This review is about a little known gem that is taking the Internet by storm. iWriter is perfect for both the beginning and the established writer that wants to add another writing site to their list.
Like many writing sites, iWriter is a writing platform that is designed to supply clients with articles on a variety of topics. The range of these topics is considerably greater than most writing sites and includes pretty much anything you would want to write about and probably a few things you never considered.
Getting started at iWriter
This is one of the easy sites to get going with quickly. You just sign up and login. Every writer starts as a standard writer and your articles will be rated by both the iWriter as well as the clients. The more you write, the faster you will move up to higher levels and be eligible for higher paying articles.
Unlike many sites, there is no article submission required for approval. Don’t let this throw you and make you think less of this site. The site simply uses other methods to get and keep quality writers. This is great because you can get started immediately instead of waiting for an editor to approve your work.
Your Dashboard
If you are going to get confused, this is where it will initially happen. The Dashboard is a little busy but after a short time you will get the hang of it.
Across the top of your Dashboard you will see your rating and rank. Initially you will have one star, showing your rank as a standard writer. Your initial rating will be for no stars. If you mouse over the stars you will learn more about how to increase your position in the system. I’ll go into that in further detail in a minute.
You will also see your inbox and your account balance at the top of your Dashboard. It’s extremely important that you make sure notifications are enabled so if you get a message into your inbox it will notify your regular email. Alternately, you can check the site several times throughout the day.
Next on your Dashboard you will want to edit your profile. Include a photo or logo and a short biography. You can also select which topics to be notified about via email. Because payment is made via Paypal, be certain to include the email address linked to your Paypal account.
Near the middle of your Dashboard you will see the link to making money by writing articles. This is where you go to select the articles that you want to write. I’ll explain more on that is just a second.
Finally, you will see a list of the most prolific writers, highest paid writers and your own statistics. With any luck you will soon be showcased as a top writer!
Finally, there is an affiliate link that you can add to your website or blog if you choose to go that route. Follow the link on your Dashboard for more information.
Finding Projects
Now that you have figured out how to navigate around your Dashboard it’s time to find a good project and get busy making some money! After you click on the link to making money, you will arrive at a page that, like your Dashboard, is very busy. When looking for projects busy is a great thing! This means that the site has a good search engine to help you weed through the topics quickly and efficiently.
You can select the type of writings you want to do. Your choices are articles, ebooks and rewrites. You can also select the category, language and even the word count that you want. If you want to input specific topics, there is a place for that. Then hit the search button and see what appears.
From your search results list, scroll down and see what catches your eye. Once you see something that appeals to you examine the offering. This may seem a bit confusing at first but it’s actually a really terrific block of information.
Each job will tell you who requested it and what their approval rating is along with the specifics of the job. An interesting little bonus is that each block also tells you what the average approval time for that client happens to be. This can be handy to know as most writers on sites like this want to be approved as quickly as possible. The longest that you have to wait is 3 days. After that the system will accept the article automatically.
On the writing side of the job block it tells you what the word count is, the deadline and how much you will be paid. It also tells you what language the project is to be written in for the client.
If you like everything that you see, click on the cross to the left of the job and check for any special instructions. These are important and need to be followed completely. You are also able to contact the client if you need clarification. If you want to write the article, click on the button and start writing.
Writing your articles
I am admittedly not a fan of their writing platform. However many other writers love it so try it out and judge for yourself.
Once you click on the ‘start writing’ button the timer starts. You are allowed whatever amount of time was specified on the job block. Special instructions will also be listed for reference.
The writing block is extremely basic. There is a space to write the title of the article and then a large block to write the body. The system will keep track of the word count and the keyword density. When you are finished, submit the article and hunt for another project.
If the timer should run out before you complete the assignment then the article will be returned to the queue for another writer to complete.
A rather odd note is that the writing block area specifically tells you not to copy and paste from other software into the block. However the FAQ suggests doing so. I recommend the copy and paste method simply because if there is a glitch during submission then there is little chance of recovery and you would need to start over. As an alternate, you can copy and past your work from the writing block into your word processor.
There is no limit to the number of articles that you can write per day, week or month. Feel free to write as much as you want.
Editing
Editing isn’t a real problem here. Mostly they are running it through Copyscape to check for plagiarism. As with most online writing, you are expected to self-edit. If there is a problem then the article could be returned for edits or rejected outright.
Ratings and ranks
This is a very important aspect of the iWriter website. The higher your ratings and the more articles you write then the higher your rank. The best paying assignments are reserved for those writers.
Essentially, you have to write at least 30 articles and have a rating of 4 stars to move to the Premium level. Once you hit 4.6 stars you move into the Elite tier. The only ratings that count are those from clients, iWriter only counts your articles. Because of this it’s important to do a good job for the clients and it’s also important to pay attention to the types of clients that you choose. Clients that reject often and are overly demanding may not be worth the effort.
The client isn’t the only party that gets to write a review. Writers are strongly encouraged to write reviews of the client. This helps others know how fast the client approves projects.
Favorite writers
Clients have the ability to keep a list of their favorite writers. This makes it possible for them to specifically request you for their project. You will be notified both on your Dashboard and through email if a client requests your services. You are free to decline any project. You also receive an additional 5% in income for any project your are requested to write.
Payment
Writers at iWriter are paid 81% of the amount contracted (86% if you were specifically requested) and this is the amount that you see on the job board. Payment is made once your account reaches the minimum of $20 and is paid to your Paypal account. When you get paid is rather convoluted. Here is the list:
Weekly: Tuesday
Bi-Weekly: Every other Wednesday
Monthly: 5th OR 25th
The $20 minimum is really easy to meet, as it should be. Initially though your goal is to get bumped into the higher earning brackets of the Premium and Elite writers.
Tips for iWriter success
- Set up notifications for the topics that interest you
- When alerted to a new article, act swiftly. Good articles are grabbed quickly.
- Get up early on Monday. Monday is when many new articles are added to the system.
- Take many small articles at first.
The lower the word count, the better. You are not going to be paid much as a standard writer so pick the articles you can write very fast and very well. You want to move into the Premium and then the Elite level as quickly as possible. You will not be paid any more or less for 2 articles of 150 words than for a single 300-word article. You will however be closer to your 30-article goal.