Without seeing the email, it looks as though the WCP (Writer's Compensation Program) will continue, and existing articles will remain on the site rather than be deleted, but the site will no longer be crowdsourced.
Simultaneously, the forum's been upgraded with a new look. Apparently this unannounced upgrade and policy change has taken everybody by surprise.
It's an interesting development, but not entirely surprising given the publishing issues that have occurred on eHow recently. Of course, it could be an error. If this is an error, it's a pretty major one. If it's a premature announcement, it's a pretty major one. And if this is the way it's going to be, it's a major change.
Edit: Got the email. It looks like some writers are automatically moved and given an account on Demand Studios. Looks like I need to study this one before I report...but suffice it to say there are major changes afoot, starting now.
10:28 AM Pacific Standard Time: It's official. No new writers will be accepted to the WCP. Current articles will stand and continue to earn. Rights for WCP articles remain with the writer. Any new articles published on eHow, though, will be through Demand Studios. And you lose your rights to those articles.
4 comments:
This has turned in to a real mess.
I submitted an application to Demand Studios a year or so ago, but they didn't accept me, and didn't really give a reason why. Do you have any suggestions for me in re-applying?
Hi Kinsey,
Without looking at their current application guidelines, which may have changed since I applied...the general advice I'd give a writer applying to Demand is:
1) List all your web content writing history and qualifications in your resume/application - such as work you've done for Textbroker. Also include any degrees and certificates and professional experience in any other field you have. Though it's not necessary to get accepted, they seem to like people with areas of expertise outside writing.
2) For your writing sample(s), study what they want and give it to 'em. Read articles produced by Demand Studios writers, write articles to that format, and use them as your writing sample(s).
A how-to article might be your best bet.
To find sample articles written by Demand Studios writers, go to eHow. Browse around and click on any article, and check that it's a How-to article. Check also that the author is an "eHow contributing writer" and that there's a first and last name beside the words "eHow contributing writer." If you see all of those things, that's a how-to article that was sourced by Demand Studios.
(Don't choose articles off the front page to study, though, as they are not typical DS articles, but specially commissioned articles written in more of a magazine style.)
3) Write the article to the same specs, with the same general tone, using the second person. Write a concise introduction. The steps should be in the active voice and concisely worded.
That's all I can think of right now. If anybody else has any advice, here's a chance to share!
Oh, and make sure the article is 100%, completely error-free. Totally. Spelling, punctuation, grammar - all of it.
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