ehow?

stldenise · Dec 3, 2008

Anyone try submitting stuff to eHow? There's a gal on the DS site who claims she makes money off it, but I think it's because she got lucky and had an article selected for the front page. I think they're giving out bonuses if they pick your article...

I'm trying to submit a few things over there for fun. I started up a Scout blog and I'm writing craft ideas on eHow, then directing the blog to the eHow stuff... Somebody at the DS forum said you could get more traffic to your eHow articles if they were linked by a blog or website.

We'll see if it works.

JenNipps · Dec 3, 2008

There are a couple ongoing discussions about eHow & Demand Studios.

One is here & the other is here.

SouthernFriedJulie · Dec 3, 2008

I make money from eHow each month. I think I have 6 or 7 articles up, I get the base to be paid, normally $10 or $11 bucks. I've never been on the front page, either.

It's nothing huge but if you put your mind to it and publish good content, I am sure you could make a lot more than I have. I haven't really tried to promote or add more articles. Probably should.

caseyquinn · Dec 3, 2008

It is a nice avenue for monthly income without really doing any work. Post a bunch of topics then leave it alone and you will get something, maybe not a lot but some money each month. The more content you provide the more you make if the topics you chose are popular and well written. I use it and would say it is a good way to get started.

joyce · Dec 3, 2008

I'm not getting rich, but I'm making around $16/month. I'm sure if I put more effort into it, I'd make a little more.

Mayntz · Dec 4, 2008

I tried submitting some new articles in late September and early October (I already have 10 published from several months ago), but they're STILL not published and therefore getting no views and earning no money. Does anyone know how I could get around this roadblock? I've tried emailing them twice with no response from their contact form or the one editor's email I have.

stldenise · Dec 4, 2008

Mayntz: are you talking about eHow or Demand Studios? eHow is basically self publishing. Once you hit submit, it's in the system. I did notice it took a while for search engines to pick up on my first article - I was watching it like a hawk to see how it did.

Since then, I've been advised to submit my web writing to Google to add the URl to it's search. http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl
Don't know how well it works, but I've heard people say it really helps.

Now, if you're talking about writing for Demand Studios, sometimes they sit on stuff for a while. But they always pay for work within a week of it being accepted. And that stuff is paid up front, without getting page views.

So maybe you're talking about something else...?

Mayntz · Dec 4, 2008

No, I'm talking about eHow -- I've sumitted and hit the "Submit for Publication" button but they never end up published. I've got 13 on my list, 10 (from earlier this year) say "Published" and the remaining 3 just say "Written" and have no page views. I've tried editing two of them and ensuring I hit "submit for publication" but all it does is change the date they've been submitted -- no change to actually being live. It's aggravating, and any help would be appreciated.

stldenise · Dec 4, 2008

Hmmm, how about telling us me your eHow name and I'll go see if I can find your work. (Just post it here.) If I can find your articles, then we know it's there and just not getting the hits. If I can't find you, then we know it's a system error. If you're not getting hits, I'd suggest the google url thing. The only article I've got up with any hits is the one I just published 2 hours ago. Haven't made any money yet, but at least a few hundred people have seen my work!

Mayntz · Dec 4, 2008

My eHow name is the same as here -- Mayntz -- and there are three articles that haven't appeared:

How to Get an Emo Hair Style
How to Cut Wedding Dress Costs
How to Practice Halloween Safety (which I submitted in very early October!)

I also don't know what you mean by "google url thing" -- elaboration, please?

Thanks for the help!

stldenise · Dec 4, 2008

Mayntz: I think I might have found you on eHow - or at least I found someone on eHow with the same screen name! Your profile only listed 10 articles, none recent. So this is sounding like a system problem.

I'd hate to make more work for you, but maybe there was a glitch in the system when you wrote the three that won't publish? I know they've had server problems on the DS side. Maybe try publishing a very simple article completely from scratch, just to see if it works. Just fill the fields with gobbly gook and hit send. If it posts, then you know the system is working again. Then you can delete the gobbly gook and post a real article.

The DS servers have eaten a few articles from time to time, maybe they share space with the eHow servers. They're all the same company, after all.

stldenise · Dec 4, 2008

Ha! We posted at the same time. The Google thing is this: go to http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl
And the url of your writing (www. blah blah blah) and it will add your site to the Google search engine index. With a little luck, your writing will turn up in search engines and people will find you quicker.

Mayntz · Dec 4, 2008

I'll give that trial a run tomorrow (schedule is swamped today!) to see how it works out, and I'll let you know. Thanks for the help, and I hope you'll be around if I need more of it!

