The Content Authority

The Content Authority is yet another website that operates on the same premise as Textbroker, but with lower rates. Here is how the rates break down.

Tier Level                             Rate Per Word
Tier 1                                     $0.007
Tier 2                                     $0.010
Tier 3                                     $0.015
Tier 4                                     $0.030

The application process for The Content Authority is pretty simple and involves you completing a unique writing sample of 150 words for a random topic they select. Most topics are pretty easy, but if you don't like the original topic, you can refresh the page and it will give you a different one. After you complete your sample, they will review it you will be able to start writing articles if you're approved.

Unlike some other websites, every writer must start out at the Tier 1 level regardless of experience and ability. You are initially placed on a probationary period where you must complete five articles for review. Once these are completed, they are sent to a copy editor who rates them. If your ratings are good, you can move up to the next tier and so on. If your ratings are poor, The Content Authority will either keep you at tier 1 or cancel your account and you will be unable to write any future articles for them.

Just like Textbroker, this company pays once a week via PayPal which is nice. However, you must have accumulated a minimum of $25 before they will send a payment. 

From what I have seen, The Content Authority has a reasonable number of articles available and most are pretty easy to write. Unlike many other clients that I've worked with, the instructions are usually not very detailed and some clients allow you to choose the direction you take an article as long as the keywords are included within the title. This is nice because most articles don't require much research and can be done quickly.

So here's the skinny. The Content Authority is a good place to get started with writing online. They don't even require a resume, so pretty much anyone can get hired on as long you write decent content. The downside is that the rates are low, but if you can churn out content quickly you can still make a reasonable amount of money. I would by no means recommend trying to make a living off of this website, but it can provide a nice extra "basket" for diversifying your income. 

Click here to apply to The Content Authority

Writer Access

Writer Access is a website that I have recently begun writing for and operates much the same as Textbroker. Basically, writers are paid on a per cent basis, but unlike Textbroker, the rates are considerably higher. Here is out it breaks down.

• Level 2 earns 0.91 cents per word
• Level 3 earns 2.03 cents per word
• Level 4 earns 3.57 cents per word
• Level 5 earns 4.76 cents per word

After you have underwent the testing phases and been hired, you will be assigned a level which corresponds to your experience and overall writing ability. This will determine which assignments you have access to. For example, if you are a level 3, you can write level 3 and level 2 assignments. If you are a level 5, you have access to all levels.

In most cases, you will be rated after the completion of each assignment which can either increase or reduce your rating. In my opinion, the initial test I took was somewhat tricky and contained questions that would be difficult to answer without a reasonable amount of freelance and search engine optimization knowledge. Nonetheless, I've been through worse testing procedures for other websites and it wasn't too bad.

My main complaint with the hiring process is that it seemed to take forever to have my profile reviewed. I think it was somewhere around 2 1/2 to 3 weeks before I could actually begin writing which I found a bit frustrating. Consequently, don't expect the approval process to happen overnight if you decide to apply to Writer Access.

A downside with this company is that they only pay once a month, which is slower than other places like Textbroker and The Content Authority who pay weekly. You have to accumulate a minimum of $10 before the money is sent to your PayPal account. Along with this, the volume of assignments is somewhat bipolar, meaning some days there are plenty to choose from, and other days there is next to nothing. From what I can tell, Writer Access has too many writers and not enough clients.

On the upside, Writer Access now offers a program they call the casting call. Essentially, this is an area where people like blog and website owners can post writing positions which are long term in most cases. This feature allows you to apply for any positions you are interested in and create industry connections.

To summarize, I wouldn't recommend approaching Writer Access as a full time source of freelance income. However, if you are looking for some extra income and want to expand your portfolio, this website can be a good choice.

Click here to check out the Writer Access Writer FAQs

Click here to apply to Writer Access

Quality Gal

If you're a freelance writer who is looking for an extra income stream, you may want to consider writing for Quality Gal. In my personal opinion, the name of this company is somewhat stupid, but is nonetheless reputable and pays its writers on time. One of the best things about Quality Gal is that the pay is pretty decent and ranges anywhere from $12 minimum to $30 maximum. However, the average payment per article is somewhere around $15 to $18. The range of topics can vary substantially, so writers with nearly any background can usually find something to write about.

