content mills

The Journey From Bottom Feeder Content Mills to Six-Figure Freelancing

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If you want to carve out an income in the six-figure freelancing club, it might seem like a long shot based on where you’re at right now.

Maybe your $20-per-blog-post client feels like a soul-sucking, dead-end gig. Maybe every query, pitch and LOI you send seems to fall on deaf ears.

Or maybe you’re doing all the right things. But that six-figure freelancing goal still seems impossible. It’s not.

Freelance success takes more than hard work and dedication. It also requires something too many writers overlook—a well-planned strategy for moving up.

Five years ago, rookie freelancer Nicole Dieker swam with the bottom feeders, churning out content mill pieces for a few pennies a word.

Now she’s a rockstar columnist, blogger, copywriter, and novelist. And she’s fast approaching six-figure freelancing status.

Want to know how she did it? Check out her proven methods for increasing your income, moving up and earning more.

Content Mills: 10 Posts Reveal The Truth About Pay

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If you’re new to freelancing, content mills can practically sound dreamy.

Pick your favorite gigs. Work when you want. Get paid like a rockstar.

Ahem…That’s not exactly what happens if you bank your freelance writing career on working for content mills.

On most platforms, you’ll find thousands, of writers scurrying around competing for writing jobs in a race to the bottom for low rates and a soul-sucking existence.

Can you earn pro rates at a content mill? It’s possible. But you’ll need to know where to look.

If you want the truth about how much content mills really pay, save yourself some time on the hamster wheel.

These 10 blog posts will give you an inside look at what it’s like to write for content mills, how they operate, and how much you can expect to earn.

2 New Content Mills That Suck + 3 Promising Freelance Websites

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If you’re a writer who spends time looking for freelance websites where you can find work, you’re not alone.

Job boards, move-up mills, and agencies can be places to find good clients. But freelance websites for writers can also be a cesspool of low-paying gigs.

How do you know what freelance sites are worth your time, and which ones to avoid?

Do your homework and read this blog. We like to check out freelance websites for potential opportunities and let you know where to find great gigs and what sites totally suck. And believe me, there are a lot of freelance sites for writers out there that suck.

While doing your own marketing by sending LOIs (letters of introduction) and query letters is one of the most effective ways to grow your freelancing business, picking up work on freelance websites is a great way to help you move up and earn more.

We recently vetted five new freelance sites for writers. Three turned out to be good places to find clients that pay decent rates. But two new content mills we haven’t featured before didn’t measure up to Make a Living Writing standards.

Here’s the scoop on two new mills that suck and three promising freelance sites for writers.

5 Urgent Reasons to Stop Undercharging for Writing Jobs

Posted by: Carol Tice — Comments Off

It can seem like a great strategy, when you first start looking for writing jobs. If you simply charge a bit less than everyone else, you’ll get more clients.

Right?

You might. But sadly, undercutting market rates is a loser’s game.

I’ve coached thousands of writers at this point, and have yet to meet one who says they’re earning a great living by being the cheapest writer around.

The good news? There’s never been a better time to charge premium rates for your writing, as changes at Google have brought the rise of longer-form online content — and have helped a growing number of companies understand the high value of what we writers bring to the table.

It takes a major mindset change (and a little research) to go from low-price-leader to a writer who charges serious fees. But trust me — you’ll be ever so much happier and earn a crap-ton more if you stop undercharging. Let me help you make it happen.

Tagged with: content mills, freelance rates, move up and earn more

Inside 4 New Content Mills: What Freelancers Need to Know

Posted by: Editor — 95 Comments ↓

You don’t have to look far to find content mills paying freelance writers ridiculously low rates these days.

But it’s a reality—one that isn’t good for your writing career, portfolio, bank account, self-confidence, or sanity.

Does anyone actually make good money writing for content mills?

Well, here’s the news: Not all content mills suck. Wait, what?

There’s an emerging breed of content mills that may be a game-changer for freelancers.

According to some writers who’ve worked on these platforms, you can earn big coin if you do it right. But there are some pitfalls you’ll need to watch out for.

Are these content mills just a new take on the lowest-bidder game?

Or do some content mills actually provide value and pay pro rates?

Here’s what you need to know about an emerging class of content mills that may offer better opportunities:

Freelance Writing Forecast: Ride These Epic Trends in 2017

Posted by: Carol Tice — 56 Comments ↓

Last year, I got out my crystal ball and created a freelance writing forecast that identified 12 hot writing niches for the past year. (You can check and see how I did.)

That post was one of the most useful posts of the year, judging from the traffic it got, so I’ve decided to do a new forecast for 2017.

But this time, rather than good-paying types of writing, I’m calling out the hot trends you should know about to earn well in the coming year.

How you take advantage of these trends and freelance writing forecast will depend on the kinds of writing you like to do and types of clients you serve. These are top-level trends that will affect all of us, whether you’re into blogging, magazine writing, or copywriting.

I’ve included action items that explain how to take advantage of each of these trends in the coming year.

The freelance writing forecast looks bright

The short version: I’ve never been more excited about the opportunities for freelance writers than I am right now.

Ready? Let’s look at the seven biggest trends coming down the pike:

content mills

The Journey From Bottom Feeder Content Mills to Six-Figure Freelancing

Content Mills: 10 Posts Reveal The Truth About Pay

2 New Content Mills That Suck + 3 Promising Freelance Websites

5 Urgent Reasons to Stop Undercharging for Writing Jobs

Inside 4 New Content Mills: What Freelancers Need to Know

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