Sunday, November 1, 2009

Constant-Content: Scam or Not? No Way, Not in My Experience

I've been so busy defending HubPages from being thought a scam that I've neglected Constant-Content, which some writers have found great success with, and which others have been unhappy with or not had massive success with.  Having just received notification that I recently sold a $125 article (of which I got about $80 as my cut), I've begun to renew my excitement with this article writing website.  I should say first, though, that I think I understand why Constant-Content might be thought to be a scam.

The way Constant-Content works is you upload your document--an article you write--and specify your choice of subject, with your preferred sale price and the rights you wish to grant--usage rights, unique rights, full rights, etc.  Each type means something specific.  If your article has previously been published anywhere, for example, then it's only eligible for usage rights sales.

After upload, your article goes to Constant-Content's editor to review.  If it gets accepted, it gets listed as a product for customers to buy.  Customers purchase articles according to the rights they select.  If they buy your article, you get a percentage of the purchase price - slightly higher than half.  Some rights allow you to resell the article - but if they buy unique or full rights, you're selling all future rights to the article.  Wise writers price their work accordingly.

The big reason I think the site is thought to be a scam is that, unlike at a lot of article sites, articles do get rejected.  And that can hurt and seem unfair, especially since it's a three-strikes-you're-out kind of site.  And especially since the editor can be picky.  If you don't follow CC's writers guidelines and submission format guidelines exactly--and that's "exactly" in big, bold capital letters--your article gets rejected.

Another reason I suspect people may think Constant-Content a scam is that the business model is atypical of the larger Web writing websites.  It's not revenue share.  It's not for backlinks.  You don't get paid outright.  It's more like selling your work on consignment.  Most article websites do things differently - allow links in the articles, for example, or offer revenue share.  Constant-Content is a site for writers, but not a site for marketers who dabble in writing.  As far as I'm concerned, I'll leave the revenue-share opportunities to awesome sites like HubPages.  Constant Content is where I sell the pieces I can't sell elsewhere.

The last reason I suspect people assume it's a scam is that writers don't read the terms of service, or forget that they don't get the full 100% of the sale price.  Constant-Content is very clear--authors get 65% of the price, and Constant-Content gets 35%.  That's why you set your price higher instead of lowballing it.

I have sold hundreds of dollars worth of articles there and always gotten paid.  I've experienced excellent customer service.  They've been placed under new ownership in the last year and the powers that be are proactive.  The writer's forums are wonderful and supportive.  There's even a forum to explain your rejections.

And we're not talking great volume. I've sold less than 10 articles as of this writing.  Not that I think that's everyone's experience--I suspect most people who have just a few articles up and who price themselves low might sell a couple of $20 articles a year.

But when I got the email telling me of my latest sale, I was so pleased and surprised.  It happens like that at Constant-Content.  If you have a lot of articles up, the sales come more frequently.  I have only a moderate number, and they come months apart.  Given that I haven't written there in ages, I'm not complaining.

I recommend it to writers who like to write for people instead of search engines...or for Web content writers who don't know where to place certain pieces they write.  Submit them to Constant-Content

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9 comments:

HayleyWriter said...

Hi Nerd Writer Mom,

Great article - and congratulations on that sale!

I've been writing for Constant Content successfully for over a year, and I have made over $6000 USD. That's the figure for only writing part-time there - while I work at a full time job too. I submit regularly, and make sales most weeks. My mother has also started writing there and has made over $1000 in a few months.

I know why most people think Constant Content is a scam - they don't follow the submission guidelines or know how the website works. It is definitely NOT a scam, but it takes some time to get established there. It is a great site for making that unexpected bonus income and for selling articles for more than you can get anywhere else. I've had a few of those $100 plus sales myself, but most of my artcles sell for $50 to $80 (which still nets me $32.50 plus in my pocket for a 500 to 700 word article).

This is an ideal site for mothers who need to write sporadically, in between taking care of the children, because you can submit articles at any time you like. Sales can also come anytime, so it can make a nice "treat" fund for your family.

I've actually put together an ebook to help new authors succeed on Constant Content called "Sales Success on Constant Content". I am so sure that anyone who can write can succeed on Constant Content that I offer a 3 x money back guarantee and the book is only $10. You can make that money back on your first article sale and the ebook will show you how to get the articles approved and how to meet the submission guidelines. The book also explains how to make the most of friendly forums and be part of the writing community on Constant Content. It will help anyone who wants to start with Constant Content.

