About Content Authority

[JamesJunior]

I don't know about you guys, but over the years when a new content mill/network sprouts up, I usually create an account, but might not use it until later or something. I got an email telling me I was approved for the Content Authority.

To be honest, I do much better writing for myself instead of creating someone else's content egg. I logged in just to see what they had to offer. When I sorted the job columns to show highest pay rate descending, it listed a bunch of articles for $2.00 max and lower.

300 word article that follows the style guide, has the correct KW density, etc.?? Two dollars?? Screw them, their tier system will just barely give you a slight increase, only after you proved to them that you are willing to work for free.

They've got a brass pair for paying that much, and then acting like they are a writer-friendly site, yeah okay, right. Anyone who accepts this kind of pay is ruining it for everyone (as far as writing for the content mills, I mean).

ROFLMAO, their homepage says "Consider using a voice dictation program (like Dragon Naturally Speaking) to speed up your writing and increase your productivity."

Translation: Since we pay writers such a horrific rate, the only way to make at least minimum wage is to get Voice Recognition Software.

Also this is on there: "You have 8 hours to complete an order once you have accepted it. Failure to complete the order on time will result in your removal from the order without compensation for your time."

Translation: You got 8 hours to finish it, or else you're out a nickel.

Or just clean toilets instead, that is like a dream come true for anyone writing there. Cheap greedy pricks.

[smanaher]

Hi James, let me introduce myself... I am the owner of The Content Authority (TCA) and I wanted to address some of the concerns that you raised in this thread and hopefully give you insight into our company.

I hope you hear me out and understand I respond to your comments not only for your benefit, but for others who might be reading along.

#1 Thanks for this feedback... While much of it paints a rather bleak picture of TCA, it is honest feedback and that is always appreciated and welcomed.

#2 You mentioned only seeing a few $2.00 orders and yes, you are probably right if your current level on the site is at a Basic rating.

Below is a current list of the amount of content available to be written at the various levels:

Basic 417
Great 186
Excellent 179
Expert Author 2
Total: 784
As you can see we have content available at many levels and the pay rate is different at each.

While we would like to bump everyone to the top tier of writing, right away, we do have a process that allows writers to be vetted to ensure quality standards for our clients.

It is obviously you can write well and have clear thoughts and structure to what you write, but unfortunately we often have individuals try to game the system by using proxy writers to get into higher tiers, then use less qualified writers to try and churn out content.

Yeah, it is our problem, but the reality of how everyone is affected by other peoples actions.

If you feel that you are qualified or should be considered for a higher level of writing... please email our writer support team and someone will review your work.

#3 You mention us being writer friendly and we actually agree with you... or atleast as much as we can we are.

While I risk being labeled just like all those other greedy capitalists, you should know that the vast majority of the revenue we receive goes back to the writers, writer support and even future training to assist writers in their craft.

#4 Voice recognition software is a useful tool that any writer could use to help them write faster.

#5 You mentioned the 8 hour rule... Yeah, that does seem like a bit of a strict guideline and one we have internally debated back and forth. It has worked for the last year since we instituted it, but are always open to hearing other thoughts to how we can accommodate both the writer and client needs.

As I finish this response, I hope you can appreciate that TCA is a company that does care about the writers that work with us and we are not the "greedy pricks" you seem to think we are.

While we may not be able to please everyone all of the time, we will and always listen to those who want to share their thoughts about us. If you have additional concerns and want to share them with this community or me personally, feel free to post or pm me.

Thanks for taking time to read this!

Kind Regards,

Shawn

[lindseyanne]

I can write a 300 word article in 10 minutes. If I write for an hour, I've made $12. It's not a ton of money. But I'm working a 40 hour day job that grants me the freedom to write during downtime, and being able to make another $12 during a slow hour helps me a lot. I'm a broke kid trying to make enough money to survive, and if I can make any money doing what I'm good at, then I'm going to take the opportunity to do so.

[arainsb123]

Lindseyanne: ten minutes including research? Maybe I've been putting too much work into my own content mill articles ... I can do ~400-600 words in about half an hour.

[lindseyanne]

Lindseyanne: ten minutes including research? Maybe I've been putting too much work into my own content mill articles ... I can do ~400-600 words in about half an hour.

Depending on the topic, yes. I write mainly articles about topics such as health, animals, home and garden, product reviews and cooking. Since I write hundreds of these articles every month, it becomes very easy to quickly locate a good source of information, skim for the most important parts and integrate the information into my article.

I've worked my way up from tier 1 to tier 4 (the highest compensation level) and am currently making a living from writing for TCA. The user support is quick to respond when I have problems and there's always a steady source of work in the queue. Additionally, I have some direct order clients that frequently place return orders directly to me. It's the best content site I've been a writer for overall.