Image via CrunchBase

I received an email today from eHow explaining that they will be removing my articles, but want to “compensate me” for the articles in order to obtain “full rights.”  In other words, the residual income is completely going away.  If I refuse this “offer”, my articles will be removed and I will no longer earn anything from my articles!

Their reason?  Because they are “working hard to ensure all content is professionally created and editorially vetted.”  I called BS!  If they wanted to ensure that, why not give the writers a chance to edit the articles and resubmit to continue to earn money?  No, the only option is to take a sell-out and sell your articles.

Essentially, you have two options.

1.  To take some set dollar amount for full rights to the articles – so THEY can earn the residual income – how nice of them.

2.  Do nothing – and get nothing.  eHow ill remove all your articles so you will no longer have access to them nor earn any money.

That’s it!

I earn an okay residual income from them that I can guarantee thier “attractive” offer will not compare – in the long run!  It is like cashing out your 401K or stock portfolio.  Sure, you will get all that cash, but you lose out on the long term payout.

Such is life as an online writer.

What is the offer for all your hard work?  For me, it was about 8 months of residual income.  Not bad I suppose.  I have 8 months to come up with another residual, or passive, income source to make up for it.  The problem is no other site comes even close for me as far as passive income.  That has been my experience anyhow.  eHow was the most bang for my buck.

My residual from eHow will now go away and I have to find another source for this.  Demand Studios owns eHow now and I have to say their editorial process is really not that great.  The choices on articles for you to choose from are pretty challenging to write about.

This experience has taught me a couple important lessons as a freelance writer.  Don’t put your eggs in one basket and create your OWN website.

Having your OWN website as a freelance writer with YOUR OWN clients is beneficial when sites decide to change their writer’s compensation policy.  Things in the content mill world can change with the drop of a hat and you are left with nothing to show for all your hard work!  But, having that passive income is nice as well.

Any eHow writers want to share here, PLEASE do!  I would love a different perspective.

With all the recent crackdown on “content farms” and junk floating around the Internet from search engine giant Google, many content sites are becoming more strict on their submission guidelines.

Sites like eHow and Suite 101 are revising their guidelines to align with the quality Google is expecting and looking for. Consequently, this affects writers for those sites.

So, I have to ask for the strict writing guidelines writers are expected to follow, shouldn’t the pay increase along with that?  Or am I just off base here by demanding more revenue? I don’t think I am.

When you are expected more, you should get paid more – right?

Image via CrunchBase

eHow Changes

When I first began writing for eHow back in 2008, pretty much anyone could write for the site and craft articles titled, “How to Tie You Shoes.” In the last 2-3 years, there have been lots of changes to rid those “duh” articles from their site.

The biggest change was moving over to Demand Studios in order to submit your articles.  Once moved, you had to get your article reviewed by an “editor.”

At Demand, the editors there expect “how to” articles to get the same scrutiny as a high-quality journalistic piece.  For what?  A few pennies – if you are lucky – of residual income a day?  I do understand the expectation to get away from the how-to-boil-an-egg type articles, but don’t you think we should get paid more if we are expected more??

Image via CrunchBase

Suite 101 Guidelines

Another web content site that has recently changed their submission guidelines is Suite 101.  Now, throughout the last 2-3 years, this site has made some changes, but mostly for the better.  They pulled back on the reigns on some of their guidelines (only 3rd person perspective and a contract of minimal articles were removed).

However, they are tightening up again.  They expect cited resources (sites like Wikipedia, Associated Content, or About.com are NOT allowed).  A photo is required on ALL articles.

There are other websites as well including eZine which does not even PAY their writers that are trying to attract better articles with tighter writing guidelines.

Okay. I think it is a good idea to improve upon a site and expect higher quality articles to avoid spammers and those only using the sites for article marketing. However, how long can you squeeze work out of a quality writer before they realize they are literally getting paid pennies a day to have their well-written and well-researched article on your site?  I imagine not very long.

Thanks for the Loose Change!

These sites are high up in Google search engines and are getting lots of revenue from the articles.  Yet, the ones who actually WRITE the articles get some loose change thrown at them for the effort.  Gee, thanks!