Constant Content is a wonderful site for authors. I make so much money there, I just about write for Constant Content exclusively these days. I strongly suggest you give it a go!

HayleyWriter.

Writer said...

HayleyWriter,

Thanks for that encouragement for writers. I haven't found Constant-Content to be a difficult market. If writers want to succeed at Constant-Content, the best advice in my mind is to study the submission guidelines thoroughly, brush up on grammar and punctuation if they're not up to speed, and look at the articles some of the top writers produce on the site to get a sense of the house style. Participating in forums is not necessary for earnings, though the support can be helpful. Not to slam e-books, but I've learned far more about writing online through trial and error than through anything a paid eBook has taught me.

Anonymous said...

Hey Nerd Writer Mom,

You say you have sold many of your articles and made over $6000 from CC. What kind of articles do you usually write? How often do you submit anything? Is there a better way to make money on the internet by writing? Sorry for so many questions but I have been writing for a long time and always get published but it is usually in commentary sections of Newspapers that pay nothing.

Stevefon2004

Writer said...

Hi Stevefon2004,

It's HayleyWriter, not me, who's earned $6000 from Constant-Content. :) I've put less than 15 articles up at Constant-Content, though I've been intending to submit more since my last sale.

I write a wide range of articles - from the social sciences to health related to science related to shopping.

There are so many different ways for writers to earn money online. Can you share more about your writing ambitions? Better yet, I saw that you posted to my article, "HubPages and eHow." How about we continue over there to streamline the conversation? :)

Genesis said...

I've been writing for a couple years for Constant Content and have found it to be a really great site. While not all my articles sell right away, they do tend to sell over time. In fact, I haven't really submitted anything in six months (about to change that!) and I still get monthly payments of $50-100 . . . not too shabby for something I don't pay attention to. :D

Anonymous said...

Is it better to just submit an article to Constant Content or to choose one from their request list? I chose one last week and the requestor asked for a 1500 word article on a specific subject which I had to research. It also had a requirement to pitch a specific product. If the requestor doesn't buy it I wasted my time. Probably a bad choice by me but I'm still learning.

Stevefon2004

Writer said...

Hi, Stevefon2004. First - good for you for figuring out the requested article system! It can be confusing.

Requested articles are a great way to start out before you know what people are buying. It's a gamble, but in a sense it's a good gamble because it's educational.

Once you get some experience, you might want to move onto doing your own titles exclusively. When I submit there again, it will be with my own titles. That's because my own titles seem more profitable based on my prior sales records.

I've had a few requested articles purchased and one not bought. The ignored one I revised, took off of Constant-Content, and put up on HubPages. It, too, was ultra specific.

When you're doing requested titles, there's a fine balance between picking titles most of your competing writers won't bother with (and so decreasing your competition) and picking titles that have money-making potential if they're not bought.

I understand the requested article you wrote was highly specific. However, if it doesn't sell, what about posting it elsewhere for revenue sharing? It might actually do quite well because it IS specific.

I once wrote an assignment for Textbroker that was also super-specific. It sold, but I didn't want my research to go to waste. I changed the slant a couple of times and posted two more versions up on a couple of other sites. On one of those, it's earned a decent amount - at least as much as I made with the original sale.

I should also mention Seed.com, which is run by AOL, is another site that has a similar, but far more primitive, business model. You and other writers submit the same assignment to editorial, then wait (and wait) for Seed.com to pick out the one or ones, plural, they'll buy. If your article is accepted, you MAY get paid the full amount or, if it's chosen for revenue sharing only, it will automatically go into that pool. (You can't say "thanks but no thanks" like you can with AC.) You can ONLY keep full rights to it if it's rejected outright. Their better overall pay lures writers to accept this offer. They're very new, so whether or not this works out equitably in the end is still up in the air. I submitted one article there, it got rejected, and I posted it on HubPages. It's not made very much money, but I'll definitely do the same thing again if I ever submit to and get rejected by Seed again.

JadeDragon@innovativepassiveincome said...

I've had some good success with Constant Content. The requirements are strict - no grammar, spelling or punctuation errors. You also need to use a standard file format and font. Beyond that the site is a real pleasure to deal with.

Anonymous said...

ABSOLUTELY not a scam. I am very pleased with Constant Content & I have recommended the site to all the writers in my writers group.
I am very pleased to be a writer published on CC!