for writing web content for pay. You aren't doing anything wrong and if no one was looking for the content that content mills produce, they wouldn't be able to be such huge successful companies, and they sure wouldn't pay you to write it.

Read more

Article Etiquette: Name-calling in an article does not display intelligence

2011-01-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

State opinions intelligently.

We've all heard this but do we all adhere by it? Unfortunately, no. Some people, I would imagine, even have a hard time understanding what an intelligent opinion is. I'll sum it up for you.

Don't name-call.

You'd think that anyone smart enough to be getting by fairly well on Y!CN would know that you can't state an opinion intelligently by grouping people together and calling them all a name. But it happens more than you might think.

In a recent article by a contributor I will not name here, everyone in a religion was grouped together and called "crazy", "dumb", and "stupid". Sounds more like elementary writing, doesn't it? I've seen similar articles here and there and they do nothing to gain the respect of readers or peers... unless they are just as elementary as the writer, that is.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with having an opinion. But be intelligent about stating your opinion in words. Name calling helps no one, especially you. All it does is make you look like you have no class.

That will be all for today. Have a great week, Y!CN!

Contributor Spotlight: Theresa Wiza

2011-01-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

I don't usually do this; highlight a contributor that is. I mean, occasionally I'll share a link to something relevant to writing for Y!CN but I don't often spotlight contributors. Maybe it's something I need to do more of, I don't know. What I do know is that I want to share this one.

Theresa Wiza (right) has been a contributor for over two and a half years now. In September of 2009, she learned she had breast cancer. She is still battling it and will be for a long time. In the meantime, she has provided her readers and friends a journal on Associated Content that details her experiences with the disease.

An excerpt from Diagnosis: Breast Cancer - Part 1-

"We [a dear friend and I] talked about how I could now use breast cancer to excuse myself from having to do anything I didn't want to do:

Sorry, can't mop up that mess. I have breast cancer. Sorry, didn't hear you - my breast cancer is acting up. Sorry, officer, I was in a rush to beat my breast cancer. And on and on.

From that point we went off on a tangent to discuss how my grandchildren could use the breast cancer excuse too. Sorry, couldn't make it to class today - my grandma has breast cancer.

Am I delirious? Possibly."

I came across these in part because I remembered someone saying that Theresa had breast cancer. My next fiction piece centers on a woman with breast cancer. Since I didn't know anyone close to me with the disease, I asked Theresa if she would mind helping me in my research. She continues to answer questions that pop up as I write the story.

I admit that I didn't realize what I was getting into when I first came up with the story idea. I knew very little about breast cancer, treatments, or the toll it takes on those afflicted. But it's the best part of being a fiction writer; researching and seeing an entirely different side to life. Even when the topic is an unpleasant one, the knowledge that comes with researching the personal side of things is often eye opening and emotional. And it's thought provoking in a way that helps you understand the world around you and appreciate people and their struggles more.

If you'd like to read Theresa's breast cancer journal, the links are below. It's a bit long but well worth the read.

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

Here are some other links where you can find her:

Theresa's Yahoo! Contributor Profile
Weird Dreams
Your Blog Connection
Help for Single Parents
My Heart Belongs to You
Writer of Blogs

You can find my fiction site at www.PamelaCaves.com

Learning About Osteoarthritis

2011-01-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

There's a gene in my family where our bones and joints are susceptible to osteo- conditions. My grandmother has been bedridden because of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis and just recently, even my father was diagnosed with the same. Knowing that women are more susceptible than men, it concerned me greatly that it was so prevalent in my family that my father was afflicted.

Being that I'm centered between being considered young and being considered middle-aged, I wondered if I was showing any osteoarthritis symptoms. I wanted to learn more about it, find out what works, what doesn't, and how to prevent it.

As a result, I've been researching the latest health news on osteoarthritis and have found some interesting things. Did you know...

...taking Vitamin D hasn't shown any sign of lowering osteoarthritis risk?
...osteoarthritis actually has to do with cartilage degeneration as opposed to bone degeneration like osteoporosis?
...knee pain is often higher in people who also have other joint pain?

Arming myself with knowledge is the best first step I can take to preventing myself from getting osteoarthritis. PP

10 Online Tools for Better Attention & Focus

2011-01-18T08:08:00.000-08:00

I'm putting this article out there for you because this is something I have a problem with sometimes. I log in a lot of time writing and it's hard not to get distracted by emails and Facebook and all that jazz. If you have a problem, too, then take a look at this article by Jocelyn K. Glei.

____________________________________________________

If only finding focus were so simple. With a tidal wave of information coming at us daily, focus is rapidly becoming the scarcest commodity of the 21st century. With this in mind, I’ve rounded up a handful of the best apps for fighting back against the constant distractions of our digital lives.

Save a Drive, Buy Ink Online

2011-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

I live in a rural area where the mountains and fields are broken only by dots of small towns, most 2,000 or less in population. Up until a few months ago, my area didn't have any options in buying inkjet cartridges. Now, the county has one refill shop but for most people around here (including me) it is over a half an hour drive. As much as I work online, printing my writing submissions and invoices for clients, I despise having to drive down all that way just to get one item.

I've just been introduced to a cheap ink site called InkGrabber.com. In trying to determine if it would be worth buying from them, I searched out the cartridges my HP printer uses. I was surprised at the sheer number of selections available. You can search by brand or you can type in the search box.

We all know printer ink isn't cheap when you have to go to the store to get it. So how does the site measure up? In comparing the prices online to the ink cartridges I usually by, I saw where with the remanufactured cartridges, the prices are very reasonable. For new ones, the prices are about the same as what you'd find in any store. But for either one, it saves a 30 minute drive! PP

Page View Goals, Subscriptions... All Irrelevant Now

2011-01-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

I'm happy at the Yahoo! change over, don't get me wrong. And as the bugs are still being ironed out and things are slowly smoothing, I find myself more and more pleased at the opportunities now being offered. I'm sooooo excited about being a part of the Yahoo!TV Superfan program. I'm extremely pleased about being published on more and more Yahoo! sites and now I've just been accepted as a Featured Parenting Contributor. I've decided to seize these opportunities and do the best with them that I can.

But this change also brings out some things that few may have thought of. This integration has now made standard page view goals and subscriptions almost irrelevant.

When you publish on Associated Content, two things happen. First, a notice goes to those who've subscribed to your work. Second, at each daily page view update, you see your main page views go up. But some contributors regularly have articles that go to Yahoo! sites now. Those articles' page views are separate from our main page views. This makes a heckuva difference when you have thousands of views on the Yahoo! sites and your main views don't go up. That makes getting to be a PV Millionaire with the little badge of honor on your profile a bit harder to reach (as if it wasn't hard enough before). Also, for those articles, a notification doesn't go to your subscribers so they have no clue you've published new content. Not that it really makes a difference on page views (more views come from searches than subscribers with most content), but it could be a little disappointing for those fans who want to read specific topics of yours.

In any case, I'm not complaining, just pointing out a flaw. No longer can I successfully say "I'm going to reach 500,000 by July," when so much of my content is being shifted to other sites and page views are separated.

In any case, the same page view tactics apply to any site. This is not meant to say that anything is different regarding how to get page views on Associated Content, only that it's a different standard now.

Which Article Topics Earn the Most Money at Y!CN?

2011-01-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

As a journalist and writing peer mentor here at Y!CN and elsewhere, I get asked often which topics are the best to write. What brings in the best upfront payments? What topics pull in page views? What topics does Yahoo!

want to see before giving high paying assignments? Overall, which topics make the most money?

Read more

The Steam Team: Not just for carpets

2011-01-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

In Austin, Texas, there is a place called the Steam Team which boasts being the only locally owned complete service cleaning and restoration business in Austin. Impressive. Even more so is that they've been in business for almost 30 years. They have to be doing something right to have that kind of longevity.

Beyond steam carpet cleaning service austin, which is an obvious one, they are also experts in many other kinds of services.

One that surprised me when I visited their website was hardwood finishing and cleaning. I don't live around Austin, Texas, but I found their website useful in that they offer hardwood floor cleaning tips austin. We have the hardwood ready to install in our house and one thing that has really concerned me was the cleaning of it. I've never had hardwood before. After reading some of the information provided by the site, I feel better about it.

And we've recently had an issue with a leaking roof that's left those ugly water stains on our ceiling. You know what? Repair water damaged ceiling austin is just another in the long list of services this company provides.

I urge you to check out their site. You'll find just what you're looking for. PP

2010 Year in Review on Associated Content/Yahoo! Contributor Network

2011-01-04T06:48:00.000-08:00

A year of learning

It was around this time last year when I decided that I'd had enough of struggling through Associated Content. I'd been writing for them for about a year at that time and was making mere change. In that year, I'd gotten 56,000 page views. That's an average of 153 page views a day.

Today I have over 357,000. A huge leap, right? That's an average of roughly 825 views a day. So what made the difference?

I stuck with it and I continued to learn. It wasn't like I read a bunch of articles on SEO and suddenly my page views went up, it was a combination of listening to the advice of more experienced writers, reading material on the subject, and simply learning by doing. When you're just reading about SEO, page views, and all that jazz, the topic seems so daunting and frustrating to the inexperienced content writer. I, personally, learn better by just doing.

One main thing I learned, though, is that different tactics and methods work for different people. Some people find their best income is earned through upfront payment, others through page views only. Some people do well by on hitting on a lot trending topics, others by evergreen content, some by writing on a variety of topics, others by cornering a niche. It all depends on your style, what you enjoy writing, and a basic grasp of what content writing is about.

There is no one formula for success. Every person, every goal, every factor is different. You need to find what works for you. One proven way to fail is by giving up on it before you've allowed yourself enough time to get a feel for it. If you're impatient with it and expect to be making a descent chunk of change after only a few months, you're going to be disappointed.

My Goals for the Year

I'm not making any yearly goals, just short term. I'm going to continue to write, continue to work, and continue to learn. Happy New Year!

Helping Fellow Writers

2011-01-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

Rissa Watkins

I've come back after my little hiatus over the holidays to discover that one of my writer friends, Rissa Watkins, from Y!CN has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It's a nasty illness that will make for a harsh and trying time for her and her family.

A community of togetherness

One of the best things about Y!CN and content writing in general is that if you network yourself, you get to meet a variety of great people. We come from all walks of life, have many different backgrounds, and while many of us are from North America, we are sprinkled all over the world. And it never ceases to amaze me the sense of community, the acts of kindness and helping one another that our freelance, content writing circle makes. It gives me warm fuzzies.

So as I began reading up on this, I began to see Risa Watkins name on lots of different articles and blogs. It makes me so happy and proud to be part of this wonderful and kind networks of writers.

How you can help

I had a big paragraph of what you could do to help Rissa out but I just watched the below video from theBarefoot that lays everything out neatly for you. Please help if you can.

Subscribe to the Barefoot's YouTube Channel

Merry New Year! There's lots going on. Forgive the fast-talk, but I was trying to stuff it all into one video.
Oh, shirt! http://thebarefoot.spreadshirt.com
JPLnews - What's Up for January 2011? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvIHDw...

Buy a leukemia tee shirt & 100% of the profit goes to help Rissa fight her cancer:
teeBarefoot Charity items - http://ow.ly/3wUfm
Another shirt for Rissa from Angel Sharum http://ow.ly/3wUf7

Read. Simply read. Yahoo pays Rissa for every page viewed:
Rissa Watkins at Yahoo/AC http://ow.ly/3vX77

Make a purchase from Twin Trinity Media (http://www.shop.twintrinitymedia.com/).
$1 from every book and 25 cents from every e-book sold goes to Rissa

Send messages of encouragement:
http://www.RissaWatkins.com
Rissa's Facebook profile http://www.facebook.com/rissa.watkins

I was accepted into the Yahoo!TV Superfan program

2010-12-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

The results of the "Superfan" for Yahoo!TV are back. I'll break down the articles one by one to give you an idea of how this happened in my case.

I submitted five articles for the test assignments:

"Blue Bloods" - This article was a recap of a particular episode. It wasn't reviewed or published in a timely fashion (which is key when doing recap articles) so it published on AC. I was accepted into the program to write for this show.

"NCIS" - This article was another recap. Like the "Blue Bloods" article, this article took a very long time to publish. Unfortunately, for this one, I wasn't accepted into the program.

"Criminal Minds" - This article was a best quotes type article and even though it was more evergreen than a recap, it was published on AC. The format slightly screwed up within the article which makes it look bad, but it's getting page views at least. I was a bit worried about this one. It was the last to be reviewed. I'd been told by an AC staffer some time ago that quotes don't count toward total word count on an article, however, the assignment details specifically stated that "Best of" quotes could be a theme idea for the test article. Even though this article was published on AC, like "Blue Bloods", I was accepted to write for this show.

"American Idol" - This article was in a format of "Where are they now?" which I've had published on Yahoo!TV before. This one focuses on the past 3rd place "Idol" contestants and what they've done since AI. It was published pretty quickly on Yahoo!TV. The funny thing is, while I have followed AI for many seasons, I actually had no intention of watching it again because of all the changes. But I was actually accepted to write for this show so I will be watching it. It's a pivotal season for them and I am sure there will be many interesting things to write about!

"House" - In my opinion, this was my best article out of all of them. I did a comparison of House on Vicoden vs. House on Cuddy. It was delivered to Yahoo!TV but sits in limbo land waiting to be published. I wonder if they are waiting on a string of new "House" episodes before publishing it. But anyway, I was also accepted to write for this show.

Not quite what we expected

Several Y!CN members began their excited chatter about what shows they were going to write about and we discovered that it wasn't quite the exclusivity that we thought it would be. I'm not the only contributor who will be writing on the shows I was accepted for. It wasn't that I thought it would be exclusive but I actually didn't think that SO MANY people would be dipping into the same shows. "American Idol", for example, has so many writers on board that I wonder how productive it will be for Yahoo! to pay upfronts for so many articles focused on the same episodes.

In addition, there were contributors who claimed some of the test assignments but for one reason or another, ended up releasing them instead of submitting them. Some of them were accepted into the program. I know, say what? But it gets better. There were a few contributors who said they never applied and were accepted. This concerns me. It makes me feel like the hard work I did on mine was for nothing.

ETA: Now I'm being told that some acceptance emails were sent out in error. Y!CN is working to correct the problem. I'll update about this program after the first of the year.

Looking forward to the experience

Even though it isn't what I expected, I'm still excited about it and will be putting on my game face with each assignment that comes my way. I'm going to enjoy it as much as I possibly can.

Congrats to all others who also made it into the program! Let's look forward to the beginning of our assignments in 2011.

Seasons Greetings and Happy New Year!

On that note, this will be the last post of the year on this blog for me. I'll come back in 2011 with new helpful information concerning the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings and all that jazz. Here's hoping you don't get too wasted on New Years!

How to Be a Productive Forum Member at the Yahoo! Contributor Network

2010-12-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

So, you just joined the Yahoo! Contributor Network and want to take advantage of the forums? There are a several things to keep in mind when participating in this (or any other) online forum. From simple etiquette, to

following guidelines, and even reporting issues, here are some things I have learned from being a long-time member of the Yahoo! Contributor Network forums, as well as many others.

Read More...

My Yahoo! Contributor Award Nominations

2010-12-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

Today is the day when I opened my schedule and decided to do a day of reading. Everyone has their own special criteria for nominating and mine consists of a variety of factors which I'm not gonna waste time listing. So let's get right to it, shall we?

There are only three award categories this year (which has shrunk from years past). And here are my nominations. Have fun reading and nominate if you wish.

