If you don’t know already, Content Mills are
agencies that herd in thousands of articles written by people who are paid a
small amount per article (usually something between $2-$30), or are paid a small
amount per word (usually something around $.01-$.40). You have heard the term
before, I am certain, but if you need a re-fresher there is a more in-depth
explanation of what a Content Mill is here.
There has been a lot of debate floating around the
Internet surrounding the topic of Content Mills. There are those who disapprove
of the Mills all together; feeling they do nothing but take advantage of
writers. But, there are others who support Mills; believing they are a reasonable
source of income.
It wasn’t until I came across several articles
written by people who were either praising Content Mills or bashing them that I
decided to take a moment to reflect on my own feelings towards Mills and offer
my two cents.
The underlying inquiries I noted most often:
·
Are Content Mills a waste of a fledgling
writer’s time, or are they stepping stones for writers wanting a foot in the
door . . . any door?
·
Are the articles expected to be written
worth the time and effort for the few pennies being offered as payment, or do
writers not care and see the work as a chance to gain experience for future
projects that will offer better payment?
I can speak from experience, I wrote for a few
different Content Mills.
Truthfully, it didn’t take me long to realize that
my heart wasn’t with writing for them. In fact, it was enough to make me sick
every time I had to write a 300-500 word article on a topic that interested me
very little.
It wasn’t long before I found myself in a position
where I could continue to pour my time into writing for “search and claim assignment”
sites, or sites that assign writers a list of relevant keywords to use for
articles (usually themed: food, holiday parties).
I could continue to devote myself to searching and
writing assignments (the few assignments) that at least invoked some sort of
interest. I could continue to painstakingly take my time and thoroughly research
every assignment in order to write an informative and interesting article,
regardless if I had little interest in the subject and received a small payment
for my hard work.
Then it dawned on me:
If
I took this much time and effort into writing stuff that I could care less
about, what would happen if I invest my time and effort into writing things I
am passionate about, things that inflame my heart. Why can’t I make money
writing about what interests me?
From that realization, I moved on to pursue other
freelance writing projects. Do I regret the time I spent writing for Content
Mills ~ searching for assignments, gathering sources for each article, and
actually writing the article within the allotted time?
Absolutely not.
And I will tell you why.
When the first approval to write for a content mill
came in my Inbox, I was ecstatic! Elated! Proud of myself! It was the boost of
confidence I needed.
I was just beginning my on-line freelance writing
career and was looking for a place to start. Seeing, “Congratulations you are
approved as a Mill Writer” meant a lot to me. It meant I had a place to start.
To me, Mills are not a waste of time for a
writer just beginning. I look at them as stepping stones that have the
potential to provide freelance writers ~ those wanting to make money writing ~
with many valuable learning experiences.
In my experience:
Mills
offered me a crash course in the operations of an on-line world.
·
They introduced me to PayPal which I
have found to be a valuable resource. Being new to freelance writing and the
on-line world I had no idea that a site like PayPal existed. The Mill I was
writing for required all writers to have an account so payments could be made.
I wanted my money, so I created an account and have since learned a great deal
about the different services PayPal offers.
·
I learned how to navigate through
websites; access my account, claiming assignments, submitting assignments and so forth. Each Content Mill has a
different process for claiming, receiving and submitting assignments and each,
in their own way, taught me a little more about the inner-workings of the on-line
world.
·
I gained a great deal of knowledge about
effective use of keywords and learning the importance of Search Engine
Optimization and Latent Semantic Indexing. Not to mention learning a few SEO and
LSI techniques.
·
It also exposed me to the inter-mingling
of the on-line world: the forums and message boards, social media and the world
of blogging.
Mills
offered me the opportunity to search and discover more about myself.
·
It was while writing for Mills when I realized
my likes and dislikes. I discovered things that really moved me. It was
probably during this enlightening moment I realized that writing for Content
Mills just wasn’t for me. Instead, I had a desire for bigger and better things.
I will always appreciate the knowledge gained from writing for them, though.
·
I also learned – reluctantly – that I am
a slow writer. It takes time selecting the right words, the right tone, and the
right resources. I write and re-write a lot. It is my goal to make certain I
have covered all the information and included some high points to be fondly
remembered. That takes time, more time than many Mills allot. I found myself
rushing to write a piece and always felt unsatisfied with the article I wrote,
believing if I had more time I could have made it better.
It was the dawn of myself that woke me up to the
vast opportunities I had as a writer other than writing for Content Mills. I
wasn’t happy with the amount of work involved for the few pennies they paid. I
wanted a bit more freedom with my writing. I learned from them. I grew from my
experience and I set out on other paths.
Would I recommend writing for a Content Mill?
If you are just beginning as a writer, Yes. Yes, I
would recommend writing for a Mill. The learning experience is priceless.
What have been your experience working with Content
Mills? Was it positive? Do you regret the time you spent writing for them?
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