Is Demand Studios Legit?
Sometimes we get desensitized with Internet advertising. Especially those ads that offer work. At least, I know I do. You may have seen the Demand Studios ad, it is popping up everywhere, looking for freelancers. They are offering work for writers, editors and filmmakers. I've been writing for them for over a year now and I can tell you the work is very legit.
You will probably read other blogs and writer's forums that discuss the low pay at Demand Studios. I can't speak for the copy editors or filmmakers. I have no experience there. But I will tell you, the pay for writers at Demand Studios has some grey area - in that in some instances the pay can be good for an hourly wage, or really crappy. It depends on a variety of factors. Before we get into the pay, let me explain what Demand Studios is about.
What is Demand Studios?
Demand Studios is a content provider. They provide brief articles and
videos for websites. Some of those websites, such as
eHow, are owned by Demand Studios'
parent company, Demand Media.
Writers apply to the
company, just like any would be employee. Yet, they aren't employees,
they are freelancers. Interested writers complete an application and
submit writing samples. If accepted the writers log into their
virtual office space at the Demand Studios website. There they choose
their writing assignments, and submit their finished articles to the
editors.
You Choose the Titles to Write at Demand Studios
In
some freelance writing assignments a writer pitches their idea to a
publisher. This takes time and rejection. In other freelance
writing assignments a publisher hires a freelancer to write specific
articles. It may be in the writer's field of expertise or interest, and
maybe not.
At Demand Studios the
writer chooses titles from a list of available assignments. Sometimes
the titles are really wacky (probably because they have been generated
by some computer search and not a human - just my guess).
The writer's experience
and reviews with Demand Studios will factor in on what type of articles
(and how many) he/she can pick. An average 400-500 word article
pays $15. Sometimes there are $20 articles. There are also shorter,
brief articles (of sorts) that pay less. They also have a revenue
sharing program, where you don't get paid upfront, but you share with
Demand Studios revenue on the article for a specific time frame.
Personally, I stick to the $15 or more articles.
After writing the article
you submit it online. After the editor reviews it (which takes between
several hours to a week) it is either accepted or sent back for a
re-write. A writer has one chance to rewrite the article. If returned to
the editor and still not accepted, it is rejected and the writer does
not get paid. It is the general consensus among some Demand
Studios writers that you can loose your gig with the company if your
reject rate gets over 3 percent.
Is the Pay Low at Demand Studios?
If
you live in New York City, the pay isn't terrific. But, for many areas
of the United States, the hourly rate for a Demand Studios writer can be
decent. But, it depends on a lot of factors. If a writer is choosing
articles that take hours to research, and a couple hours to write, then
the pay stinks, no matter where you live. But, if you pick
articles you can nail in a reasonable time (including research), then it
can be what many are looking for.
Some of the articles I
write can be researched, written and submitted in less than an hour.
This makes my hourly wage $15. Some writers are only able to knock out 2
or 3 articles a day, some can do 9 or 10. If I find acceptable titles,
it is fairly easy for me to complete 3 or 4 articles before lunch. The
trick - finding the right articles. Searching titles can be time
consuming.
When Does Demand Studios Pay?
Demand Studios pays twice a week, through Paypal and there are no Paypal fees for the writer. Articles approved on Sunday are paid Tuesday night, and articles approved on Wednesday are paid Friday night. The payment is deposited into the writer's Paypal account. I am sure that there is something in the Demand Studios TOS that states they have a window of time to get the money to the writers, like a week or two. But, during the last year I've always been paid quickly. There was just one time I received a Friday pay on Saturday.
Growing Pains at Demand Studios
There have been significant growing pains at Demand Studios. Last December it was pretty horrid. I remember there were so few titles and the system for claiming titles made it impossible to make any real money with them. But they have made many changes and improvements. They still have a ways to go, but as a company they seem to be making serious strides.
Is Demand Studios Right for You?
That is a question each writer needs to ask him or herself. For some
writers the job is a dream come true. Others view it as a sweat shop and
feel Demand Studios is taking advantage of its content providers, who
churn out countless articles for minimal pay, while the company makes
all the profits.
The fact is, there are
many low paying writing jobs. Get a job at the local
newspaper and you may stay up all night covering a boring city counsel
meeting and then writing the article, while making minimal pay and
worrying about daycare for the kids. Other writers spend hours pitching
an article and when all is said and done, the actual hourly rate earned
is not much better than what writers at Demand Studios earns.
As for me, I've been
virtually self-employed for so long, that working for someone else, at
an hourly wage - well that is a tough one. For me, Demand Studios is a
comfortable compromise.
10-20-2009 - Bobbi Holmes