Outstanding Contributor of the Year

Alice Clair Gunkee - She writes a lot of television related items, many of which require lots of research and time. It isn't easy sitting down to make out long schedules of programming, compiling items from all across many networks, but she stays on top of things and even goes after the holiday specials viewers search for. She's an A+ contributor.

Angie Mohr - Her articles are highly focused and very helpful. She writes on a variety of subjects but specializes in finance, food, and wine. She's more than helpful to a great number of fellow contributors.

Jennifer Wagner - She publishes a lot of quality content mostly focusing on home improvement and decorating. Her articles are always helpful, creative, and well written.

Jolie du Pre - She's hard working, and produces lots of great quality and entertaining content.

Katie Sharp-Dierks - A great and helpful contributor whose main focus is on pregnancy topics.

Lyn Lomasi - She is the hardest working writer I know. Not only does she find time to write but she finds time to promote and help others on a regular basis.

Marie Anne St. Jean - I'm not big on crochet (even though I do enjoy reading about it and looking at new creations) but contributor of the year, in my opinion, isn't always about the content. Marie Anne has proven herself time and again as someone who will spend valuable time helping other contributors. She is more than willing to go out of her way for another contributor.

Lisa Mason - Not only is she kick-ass when it comes to content publishing but she spends time promoting and helping other writers.

Rookie of the Year

Kyla Matton - She produces good regular content which is hard to find in a new contributor. She's a "Rising Star" as well. It also helps that she's a sweetheart!

Sylvie Branch - This newbie writer has blasted onto Y!CN with full force. She has over 400 pieces of quality content, has a "Rising Star" award, has a Hot 100 badge, and is already sitting at Clout 9.

Kay Balbi - A "Rising Star" and Clout 9-er with over 400 pieces of content, too, Kay writes on a diverse range of topics.

Content of the Year

When You Find a Breast Lump, Fear Takes Root - by Angie Mohr - This piece resonated with me because I am one of those women who is dealing with an unknown lump. This article portrays exactly how I feel.

Why Sunless Tanning Pills Are Dangerous - by Ann Olsen - A look at a dangerous trend. Ann outlines exactly why you shouldn't take these pills. It's eye opening.

Stan Lee interview with Associated Content - by L. Vincent Poupard - From my perspective, I really shouldn't have to state why I nominated this piece; the headline speaks for itself. Larry has taken his status as a Yahoo! Contributor and taken it to the next level by interviewing the one and only comic book legend, Stan Lee.

Homeschool Tips: Coping With Sending Your Kids to Traditional School - by Lyn Lomasi - This was a personal piece for Lyn as she dealt with this issue first hand. As a mom, I understand this. This article isn't all inclusive to homeschoolers, though. My oldest will be in kindergarten next year and a lot of the points in the article pertains to that situation as well.

Why Few Men Teach Elementary School - by Sterling Beaumont - This male elementary school teacher touches on a subject that isn't often thought about... unless you're actually a male elementary teacher. It's a good perspective on a topic that doesn't get a lot of attention.

My Story: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease After Childbirth - by Jan Corn - Many people have the misconception that PID can only come from having a sexually transmitted disease. Not true. I also experienced this after giving birth. A great article and helps debunk a popular myth.

What I Want You to Know - a Letter to My Daughters - by Rodney Southern - This brought tears to my eyes and I think it will hit close to any parent.

Business Alert: Terry's Complete Renovations - a Contracting Business in Scottsboro, Alabama (Video Link Included) - by Pamela Gifford - I'm nominating one of my own. I worked hard on this piece not for pay but so that no one else in my area would be pulled in by the shady contractor displayed in the article.

Using the "Resources" section to your advantage

2010-12-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

When I first started with AC, I would often bypass the "Resources" section unless I found a link that I felt compelled to share. Now that much of my work focuses on similar topics, I learned how I could use that section to place links to relevant or similar articles that I'd written.

For some reason, though, it took me awhile to realize that I didn't just have to put the links there. You can't use HTML in the box so it looked like the only option was to just have a link. And not many people are going to click on a link without a headline of what it is.

So here's a little tip I picked up a while back: you can include the article title and then follow that with the link. Click here for an example. Scroll down and look on the right hand side under the tab "Resources". You'll see how I'm able to utilize that section for previous articles I've written on the subject by including the headline and link. I just wish I'd realized sooner that I could actually work it that way.

November 2010, Month End Review

2010-12-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

So for the past two months, I've been whining about my page views on AC. There's a sweet spot where if I pick a topic that gets good views and stick with it throughout the month, I do well. For September and October, I never hit it. November was a bit different and my page views once again increased enough for me to make a descent amount in performance pay before Christmas. I've even managed to get my Hot 500 badge back! (It now says "Hot 500 Yahoo!" and is no longer a cute little flame, but that's cool.)

My Profile

But there were many more things that went on in November. First, entertainment contributors were offered the opportunity to apply for a regular Yahoo!TV gig. We opened an application window, told them what set us apart as television contributors, check marked what shows we kept up with on a regular basis and sent it in. A short wait later, we received descent paying assignments that would test our ability to write for those shows on a regular basis. For me, it included five shows, "Criminal Minds", "House", "American Idol", "NCIS", and "Blue Bloods".

As of right now, I've had the "NCIS" article and "Blue Bloods" article, which were both episode recaps, published on AC. Now, I'm not sure if that means that I won't get those spots. Recaps were allowed as part of the test articles but their timeliness in publishing is what makes page views. The staff did not get around to publishing them until they were a few weeks past air date so inevitably, they went on AC and page views suck because they weren't timely. Going to Yahoo! TV was more evergreen content. My "American Idol" article has already been published over there and my "House" article, which is a comparison of House on vicoden vs House on Cuddy, was delivered to Yahoo! TV yesterday but hasn't been published yet. My "Criminal Minds" article, which was a "best quotes" type thing, is still sitting in my queue waiting review. I'm anxious, as I'm sure everyone who applied for the positions is, to see who gets the gigs.

November also saw the change from our status as an Associated Content contributor to the Yahoo! Contributor Network (has a nice ring to it). There are still glitches to be worked out but I have confidence they will be remedied. As long as I can publish and I'm getting page views and am getting paid, I can live with the glitches without getting too upset. Annoyed at no notifications, yes. Angry, no. There's no point to it. This was a huge roll out and was inevitable. It still can't compare to the disaster that was Examiner.com's "upgrade". After that, I can deal with the stuff YCN is going through. (Once I hear back from Yahoo! about logo use, there will be a change in this blog's header, too, hint, hint!)

So November was a rising point for me. And I continue on.

Be looking for an upcoming special post within the next week or two about the Yahoo! Contributor Awards. Check your account page on YCN if you have no clue what I'm talking about. I am planning a day devoted to reading and nominating my choices for these awards and I will post my choices on this blog in case you'd like to nominate them, too. :)

I hope all the U.S. contributors had a lovely Thanksgiving. Hope your Christmas (or whatever you celebrate this time of year) goes well.

-Pamela

Where do my AC page views come from?

2010-12-01T08:17:00.000-08:00

I never actually thought this would be such a sketchy issue but after a recent forum discussion, I'm inclined to post this bit of information just to clarify this for some contributors.

People who get a descent amount of page views get them from search results via Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.

There is a misconception around the block that the majority of page views come from other contributors within the Yahoo! Contributor Network and Associated Content family. If that were the case, the likes of the millionaires (displayed in the sidebar) would mean that they were superheroes when it comes to networking. Well, yeah, some of them might be, but you'd have to have millions and millions of followers to get those kind of results. It's just not feasible. Now, if you are slowly inching along on page views, this might be true in your case. How do you get better page views on Associated Content? You can always post your work in the "Workshop" section of the YCN forums. In addition, you can click here for the page views topic within this blog.

If you're looking for quick money and a sudden rise to fame on the Yahoo! Contributor Network, you're in for a big surprise. Networking helps, but ultimately, it's not gonna amount to much. Learn SEO, dig in and take advice from other contributors, most of whom are more than willing to lend their knowledge and advice.

I won the war against the plagiarizer! I guess I'm a hypocrite.

2010-11-29T08:17:00.000-08:00

The above seal is what you see when you go to dvdscollection.com now. (I wouldn't recommend going there, as I've heard that when you visit, you're IP is flagged which I guess mine is now if you believe those things.) As I detailed in a previous post (click here), I began the war around a month ago after finding a stolen article of mine on their site. Read the previous post to see what I went through with the aforementioned site.

Now, I'm not gonna be so vain as to assume that all my reporting and phone calls were the direct result of this site finally being removed. I can only assume that maybe I played some small role in it. Either way, it makes my day that someone who was profiting from others' work can no longer do so.

Does this make me a hypocrite?

Not even a week ago, I read an article that had been posted by the Jefferson Republican Party Facebook page (as a disclaimer, I'm not an actual member of this political group; I support a couple of politician friends who are and I do agree with some of the party's ideals) about the government being able to yank down a website in the name of copyright infringement without having to prove that it actually was copyright infringement. In other words, there's no accountability which leaves things wide open for abuse of power. I don't agree with that. I own a few websites and would hate to have someone with an agenda to just flip a switch and turn them off if I (and I often do) piss someone off.

On the flip side, of many of the domains that were seized, it's easy to see that the vast majority of them are product sites which for all cases of appearance were more than likely selling bootlegged, fake products, etc. According to this report from Stanford, over 70 sites were seized in this "internet raid".

I feel like a bit of a hypocrite that I'm happy this site has been pulled while at the same time not supporting the method, so to speak, in which it was removed.

I'm sorry I'm happy.

But I can't help it. I've been reporting this site to many, many places for the last month and to finally see them taken down makes me happy.

I feel slightly dirty now.

Does it really matter if I have a picture on my article or not?

2010-11-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

This question comes from John Robertson, a fairly new contributor who signed up under my referral and has published consistently since. (Psssst, he was also an honorable mention in this year's Halloween flash fiction contest.)

His question was:

"Just out of curiosity: Does it make much difference if you add pictures? I thought about just taking some that I thought would work well with my articles, but I wasn't sure if it would really be worth the extra time. Any advice on that?"

Answer:

In short form, yes, having pictures does help, even if only a little. Most people are visually inclined so in general, more people will click on an article that has a picture rather than one with just a headline. Also, having an image makes it easier for the staff to feature your content on the front pages (and yes, the page views garnered from being just on category front pages is worth the few minutes it takes to find an image).

Here is a link to the images topic within this blog. Read through some of these posts (yes, some are a little old but they still apply).

Waging War Against a Plagiarizer

2010-11-16T09:18:00.000-08:00

earl53/morguefile.com

For the last few weeks, I've declared an all out war against an online plagiarizer. Little ole' me with limited tech experience, has decided that no matter how many people try to tell me that there's nothing I can do about a China based website, I will not stop until this site has been removed. And if I see them again under a different name, I'll start the next round.

The site's name is dvdscollection.com (I don't want to give them a link back so I'm not linking it up). They are not only skimming articles from Associated Content and Examiner, but they are also selling bootlegged DVD's. Here's the story thus far.

I received an alert concerning one of my articles having been "Buzzed Up" on Yahoo!Buzz. Great! But that isn't all. The link was to a site I didn't recognize, not to my article on AC. Following the link took me to dvdscollection.com. There was over half my article without attribution or even a link. So I contacted the administrator. I politely told them they could either pay me for the reprint (since this was a DO on AC) or they could remove the article from the site.

Now usually, this works. Some people don't realize that this is infringing and upon learning they take immediate action. Others who are knowingly stealing content get scared that I'm onto them and take immediate action. One time I did have to research the site owner (which is weird because he was a lawyer in Utah) and call him personally to ask him to remove or link my content properly which he did. But generally, an email is all it takes.

Not so in this case.

Round 1

I received a reply that they would handle the situation. But the deadline came and went and my article was still up on the site. So I started digging. As it turned out, this seemingly U.S. based site actually originates in China. Where I would usually start filing DMCA reports to hosts and advertisers, I couldn't find information on anything like that. Asking around about what to do netted little response and most of the responses weren't hopeful. It looked like I couldn't do anything about it. Digging around the site some more revealed that every news article they had up on their site was skimmed from other authors. I contacted some of those authors but realized that it would not do much good.

I researched the site some more and found out that a great number of people believed this to be a bootlegged DVD site. This blog post on Random Ramblings confirmed that. In addition, the company that ships these DVDs (Yan Hai Electronic Commerce (Beijing) Ltd.), has several complaints against them for a variety of problems like damaged products, incorrect products, poor service, and a whole host of other problems which are indicative of a company running illegal products. Additionally, while speaking with a live chat rep, I was told that the DVD's were the "Asian" version. I'm not stupid.

In another email, I again asked them to remove my article. They didn't respond and the article remained.

Round 2

Not willing to give up, I started with reporting their activity on Yahoo!Buzz and was able to get several posts of theirs removed. I started researching further and began reporting them on every site that I saw them posted on. I was able to get them removed from several networking and article sites which they were using to promote their website and have left reviews and comments where they post. Just today, I received an email from the YouTube legal team that stated their content was being removed. Those are small victories in the war, something that makes me feel good when there might otherwise be no recourse.

I wrote the site another email and let them know what I was doing and how I was reporting them to everyone they were coming in contact with. Low and behold, after two weeks of fighting with them, my article has been removed from their site.

ppdigital/morguefile.com

But the war continues

But even though I was able to get them to take my content down, which was the original intention, I've decided not to stop there. What happens to those authors who don't know they are being stolen from? What about the copyright owners of these DVD's that are being pirated? Why should the owner of this company continue to make money from other people's hard work?

If you're not a writer and just don't understand why I take this so personally, allow me to give you a perspective. Let's say you're sitting in your house and someone you don't know walks in and takes your television and there's nothing you can do about it. Then they come back in and start lifting your small appliances from your kitchen. You have no recourse but to sit there and do nothing while your property is being stolen. Can you imagine what that feels like?

That's exactly how writers feel when our work is stolen. It's a terrible feeling. And it takes desperately needed money out of my pocket, money that pays bills and puts food on the table for me and my children.

So I've made it my mission to continue reporting where ever these people representing this website pop up. I even obtained numbers from a Disney rep to contact their legal department, which is exactly what I did yesterday. I've also been reporting them to other networks and companies they are infringing.

A couple of roadblocks

In this war, though, there will inevitably be those people who refuse to take a look at the evidence and who want to say they aren't involved when they really are. While a good number of websites that I've reported to have investigated and removed content related to dvdscollection.com, two websites, thus far, insist that because the article (or in one case the document) isn't directly infringing, they will take no action. One site is docstoc.com (don't want to give them a link back either so here's a copy/paste URL to the document in question, http://www.docstoc.com/docs/38426682/Dvdscollectioncom-Intro-Archer-Season-1-Dvd-Box-Set), who, since initially telling me that they couldn't take action, have ignored me. The other site is ArticlesBase.com who stated that I should contact the author and that they had no authority to remove articles that aren't directly plagiarized (regardless if it promotes illegal and unethical activity). (This is the URL paste of the author in question who is using article writing to promote this website: http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/jetame/167362) I tried to explain to them that the author doesn't give two craps about promoting such a site (okay, I didn't use those exact words but you get the drift).

I also spoke with an AC YCN staffer as it would pertain to Associated Content if someone had reported a contributor writing articles about a site which, upon investigation, turned out to be a site engaged in unethical or illegal activity. My suspicions about how AC YCN would handle it was confirmed. They would look into it and if the reports were valid, the author and articles would be removed from the site. (Did I mention that I heart AC YCN?)

So I included in my response that I knew ArticleBase.com had every authority to remove the author if they saw fit but they just didn't want to follow-up on the reports. I haven't heard anything from them since and the articles remain published on their site.

