Saying Goodbye To The Content Mills
Over the last two years, I have written for content mills. I used them to supplement my income while I was in between writing clients. Writing for them was, at times, a soul-sucking experience, but I needed the money.
I’m sure a lot of people say that after they have done something horrible. I even wrote glowing biographies of Sarah Palin and Ted Cruz because I needed the money. This has been a major regret of mine, using my talent to, even in a small way, further their careers. But again, I needed the money.
The money paid out by these content mills is not very good and making a living at it is almost impossible. With pay ranging from 1-3 cents per word, keeping the lights on writing exclusively for content mills is a struggle, to say the least.
The work is steady, though, and I could always count on at least $100 per week. And there were times when that $100 came to my rescue. Did I mention I needed the money?
The main benefit I received from writing for the mills is that it taught me to write quickly and succinctly. There was no tolerance for padding the wordcount or fluff. I learned how to do “SEO writing” and that has helped me as well.
But now I can truly say goodbye to that type of writing life and it is all because of Steemit. With this platform I can now write about those things that truly interest me and that I want to share with others.
I have said it before, but Steemit has truly changed my life. There is nothing more powerful than a writer who is writing about what he loves and believes in. I have spent far too long writing about “5 Ways A Digital Agency Can Get You More Business” or “How To Get The Perfect Smile.” Those days are gone.
Thanks to Steemit and all you who have read and responded to what I have written, I am now on a better path. One that puts real value on the words that I write. One that builds community and rewards the creators.
It’s a new day, and a new life, for me. One based on contribution and community and one that does not include content mills.
Kick those jerks to the curb, and never look back. The feeling of making it on your own is amazingly liberating, isn't it?
It really is. I haven't been this excited about anything in a long time.
You are not alone, I have written for those awful things too...
It's a tough way to earn a buck. But at least we made it out alive!
Congratulations on breaking free from the content mills! Steemit is doing a lot of incredible things for some incredible people. I believe we were all very lucky to have arrived here on near the ground floor.
Very true! I am so thankful that I found Steemit.
Cool! Its great to make money. The best is when you can make money doing what you love. (I know that sounds super cliche)
Not cliche at all. With sites like Steemit, and the Internet in general, I think you can really make a living doing what you love.
It's amazing, right?
I'm in the same position that you are with saying goodbye to those low paying (soul-sucking) writing gigs.
Just dropping by to give you a follow and a high-five! It's a new day.
Thanks so much! Followed right back.
I too did this. Associated Content which became Yahoo and a few more. I am not sure I make more on here I did well with AC mostly on health and mental wellness. I have a greater sense of satisfaction though with the work that I do here. Not everything is golden but at least I have met some great people along the way.
I feel much better about what I am doing on here, too
Congratulations on escaping that type of work. I was up till last month and I decided one day, this is not for me. I was fortunate enough to land $0.05 to $0.9 per word but they were extremely strict. The writing was not all that hard, just they kept trying to give me 4+ 1,500 word articles due in 24 hours, sometimes I got two days to write them. That may not seem all that bad but I have a day job working overtime and also run a public relations company so time is extremely valuable.
Content Mills can drain you emotionally and even physically due to stress. Luckily you got out. Most don't.