So, You Think You Can Write? (Part Five)

I do hope the image above represents a glass of wine and not a soft drink!

So, in my previous blog, I left you with the idea, that you too may wish to become a freelance writer. Lets take a look at the agencies I recommend, where there will be no drama, lots of available work and on-time payments.

GreatContent

If you remember back to one of my previous posts, you may recall that I was given the high score of level 5 on my first attempt at joining an agency. Well - this is the one, greatcontent.com, a global leader in the field of multilingual SEO and e-commerce content creation. It has friendly staff, lots of interesting work, and is well-paid for higher level writers.

However, although I recommend it, there are downsides. Firstly, they have recently changed their payment system. Now, you have to wait for the client to accept your work (which can take up to 3 weeks), then once accepted, it is not paid for a further month. This means you can be waiting up to 7 weeks for payment. Secondly, the work for lower level writers is snapped up pretty quickly. And finally, the articles are mostly for multinational companies, who require a high understanding of complex grammar rules. If you are not familiar with the following, then you are unlikely to be accepted as a writer.

• co-ordinating conjunctions
• compound sentences
• introductory clauses
• squinting modifiers
• active and passive voice etc

There are dozens of other examples I could have listed. Since joining this agency, I have written for Sixt Car Rental (travel guides), Last-Minute.com (theatre breaks). ambiente direct (very expensive German furniture), GlobeAir (a private jet company) and foodpanda (an Asian food delivery service).

Should you wish to apply, you will need to describe your experience, and supply samples of your work. Do be aware, there is very little "blog style" work offered on this platform.

Textbroker

I use textbroker.co.uk, but there are other country specific versions. The application process is broadly the same as the others, passing a spelling and grammar test, followed by a sample piece. Writers are graded from 2 star to 5 star, but realistically, there is very little work for the 2 star level. The downside to this agency, is that the editors can overrule the client's opinion! For example, once the article has been accepted, the client grades it, but if the editors don't agree, they can downgrade your star level, even if the client thought the work was amazing! A very odd thing to do in my opinion.

Copify

This is quite a relaxed agency, the editors are helpful and there is usually plenty of work. The majority are product descriptions, and the amount paid is based solely on the word count. Not the highest paying agency, but easy to work with for some steady, not too complex articles. Be aware, you have to submit a CV (resume) to apply.

Next time, I will be discussing my favourite agency, BoostContent, who are hiring right now! And I promise, I haven't forgotten to tell you about my rock and roll lifestyle! Living the dream!