So the war continues and will likely drag on for a long time. It doesn't hurt my feelings any to take a little time here and there to see what other site I can report them to.

Oh, and if you happen to catch them on a site, will you do me a favor and report them, too? Thanks!

ETA (later the same evening I published this): I've just been informed that docstoc.com has removed the document. Here was their email to me:

" As the document appears to be an advertisement of sorts, as a one-time courtesy, we have removed it. We cannot, however, assure that we will do so again in the future if it is re-posted by a Docstoc user, or is available elsewhere on the Docstoc site, though you are free, of course, to let us know again in the future if it is, or similar documents are, available on the Docstoc site."

Well, that was nice of them, even though they were a little begrudged to do so. :)

ETA: 11/22/10

ArticlesBase has finally removed the author in question who was posting the articles promoting the website. After several emails back and forth, they decided that they do have the power to remove them. Thank you, ArticlesBase.

Update and resolution to this war (11/29/10): Read:

I won the war against the plagiarizer! I guess I'm a hypocrite.

The New Yahoo! Contributor Network and Reaching Clout 10

2010-11-15T07:53:00.000-08:00

My Yahoo! Contributor Profile

So it's been a whirlwind of a weekend.

First, AC contributors knew that AC would be going down for maintenance Sunday evening. We were told there would be a big change. So I hung around Facebook between 8 and 9pm last night waiting for the word from fellow contributors while also checking Associated Content's site for any sign that we were kicking again. Not that I was waiting to publish anything. I just wanted to know what was going on. Pretty soon, Marie Anne St. Jean wrote, "AC is up!" and it was on from there!

My first stop was at the new Associated Content homepage. I was blown away. I really like the new front page (and hope at some point, I can make it on there).

Now, of course, there's gonna be a few glitchy parts here and there, for example, payment reports are a bit screwed up. They are still showing 0 for the month and I have a notice of 4 pending payments when I'm not owed anything right now. So definitely there's some adjustments to be worked out but all in all, I think this is a fantastic change.

And the best part is that contributors are now being offered performance pay on Yahoo! sites. Some of our previous Yahoo! published content have shown up in our accounts with back pay attached; even though we had a legal agreement that we wouldn't be paid page views for those pieces. This, in my opinion, was the step that I talked about in previous posts when Yahoo! was publishing our DO content.

At this point, I'm certain the forum is rife with questions and discussions of the new Yahoo! Contributor Network. I, personally, am avoiding the forum for now until I've caught up with work today because I know it will be a long read that will probably take some time to sift through.

On that note, if there is anything substantial to add after-the-fact, I will post at a later date. So far it looks great and the opportunities are exciting. I'd also like to direct your attention to contributor Lyn Lomasi's blog where she provides some good information: Associated Content and Yahoo! Reveal Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Great job, AC and Yahoo! team!

And on to a second note...

I reached Clout 10 this weekend!

I wasn't really expecting this for another couple of weeks. Getting to Clout 10 was slow going. My little percentage bar on my account page had been leisurely inching along. The last I looked, I was sitting at 95% and then suddenly, I had almost 10,000 page views in a span of two days! So I've topped out on AC performance pay. My next milestone will be the half million page view mark. Hopefully, it won't take me but a few months to reach it.

Enjoy the new AC and keep checking back here for any additional info when I come across it. As always, if you have a question, feel free to ask. If I don't know the answer, I'll find someone who does.

Asking Associated Content to Edit Articles

2010-11-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

It's an icky feeling: you publish your non-exclusive or exclusive content with AC and then realize there is a glaring error.

I used to tell contributors that they would just have to suck it up and deal with it. Why? Because there is an article out there where I got some information mixed up and even though I went over it several times before publishing, I still didn't see it until I'd had a full night's sleep. When I emailed AC for help in correcting it, I received a hasty (bordering on rude) reply that with thousands of pieces of content, AC couldn't possibly edit within the contents of an article. They would alter a title if they needed but wouldn't change anything within an article. This was a long time ago but I still remember that reply and how blatant it was. So I apologized for the error in the comments section of my article only because it was terribly obvious.

Since then, every once in awhile a person will come into the AC forums and ask how to go about getting AC to edit an error. After having received the hasty reply I had, I was confused over and over when more knowledgeable contributors than I would tell them to email community@ if they needed a change on a serious error. ( A small error absolutely don't bother emailing them. Don't tie up their email for a simple typo.)

Mine was a serious error. Why was I disregarded like I was when these more experienced contributors were advising others to go ahead and email AC? No one knows.

An AC staffer assured me that usually, AC will fix problems if asked. If a particular contributor is constantly asking for edits, then they will be "encouraged" to up their proofreading skills but otherwise, there's no reason why I was regarded like I was by an unknown AC staffer. Maybe they were having a bad day or maybe they'd been bombarded with so many emails they snapped. I don't know. I don't care now really but at least we cleared up whether AC will do some edits or not.

Here's something to keep in mind, though. When you publish non-exclusive or exclusive with AC, always proofread, edit, and submit the very final draft. Mistakes do happen but ultimately it is up to you to make sure it is error free. Do the best you can with it so you don't have to worry about asking AC.

Freelance Writer Online - one of the best sources for content writers

2010-11-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

How many times have you performed a search for "Work at home jobs" or "no scam work at home" or other similar terms? And how many times have you been disappointed at the outcome of those searches?

When I was first starting out as a content writer, it was very hard not only to find something legitimate but it was hard to find out pay rates, reviews, and other essential information that you would want to know when you're looking into this type of work. It's stressful to say the least. You want to feel productive and you want to make sure that what you are getting into is going to be worth it. So what paying sites are worth writing for?

screenshot/http://www.freelancewriteronline.info

Freelance Writer Online (or FWO for short) is the first and only website of its kind that I've seen and completely trusted. Suzanne Alicie is a dedicated freelancer who considered the things she would've liked to know when she was first starting out and she compiled it all into this very informative site. You can find an extensive list of paying websites, reviews on those sites written by the people who have or currently write for the site, and you can find general information about content writing, blogging, and so much more.

It's very obvious after being on the site for a couple of minutes just how passionate Suzanne Alicie is about what she does. And the best part is that all the information on the website is not only free but you also don't have to register for anything. Even if you've been content writing for awhile and are looking to spread your wings a bit, you'd be hard pressed not to bookmark this site.

Enjoy site hunting! :)

Another Income Option for Your AC Content

2010-11-03T07:07:00.000-07:00

If you write on a particular subject often, one option for an additional (I almost typed addiction; a proper term with regards to AC, I suppose) revenue is to gather several articles of the same subject and compile them into an e-book. For example, if you write about a television show all season long, at the end of the season, you can do a wrap up of the season and then publish it into an ebook.

Pssst! I design e-book covers! Click me!

Publishing e-books yourself is a rather simple process and most platforms will give you simple instructions on how to format and do this. Some e-book platforms I use is Amazon's Kindle Publishing and Smashwords. Each time one of your books is sold, you earn a royalty. :)

Please note though, that if your content is Exclusive on AC, you cannot do this. (Read THIS POST for information on AC Content rights) Any content that is Non-exclusive or Display Only, you can put into an ebook.

Happy writing!

This post brought to you by Becca Badgett's Clearing the Air With Indoor Plants

2 Year, 2 Months - Month End Review

2010-11-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

October is over and I doubt very seriously that I'll get my Hot 500 badge back for October. My page views were even lower than September.

While this hasn't been a very good month overall for any $ project, I did get a one of my highest upfront offers ever for a general article (excluding Featured Contributor assignments). I got a good offer because my article relates to NaNoWriMo which actually begins today. I also believe that I got a good offer on it because of my personal and professional experience with the topic. If you care to take a look, click the title below.

There is No Such Thing as a Perfect Rough Draft

Another good thing that happened at AC this month was that I had another Yahoo! pickup. One of my FC assignments was flagged by AC for Yahoo! Editors to look at. While the article sits now in the "Partner" tab on my account page, I have to keep an eye out manually on the Yahoo! TV blog for when it might be published. If Yahoo! rejects it, it will be published on AC, and I get to keep the extra compensation, but I think with it sitting in my Partner tab, it might have already been accepted. Not sure.

In any case, I've had the opportunity to apply for a regular Yahoo! TV writing gig. I'm currently waiting to hear if they want me to send a sample article. I would be so psyched to write for Yahoo! on a regular basis!

In any case, here's hoping November will not only provide me more page views and upfronts, but also that I have more time to pursue those page views and upfronts. I seem to be caught up enough to do just that.

Have a great November, everyone!

Oh, for a tip, get your Thanksgiving articles wrapped up this week and then start working on Christmas articles. You want to have those Christmas articles up and indexed by the time the major searches start happening in order to take advantage of rising page views. :)

Profit Power of Writing 'Display Only' on Associated Content

2010-10-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

Top contributor Will Stape talks about Diplay-only articles in the following article and why there is a lot of value in this "free" work.

Before I provide the link, though, I want to reiterate that while this is a good option (I should know because some of my biggest paid months have been when I've just published DO articles), you shouldn't also dismiss upfront payments just because it seems hard to figure out. Getting declined? Then head to the forum and place it in the Workshop where experienced contributors can tell you why.

While I don't always have time to write on AC as much as I'd like to, I still see the value of utilizing both the DO side and the upfront side of AC. Don't stop because you may be getting frustrated with it. Doing so will hurt the amount of money you could make.

If you want to read more about the "upfront" topic, look in the right column at the label cloud at the top and click on the word "upfront" to see more posts.

Profit Power of Writing 'Display Only' on Associated Content
Don't like giving it away? Hate the idea of dealing in freebies? Does the thought of publishing display only give you the chills? Here's why you shouldn't hate nor fear the 'free' on Associated Content.
Read More

The truth about labels: Getting blogging categories right the first time

2010-10-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

This post is actually related more to blogging but I can also attach it to AC's keyword section when you are publishing content. The keywords you type in at AC have nothing to do with how your article ends up in a search and more of how AC will match similar content to your article. Those similar content links will be on your page.

Until AC allows us to pick "Related Content" from our own article garden, we're stuck with everyone else's links on our page both on the right side and underneath our articles. A way to try (and I emphasize try because the process is completely computerized and random) to get more of your related content on the same page as your latest article is to try to use the same keywords on each. This works for me sometimes but not all of the time.

Read further for more about how labels define blogs.
------------------------------
When I first started blogging, I thought that the box where labels go at the end of your blog post were aides in helping your content be discovered through a search. So the more labels you use, the better your chances, right?

That actually has nothing to do with search-ability at all. Your blog's search-ability has everything to do with content and nothing to do with labels.

Read More...

Remodeling with Glass Tiles

2010-10-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

For the last two years, I've lived in a construction zone. There seems to be an ongoing remodeling project in one or more areas of the house (right now it's the bathroom floor and building walls in the basement). While that's enough to drive any mom slightly insane, it's not a completely negative experience. Shopping for the new items to decorate with is one of the fun aspects.

I was sent a link to Glass Tile Store. They have beautiful tiles of all kinds. Case in point, I'm having small fits over the verde diamond glass tile. I can see that making a beautiful backsplash in my kitchen when we get ready to tackle that room. There are also great choices for bathroom tiles. Unfortunately, we're already in the grout (which, btw, they carry grout, too) stage of the bathroom so we'll have to pass on that.

They also have subway tiles which is great for bathroom, kitchen, walls and more. This is certainly a site I'll be bookmarking in our "Remodel" folder. PP

All About Multiple Sclerosis

2010-10-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know much about multiple sclerosis or otherwise commonly known as MS. I know that the percentage of people who have it isn't very high and I know that it is debilitating. That's the extent of my knowledge. I don't have it and I don't know anyone who does.

But what if someone I care about was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis? How would I find information that would tell me what it was? How would I know about MS treatment or symptoms?

If you find yourself needing to learn more about MS, then you should check out the website allaboutms.com. I never knew there were so many topics that focus on MS. There is everything from living with MS tips like how to keep cool during the summer, sexuality issues, traveling with MS, and info on multiple sclerosis diet. It looks like a good site to keep up with news, too.

If you have MS or know someone with MS, this site may be exactly what you are looking for. PP

Is AC/Yahoo lifting articles again? What about AOL buying Yahoo?

2010-10-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, first, I'm going to address the AOL thing. If you haven't heard this, here's the story. From what I understand, this is not concrete. There is more to the process then someone saying that AOL is bidding on or saying they are going to buy Yahoo. To be honest, I know absolutely crap when it comes to stuff like this. I don't understand the jargon and when it comes to reports like this, I don't know what to believe. What I do know is that this is just talk right now. As far as I know, we are not all suddenly going to be thrust into AOL. For right now, AC has more important things to worry about.

So moving on....

Is Yahoo! lifting DO articles again? For a bit of background on what has happened, read this. Apparently a contributor thought that a DO of hers was put on Yahoo! recently but to my knowledge, the content was actually a non-exclusive.

Okay, so as far as I know, the feed error is not happening again BUT this doesn't completely cover all the issues that contributors have over the whole Yahoo! thing. I've actually learned some things since that last post that I will share and try to explain.

First, giving $5 to contributors for the distribution of content to Yahoo! seems like a slap considering the number of page views Yahoo brings in and how many page views can be taken from the original. But contributors are certainly within their right to go with the flow of that if it suits them.

Next, contributors are of the mindset that Yahoo! can't be interchangeable with AC while at the same time being a "partner" that can pick up content. Actually, at this stage, yes, they can be both. This leaves all the rights with Yahoo/AC and NO rights with the contributors. If Yahoo! wants to pick our content and throw a minimal amount of money at us for it, they can. Additionally, according to these policies, Yahoo! can also take whatever else they want without paying us or even without notifying us. It's their site and they can do whatever they want, right? From the responses, legally, yes, they can. While AC and Yahoo! are still in the initial stages of the "merge" or "integration" as they call it, they are legally covered. They can pick up DO's or anything they want. The writers of the site, the ones who are doing the leg work for AC, apparently have no rights whatsoever. That's the way it appears anyway. The only issue that stands out is that the original agreement means that we're supposed to be paid performance for every article unless specifically arranged otherwise. This is really the only legal leverage we have.

So now comes the obvious question. If this is the case, why aren't many of the more experienced writers running for the hills? This has obviously caused many contributors to be leery; some contributors are publishing a lot less and some have stopped publishing altogether. But while the writer's rights are minimal to none while this happens, the honor system of AC is something that has enough merit to me to continue. I believe AC when they say they would never intentionally republish our DO content. I believe AC when they say they are working toward integrating page view payments for content published on Yahoo!. While my trust is leery after having discovered the feed error on my articles myself (it wouldn't have been so bad if AC had alerted us that it might happen) , AC has always paid me what they agreed to and I've not had any other outstanding payment or display problems with them.

Think about it. What good would it do Yahoo! or AC to completely alienate the contributors, to piss us all off enough that we not only look at legal options but also enough that we stop writing for them? AC would be worthless without continuous content. We are the base of what keeps the site going.

There are still matters to clear up and I doubt this will be the last of the story but here's my take on it. I would encourage contributors to continue to write, pay close attention to the rights and distribution rights when you publish, and keep an eye out on your content on any other site (which is something I hope you do anyway). Hopefully, we'll all get answers and a resolution soon. In the meantime, let's encourage the integration so we can start getting some Yahoo! page views!

This post brought to you by AC Contributor Becca Badgett.

I Lost my Hot 500 Badge :(

2010-10-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

September was the absolute worst in page views I've had all year. I made just a little over half of what my lowest PV bonus has been since January. Why? Well, I did slack off a bit on the television writing in favor of working on my latest novel. I have my test readers for my novel getting a chapter a week and they are starting to catch up with me. I've also been working on private client work and other projects that has kept me from doing my normal AC work.

