Freelance jobs with content sites range from those providing content for other sites like eHow or About.com to those fulfilling special requests from bloggers and e-commerce sites. The mainstay of content sites are the informational and how-to article, and while formats may vary somewhat, many guidelines are common to most sites.
Since the pay per article is usually not very high (as low as $5 to often not more than $30), making any significant income from content sites can require turning out several articles in a day. Freelancers who know the standards in advance save valuable time on rewrites and rejections, time better spent making money from their writing.
Purchase an Up-to-Date AP Stylebook
Writers should always check, of course, but generally AP (Associate Press) is the style of choice. A stylebook will cover everything from punctuation (drop the last serial comma) to things like internet vs. Internet and when the word president should be capitalized. Don't skimp by ordering a less expensive used version. Think of how many new terms, like Twttering, enter the vocabulary every year. Writers need to be on the cutting edge.
Drop the Query Style and Stick to Basics
Many freelancers are mired in the old style of print publishing where they needed to entice editors with a clever title and language to draw readers in. Search engines changed all that. Freelance work with content sites requires titles that succinctly state what the article is about in words readers would type into a search to find the information. Consequently "Eyesight Loss in Dogs" trumps "Love is Blind."
The same goes for the body of the article and the subheads. Avoid sentences like "You too can build a cozy house for your guinea pig" and go for the simple, straight forward style of "Build a House for Your Guinea Pig." Also remember that empty words like "a few" or "some of"get in the way for SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Keyword Phrases
Many content sites' submission windows include a box (es) near the bottom for keyword phrases. Maybe that's why content writers so often treat keywords as an afterthought. They will quickly list very general words or phrases, some of which don't even show up in the text.
Keyword phrases should:
- be the most narrow terms readers will use to search the topic, e.g., "pay down your mortgage" instead of "mortgages" or "mortgage payments," and
- actually appear in the text.
Ever notice, in a search, how the search words are highlighted in the results? If the words/phrases don't show up in the article, the article won't show up in the search.
Online Research Isn't Always Enough
When writing how-to or informational articles, the old adage "write what you know" applies ten times over. At the very least, writers shouldn't write about what they don't know. That is, a writer doesn't have to have built a backyard playhouse, but he should have built something or, at least, know a jigsaw from a hacksaw.
In the old days of print, writers often had more time to research and learn about topics with which they were unfamiliar. With the quick turnaround required at content sites, writers can do no more than check out a few websites and often that isn't enough.Some websites may assume a certain knowledge from their readers, and some include information that is wrong or downright dangerous. Writers with no knowledge of the subject won't know the difference.
Journalistic Style
Most content sites favor a journalistic style and want writing to incorporate strong, "actionable" verbs. Paragraphs for how-to pieces should start with a verb whenever possible.
- Bad construction: If the batter isn't spongey, gradually add more flour.
- Better: Add more flour gradually, if the batter isn't spongey.
Good writing requires some variation in sentence structure to avoid tedium, but writers should avoid long, convoluted structures and, especially, passive voice.
- Bad construction: These decals are designed to stick without moistening.
- Better: These decals stick without moistening.
Learn Site-Specific Guidelines
While some guidelines often apply across content sites, each site will also have its own guidelines and, possibly, specific guidelines for different topics or formats as well. Busy freelancers newly accepted to write for a site may be tempted to jump right in, especially when quotas are required. However, time reading guidelines is time well spent and will avoid rewrites and lost revenue from rejections. Freelancers who work for more than one site may want to type up cheat sheets to tack on a wall or bulletin board or bring up on a second computer monitor for reference when writing.
Nannette Croce - Nannette Croce is a writer and editor who has worked with online publications for more than ten years, most recently as Co-Managing Editor ...