I know there are a few writers for these sites that bring in several hundred dollars a month from these sites.  But, they have  probably written over 200 plus articles to get there!  Let’s say you have 250 articles on Suite 101 and that gives you $1000 a month.  That means each article you have written is only paying your $4!  And that is if you are actually making $1000 from these articles – some earn less!

I will tell you right now, you can write an okay article for an Internet marketer without any of those guidelines – no photo required – and get paid $5 and up for an article.  And that is on the low end!

I realize, it is residual and you will continually get paid that $4 every month, but still – is it worth all those man hours you put in to get that $4?  I have to question that.

If you are going to ask more of your writers – pay them more!!

I have to ask if a site has such high expectations and is trying to improve their reputation by removing any sign of being a content farm, shouldn’t they pay their writers more?

Please respond!

Is it just me? Or does this switch from eHow to Demand Studios confusing? Okay, maybe I just do not know all the ins and outs yet.  But, when I went to assignments and looked at the choices for articles I could “claim” to write about, most of the titles did not even make sense to me!!

What am I missing?

Demand Studios Assignments on Articles to Claim

Is this our only option?  Can we no longer write articles on what WE want to write about?  Please tell me I missed the fine print somewhere!

If this is NOT the case and we can only write what Demand Studies suggests, I am deep trouble.  The reasons I will be in trouble is because below is just a small sample of the options to write about:

• How to Check the Float Level on a Grizzly.  Ok, what does this mean exactly? Is a grizzly some sort of raft?  Doubtful.  I think it may be a motorcycle.  Is this something a lot people actually want to know how to do??

• How to Find a Glowing Amygdaloid Nucleus. Why would you WANT to find this? Anything that has the words “glowing” and “nucleus” in it just does not sound good!

• How to Replace the Vapor Brothers Whip for Cheap.  Who are the Vapor Brothers, and why do they have a whip? Should you really cut corners on something like this?

• How to Fix the Turn Signal Switch in a 1988 Pontiac Grand Am.  Wow, can we get any more specific on this article?  Does this happen a lot to 1988 Pontaic Grand Am owners?  Really? It may just be time for a new vehicle!

Apparently, if you know a LOT about cars, there is a GREAT selection here. Even when I filtered by “Health and Fitness” category, an assignment to write about How Do I Determine What Engine Swap Will Work in What Car? came up. Go figure!

Now on the other hand, I saw this assignment:  How to Make a Go Kart Out of a Lawn Mower Engine. Now this would be handy and I’d personally like to know How-to do this myself!  However, I don’t think I want to spend the time doing the research for $15!

What about residual income?  Is there only a small amount of article we can choose from to earn that residual income?

Please bring back eHow and let us choose our OWN articles! If we can write about what we want, can someone guide me in the right direction? Please?!

UPDATE:  I realized I DID miss something!  Phew!! The next tab over is called “Create Assignment” which is where you can input your OWN title.  I guess I need to jump back in and write some articles!

So, this summer, life happened. And then it happened again, and in August, life happened one more time. In other words, I have had some big things happen in my life this summer that have been distracting me from writing.

Since about the middle of May, I have not written a single article on any of the three websites I write for which include eHow, Suite 101, and Today.com. The exception is this blog, which earns me NO income.

And since I have not been writing, two of my writing contracts are on hold and the third site, eHow, does not require a contract or for you to remain active. However, all three sites are still bringing me in some money each month. How? Why?

Two words. Passive Income.

Passive income has always been a goal of mine since I realized at age 16 that I didn’t want to work hard for the rest of my life. Okay, that may be an slight exaggeration, I think I realized it when I was about 25. Not that I am not a hard worker…

Either way, passive income means just as it sounds – income without doing anything. Passive. Yep, not doing ANYTHING. It is the opposite of ACTIVE income, which eludes to some sort of action being involved, which means you are actively earning income. Usually this means, you will actually have to work for your money.

Now, passive income does not mean you did not work hard to earn that money, it just means, even when you are NOT working, income is still coming in. Because I did work out to get all those articles written.