My overall freelance/contract earnings were lower than usual as well so it wasn't just AC.

In the meantime, while I hope I get the badge back next month, if I don't, that's fine because I know I have more to write than just AC articles. :)

Don't be afraid to stick up for yourself when your photos are lifted

2010-10-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

When you sit and work on a slide show for Associated Content or any other site, it's disheartening when you see others lifting your photos to use without your permission.

So here's the scenario I had to deal with a few weeks ago. I was doing publicity for a local event. Knowing that I'll be doing the same next year for said event, I put up pictures on AC in the form of a 2 part slideshow in order to help promote the event next year. Then I stuck the links up on Facebook for both my local website and for AC. The next thing I know, I had over a handful of local Facebook friends posting MY PHOTOS on their Facebook pages. I get that they were excited about the event. I get and appreciate that they had a great time at the event and liked my photos enough to share them. What they didn't understand was their actions were illegal and was directly causing me to lose money via page views.

Dealing with a plagiarizer is a different tactic although the premise is the same. This is copyright infringement. So how do you deal with people you interact with, your real life friends and family, when you know they really meant no harm?

First, don't fly off the handle. That's southern speak for remain calm. When it comes to people who don't work online or don't do much online period, chances are, they just don't know any better. Second, send the "lifters" a polite message letting them know while you appreciate that they like your photos, you get paid from page views and they've just taken money out of your pocket. Instruct them in a nice tone that if they wish to support you as the photographer, they can delete the photos they put up and proceed to share the link to your slideshow. That way, others get to enjoy the photos and you get paid for your work. In most cases, you'll see this is all you need to do. If they are educated about photo copyright infringement, most often, they won't do it again.

What do you do if they don't take the photos down? Well, that's really up to you. Is it worth it to you to report them? Is it worth it to cause a rift? Only you can determine, based on the relationship you have with the person, whether it is worth it to pursue a legal path.

But whether it's an article or a photo, don't feel like you're being petty if you stand up for your self. It's YOUR work and you are entitled to compensation for it. Other people don't sit at their desks for 8 hours a day doing their work for nothing, yours should be no different.

Related Article: It's okay for me to "share" any photo, right?

This post brought to you by Becca Badgett's Growing Blueberries in Gardening Zone 7

Writing for AC is Featured on 'Your Blog Connection'

2010-09-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Fellow Associated Content contributor and blogger Theresa Wiza has featured this blog on her blog "Your Blog Connection".

To read the post, click on "Check Out This 'Writing for AC' Blog". Thank you, Teresa for the links and the recognition!

Oh, and I love the Barefoot's smiling mug in the screenshot! :)

Unambiguous Southern Grammar (humor video from the Barefoot)

2010-09-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Writer pal and AC contributor theBarefoot shares something near and dear to my heart; southern grammar.

Top Contributor Will Stape Gives Interview to BBC Academy

2010-09-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

In an interview with Matthew Wells, one of Associated Content's top contributors, Will Stape talks about his experience with Associated Content. Visit his page and you'll see why he such a great contributor. I've been subscribed to Will Stape's content for a long time and was delighted to see this interview. Watch the video of the interview below and then head on over to Matthew Well's article to read more about Associated Content and Will Stape.

Century 21 in Wilmington, North Carolina

2010-09-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

Century 21 has been around for years and is the world's most recognized name in real estate. The folks up in Wilmington, North Carolina at Sweyer & Associates have been around for 23 years. Anyone looking into Wilmington NC real estate should check out their website. The first thing that catches my attention is the beautiful pictures on the front page. We're talking beach front here. If anything, at least go check out those pictures.

Another thing I noticed about the site was within a few minutes of my arrival on the first page, there was a "ding!" and a chat window opened with an offer of assistance if I needed it. Curious, I typed a polite response and mentioned how beautiful the pictures were. I was astonished to find that the chat was with a real live person and not some chatbot program! Thumbs up.

Heading to the listings, if you're searching for Wilmington NC real estate, you can enter your own criteria such as what kind of dwelling you're looking for, what your price range is, and more. You have the option of a quick search, which is ideal if you're not exactly sure what you're looking for yet, and then you have more detailed options such as school zones, what kind of lot you're looking for and more.

You don't just have to be looking for Wilmington NC homes to live in, you can also find a vacation home. If the pictures are any indication, this looks like a peaceful place to get away.

Happy home searching!

PP

Facebook: A regular page or a "Like" page?

2010-09-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

When you're looking to promote your business or your image (such as for a band or politician), I always recommend a "Like" page on Facebook. The biggest reason is to gain more exposure in search engine results. It's fairly easy to manage one and you can do it directly from your main (personal) account, assuming you have a personal Facebook page just to keep up with friends and such.

Using a Facebook "Like" (previously known as a "Fan") page is one of the best tools for online networking. As Facebook continues to grow, even locally, the exposure your page can have to potential customers and fans is phenomenal.

Read More...

AC and Me (or is it AC and I?)

2010-09-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

I realized as I recategorized my labels yesterday on this blog that I haven't done a random progress report in awhile.

So how am I doing on AC? For the last several months, I've been doing fantastic... this month, not so much. My page views this month are less then half what they usually are and I've been writing just as consistently as I always have. But I fret not. I'm going to take some advice at the end of this week and do some networking and such.

I have mostly recovered from the AC/Yahoo! blunder that I'd been stressing about the last couple of weeks. My payment for the test feed error came through Monday as promised. There are still questions surrounding the legality of the whole situation but for the most part, I think it is something that can be moved past.

I'm also gunning for a "Best of AC" award this month for television. I was nominated last year for the award but didn't get it so I'm hoping that maybe this year will be my year.

In any case, I would really love to write more for AC. I could kick some ass if I had the time to write as much as I want but I do have other obligations and I have little ones at home.

I hope your time with AC is fruitful and I'll see y'all next time.

Where is my account number for my Associated Content W-9?

2010-09-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

When you make enough money to finally be responsible for the taxes from your Associated Content income (hurray?), you'll get an email that states you'll receive no more payments until you turn in a W-9.

In the email, it states that you can fax or mail it, but you can also print it, fill it out, scan it and attach it in an email.

You'll also notice at the bottom of the email that you must put in your account number. Community Guide Marie Anne St. Jean often tells contributors to "click to your profile page, then look at the number just before your name in the URL". This is your account number. There is a space at the end of the first section of the W-9 where the account number can go.

Why does AC require them?

I have no clue. According to knowledgeable contributor (and tax mogul) Angie Mohr, no non-IRS numbers should be going on a W-9.

I did not know this when I submitted my W-9 and after consulting Angie about it, I simply submitted my W-9 without one. I included a note in the email that I had no clue what it was for or where to find it as my first email to them asking where to find it went unanswered. I never got an email stating whether that was okay or not but I started getting payments again so apparently they accepted it.

It's unclear why AC is requiring this number but so far, using Marie Anne's advice hasn't produced any further questions on the matter.

Writing for AC Wins the Blog Goddess Award

2010-09-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

Blog Goddess Award courtesy of Bloggoddess.weebly.com

This blog has just been peer picked for a Blog Goddess Award. This makes the second peer award this blog has received and I'm truly flattered. Thank you so much!

The Blog Goddess Award goes to women bloggers who maintain blogs that are motivational, inspirational, dynamic, full of useful information and more.

I received this award as a direct result of my post about Associated Content and Yahoo's mistake which led to articles being published on Yahoo! without permission. You can read that post here. Essentially, people find it touchy to write about things that are as controversial as this topic has been (and continues to be). But if you don't speak up, who will? I've come to realize over the last couple of years that if I don't open my mouth and provide information or state my opinion, then I can't expect change for the better in anything that I (or others after me) do.

I appreciate the recognition. And I will continue to provide my readers with the good and not-so-good of Associated Content for as long as I am writing for the site.

Thank you.

Yahoo! and Associated Content's GREAT BIG Blunder to AC Writers

2010-09-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Because I took the weekend off, I've spent the majority of a fine Monday morning not only mourning the loss of one of my favorite uncles but also feeling quite robbed and violated by Associated Content and Yahoo!. Because I've promised to give you all the information, good and bad, that came along as a result of writing for Associated Content (and I feel like I've done that fairly well over the past sixteen months), this is not something I'm willing to ignore because this was a huge blunder and in writing standards, I think "blunder" is actually a nicer form of the word then what I want to use.

The Yahoo!/AC "Blunder"

Last week, as I was following up on reports of a site (completely unrelated to Yahoo! and AC) that many people were saying was plagiarizing AC content, I came across a feed that showed a television review of mine. I clicked on it and was absolutely shocked to see an article I'd written on the 10th of August on the premier of "Bachelor Pad" in its entirety directly on Yahoo!News. The only link backs to me on AC was links that I had placed within the article myself. My name was not even linked to my profile. Several things were immediately evident to me.

The article had been a DO (display only) article and Yahoo! didn't have the permissions to publish it on their site.
I had not been notified by Yahoo! or AC that my article was published.
I had not been paid for the display of it on Yahoo!
The article on Yahoo! was up for almost a month, competing with my original article's page views.
I didn't get a Google alert for the article so I wondered how many more articles of mine were displayed illegally.

This is a shocker, I know, especially for those who don't frequent the forums enough to be aware that this is going on. And let me just tell you; this is one of those instances that I equate to catching your spouse kissing another person. I thought a lot of AC and I respected Yahoo!. But to see my article like this, it was a blow. I took it hard. I felt betrayed by someone I trusted. After some consideration about what to do, I posted in the forums.

As it turned out, there were others with similar problems. DO articles completely lifted and placed on Yahoo! (such as in my case), others who have had no extra payment for articles displayed on Yahoo! but instead offered more work as a "Thank you", misled information relating to assignments and more.

Copyright violation is a serious offense to a writer and this was, in mine and many others' opinions, a perfect copyright violation. (I should note here that AC and Yahoo! deny this is any sort of violation and I'll explain that further down.) What makes it even worse is that evidence suggests that AC was aware of this. They had sent notifications to some contributors (oddly I wasn't one of them) that there were feeds being tested. I have no clue what was going on in their heads even after they found out they were publishing full DO articles. And even worse... this practice continued.

Listen, I completely get that there are bugs that happen when testing things but when you know that something is going wrong, it should be stopped. According to one contributor, even when this was brought to AC's attention, the response was that there was nothing they could do about it and that we (contributors) should just suck it up. Not the exact words but similar in meaning. Only when it burst into full force in the forum was there a scramble to make up for lost time.

The Response

I waited and fretted most of last week over the issue. You'd think as against copyright infringement (oops, sorry, non-permissive usage (towmaytoe, towmawtoe)) as most reputable online sites appear to be, that the issue would have been addressed immediately. But that's neither here nor there. It was eventually addressed Saturday but I had taken the weekend off and didn't see it until yesterday morning.

On first glance, it looked like those of us who had our content lifted were going to be patted on the head with $2. Sorry, guys, $2 for a piece used without permission is like trying put a band aide on a wound that needs stitches.

I've said before that when I find an article of mine copied without permission on another site, the first thing I do is send an invoice to the owner of the site and I charge them more for reprint rights than I would someone who asks for permission. Neither one of those amounts come close to $2.

The Second Response

Sensing that the masses were unhappy with the $2 insult and with outstanding legal questions, the guy with the unfortunate task of relaying the messages to us came back with a $15 appeasement gift per each DO that was published without permission. The reason is NOT because they used it without permission but because they took so long to fix it (and it's not even fixed yet; read more). I'm rolling my eyes at this. An apology that they did us wrong (and are continuing to do us wrong) is in order but I doubt we'll see it.

While this doesn't completely cover the brunt of the violation that occurred, it was, in my opinion, a step in the right direction. But there's more.

Those who were crying "Copyright infringement!" (including me), needn't retain lawyers just yet. According to the Master Licensing Agreement, because it owns AC, Yahoo! is considered "The Company". So in other words, Yahoo! has every right to take our content, place it on a Yahoo! page, let it suck page views from our AC published articles of the same name and not pay us for it. In the same breath, they say that they would never intentionally do it. At least they recognize the practice as highly unethical.. or at least I hope they do.

But it Hasn't Stopped!

The article I found has been pulled from the Yahoo! site and so has several others and while I haven't found any more of my own (and believe me, I've been looking), some other contributors have... even as late a YESTERDAY. I don't know everything about tech issues but this ranks right up there with the huge Examiner.com upgrade fail. The more they keep trying to put a lid on the bugs, the more it keeps spilling over. Now contributors are wondering why it's taking so long, why there are some contributors' articles still being affected, etc.

What Now?

Do I think this is an intentional attempt at stealing articles?

No. I feel like this is an error in both technology and in the way it was handled after the fact.

What will Yahoo! and AC do about it?

As already stated, many articles have already been removed from Yahoo! sites and I hear they are in the process of removing all of them. I hope they are taking care of the feed problem as we speak. We're being compensated $15 per lifted piece. I do believe them when they say that they wouldn't intentionally do such a thing but I'm still upset at what happened and what appears to be continuing to happen. (And trust me when I say this ONLY because it's AC and Yahoo!; someone I wasn't associated with wouldn't be so lucky.) We were violated, legalese or not, this was a violation of our rights and our trust. As a writer, one of the biggest insults to me is when someone takes my work without even so much as asking much less not even paying for it.

What will I do now?

I'm going to continue writing for AC with extra attention being paid to the wording of rights. I will be leery about Yahoo! and AC in much the same way I was when they first attached to each other. I'm only continuing with AC because I don't feel like this was something that was brought about by intentional deception. If I had thought otherwise, this post would be entirely different. I do feel like, though, it was with a lack of respect for our intelligence that it was handled the way it was. And it takes awhile to build trust back up after it's been betrayed.

What do I expect to happen now?

I expect whatever it is AC and Yahoo! are doing TO STOP. Despite the legal coldness of it, I don't think AC or Yahoo! really believes that it's ethical to place our articles in dual to compete with one another without express permission from us. To do so without our initial knowledge robs us of page views and money not to mention erodes our trust. It is my hope that they are making this their priority.
I would like to know why this was tested the way it was without a payment system in place to protect your writers in the first place. I understand there are kinks but I have to wonder whether my lack of page views last month was a casualty of this nonsense. It makes me feel like we're not valued as contributors.
I expect AC to be more upfront about these issues. I realize it's not the most legal-etiquette way of handling things but when you're spouting cold legalese when so many people would like a simple apology and an acknowledgment that what's been done to them was WRONG, it goes a long, long way in rebuilding trust.
I expect AC and Yahoo! to address the other issues that have come up as a result of this but to do so in due time after the feeds have stopped and no one else is complaining about more of their work showing up unexpectedly on Yahoo!.

There are many more things I would expect of AC and Yahoo! but this is going to have to do for now. I'm tired of stressing about this.

I will just state here that I'm really dismayed and disappointed. More care should have been taken and the AC staffer who knew about the problem before I even knew about it but did not respect the impact of it should be counseled on identifying a real problem and taking appropriate action instead of letting it go in the interest of "testing a feed". Additionally, I expect that Yahoo! and AC will take further care in the future and that something like this NEVER happens again.

I'm still excited about what the future holds for AC contributors and Yahoo!. The possibilities look really promising and I can't wait to see where it goes. If you're running into this blog and you're not a contributor, please don't let this deter you from giving it a go. Every integration has it's problems; this just happens to be a big one. But I'm willing to stick it out for now and see what happens only because AC has been a great place to be.

But I shall proceed with caution.

