International Association of Professional Writers & Editors / IAPWE

[Larry M]

I didn’t find a thread on this one - the International Association of Professional Writers & Editors (IAPWE).

I saw their ad on Craigslist: “Freelance Writer Wanted - Pay $100 per article.”

I filled out their application 3 times before receiving a response. The reply from Amy Wilkerson indicated they only had a few openings, so I needed to act fast.

It turns out that writers are required to pay a fee to have access to the available jobs. A Google search brought up comments from several people who mentioned that the ‘jobs’ offered after joining are questionable. They’re not doing anything illegal, as the requirements are clearly stated. It’s just that the ad is so intentionally misleading.

I declined, of course. Not going to waste my time, effort, or money.

 

[Chris P]

These folks? https://iapwe.org/

Questionable in what way? As in an essay mill? Or did they not specify?

A professional society with membership fees and members-only content isn't unusual (I'm a member of a couple scientific societies offering such) but this part of their "About" in light of what you describe hits me strangely (bolding mine):

In addition to providing free resources for our members, we are always seeking talented writers and editors to help create engaging, locally relevant, educational and inspirational content to help support our outreach efforts. We believe in paying our writers and editors a competitive wage, unlike many of the “content mills” and comparable low-paying clients and/or companies.

There's nothing wrong with encouraging members to publish through a society's publishing arm (the scientific societies I'm a member of have several journals, symposia book series, etc.) but those are for the content the members generate such as scientific papers, which go through peer review, etc., and the society does not pay me for the content (I get a free book if I review it, or five free ones if I organize a symposium and compile a book of symposium proceedings, but that's it).

Finally, call me jaded from falling for vanity publishing scams in my younger days, someone going to lengths to distance themselves from scammers while offering the same things scammers do gets my attention in a skeptical way. The scientific societies I'm a member of do not compare themselves to the pay-to-publish scientific vanity publishers out there (yes, they exist).

All that said, I have no experience with this particular outfit, nor have I made a serious go of being a freelance writer so I can't say how out of the ordinary this might be.

 

[Larry M]

These folks? https://iapwe.org/

Questionable in what way? As in an essay mill? Or did they not specify?

Yep, those folks. The comments I read from people who say they joined suggested the jobs offered were not the sort of jobs that paid well enough to outweigh the ~$40/month fee to access the jobs board.

Anyone willing to pay a monthly fee for that, go for it.

My problem with them (along with those I read about) is the misleading nature of the advertisement. It appears they do NOT pay $100 per article as the ad claims.

 

[AW Admin]

Avoid.

See Writer Beware.

 

[CaoPaux]

Here's Writer Beware's take on it: https://writerbeware.blog/2016/01/13/freelance-mills-cyberbullying-and-plagiarism-oh-my/