SouthernFriedJulie · Dec 4, 2008

I've had the same problem. When I emailed them the articles were published in a few days. I forget how long it was...reminds me, I still need to email them about an article of mine I accidentally flagged. Duh, me.

Mayntz · Dec 5, 2008

Okay, so I put up a bunch of junk and it's still doing the "submitted for publication" thing and saying it is written, but not published. I don't know if it would take a few minutes for that status to change, however.

Does anyone have an effective email address for this issue? The contact I wrote to earlier in the year, whom I contacted for this, never responded. You can PM me if you have an address that may work -- and I thank you!

stldenise · Dec 5, 2008

That's so weird. I just did a couple more eHow's today and they went straight to "published." Do you have DSL or dial up? eHow doesn't have any editors, so there shouldn't be anything preventing your work from going right in.

Mayntz · Dec 5, 2008

DSL. This is odd, and immensely frustrating. If I could get ahold of a person connected with eHow, perhaps they could point me to the direction I'm missing. Perhaps there's some odd step I don't quite know about? Help!

CoffeeBound · Dec 6, 2008

Mayntz, did you try sending a message to Rich (eHow's Community Manager)? If not, here's a link to his profile. He is usually very good at getting back to people promptly.

Denise, I signed up with eHow's WCP in August as an experiment. My earnings have been getting better each month. I've found it to be kind of hit-or-miss, though. Some articles take off right away with earnings and others haven't made a dime, even though the subject and keywords are similar.

I hear a few people are making $1000+ per month with eHow.

My measly $30 in earnings last month pales in comparison.

Mayntz · Dec 8, 2008

Thanks for the tip, CoffeeBound -- I've sent Rich a message this morning, and we'll see if he can help out. I do like writing for eHow and I think the WCP is valuable, but if I can't get articles published then it's worthless!

If anyone else has other emails or contacts at eHow that may be valuable, please let me know -- I'm eager to get this resolved!

stldenise · Dec 8, 2008

CoffeeBound - I'm up to a whole 43 cents! I just started adding some stuff last month and have ten articles up. I've been looking around and it seems like the articles that make money are things I don't want to write about. Gag! There's a conversation over at eHow's forum (community chatter, I think) where people are posting their highest earning articles for others to gawk at. Some dude got lucky and has earned $600+ on an article on getting newspaper clipings or something like that.

It sounds like the way to get paid is to write stuff that attracts readers who click on ads. Gee, I never click on ads - they usually sound like scams.

Mayntz · Dec 10, 2008

Well, Rich hasn't responded to my message. Does anyone else have any ideas? This is incredibly frustrating, not to be able to publish anything further or get in touch with anyone to solve the problem.

Mayntz · Dec 12, 2008

I tried a second trial article in a different browser, to no avail. I've also never heard back from Rich, so that didn't work out. I send a snail mail letter describing the problem to their corporate offices yesterday, so we'll see how that works. Ugh.

CoffeeBound · Dec 14, 2008

Mayntz, that's awful no one has gotten back with you. I hope the snail mail works. Sometimes posting the problem on the eHow forum is useful; there are some regulars on there that try hard to help other writers.

Denise, many of those high-paying topics don't interest me, either. I want to keep my eHow journey fun (at least for now).

stldenise · Dec 15, 2008

Mayntz: there was a note at Demand about how their email system wasn't letting email through. Demand is part of eHow, so it could be the same system problems. Maybe you can reach them now, they said they fixed it.

Nefertiti Baker · Dec 16, 2008

There have been a HUGE amount of tech problems on the Demand side. I don't know if they've affected eHow at all, but that could explain why things are taking forever, or seem lost in the void. Plus, many are complaining about the lack of responsiveness re: emails.

ehow?

stldenise

Scout Mom

JenNipps

Have you JHS today?

SouthernFriedJulie

Hidin' the bodies

caseyquinn

Just happy to be here

joyce

I'm really shy...

Mayntz

stldenise

Scout Mom

Mayntz

stldenise

Scout Mom

Mayntz

stldenise

Scout Mom

stldenise

Scout Mom

Mayntz

SouthernFriedJulie

Hidin' the bodies

Mayntz

stldenise

Scout Mom

Mayntz

CoffeeBound

Mayntz

stldenise

Scout Mom

Mayntz

Mayntz

CoffeeBound

stldenise

Scout Mom

Nefertiti Baker

~Hot Zen Kitty~

ehow?

Scout Mom

Have you JHS today?

Hidin' the bodies

Just happy to be here

I'm really shy...

Scout Mom

Scout Mom

Scout Mom

Scout Mom

Hidin' the bodies

Scout Mom

Scout Mom

Scout Mom

~*Hot Zen Kitty*~

~Hot Zen Kitty~