*Note: If you would like to check for your articles on Yahoo! do a search in quotes for "your name" site: yahoo.com or for the title of your article (or unique phrase from your articles) in quotes "title or phrase" site: yahoo.com.

How to Get Fans and Followers on Associated Content

2010-09-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

How to Get Fans and Followers on Associated Content
Does your AC profile need some love? Do you keep checking your fans and followers pages in hopes that more people will appear? There are many different ways to get fans and followers on Associated Content. The methods I find the best might surprise you.
Read More

Linking Articles from One Site to Another or Between Articles

2010-09-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

A reader posted the following comment on my How to Start Writing Content article on Associated Content:

"So, do you try to link your AC and Examiner articles? How about your blog? Are your posts to each duplicated or in concert with each other in any way? Just starting out, so I'm curious how to get organized from the beginning. Still learning about all the RSS, Digg, Twitter, etc. options and trying to tie it all together cohesively. ~ Thanks for all of the tips, etc."

This is a lot but I'll try to explain, from my perspective, how I can link different things up.

When I still regularly wrote for Examiner, if I had an article that related to one I was writing for Associated Content, then I would link it. If I didn't have one, then I wouldn't. The same goes for my blogs or other sites. If it isn't relevant to the article you are writing, then don't link it. It's really that easy.

I don't intentionally write things that will link up with one another. I think about each blog and each site that I write for, create a list of topics for each and start writing. After I'm finished writing it, I think about whether it is relevant to another site or blog. If it is, I'll find a way to link it. If it isn't, then I move on. You should never try to link up something to your articles just to create a link. It is a quick way to discredit yourself.

Sometimes, I will write an article on one blog or site, and then realize that it is relevant to another blog or site. In most cases, if it is on a blog (not AC), then I will do a teaser and then link the article from my other site. For an example of this, see this post.

And sometimes, I will specifically write an AC post that will link up to one of my blogs or another site. For an example of this, see this post. Because my Associated Content articles are scattered from topic to topic, I don't expect someone who is interested in my television articles to be interested in my local articles. But I want to keep the interest of these readers and I do so by having a television blog and a local blog which each feature my content on the subjects as well as others. (Notice how I linked those up because it was relevant?)

I don't often duplicate articles from one site to another but I also don't write for many different sites. I'd rather link to and from my blogs so I get the page views from one to another. But I realize it's different for everyone.

Social networking (Digg, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) is a different beast than inter (or intra?) linking your content. For social networking topics, visit this post and this post. You will find some great information on those links.

In reality, there's no easy answer for how to correctly do these things. You can read all the material you want but it doesn't equal the knowledge you gain from time spent actually doing it. Over time, as you build your library of content across whichever sites you write for, linking between articles will come naturally. You'll then understand what is relevant, how best to do it, and how to be successful overall.

My 2 year AC-versary!

2010-09-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize until yesterday that I'd bypassed my AC-versary without even realizing it. September 5, 2010 marked two years since I first begrudgingly signed up for AC. After having dealt with Helium for so long, I was weary of signing up for anything else. It didn't help that out of the first few articles I submitted, one was declined for upfront and the other two upfront offers were really low. I was discouraged, deleted all my submissions and remained one of those CP's (we were called "content producers" then), who didn't write anything for months. In January of 2009, I came back to AC with a little bit more of an open mind and I began writing and submitting.

Over the last two years, I've learned a lot, I've gained confidence enough that I ventured out into other projects. Now I actually feel like I'm doing something worthwhile not just as a job but as a career. And the best part is that I get to do all this and focus on my boys which is more important.

Thank you, AC!

Putting your current articles up for reprint sale

2010-09-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Because this relates to content writing as well, I thought I'd share a blog post I wrote a couple of days ago for my services blog.

Now I've just started my page on buying reprints and have some work to do on it so Lyn Lomasi's page would probably be a better reference for the type of selling I'm talking about. You'll see the links to these pages within the post I've linked to here.

Things to keep in mind with Associated Content articles is how you publish. You cannot offer your content for reprint sale if you've given exclusive rights to Associated Content. For a breakdown of rights on Associated Content read, Content Rights on Associated Content - Deciding How to Publish.

-----------------------------------

Read Putting your current articles up for reprint sale

August brings more upfront pay but less page views

2010-09-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Examiner.com bit the dust for me this past month. By doing a site wide "upgrade" that wasn't tested properly, they've screwed up much of the site. After a few weeks, my pages (I wrote on two topics) are still messed up and not displaying properly.

So for the last few weeks, I've largely been ignoring this blog as I tried to salvage my readership from both my Examiner pages. I've been developing new sites and such that left me writing less for Associated Content than I did before. In the end though, while my page views have not been as great this month as they have been the previous two or three, my upfront payments were much higher than usual because I actively pursued topics that would get me an upfront. I still had my 3 FC assignments but I also lucked up on two assignments that were targeted to FC's in the Arts and Entertainment categories and I had a partner call from Yahoo!TV which you can read about in this post.

Now as I proceed this month, my goals for my content and overall writing is to at least double what I've made for August. I'm curious to see if I can make up for the Examiner.com loss through AC and my blogs. I'm also expanding my network to YouTube so that should be wonderfully fun.

Continuing on, I'll be seeing if I can actually make enough to support myself and my children. Right now, I'm borderline on being able to do that. But in light of recent personal things, it is a reality that I'm going to have to face within the next six to eight months. Can I reach my goal of being able to support myself and my children just with my online work? It will be interesting to find out! (Psssst, and that's why you should follow this blog!)

How to Start Writing Online Content

2010-09-01T09:09:00.001-07:00

How to Start Writing Online Content
I am often asked how someone with no experience can learn to do what I do, which is write online for money. Here is my answer, step by step, of how you can start your own library of online content.
Read More

Article Writing Tips: Quality versus Quantity

2010-08-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

Lisa Mason is a very knowledgeable person who has been writing for over 10 years. She has a lot of excellent tips and articles out there on her various sites. It would be worth the time to look over them.

There is an ongoing debate in the article marketing community about quality versus quantity. How many articles do you really need to have a good article marketing campaign? There really is no magic number when it comes to this but there is a debate over quality versus quantity. Read More...

My First Yahoo! Assignment

2010-08-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

I've just had my first direct Yahoo! experience and I want to share that experience with you so if you can manage to snatch up a Yahoo! partner assignment, you'll know what to expect.

Usually I'm not quick enough to grab a partner assignment like this but I happened to be sitting at the computer working on another project when the email came in. There are other times when the assignment doesn't pertain to me at all. But this one did. I'm a regular watcher of "Royal Pains" on the USA Network so when Yahoo! wanted an article about the strangest medical cases on "Royal Pains", I immediately logged on to AC and to my surprise, I was able to claim it. The assignment details were on point and gave me tips for the style and tone they wanted as well as what they would pay me. I reviewed the examples and the next weekend sat down for some research.

Even though I'm a "Royal Pains" fan, there was no way I would be able to remember every case and every plot line. So I sat and sifted through episode recaps, reviews, and commentary until I found the episodes and cases I wanted to write about. I wrote the piece and submitted it just like I would a regular Associated Content piece. A couple of days later, it disappeared from my queue and I noticed the little notice at the top of my account page that said, "1 payment pending". Was my piece accepted? How would I know when it was published? So I asked my questions on Facebook and my writer pal L. Vincent Poupard responded. "If you go under your content tab, you will see a tab that says, 'Partners.' If you click on this, you should see your article. Once it publishes, you can link it from this location." Although I haven't been able to link it from that tab, knowing that it was going to be on Yahoo!TV, I just kept an eye on the site. I suspected that they would wait until today to publish it because the finale is on tonight. I was right. Today, it is being switched out in the top feature block on Yahoo!TV's homepage.

It's rather exciting to be able to say that I've been published on one of the largest websites ever. To me this is a big deal. It's why I heart AC! If you want to read the article on Yahoo!TV, here it is: The Most Bizarre Medical Cases on "Royal Pains".

"Freelance Writing Online: A Guide for Beginners" by Suzanne Alicie: An Ebook Review

2010-08-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Alicie is one of the most helpful writers there are. She provides excellent info across all her sites. So when I saw this review by Jean Brewer on Suzanne's book on freelance writing, I knew I had to post.

"Freelance Writing Online: A Guide for Beginners" by Suzanne Alicie: An Ebook Review
An essential reference for anyone considering a career as an online writer.
Read More

Useful Info for New Contributors

2010-08-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

I've linked up articles from Community Guide, Lyn Lomasi before but I don't know just which ones. So when she released a blog post on her Article Writer for Hire site, I thought I better snatch it up to share. Browse through and you're sure to find some great information in there.

Writing for Associated Content: Useful Info for New Contributors

New to writing for Associated Content? After signing up and reading the FAQ, TOU, and Submission Guidelines, you may still have questions. As a seasoned AC Contributor and Community Guide, I've compiled answers to some of the things new writers may wonder about and need help with. Read more...

About Your Byline on Associated Content

2010-08-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

You can have a pen name on Associated Content if you want. But if you want to reprint the same article you use on AC to other sites, you have to use the same byline. This is rule number one in the Submission Guidelines.

For example, let's say you're known as Tim Patterfoot on Helium. When you get to Associated Content, you decide you want to be known by your real name, Jim Patterfoot. This is completely fine... unless you want to republish your Helium articles on Associated Content or vise versa (click here for content right information which includes how you can have the same article on more than one site). If you want to do that, then your names have to match up on both sites. This prevents stolen articles and increases your credibility.

If you have any questions concerning bylines, then feel free to ask them in the comment section. I'll answer them the best I can and if I don't know the answer, I'll find someone who does.

Another Option in Purchasing Tickets

2010-08-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

There's not too many wide range ticket sellers online. People automatically go to the one they've heard of most. But is it always the cheapest? Where else can you go to get a good price on many different events?

I don't know how long ACheapSeat.com has been around but from the looks of things, they certainly know what they are doing. They have theater, sports, concerts... any kind of event you want to see, they seem to have it.

I haven't bought a ticket from them yet but the next time that something comes along that I would love to see, I'll definitely try them out, especially if it can save me a few bucks. And you don't have to just browse by event. You can search for your local arena, browse through the schedule of upcoming events and choose whatever you'd like to see. They have everything from Georgia Dome tickets to Cowboys Stadium tickets, to Arrowhead Stadium tickets.

If you've ever bought a ticket from them before, I'd be interested in hearing your experience. Feel free to comment below. PP

AC Etiquette: Commenting on Other Articles

2010-08-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

There are three major points today that I'd like to bring up. The first I've already written about in this blog post. I don't think it bears repeating.

The second is inspired by three, huge paragraph-type comments that I received on an article a couple of months ago from another contributor.

AC Commenting Etiquette: Don't Leave Disrespectful Comments on Other Articles

Disagreeing with a subject matter in a respectful manner is a completely different thing than openly trashing someone's work on a comment section. I give the person who did this to me gut points for not hiding behind a "Guest" name, though. This guy started off stating how his opinion differed from mine, which was fine. Then the second comment escalated into a "Do you even know what you are talking about?" and the third comment completely demeaned me into a "You're the reason AC has such a bad name," type of comment as if he was getting angrier with each comment. I left the first comment on my article but deleted the last two and sent him a message that in the future if he wanted to comment on my articles, he needed to do so in a respectful manner or next time I'd report him.

I just finished telling someone that the premise is different when dealing with anonymous comments (which we now have a way to block, yay!) than dealing with comments that come from fellow contributors; our working peers.

You get the gist.

AC Commenting Etiquette: Commenting Just to Put Your Name on Someone Else's Article

I'm completely aware that not everyone will agree with this so take it however you wish. It is not my intention to "call out" or "scold" anyone for doing this. This is just my personal opinion and not something I would consider doing.

I don't think that commenting just to comment or just to leave your clickable name on an article is very good etiquette. I can't tell you how many times I see a " :) " or a "Thanks!" or a "Good job!" on my articles. It's not that I don't appreciate the page views but I've always been of the mindset that if you don't have anything relevant to add or really feel moved to say a meaningful thank you to the author, then move on.

I read a lot more articles than what I comment on. I enjoy a great deal of them, but I'm not gonna put a generic comment on something just to leave a comment. And I also wouldn't want anyone to feel obligated to click on my articles if they weren't interested in reading them in the first place. I'm not into the whole "follow just to be followed thing" although I understand that's the way some people like to do it.

Whichever way you like to do it is completely okay. But just don't make me feel like just because you left ten " :) s" on my articles that I should feel obligated to do the same for you. And don't think that just because I don't comment that I'm not reading.

Shopping for the Perfect Car

2010-08-04T06:16:00.001-07:00

Guest written by our friend Sergio Chaney

I recently found myself having to move due to a new job position. I was hoping that I would get the position; however I knew that some things would have to change before I moved. One of the biggest things that would have to change was the car that I had. The car was not going to be able to continue to get me to places and was becoming increasingly unreliable.Besides I was in the mood for a new car to go along with my new position. With my huges net satellite internet service I was able to start searching for different dealers in my area and see the many cars that they had available at that time. I knew that it was something special that I was looking for and I would know it when I saw it. Sure enough I found the most beautiful, black car that provided me with the sleek look that I was hoping for. I was so happy that I found the car that fit my budget. Also the car dealership allowed me to do a trade-in with my previous car; so I received a great deal. I am overjoyed with my satellite internet in Allendale Michigan, my new job and my new car. PP

Work at Home Myths

2010-08-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

I will look at this as part rant, part informational for those considering working at home. This is also for those who have family that work at home so that you may better understand what it is your family member does on a daily basis.

We can lounge around in pajamas all day.

I don't know about others but I can't just wear pajamas all day. Well, I guess I could if I wanted to but that isn't the point. I look at my work at home job like I would an outside job. I get dressed which helps me mentally prepare for the day. And lounge? Phhhhpppppt! Who has time to lounge? I sit at the computer and I work in between bouts of caring for and playing with my children.

Lounging. I wish.

We don't really "work".

What is considered work? Would it be considered work if I got into my car and drove for 30 minutes or more to another building made with wood and concrete to do the same thing I do at home?

For some, work is measured in physical exertion. But I don't think that applies here. Someone is considered "working" even if they go to an office and sit behind a desk all day. Location doesn't matter. I work. End of story.

We don't make any money.

This was relatively true at first. But as time goes on, working at home gets more and more lucrative. You just have to learn and grow, just like with any other business.

We make tons of money.

On the flip side, there are people out there who think we're filthy, stinking rich. That's why I drive a car that 10 years old, right? While I make some money, it isn't a large amount and not near enough what people generally think I make.

We can watch all the TV we want, take breaks anytime, etc.

Blah, blah, blah. I tend to think that the people who accuse those who work of home of doing nothing but sitting back and watching TV all day are actually expressing their jealousy when they say stuff like this. I actually don't watch television at all during the day and the only "breaks" I take are child care related.

I have all the time in the world to watch your kids, run your errands, etc.

I get so sick of people thinking that I can just take off on a whim. I have deadlines, I have a paycheck to earn, and I can't do it if you want me to watch your child, go to the bank for you or whatever other insignificant non-emergency thing you want me to do.

Breathe in, breathe out.

This is the biggest problem I have. But I'm beginning to think it does no good to tell others that I work for a living. People think that because I'm home, I don't have a "real" job. But I've written on that before (in this article) so I won't elaborate further.

You wanna work at home?

If you're going to work at home, just know that it takes a lot of real work, determination, and persistence to make it worthwhile. And it's ten times harder to keep up with when you have children. You can't just say you want to work at home but then make no effort to do so. And know that working at home means that you will most likely work HARDER than you did outside the home. This is especially true when you are first starting out as you learn and create a name for yourself.