Makes sense, right? Great plan, huh? Well, yes, but at some point, you do have to put in some effort to maintain that passive income. As a freelance writer, this means, I will have to write some more to earn some more passive income.

Now, I can stop writing right now and never write again, and I will still earn some money each month, but it will probably not increase a whole lot. Darn. But, it still is nice.

I will pick up my writing again as soon as life slows down again. Oh, it will. In the meantime, I am enjoying the monthly payments, even if I do not do anything to earn it! Oh, the joy of passive income.

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Jodi Jill. She is the founder of the Ehow Writers Group and has a free ebook on How to Write for the Examiner.com.

As writers we want our creative energy to have some results. As a published author with books at the bookstore, I know how difficult it can be to find your ‘perfect outlet’ that provides results. I mean words need to have audience even if it is just a few eyeballs.

I write roughly 7,000 words a day. It could be articles, stories or even press releases, but I really strive to push myself and my words out. Yet, I ran into a problem a while ago…where do I put all these words? I could write books (which I have done extensively) or I could find a place that allowed me to be creative and push the edge a bit. That’s when I started looking online for writing possibilities.

Writing Online

It started slowly with my online writing. Perhaps too slowly as I was going at a snail’s pace all worried and way too cautious that someone might steal my work. Then one day I just pitched my online inhibitions to the wind and decided online writing was going to be my next positive experience as I was tiring of the worry (and I have yet to find anything but positivity writing online).

The idea of an online audience tends to be a huge relationship difference from the old way of books. We connect with our readership instantly and this association allows us to infiltrate our words in such a way we learn, hands on, how to really share an idea or story without pitching flowery wordage to readers. It also forces writers to think as more in bites. Sound bites. Commercial bites. Focused bites.

As an online writer I have found ways to grow into what I write and where I place it online. It tends to stagger when you just rely on one website so you find you need to have the all the websites posted with your work so you can make some money. Money is essential in this whole online experience. You really need to be making some cash to be a real writer as accolades are nice but don’t pay the bills.

Freelance Writing Websites

Now you may be wondering where do I put my writing online? Good question! Here are some of my solid websites:

eHow.com. This is a how-to site that focuses on a step by step process. You can how-to just about anything I suppose. As you write, you include photos and resources for your readers to do their projects and needs in everyday life. The topics range from golf swings to home improvement and everything in-between.

Bukisa.com. Another how-to site that also includes videos, audio and a huge overview of articles you can write for readership. This isn’t quite a structured as eHow, but has a strong global audience where a writer wouldn’t normally be exposed.

InfoBarrel.com. This is a website where you can write about darn near anything non-fiction. You will see this is a smaller site than the two listed above, but the quality of writing brings readers back again and again. Included in your writing pieces that can range from the traditional how-to to writings on reviews of restaurants is a signature about you and your work.

Examiner.com This is a website where you can write, on a regular basis a column local to your community. It is an extraordinary way to show appreciation to a local subject while still making money writing. I admit it has to be one of my favorite sites and I make good money posting here daily.

The idea of writing online is one of the most positive experiences I have ever encountered. It is something that can be tapered at your level of energy and really allows you to grow as a person as well as a writer. I encourage everyone to consider writing online to find their words all over the Internet and beyond. Don’t forget that one day those words online will be the mainstay of your life and bring home the house payment!

Jodi Jill lives in Los Angeles, California with her dog Tiger. You can reach her directly at Jodi@quitwhining.com

I started the freelance writing journey over four months ago and have not stopped. It has been challenging at times, even overwhelming, but mostly enjoyable! I have “met” some great writers along the way on eHow Forums, other writing blogs, and even Twitter. The support network in the freelance writing world is spectacular and it is amazing how many opportunities there are out there.

There are a few opportunities I have had to pass up due to time constraints and wearing myself thin. In addition, I am a full-time student and enjoy my social life. I have decided to stop writing for Bukisa and focus my energy into three sites: Suite 101, Today.com, and eHow.

I have been most active on eHow because that is where I have seen the most earnings along with a supportive community. Today, I reached my first big milestone of writing 100 articles on eHow. I decided to write article number 100 about dealing with stress and anxiety since there have many times in the last few months I have felt overwhelming stress and anxiety.