This website differs from many others for the fact that they often require writers to add a certain number of links to each article. While adding links is easy, it can be somewhat time consuming if they require you to add more than 15.  Besides this, the length of each assignment is often longer than many other places. For example, you will have to write in excess of 1,000 words in many cases.

The application process for Quality Gal is pretty straightforward and consists of choosing topics that you're knowledgeable about and listing your five favorite topics. If you make it through the preliminary phase, they will require you to write a sample article. Unlike many other places, they will pay you for the sample article as long as it's of reasonable quality and not plagiarized. 

A positive thing about this company is that they pay once a week which is nice. Probably the worst thing about Quality Gal is that they don't usually have consistent assignments. In fact, I've had plenty of times where I logged in and there were absolutely no assignments available. With that being said, I wouldn't recommend this as a full time job, but it can provide a nice cash extra stream for writers looking to diversify their income. Along with this, it's helpful if you have some solid writing experience before applying to Quality Gal because it seems that noobs might have difficulty with the application process.

Click here to check out the writer FAQs

Click here to apply to be a writer for Quality Gal

Textbroker

Textbroker is a freelance writing website that essentially works as a middleman between clients and writers.  Each writer is given an initial rating that ranges from 2 to 5 and dictates the amount of assignments that are available. One thing I like about this company is that there are a plethora of topics to choose from once you have established a decent rating of 3 or more. Another good thing about Textbroker is that even if you get a low initial rating, you can improve and raise it by producing high quality content for clients. 

The payment structure works by paying writers anywhere from $0.01 to $0.05 per word. Like most other companies, Textbroker pays its writers via PayPal and payments are made around the 10th of each month. Each writer must also complete a W-9 form and accrue at least $10 of earnings before getting paid. 

When compared to other freelance writing sites, earnings from Textbroker are on the low side. While I wouldn't recommend this site for seasoned freelancers, it can serve newbies well who are trying to break into the industry. In fact, Textbroker can be a good place to build your portfolio and establish your reputation as a solid writer. 

So if you're new to freelance writing, I would suggest giving Textbroker a try. Even if your earnings are limited at first, it could help you with building your resume and landing other gigs in the future. Along with this, the application process is rather straightforward and easier to pass than many other websites. 

Click here to check out the author's FAQs

Click here to apply for a writing position at Textbroker

WiseGeek

I have been writing for WiseGeek for almost a year and it has turned out to be a nice source of income. The thing I like most about WiseGeek is that there is almost always 500 plus assignments that can be taken at any time. While I predominately write about business and career topics, there are numerous topics to choose from that run the gambit from home improvement to medical information. Each article is required to be 400 or more words and pays anywhere from $10 to $14.

The payment system works by a copy editor reviewing your work after you have completed a batch of at least five articles. Once each article has been approved, you receive your payment. In contrast to other freelance sites that make you wait for up to a month, this type of payment is a major plus.

As of January 2012, WiseGeek has stopped creating new articles and has chosen to upgrade their existing database by adding pictures and videos to each article. As far as I know, they are only sticking with existing writers for the time being, but may bring on new writers for the transition. WiseGeek's application process is somewhat lengthy as they require you to complete several articles before hiring you on. However, you do still earn the normal pay rate for these initial articles.

I know that their new positions entail working either as a video curator, photo curator or performing general edits and optimizing existing articles. From what I've heard, the amount of money earned per assignment will be similar to the previous earnings each writer was making.

Personally, I have enjoyed working for WiseGeek and have gotten much better at fine tuning my writing and have seen an overall improvement in my writing abilities. A good thing about WiseGeek is that each writer is given a personal copy editor to work with exclusively. Unlike other sites I've written for with random copy editors, you get consistent feedback from only one person which helps prevent frustration and enhance your writing.

Click here to go to the WiseGeek application page