Is it worth it?

You betcha! Now that I've gotten to a point where I'm pulling in a fair amount, I am more confident in the knowledge that I can, in the near future, pull in enough to reach my goals. But it has taken me a long time to get here and I didn't give up.

If it is something that you really want to do, don't give up on it. And I would like to recommend a friend's blog called Work at Home where she lays all of her experience out for you for free to let you determine how to best choose how you want to earn your living at home.

Writing for Associated Content Gets the Versatile Blogger Award

2010-07-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to doing this again. Thanks to Suzanne Alicie at Work From Home for handing this award off to this blog. This little peer-driven award has been making the rounds all over the place. A month or so ago, I got it for my author's blog. It's exciting for it to have found it's way around to another one of my blogs.

The rules of the versatile blogger award state that I must tell everyone 7 things that aren't commonly known about me, and then provide a list of those I'm handing the award off to. Because I've done this before, I'm gonna cheat and list what I listed on my other blog.

1. I enjoy a some cartoons like "Phineas and Ferb" and "The Penguins of Madagascar".
2. I have to mentally restrain myself from being a control freak.
3. Ice cream (most flavors) is the best food ever concocted.
4. I have to have something to do with my hands while I watch TV like sewing (even though I can't really sew that well).
5. I have a bad habit of twirling my hair.
6. I used to be a smoker. I've been smoke free for almost a year now.
7. I am smack dab in the middle of four sisters. The oldest is 5 years older than me, the youngest is 5 years younger than me, the next oldest is 4 years older than me, and the next youngest is 4 years younger than me.

There you have it. I'm sure you were on the edge of your seat for that info! LOL.

Now for the blogs that I am passing the award off to...

Again I'm backtracking this to Suzanne Alicie for Marriage Examiner - In Depth. This is a newer blog and the potential in it is great.

Marie Anne at Write, Wrong, or Indifferent. Marie has started this blog off great. As an Associated Content contributor herself, she knows the ins and outs. She's already gotten a great interview up with AC's own Jelena Woehr.

Angie Mohr at Timeless Foods. This is one of the most unique food blogs I've seen.

I know it's only 3 but that's all I really have time for. The others that I had considered either hadn't updated in a really long time or are the same ones I had passed it to before.

Once again, thanks for all the support! Have a happy weekend!

A New Blog for Examiner.com Writers

2010-07-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

I signed up with Associated Content in September of '08. (OMG, has it really been almost two years?) I didn't write for a few months and then I came back in January of '09 and began pounding out articles, learning what works, what doesn't, and still to this day I'm learning. In May of '09 I started this blog as a way to promote my work on AC and to share things that I've learned. I never would've guessed that it would be a source for newbies or that it would have a ranking of 4 (!) on Google.

As Associated Content changes and grows, this blog will be in service for a long time. With the fairly new Yahoo! acquisition, things will be changing here and there so I doubt I'll run out of topics anytime soon; especially since many contributors are picking up assignments for the Yahoo! main network of sites, too, like Shine, OMG, News, and more. It's all very exciting.

As some of you may be aware, another site I write for is Examiner.com. I have a couple of Examiner posts on this blog only because I know that there are many ACer's who also write for Examiner. But Examiner is a very different beast from AC. There's a different organization to it, there are different rules of the road. Now that I've been writing for Examiner.com for almost 10 months now and write on 2 different topics, I can say that there are many things I've learned, some things I haven't, and yet other things that I think would be beneficial to having a better place for Examiners to network and share thoughts. This blog has been good in that respect for AC and now there will be a blog for Examiner.com writing, too.

If you're an Examiner.com writer, or considering being one, feel free to hop on over to my brand new blog, Writing for Examiner.com. I'll have the first blog post up very soon.

The Best Choice in Car Repair and Information

2010-07-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Not long ago I came across RepairPal.com while writing an assignment for another client. This site is so huge that there's no way I can go over the whole thing in just one post so I'll try to show you the various uses of it instead.

First, let's say your stranded in San Diego and you need to find the nearest auto repair shop. You can go to RepairPal.com and search for San Diego auto repair and there you go. Or you can search for an auto shop anywhere. After hitting "search", you have a Google map that comes up marking the nearest shops to your location. You can also see the shop's rating in the listing.

Second, let's say you're considering buying a Ford F-150 and you'd like to read up on customer reviews, ratings, any recalls on parts, or really anything you can think of before you buy it. Look it up on the site and there you go. You have everything on one site that you can possibly want information on.

Third, say you want to know what that little click in your engine is or what it means when your check engine light comes on. That information is there, too. The great part is if the article misses anything, you can scroll down to see user comments which is often helpful as well.

This site is impressive. It has everything about automobiles that you can possibly imagine. From repair to shop locations to technical information to reviews, everything you need, even if you are in a bind, is there for the browsing. I've recommended it before and I do so again. PP

Computer Shopping

2010-07-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

I'd never heard of Become.com before. Apparently, they are a shopping site and not too shabby either. They sell everything from clothes to computers. For me, I'm always in the market for a computer. After all, as a content writer, much of my life is online so I've got to have reliable hardware at a price I can afford (even on a content writer's pay).

So far, I like the site. The layout is simple and not to crowded. It's very easy to use, too. All you do is just click on something you're interested in to see the product details, read reviews... and what's better is that many of the listings have price comparison for different sites. Take for instance this MacBook Pro Notebook listing. What could be easier then that, right? In addition, you can put in your email address in order to get an alert when the price drops. Pretty impressive.

So it's not everyday that I go out looking for a new computer or laptop. But computers and laptops is not all they carry. They also have accessories... tons of accessories. If you look at this category here for computer accessories, they have over 20,000 items listed. This tells me that they might just have anything you may need. And if you'll take a look at the left column, you can easily search by brand, ratings, and more options.

If you're on the lookout for computers and accessories, maybe you should head over to the computer side of Become.com. PP

AC Etiquette: Spam-Flattery Will Get You No Where

2010-07-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

I could've sworn I wrote a post a few months ago about how PMing other contributors and asking them to check out your work was bad AC Etiquette but I can't seem to find it so we'll say it now: PMing a variety of contributors and asking them to check out your work is bad AC etiquette. There.

With that said, there's another form of bad AC etiquette. It's called spam-flattery and gauging from the number of people who said, "Oh, thank you," back to the contributor who practiced this, a number of writers were fooled. Read on for more.

A number of contributors received a message on their contributor profile last week. The message read something along the lines of, "I've read some of your work and you truly are a great writer. I can only hope that someday my short witty poems will be as good as your writing." That's not word for word but that's the gist of it. So I'm sitting there saying, "Oh, that's really nice." I go to this person's profile only to find that several others have left thank you comments on his page. Hmmmm. Something about this was amiss.

After a little investigating, I found that this new contributor was leaving the same kind of comment on every profile he could find. When I left him a comment on his profile to the tune of "Thanks for your comments and I was almost flattered but I see you left the EXACT same comment on many, many, many other profiles. That's about like spamming but I welcome you to AC anyway and wish you luck with your writing." Within seconds, my comment was deleted so he knew exactly what he was doing and it couldn't be blamed on AC newbie-ness. I then PMed him. "I appreciate that you want more page views but spam-flattery isn't the way to do it. Other contributors are already aware of your tactics so it might be wise to stop the spam before you end up getting reported to AC. Just some friendly advice. I did take a look at some of your work and it's a lot of fun. I hope you keep it up. With time and persistence, it will do really well. Just practice good AC etiquette and you'll get along with everyone very well. You'll also get more readers and more respect that way. Welcome to AC."

The same message goes out to all those new to AC who think they can get away with this type of behavior. AC writers are connected across several networks. We Twitter and Facebook when we see things like this happening and we don't like it when someone tries to take us for fools. You're not as clever as you think you are.

In addition, when you do this, your page views may go up briefly, but if you're not writing quality content, that will be the extent of the spike in your views. It not only turns off those who would've become your readers if you'd behaved properly to begin with, it won't do any good in the long run with page views anyway.

As always, practice good AC etiquette when dealing with other contributors and if you have any questions, go to one of AC's very helpful and knowledgeable community guides.

Why it's okay to publish creative writing on Associated Content

2010-07-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Creative writing doesn't bring in a lot of page views. Associated Content just isn't a venue where many people will search for it. When people search, most often they are looking for information, not entertainment. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't publish creative writing.

If you're in it for money, you'll be disappointed.

Because it's not a highly searched thing, if you expect to come into AC to get rich from your creative writing, you've got another thought coming. Even if you're super good, it takes time, networking, and patience to build an audience.

So how do you make money from it? Write for AC as a content writer first and think of publishing creative endeavors as secondary.

The most common complaint I hear from contributors is that their poetry or short stories aren't bringing in page views. One way to get page views is to get on Facebook and Twitter and network the link. However, even networking, it is unlikely, unless you're super popular, that you'll get the rockin' page views that you'd want, but it shouldn't deter you. As you build up more content, you should revisit those links that aren't getting as many page views and tweet them out every so often. But to be honest, very few people on AC who write short stories or poetry ever get the outstanding page views they want. So why continue to do it?

Why should I write short stories and poetry if I'm not getting the page views?

Associated Content is an excellent platform to get your feet wet in that area of writing. Not only do you get the practice that every writer needs, you get feedback from fellow writers. (Please note that you can't get feedback if you don't network so get out there and network yourself!)

Be aware, though, once you publish your story on AC, you lose first publishing rights. For me, this isn't a big deal as I am constantly churning out story after story. But many writers have a problem with this so that's why I'm sticking it out here. But I feel like if musicians and artists are expected to put themselves out there in order to get to the top, it should be the same way for writers. There are a number of people out there, though, who believe that writers should keep their work hidden away and wait for the big offers. But I feel like if you aren't willing to put yourself out there, learn, and grow, then you're going to have a hard time getting noticed anyway. But that's my opinion and I respect that others feel different about it.

Having creative writing on my page that isn't getting the page views like my other content is dragging down my page view average.

(Say that three times fast!)

This is another common complaint and one that I can't say whether it has much merit or not. I've even heard contributors say, "If this poem doesn't get more views by the end of the month, I'm deleting it."

First, if you're simply writing your creative writing for the money of it, like I mentioned before, you'll be disappointed. Second, and this is another opinion of mine, why write fiction or poetry at all? When you're thinking of dollar signs even as you write the words, it will reflect in your writing. You should never write creatively for money alone. You should write it for the passion of it first.

As long as you're writing good evergreen and popular content, then publishing a poem or short story maybe once or twice a month won't make a bit of difference. Page view averages, as long as you are writing consistently and well with other articles, rarely make much of a difference in upfront offers or other page views (not that I could see anyway).

Getting a break from the routine

Associated Content is one of the few platforms (and is the best among it's peers, IMO) where you can sign up and write about ANYTHING you want. Many of us make a business of it by writing evergreen and popular content. Other popular sites are topic focused and that editorial we may want to write about the election has no place among our other pages. Being an AC writer lets us have that voice and break from the routine. This is the same with fiction and poetry. We are lucky to have an outlet where if we're struck by the muse, we can write our creative piece and (unless you are brand new) can publish it immediately, satisfying our need to be read.

As always, every writer on Associated Content has very different goals and dreams. What may work for one doesn't always work for another. I offer this post as just one view of many. Ultimately, it's your choice but I just wanted to show that it isn't always a bad thing to have your creative writing published on AC.

If you're interested, I have a Creative Writing column on Examiner.com. Join me and subscribe if you'd like. I cover almost everything writing related.

(ETA: 12/01/10 - I noticed this old post was getting hit quite a bit lately so I wanted to add that I no longer write for Examiner.com (Hence the removed link). Instead, you can keep up with what I'm doing in creative writing on my Author Site. The blog there basically serves the same purpose that my column on Examiner.com did plus it's also my personal blog. Thanks for reading!)

Content Rights on Associated Content - Deciding How to Publish

2010-07-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd break this down just a bit further than what I've done in the past due to some chatter on public forums that suggest this is one of the hardest things for newbies to understand. For video tutorials by theBarefoot of how to submit content and a breakdown of each step, click here. Otherwise, here's a quick break down of the rights and how to decide what you should do.

First and foremost, you need to decide if the content should be submitted for upfront or not. You can click here for info on that subject.

Once you've decided if the content meets the standards and requirements for upfront pay, then you need to decide which rights you would like.

Exclusive - This means that the content belongs only to AC now. You cannot reuse the content or republish it anywhere else.
Non-Exclusive - This means you retain the rights to your content. AC is allowing you to display your content on their site and earn money but you can reuse the article, post or sell it to other sites if you want. However, you can't remove the article. See Display Only below.
Display Only - Don't get Display Only and Non-Exclusive confused. Display Only cannot be used if you're going to submit for upfront. Display Only is the only option where you not only retain the rights to your work but also can remove it from the site at your leisure.

How should you publish your work?

I started on AC publishing everything as Exclusive. Why? Because at the time, I really couldn't see that I would have a need for it otherwise. I could make more money by offering it as Exclusive, right?

While others may disagree, I have never seen a significant difference in upfront pay between offering content for exclusive and offering content non-exclusive. Beyond that, I later got a gig as an associate editor for a parenting site. When I realized that I could've reused my parenting articles that I'd published on AC if I'd only offered them non-exclusive, I could've kicked myself. I could've made more money off those articles by retaining the rights then I could have by offering it exclusive to AC. It is my advice that when submitting for upfront, you chose non-exclusive. You never know what situation or gig you'll get in the future where you can make more money from those articles. I, myself, used to run a site and was constantly on the lookout for articles on AC that I could display on it. I would write the contributor, offer money for the article if the rights were non-exclusive or display only, and was shocked at how many people didn't know that I wouldn't be able to use the article if it was exclusive. They lost out on the money I was offering.

Okay, so exclusive and non-exclusive is covered. What about Display Only? In situations where you can't get upfront for an article (like for creative writing, poetry, opinion, reviews), I would suggest offering those for Display Only. This way, you have the power to remove them at some point in the future should you need or want to.

How to Keep Readers Interested in Your Articles

2010-07-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

How to Keep Readers Interested in Your Articles
If you expect to make money in online article writing, you need to develop an audience. First, you need to draw readers in via promotion, SEO, and the like. But once they are there, you need to figure out how to keep readers interested.
Read More

Why Am I Not Making Money at AC? Page Views, Offers, and More

2010-07-07T06:24:00.000-07:00

Another great one from Lynn Lomasi...

Why Am I Not Making Money at AC? Page Views, Offers, and More
Struggling to make money writing for AC? About to give up and decide it just isn't for you. Maybe you just need a quick refresher on writing for AC and the web in general. As an experienced AC Contributor and web writer, perhaps I can help.
Read More

Writers Wanted for New Facebook Product

2010-06-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

I don't often pimp my work on this blog (even though you can find a convenient feed on the side bar *wink*), but I felt this was relevant to the content writing community.

Writers Wanted for New Facebook Product
Facebook is planning to launch a new content product to the world and have asked for users to help them. What are the benefits and is it worth your time?
Read More

One very important thing to note here is that when schmucks quit giving it [writing] up for free, then we can all benefit. Then maybe big names such as this wouldn't feel compelled to ask people to work for nothing.

How do I get more page views? Part 2

2010-05-31T07:53:00.000-07:00

I told ya that I'm really not the one to ask that question to. After reading this article on the very same subject by Lyn Lomasi, it is clear to me who wears the pants in reference to knowing the ins and outs of writing online.

The article is an excellent reference that you should bookmark and keep on hand when you start building blogs and websites, also.

How Can I Increase My Page Views (PVs) on Associated Content?

