Can you REALLY depend on DS?

Just stay out of the forums. They're time-suckers. ;-)

Juniekat is on to us! Time wasters unite!

Demand Media Studios can give you a great income. For well over a year, I relied very much on it.

Just beware you might feel "burned out" especially if you write 5, 10, 15, 20+ articles a day. Keep your eyes on other options and sites; I like bidding on jobs on sites such as oDesk and Guru to keep it more interesting.

Peace, love, and happiness,
Stephanie

Well, I've been at it for about 4 1/2 months and have cleared about $6,500. My absolute minimum articles a day is three, every day, without let up. I've hit four and five articles a day dozens of times, but there lies madness and utter burnout. Interpreting the article titles is frustrating, along with finding the right reasearch sites. But I'll tell ya, I've never made this much in my life from freelance writing. Some days it takes me four hours to complete my quota. Other days, like today, was a nerve-wracking nine-hour stint where I threw a fit and busted up some furniture.

I know gals that are making three and four-hundred bucks a day writing for DS. They are incredible, disciplined writing machines.

Alas, I love it. It IS the premium site for cash for writing. No other site comes close.

Tri

The upcoming IPO and fact that the company isn't yet profitable are troubling, IMO. While I love DS and depend (too) heavily on it right now, it's wise to widen your client base now rather than having the bottom drop out from under you. So that's what I'm trying to do.

What's the IPO? What indication do you have that the company is in trouble right now? I'm curious about any trouble they're experiencing. They seem to be giving away a lot grants and incentives, hooking up with sponsors and such things. Hardly evidence that they are suffering to any degree.

Tri

IPO = Initial Public Offering; they are attempting to go public with shares of purchasable stock.

triceretops said:

What's the IPO? What indication do you have that the company is in trouble right now? I'm curious about any trouble they're experiencing. They seem to be giving away a lot grants and incentives, hooking up with sponsors and such things. Hardly evidence that they are suffering to any degree.

Tri

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Oh, I don't think that they're in trouble, exactly. It's just that when/if the IPO goes through, anything can change at any second. Especially since DMS hasn't managed to become profitable.

Here's an interesting article I read this morning: http://www.businessinsider.com/demand-media-2010-11

I don't agree with everything he says--he has some obvious biases--but it touches on some of the ways that any online venture is a risk. (Then again, a lot of brick-and-mortar businesses are a risk in this economy.)

It's smart to be prepared for changes if/when the IPO goes through. Just IMO.

scottVee said:

When I look at DS, or almost all freelance writing gigs, it's seems like it's always always stuff I absolutely don't care about. I just can't see writing that way. I have nothing to say about horses or cars or fashion or business or music websites.

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Ha, welcome to the world of a general assignment newspaper reporter, as well. "You want me to go back to the flower show for a follow up? Really?"

I look at the DS articles as puzzles. I have fun with them, but it sure is a struggle to find good titles. They pay lightning fast, though, and my interactions with CE's have been very positive.

colealpaugh said:

Ha, welcome to the world of a general assignment newspaper reporter, as well. "You want me to go back to the flower show for a follow up? Really?"

I look at the DS articles as puzzles. I have fun with them, but it sure is a struggle to find good titles. They pay lightning fast, though, and my interactions with CE's have been very positive.

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I see them as challenging puzzles, too. I always seem to find something that's general enough and a few references to support it. The pay is always on time, twice a week. Over four bills goes into my Paypal every week, for about five hours of work a day. Only problem is, that's seven days a week. I would like a damn break, but I'll have to impose that myself. With editing novels that have to go to print, the workload is staggering.

Tri

DS (or DMS whatever you prefer, I can't get used to the new name), is a good way to make a few dollars between bigger assignments. I've been a writer there for almost 2 years now. I even confess that I have used them exclusively for about a year when I was having personal problems that had my life in turmoil. The availability of the work that I didn't have to chase, and payments I didn't have to hunt down was a lifesaver. It still is at times even though life has settled down a lot.

DS can be incredibly frustrating. The template style of writing, and the tight restrictions on resources make it my least favorite style of freelancing, but it certainly has its place.

Can you count on it? As far as you can throw it. That, however is not a DS failing. It's a freelance failing. Anyone who has freelanced for long, I'm sure can agree with the idea that freelancing gigs come and go. DS is just a resource to be taken for what it is as long as it lasts.

Like any freelancing source, use it as one piece of the puzzle. Never put all your eggs in one basket when freelancing. No site or particular client is stable enough to rely on to never fail, or disappear.