Article Writing--How to Avoid Schemes and Scams

If you've visited job boards for freelance writers, you will have no doubt noticed postings that advertise for article writers. Unfortunately, like the goose that laid the golden egg, all may not be as legitimate as it appears . . .

Article Writing Scams --(All Work and No Pay Make Jack a Dull Boy)

• These sites may offer ridiculously low pay rates and, in return, demand flawless work. You'll read: "spelling mistakes will not be tolerated."
• You'll be required to insert keywords and often will be expected to understand and utilize article SEO
• You'll have to research and produce articles that'll usually run around 500-700 words
• In many cases an unrealistic number of articles will be required each day

This is enough to choke even a seasoned freelancer!

The real insult is that pay rates may be $3.50 per article, $2.00, or, in the worst nightmare of a scenario, $1.00 per. I recently saw an advertisement where the poster stated that he was only willing to pay $1.00 per 500 words or $1.00 per page and that only those who were serious needed to apply. (I found myself questioning whether he was serious!) To top off the lunacy, he wanted 10-20 articles produced daily! What an article mill! (I have to admit, I was so outraged I wrote and told him what an insult his rates were. His response was that he agreed and he had done this to weed out the good writers from the bad . . . ah, hah . . . . something smelled very fishy in Denmark.)

Hmmm . . . let's see, most of us can produce approximately 2-4 researched, written, edited and proofread articles per day. Even if you are a virtuoso at the keyboard and could produce 10 articles each day, you would be paid $10.00 for your efforts, which would translate into a grand total of $200.00 per month. At that rate, even a rotten egg might prove more valuable.

Revenue Share on Sales Scam

Another so-called opportunity is the revenue share on sales scam. At first blush, this sounds good. You produce articles and receive a percentage on sales generated by your content (which includes a link to a site that sells a product). You are told that you will receive your share each month.

I would not agree to this unless you have a signed contract stating that you are entitled to this share and that it will be ongoing. As well, you should request verification of the number of items sold. You have no way of knowing if a site has sold 300 or 3 products (generated by your link) and the difference in what you get paid could be significant.

Article Sample Scam

You visit a job board and read that you will be required to create and submit two articles around a theme or certain keywords. Run! That's right. Never give away articles for free. Often, these scamsters keep your article and then inform you that your writing didn't make the cut. This is a scheme to obtain free content, without compensating the writer.

A legitimate site or employer will have no problem reviewing samples of previously published work, over requiring you to produce new articles for zero pay.

Writing articles for low pay rates isn't always a bad idea. You can cut your teeth on online opportunities and sharpen your writing skills, while adding to your resume--but, it pays to be cautious. Your time is just as valuable as the next person's. Don't fall victim to article writing scams.

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