Image Violations Running Rampant

2010-05-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

Alright, everywhere I look I see image violations on AC. Even in the public gallery where images should ALL be okay, there's GOBS of violations.

I'm ill about this but I'll try not to go off on a tangent here. Here are the Image Submission Guidelines. READ THEM. FOLLOW THEM.

I realize that it's hard to understand some of it at first. You can't just slap any image on and that be that. Be aware that some of the approved AC image sources are not all free sources. Be happy that the submission guidelines are as detailed as they are now. They weren't that straightforward when I first started writing. I might not have had to go through the trial and error that I did had they been.

AC has, from time to time, jumped in and put pictures on or changed pictures on articles that they feel should be featured. They sometimes do not use pictures that we would recognize the credits on but rest assured, if AC is the one that placed an image on one of your articles, then the image is alright and you have nothing to worry about.

The Public Gallery

The AC public image gallery was supposed to be something to make placing images easier. But instead, it's a nightmare. Contributors who should know better are placing violating images on the public gallery and then unaware newbies are swiping them up. I've seen more instances of this then I can count. Please beware of the image gallery. For myself, I try to avoid it completely because I see more violations than not in there.

I'm upset at this because I dabble in hobby photography. I don't want anyone stealing my images just as much as I don't want someone stealing my articles.

Read a post I wrote back in January before I learned more about image submission. Maybe it will give you some ideas of alternative images you might use if you can't find what you are looking for.

Q and A: How do I get more page views?

2010-05-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

I recently got a question like this and the forum gets a lot of these type of questions. Almost all of them can be answered with, "Put your work in the Writer's Workshop section of the forum and more experienced and knowledgeable contributors will give you some pointers and constructive criticism."

I hate to disappoint but that's really what you need to do. Don't be afraid. It's all geared to help you better your writing and to help you succeed on AC. If you don't want to do that then be prepared for a long road of trial and error and you realize what works and what doesn't.

I know this is a super short post and I wish I could help you more on this subject but I'm not the expert of SEO and keywording that many of the others are. They can help you out more than I can.

ETA: I realized there was a vital piece I'm forgetting to explain. Forgive me. I was writing earlier with a two and a four year old screaming around me.

The main reason I say go to the Workshop is because everyone writes differently, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I can't (nor can anyone else) blanket a response like, "write better" or "use more keywords" or "don't be redundant" for your specific needs. I hope that makes sense and I hope you consider posting your work there.

My Thoughts on the Yahoo! Buying Associated Content Thing

2010-05-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

I've been messing around with other little bits of work this morning, really trying to avoid this subject altogether. I had planned on writing about AC's image gallery and page view boosts but I need to write on this today. I'll tackle those subjects later.

If your here looking for soothing words from me, I have none. To be honest, I'm a bit apprehensive myself. As the Barefoot says in the video below, I don't have all my eggs in one basket. I write for Examiner.com and have a number of good blogs. But AC is my highest source of income and if I lose that, I might as well bite the bullet and go out to get a traditional job again.

What does it all mean? Again, I don't know. I know, a lot of help I am, right? What I've gathered from reports is that Yahoo! spent millions on AC and all the staff is "happy" about it but they want to keep their jobs so they have to seem happy, whether they are or not. Darnell couldn't very well tell us otherwise. To do so would be like opening the panic doors even further than they already are.

I pretty much agree with what the Barefoot says in the video about being nervous but I'm not going to be as pessimistic as he is being about it. So I am viewing this transaction with light anxiousness. But "Shutting down" AC in the third quarter could mean that Yahoo! will absorb the site into their own massive web but still allow contributors to do what they are doing. Does it make sense to get rid of contributors when it is the contributors who have made this site what it is? Not really. But I'm still cautious, as everyone should be.

There will almost certainly be changes. That's a given fact when a new company takes over something. Some we might like, some we won't. It's what change is all about.

On the flip side, while I still remain cautious and a bit fearful at what will happen next, I also can see the things that could happen that would be great for us. Yahoo! could feature some of us on their front page occasionally. There could be an opportunity to move up in the world of writing. We could get bigger offers if we still can get upfronts. I don't know. But it seems like in imagining the worst, maybe you could switch that to see the best, too.

What I do wish would happen is straight forward talk between Yahoo! and AC's contributors. The AC staff may or may not have been told what immediate plans are so don't suggest that they know something other than what they are telling us. Whether it's right or not, the suggestion is impolite. Please realize that they have jobs they wish to protect as well. We know all on our own that the reports we've all read have been all over the place. Yahoo! says one thing, AC says something different.

So it is my official request that Yahoo! and AC confer, get their report straight and release a statement together via the AC Blog, as an AC article, or in the forums if they wish it to be kept between them and contributors. It would relieve the rampant panic and speculation. I feel like the staff and Yahoo! owe it to us to give us more information then what we can find. After all, we're the cheap labor (that's what all the reports say anyway) that keeps the site going. Don't piss off the bread for your butter.

Thanks and have a great day everyone.

ETA: I'm had the opportunity to read Luke Beatty's blog post and a FAQ's page. I feel a bit better for now but I still remain apprehensive. Like I said earlier, I can see the good this can do with our views, status, and exposure. I hope it comes out the way it's being told.

Will I be slacking off on submitting content? Are you crazy? Hell no! I'm at the peak of my game as of late, averaging almost 1500 page views daily and enjoying what I do immensely. I've sped through to clout 9, am sliding my way through to 200,000 page views (and just think, my original goal was hitting just 100,000 by June 1). While I'm still a little nervous at the "newness" of all this, I will tread on and show that I'm not gonna hide when something I don't know about comes along. Let's see where it takes us.

How to detect article theft

2010-05-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

Worried about article theft? You should be. Online article theft in particular is a rampant practice among those who wish to have something for nothing. The only work they put into it is two seconds of copying and pasting and then they are using your work to make ad money.

But how do you know if your work is being stolen or not?

It's very easy. Set up a Google Alert. By doing so, you can be notified by email of any particular phrase that is used across the web that is indexed by Google. The first Google Alert you should set up is your name.

Click here for the page to set up the alert. If you don't have a Blogger or Google account, you might have to register.
Type your writing name inside quotation marks in the field marked "Search Terms". For example, if I didn't use quotations for "Pamela Gifford", then every time Google picked up the individual first and last names, I would be notified. If would be overwhelming!
Check the options you want in the remaining fields, enter your email address, and click "Create Alert".

Depending on it you are registered with Google or not, you might have to click a confirmation email to finish creating the alert. Otherwise, you're done.

When you publish an article, create a Google Alert for it using the title or a unique phrase in quotation marks in the field for "Search Terms".

Using a Google Alert should help you determine if there are scrapers using your articles for their own profit.

How NOT to Plagiarize

2010-05-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

You think this would be a no-brainer but surprisingly, it isn't that clear cut for some people, including those who run celebrity sites. Over the last year, I've probably had a dozen or so such instances where I've found an article or blog post I've written posted in it's entirety somewhere else. Yesterday, I found 3. Yes, THREE. This is the most I've found in a day. One of them I believe was an honest ignorance of copyright law but the other two were those people who try to get free content for their site and hope they don't get caught. Usually a firm threat of reporting them to Google takes care of the problem.

I also listen to my writer friends when they have problems with people stealing their articles. One in particular comes to mind. Writer friend Michelle Devon (Michy) spoke on her forum about someone who had posted an article of hers and got ticked that Michy asked her to take the article down or link it properly. The person who stole the article stated something like "I'll think about taking it down," (as if she had any other legal choice) and then preceded to scold Michy for not wanting to "share" her work with the world in favor of a buck, as if Michy should feel shame for wanting to make money for her writing. In addition, I've had an instance (and know of at least two other instances from writer friends) where a celebrity site has copied an article and thought we as authors should be flattered that a celebrity has recognized them.

But isn't that why we're all here? I mean, yeah, the recognition is great and I love it when someone says that an article I've written was fantastic, but it doesn't pay the bills. I spend most of my AC money on groceries. When someone copies my articles, it's like taking food out of my kids' mouths. Yes, I want to share my work with the world, but that can be done by providing links back to AC, not copying, and it won't deprive my pantry. Let's be serious. Would any of us be here if we weren't making money? I love it, yes, but if I wasn't making money from it, I wouldn't be here. Everyone's gotta make a living.

Here is what is considered plagiarizing and will get your butt in trouble:

Copying/pasting word for word - whether or not you attribute the author (or even compliment the author) it doesn't matter. It's still plagiarism and takes money away from the author. This was one of the ones I found yesterday. I'm flattered that the people on that forum really liked my take of the latest NCIS: LA, but flattery doesn't pay the bills.
Using a "spin" software. First of all, these softwares are crazy and if you use them, you're crazy. It's so easy to spot an article that's been "spun". For example, have you ever read an article that in one sense, you understand a bit about what it is saying but it has used all the wrong words? Have you ever read an article that looks like it was written by someone just learning the English language? More than likely, it is a "spin" from an article the "author" has stolen from somewhere like AC. I found one of my Merlin articles posted like that on a site a few months ago. Same copyright rules apply. I called their hand, they took down the article.
Rewriting articles using the same theme and principle of the article. This is essentially like copying. If you can't come up with your own ideas and write in your own voice, then readers will know. Unfortunately, this one is harder to prove but it will bite back in page views. A bad rewrite of an original will never rank higher on Google than the original and therefore will fail in searches. And trust me, if you have to resort to rewriting articles already written in order to have something to publish, then you're writing it bad. A good writer can find their own topics.

How to PROPERLY do it:

Provide a link back to the original article.
Add your comments (good or bad) to where ever you may be posting, whether it is a blog, a forum post, whatever. This draws attention to the article and lets your thoughts be heard without any chance of plagiarism.
Including the author's name is optional. As long as there is a link back to the original article, all is well. And this doesn't just go for AC. This is true of ANY site.
If you want to share something from AC, there is a "Share" button at the bottom of the page (in the black bar) where the article is located. Click on it and a box will come up that will allow you to post on most social networks with ease. There is also HTML code there for easy posting on your site. This will place the title, description, and link on your site easily... and legally.

Associated Content Video Tutorials for Submitting Content

2010-05-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

the Barefoot has put together a video series detailing every step of the content submission process. This is extremely helpful in finding out not only how to submit but also help in deciphering terms you may be unfamiliar with, in particular if you want to know about rights to your work. Thanks, Randy, for the work you've done with this!

Want to Win an iPad? Join AC!

2010-04-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

Sign up for AC under my referral and publish one piece of content by May 31, 2010 and you'll be entered in the sweepstakes to win an iPad.

I know several of you who are wondering if Associated Content is worth it come to this blog for information. If you're an experienced SEO writer, you can earn good on AC. And even if you're just starting out, AC is the perfect place for you to get your start. If it wasn't for the confidence I've gained as a result of writing for AC, I wouldn't have the success that I've found.

I tell you this not just to get entered in the iPad sweeps (although winning an iPad would be a great bonus) but I've made really good friends, I do what I love and if I hadn't had my start on AC, I wouldn't be where I am now.

Check out the Associated Content blog and read all about the sweeps. If you want to join AC, come on back to this blog, click on the graphic below, sign up, and start writing! Everyone gets their start somewhere. Why not make AC your start?

Tracking and Comparing Contributors (Info on New Sidebar)

2010-04-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to thank the readers of this blog for making it successful. I started this blog almost a year ago when I was relatively new to AC and had no clue what I was doing. It now ranks well with Google, has a good following, and has hopefully helped others. Having said that, let's move along.

If you're a regular follower or visitor to this blog, you'll notice that I've rearranged the sidebar a smidge. In one category, you have feeds from AC Millionaires, in another, you'll see AC Hundred Thousand-aires (for lack of a better word). Look a bit down and you'll see those who really want your page views.

The entire purpose of the new sidebar categories is for those who are considering AC or are new to AC and want to learn, to view, track, and compare various contributors, see which contributors get the most page views, what they write about, and over all help give a better rounded outlook on Associated Content in general.

I appreciate each contributor who has volunteered their feed for this. I was overwhelmed and flattered at the sheer number of contributors who have asked me to add them to the side bar. If you are a contributor and would like your feed on the side bar for this project, all you have to do is PM me from my profile and I will get you added as soon as I can.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy this new feature on Writing for Associated Content.

Bad AC Experiment - Anyone Wanna Hire this Girl?

2010-04-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my writer pal Ann Olson, I came across this tidy little gem of a site called "All Freelance Writing". Apparently this site is to help other freelancers or online writers find success. But don't be fooled. The web is all a-flutter with these type of sites. But pay attention to the writing and to what the writer says about themselves to decide for yourself if it is a quality site or not.

Take a look at this article. Go on. I'll wait. Come right back.

Like what you read? If you're one of the AC writers who makes good money from AC then this "experiment" probably just ticked you off a little.

Do I make good money from AC? I make descent enough for what I need. I could do more but I also write two topics for Examiner and I write on whatever fiction project I have currently going (I'm working on my third novel right now). On AC, though, I remain in the "Hot 500" so I'd like to think I've learned a little something along the way. So, are you going to listen to someone who does make money on AC or are you going to listen to someone who wrote two "craptastically fast" articles and then whined that she didn't make much money?

This "experiment" is flawed from the beginning. First, you can't expect to write a holiday article only a few days before the holiday and expect it to perform well. Next, you can't write it badly and expect it to perform well. Third, you can't expect to do an experiment half-assed, let it ride for a couple of weeks, and expect the results to be something you can try to pull over on the world. And that is the problem with many writers who whine that they can't make the money they'd like. They have an over inflated version of themselves and feel like every thing they touch (or write) should be gold. Then they refuse to listen to the experts and then whine that they aren't making what they'd like... well, go figure. This is not AC FAIL. This is contributor FAIL.

So the AC writers came out to defend their work but with every point made, the writer and other members of the blog had a reason for everything. Thus another sign of the inflated contributor. Instead of listening and trying to take to heart what was done wrong and learn from it, they obsessively try justify their actions. But watchya gonna do? Oh, well.

Point is, I think this writer has actually hurt her chances of picking up jobs. If I were a potential client looking for a writer to do work for me and I saw that particular post, how the writer knew she was writing bad but didn't take care to correct that, that she couldn't find a good enough topic to gather page views, and that she ran such an obviously flawed experiment and proceeded to dis a website and it's contributors because of it, I'd move on to another writer.

And I definitely won't be promoting that freelance site as anything worth reading.

What's next? All the good writers who actually make good money from AC are liars?

Alright. Let's all move on with our lives and continue doing what we love.

A Few Points About Word Count

2010-04-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

General guidelines state the word count should be at least 350 (excluding poetry). This isn't a case of "Your content should be 350 words, no more or no less," like I've seen some people ask, but 350 is the minimum. Feel free to go over that word count if need be.
Yes, some time back, the minimum was 400. Now it's 350 which, in my opinion is a better option. Personally, I'd like to see it cut down to 300 as there are many times I struggle to keep on point while still meeting word count guidelines. I hate having to "fluff" my articles to meet the word count.
Some assignments will specify a higher or shorter word count; pay attention to the assignment details.
Don't get all upset if someone flags your content and it gets pulled due to you not following the word count guidelines. You're not above the rules and it's not your site.
If you use quotes within your content, they do not count toward your total word count. Surprised? I was, too. For as long as I've been writing, to be scolded by AC for not following word count guidelines due to quotes, is disconcerting. So I hope my faux pas will help prevent someone from making a similar mistake.

Time to rewrite and resubmit. Catch ya later.