This was a milestone for me and one that I am proud of. I will keep writing and enjoy the earnings I make. Part of eliminating stress is by prioritizing and setting realistic goals. I think writing 100 articles in 4 months was realistic and a priority for me. Now, I need to set my next goal. I will think about that for a few days and let you know!

A few people at eHow decided to write How-to articles related to charities and causes. Along with that, they decided to DONATE ALL the money earned from these articles to the causes. I decided this was a great idea and wrote an article myself. I chose Autism because while I do not have a child with Autism, as a soon-to-be teacher and seeing friends with autistic children, it is something dear to my heart. I am a HUGE advocate for children and I think it is our job to protect them at all costs.

While people in this world are having babies for profit and hand-outs (which nothing makes me angrier), we need to help adults, parents, and children that are affected by autism. It is a disorder that can drain a family emotionally and financially. This is a disorder that is not curable, nor does it go away. It continues into adulthood and many still need support as adults.

All I ask is that you check out the article and consider helping out in any way you can. I make nothing by you donating at these sites, that is not where my income comes from. While, yes I hope I can help in anyway I can, and maybe I will earn something from my article that I can pass on, I am one person. I just want to spread the word. Please continue to spread it to others.

Here are more of these eHow articles:

How to Help Pet Adoption Efforts in Phoenix, Arizona by Peggy Hazelwood

How to Reforest America by Wordstock

How to Help Others for Free by Patti Winters

How to Defend Polar Bears and Wolves by AlianAngel555

How to Help Pine Ridge by Hollie1974

How to Give to Chairty Wisely by Patti Winters

How to Help Australian Wildlife Injured in Fires by Virginia Allain

How to Donate Wheelchairs to Third World People for Around Fifty Dollars by Lilac Girl

How to Save the World By the Click of a Mouse by Desula

How to Be Part of the Humane Society by Shirley Philbrick

How to Contribute to NAMI – The National Alliance on Mental Illness by Kate Downs

How to Help Thailand AIDS Orphans by JasneJ

How to Fight Kidney Disease with a Short Walk by jjkadaba

Andrew Mendola’s Story (Severely disabled child in serious need of help) External Site, In his own words

How to Donate to DebRA (Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa) by QueenofMisc

Thanks so much! Please check back as we will be adding more articles as they are created.

THANK YOU!!

I’m back!!!! Well, one one week hiatus has broken and I wrote a new eHow article on tax preparation. I also started making comments again because I stopped doing that at eHow as well. The unfortunate part is my earnings have not been updated on the site since Wednesday, so I really have no way to tell if my earnings were effected by my non-participation this week. However, I am sure they will get updated on Monday and maybe I will be able to tell something from that. I will give you that update once I get it

The bottom line is I got a lot of other things done this week from taking that break. I also realized writing is not about quantity, but quality. I love writing and I will continue to do it. I appreciate all the support.

There is a little bit of a mystery as to how you earn money on eHow. Yes, it is ad clicks. However, what factors into that? Well, there are a lot of things that people have suggested, recommended, or encouraged eHow writers (or freelance writers in general) to do. The biggest suggestion is using good keywords for search engine optimization (SEO). Others recommend writing lots of articles, the more articles, the higher earning potential. Makes sense. Lastly, there are those at eHow that encourage rating, recommending, and commenting, which has managed to take on an acronym: RR&C.

I am going to try one full week of no RR&C, no posting article links in the forums, and even refrain from writing a new article. ‘Why?’ you ask. Well, for one, I am super busy as of late. But, second, I really want to see if my earnings are effected by not being a ‘participant’. In other words, am I earning passive income.

I am not giving up on eHow and will continue to write for them. This is just a 7 day experiment to see if there is any relationship between internal promotion, ratings and earnings. This is by no means a scientific, or even valid experiment. But, I am interested in seeing what happens during this time.

This will be a test for me as well because eHow and other sites can be addictive. I will still sign on and check the forums, but there will be no article promotion within the site.

I will still write for my teaching blog and this will give me the opportunity to put some more time into that.

I’ll let you know how it turns out.