*Author's note: Since this blog post went up, word count minimum guidelines have changed for DO's (display only) and those articles submitted for upfront. Please consult this forum thread for the explanation of changes and always (ALWAYS) check submission guidelines.

Choosing More Than One Category

2010-04-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

Think it can't be done? Wrong!

Okay, you might laugh at this but after all this time with AC, it occurred to me during a recent assignment that I have the power to pick more than one category for my articles. But, I figure if it took this long for the light bulb to come on for me, maybe someone of you out there might not have made the connection either. After all, AC doesn't have the distinct instructions in the publishing tool on how to choose more than one category.

So, lets say you have an article that is part Parenting, part Green. All you have to do is pick one category and then press "Ctrl" and choose the other (or more if need be; up to three).

You see, this is a practice I've been using on Examiner forever now. I know to select more than one of something I use the "Ctrl" button but I've never made the connection with AC. Yeah, I know. It's a wonder that I've survived at AC at all, much less grown on it as I have.

You may laugh now.

Make a Living Writing Online?

2010-03-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

It's not about the networking. Okay, so maybe it is a little. After all, without networking, you couldn't make friends with your fellow writers and have that support system with help and leads that we all love and need. What I'm saying is that if you think you're gonna increase your page views by digging heavily into networking, unless you have a network of millions, it's not gonna work like you want it to.

But I've learned a little something along the way. If you want the page views, if you want to make the money, here's what you do:

Don't just write for AC. I currently write for AC and Examiner.com in addition to my blogs. I could probably make a lot more if I wrote for other sites as well but I prefer to keep it to two sites and concentrate extra time on my creative writing. If you'd like information on different sites that pay, you can consult experienced writer Suzanne Alicie's site, Freelance Writer Online.
Stick with it. Trust me when I say that you WILL get frustrated. Your pay will suck while you are starting out and learning the ropes. But if you keep working at it, you will eventually learn what I have and earn a descent pay out of it.
Write frequently, write often, write well. If you need a critique and some advice on your article writing, hit the AC forums and put your work in the Workshop for more experienced contributors to take a look at. Don't be too shy to do this. It could mean the difference between your failure and success on AC and other sites.
Research frequently searched topics and hot topics. In addition to writing articles that can last over a long period of time, write for the heavy hitting as well.

Another thing I've learned about this biz is that there are two types of contributors out there. On one hand you have the hobby contributors who publish here and there when it suits their fancy. Three such contributors are, Randy Barefoot, Dell Billings, and Erich Rosenberger, MD. On the other hand, you have the contributors that want to make a living of this. There are too many of those to list.

If you're one of those people who want to make a living of it, in addition to the points above, you have to understand that you have to treat your content writing as if it were a job where you get up and go to work everyday. Everyone thinks working at home is all about watching all the television you want, taking breaks when you want, being able to just take off when you want... and while the flexibility is great (it's awesome being able to make a doctor's appointment without having to check a work schedule or check with a boss), you will need to be in the mindset that it is a job. If it helps to get up in the morning and shower and dress like you would if you were leaving the house, then do it. If it helps to sit down and schedule your writing throughout the week, then do it. Often, you will work harder than you would if you were leaving the house to work. But in the end it is worth it.

But you have to understand that it will take time. Even after all this time, I'm still learning. Just stick with it.

You Might Be An AC Contributor If...

2010-03-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

In the great fashion of Jeff Foxworthy's "You might be a redneck if...", here is a list of "You might be an AC contributor if...". If you are an Associated Content contributor, enjoy recognizing yourself in the list below.

Feel free to add your own in the form of a comment below. Have fun and keep writing!

You might be an AC contributor if...

-You dream in SEO.

-When your spouse nags, you can pick out the keywords.

-When you're struggling for article ideas and you think that an article about the disgusting stuff you found in your kid's jeans pocket is a good idea.

- When you turn on the computer to check page view updates before you turn on the coffee pot in the mornings.

- Seeing a heart monitor makes you want to check your account page.

- You can form a keyword cloud in your head just by reading a magazine article.

- When you make a reference to being "Darnelled" to your family without giving thought that they have no clue what you are talking about.

Care to add yours below?

Pointing Out Others' Mistakes Publicly Makes YOU Look Like an Idiot

2010-03-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

First, allow me to point your attention to an Examiner article I wrote a little over a month ago. This came on the heels of someone who publicly commented on one of my Examiner articles that I basically was full of s*** and had no clue what I was talking about on my page. Why would someone take advice from someone who couldn't spell?

So, why the drama? Because there was a typo in my title. I inadvertently wrote "chose" which was supposed to be "choose". And instead of sending me an email (which is available on the page), the person decided to rip me to shreds, demean my credibility, and try to prove their own superiority by downing me on a comment section which could be seen by everyone who viewed my page.

Lately I've been getting several comments on my Associated Content articles by people who want to be the grammar police and want to publicly throw stones at me for typos and mistakes. It's been happening a lot more lately, which I guess is because of my new found success at AC, having come in over 100,000 page views now, I'm starting to get some more attention. People are taking a look at my articles to either try to figure out where to go with theirs and get descent page views or they are taking a look at my articles to pick them apart for mistakes to try to tell themselves that they are superior and can write better. The thing about this is that nine times out of ten, these "Guests" that leave questionable remarks on our articles are actually other contributors. So to those who want to waste time trying to up their own ego by cowering behind a "Guest" title and leaving comments that only make them look like a nitpicking idiot, this post is for you.

I've never claimed that I was a better writer then anyone else. When I began this blog, it was done so on the newbie level. Since then, I've grown with experience and with that came the inevitable "figuring things out". Now, while I've figured many things out, I don't know it all and I've never claimed to know it all. I try to help where I can and if I don't know the answer, then I'll find someone who does.

What were the comments? One comment from "Guest: Canadian Writer" stated, "Please, please, please take a writing coarse." Another comment from "Guest: Jazz" pointed out some mistakes and proceeded to order me to correct them on my articles as if that person was paying me instead of AC. And they do this publicly to try to rally support. There have been many more comments but you get the drift.

Listen, on places like AC, Examiner, and all my blogs, mistakes are inevitable. These are fast publishing platforms and as such, sometimes it runs like a mill. Doing around 3 to 5 articles across the board on most days, I'm bound to miss something. I am human despite what my stepchildren might believe. If there is a very obvious mistake on something, I more then appreciate a nice quick (private) note to let me know so that if I have the power to go in and change it (if it is a Display Only on AC, for instance), then I can. And trust me, I will thank the person who does that for me.

So, before you point out my most common mistakes, I already know what they are:

-Course and coarse: I used to have a BAD problem with this one. I'm not that terrible with it anymore but occasionally in a hurry, I won't pay attention to which one I'm using.
- Then and than: same as the above. Only I haven't gotten any better with this usage. This is next on my agenda to conquer.
-I'm southern and as such, I don't talk (or write) the way most others do. If you catch an "ain't got no" phrase in my work, it's just me writing in my talking voice. Same goes for some other phrases that I use. If it is too terrible to swallow, then drop me a note. I may or may not have intentionally wrote it that way.

Having said that, if it is a matter of little things like "then and than" that you are drawing my attention to, I won't be going back to fix it. Regular readers (who are not also writers) are likely not going to notice anyway. I don't see the need to waste time going back through my over 200 articles to correct "then and than".

Inevitably, though, I will still get these "superior" remarks because there are those out there who simply have nothing better to do. And I shall block and move on.

102,348 Page Views!

2010-02-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

As of the update last night, I have over 100,000 page views, reaching my goal three months ahead of schedule. Here, take a look!

Now that I've made it, what am I to do now? Well, I'm not in a hurry to start anything new with AC right now as my plate is full with other projects. I will continue to write on the same topics and such but right now, I have an Examiner project going on focusing on the topic of short stories, I'm putting together a short story and photography contest for my website at DeKalbRamblings.com, and I'm on a creative writing marathon, trying to get some credits built back up before I start submitting my newly written novel. Whew! All in a day's work, I suppose.

So while I'll be steadily writing for AC, I'm afraid I won't have time for any new experiments or projects. However, items of interest I find around AC, I will pass along here on my blog.

Keep writing and thank you for reading!

How Much Time Should You Spend Promoting?

2010-02-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

How much time should you pour into posting links in various social networks? Is it really worth the time and effort? I'm not talking about autopost. Autopost is wonderful but only covers WordPress, Facebook, and Twitter. And what about those days when you don't write? Is it worth setting links up in Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and the zillion other social networking sites so you can get clicks on your off days? And watch out! If you constantly post links, then you might be in danger of spamming.

These are all very tough questions and everyone has their own opinion about this. I can get extra page views by retweeting and reposting links to content that hasn't been posted in awhile but personally, I don't think that the payoff is worth a half hour of my time setting up links. And how many social networks are too many?

I've been thinking about this topic for quite some time now and it just so happens that I came across this article by Lyn Lomasi yesterday while searching for answers to these questions.

But really, if you're spending more time posting links then you are writing, that's not a good sign. If you're still not pulling in the page views after posting all those links then it can be frustrating, I know. Time to rethink the topics you are writing on.

But take a look at the article above and find your own balance.

Tripling My Highest Page View Earnings

2010-02-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

When I started this page view experiment, I thought it was a lofty goal to reach for 100,000 views within a six month time. Now, after the first month, it seems easier.

I've been writing on hot topics and let me tell you, I'm completely astonished at the staggering number of page views I've been getting. In December, my page view average was 140 views per day. In January, (drumroll please) I averaged 858 page views per day. Talk about a HUGE difference. I finally have a page view bonus coming that I'm freakin' excited about!

I started this with a meager 56,000 page views. Now I have over 81,000. I published 19 articles this month. Eighteen of them were Arts and Entertainment articles, seventeen of those being hot topic items. One was a humor piece and I published a poem. None of them received upfront but the page views were so high that I really don't mind.

The only reason I published a poem is because when the Short Story and Poetry Featured Contributor Categories become available, I'd like to apply for those as well, which is something I didn't know I could do with a Featured A&E title before. Why? Because creative writing is a topic that I am very passionate about. So that was the only deviation from my plan. And otherwise, that plan has worked.

If I continue to keep it up, I will have 100,000 views in just a few weeks. Thank you for keeping up with this experiment and my own race for page views. I'd also like to thank AC for allowing me to be a Featured Arts and Entertainment Contributor. It certainly helps!

New to AC? Incomplete, Submitted, Offer, Pending, Removed and Other Status Terminology

2010-01-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

Another one by Lyn Lomasi... if you are new to AC then head over to her contributor page (click on her name) and subscribe to her. You'll get a lot of helpful tips!

New to AC? Incomplete, Submitted, Offer, Pending, Removed and Other Status Terminology
You found Associated Content and have just started submitting content. Incomplete, Submitted, Offer, Pending, Removed, and more are submission statuses. Read on to find out what the status of your AC submission means and what to do in each situation.
Read More

Learning How to Choose Images for Articles

2010-01-22T07:38:00.000-08:00

Again, I'm postponing the social networking lesson in favor of something else that seems to be a hard job for new contributors... and it's not always easy for experienced contributors either.

While I'm not an expert, I have learned a couple of things here and there about choosing and placing images with Associated Content articles. And certainly, if anyone would like to share something they've learned about posting images with AC articles, then please leave a comment below so others can benefit from your experience. That's what this blog is here for.

Statistically, articles with pics average a little better page view wise then one without. This is because people are visually inclined. If you see a nice picture, you're more likely to take notice of the headline and then click to read the article.

First thing you need to do is read the Image Submission Guidelines. Yes, they can be a little confusing to use and understand at first but as you go along, you learn what works and what doesn't. Listen, I occasionally still have problems getting images up the way AC wants them. I've had perfectly good images removed from my articles with no straight forward explanation of why. So, having said that, this post isn't about how to post the right images that AC won't take down but instead of finding images for tougher subject matters; thinking outside the box in terms of what images to place.

Last week, I had a contributor ask me for help concerning an image. She was writing on the subject of teen pregnancy. She had it in her head that she had to find a picture of a pregnant teenager. Her search was coming up empty. "Then look for something else to put with the article," I told her. What else screams that this is an article about pregnancy? Let the headline say that it is an article on teen pregnancy. Let the picture say that it is an article on pregnancy. So what images would work with that? A close up of a pregnant belly for one. Maybe an ultrasound picture. Ultimately, I found a picture on Wikimedia Commons of a positive pregnancy test that she did end up using on her article. I remembered having used that same picture on a previous article of mine.

Finding images that work with the topic you are writing is difficult when it's something that doesn't necessarily have a concrete object that can serve as a picture. In those cases, you should take a step back from your topic and look at your article from a different angel. For example, when I'm writing a television review, there's little chance that I'm gonna find an approved image of the show's cast, which is an obvious first choice as an image. And using the image of a remote control (to indicate the article is television related) is a good choice but since I crank out the articles three or more times a week, if I didn't change up the image, my contributor page would be blah with nothing but remote images down the article catalog. If you'll look at my catalog here, you'll see that I have a variety of images, yet all the articles are related to television in one way or another. Some of them are no nonsense, like the picture of George Clooney with my Haiti article, or the picture of Ellen with my American Idol article. (If you search on Wikimedia Commons and sxc.hu, you can sometimes find usable pics of celebrities.) Then there are those which require a little more creativity. For my Survivor preview, I found a picture of a totem (because, well, you know Survivor) and for my Kate Gosselin article, I found a picture of a briefcase as the show she was about to star in involved her learning her way around the work force.

The point is that you don't always have to have a picture that screams the exact measurements of your article. If you can extract one element of your article and find a picture that represents that, you can use that, too. It does take a bit of creative thinking to do this so flex those creative muscles!

It also bears saying, even though these points are on the guidelines, that blurry images ARE NOT OKAY. I've seen a lot of blurry photos, usually it is a photo the author has taken him/herself. Even if it is a little bit blurry, don't think that people won't notice. We do. Not only does it make your work look amateur-ish, it will affect your page views. It is completely okay to use your own photos, but make sure they are not blurry and are relevant to your article.

Which brings me to my next point. There are very few instances where your own portrait is relevant to put on an article (notice I said very few, not necessarily all instances). You already have a place on your profile where you can post your own smiling mug and it will show up at the end of your article. You can upload it from your "Edit Your Profile" page. I typically see self portraits on poetry more then anything else (not sure why) and it is not okay. Please don't do it.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more on my AC page view experiment as well as a post about social networking promotion. Have a great week!

The Start (and Stats) of My Experiment

2010-01-13T07:04:00.000-08:00

Before I dive into the social networking topic I promised earlier, I'd like to post an update of my page view experiment. Remember that I started this experiment after the first of the year.

To see how much of a difference this has already made, I calculated my average page views per day in December. I averaged 140 views a day. December was one of my worst months but I also didn't write as much in December with what being busy with Christmas and all. But all year, my page views have just kinda trickled along and I can certainly see how there are contributors who get frustrated at this trickle, coupled with declines of upfront offers and then just give up. I've often thought of just giving up myself sometimes. But hell. I've made it this far. Might as well keep going.

So as I dug into my reports this morning, I saw figures that astonished me. One article that I published yesterday got over 3800 views. In. One. Day. I was ecstatic. That, combined with page views from other articles, pushed my page views over 4200 in one day (see the graph at the top which resembles a heart monitor FINALLY springing to life). It helped that AC featured my articles on the Arts and Entertainment page (see the screen shot above) but most of those views I'm sure came from search engines.

It just goes to show that some articles will take off and some won't and you don't always know which ones will hit it.

My daily page view average stands at 610 right now. I'm already within a dollar of my highest page view performance payment ever and it's not even half way through the month. This is a dramatic increase and I hope to continue the rise.

I will keep everyone updated!