Hello again and welcome back for the weekly writing website review. This week I’m going to cover Writeraccess.com. This site is full of great ways to earn a living but does take a bit time to get the hang of using. Like any new website, give yourself a couple of days to become comfortable with the platform. It’s well worth the time that you spend on it. This is also one of those rare sites that makes it fun to work. There are plenty of assignments and they are all different so boredom will never be an issue.
Getting Started With Writer Access
It’s easy to get started with Writer Access, just visit their website and apply. Their application process is the standard personal information as well as a writing sample. Take care with this sample because it is what will be used to set your initial rating. Your initial rating is your price per word and also determines which assignments you are eligible to claim.
How it Works
Once you have been approved and your writing level evaluated, you will be given access to the site and allowed to claim articles. Initially you can only claim one assignment at a time. As soon as it is completed you may claim another one. You do not have to wait for the first assignment to be approved before claiming the next one. After your first 10 orders have been approved you can claim up to 3 orders at a time. You get additional queue spots after 100 and 500 articles have been completed. The best way to build a great reputation on this site is to claim orders and write them as quickly as possible. You have a deadline but getting your assignments done early is a big boost.
Setting Up Your Profile
While it initially seems that the profile is a fairly standard one, the site uses information from your profile to generate leads that will be directly emailed to you. For that reason you will want to make sure you cover all the bases in this profile. Make sure it puts you and your writing in a good light and be sure to highlight any specific industry skills you might have.
Claiming an Assignment
Once you locate an assignment you are interested in you can click on it to view the additional details. You have one hour to checkout the title and details. You need to either accept it or refuse it within that time. Once it is checked out to you it is unavailable to other writers. It’s not polite to keep the order tied up any longer than necessary and if the hour passes and you haven’t selected it to write then the title will be returned to the writing pool. Repeated abuses of this may result in penalties.
Casting Calls
A Casting Call is how clients can find writers for their various content projects. It’s a cool little tool that lets them define the details of their project and then writers can apply directly to them. This is one of the places that your profile comes into play: Writers with industry experience will be emailed when a casting call goes out that fits their experience level. Then the writer can respond to the client with information as to why they’re the best candidate for the project. The clients will then use the writers that they feel best suit their needs. Clients may not select you for a particular project but they may choose you later for a different project, so this is an important aspect of the site.
Idea Orders
When clients need help coming up with topics for their projects, they can open an Idea Order. Writers are then able to submit article topics with brief descriptions of what the content would focus on in their pitch. This is not just a great way to help clients develop content ideas but it also lets the writer work on a project that they have actually proposed and pitched. In addition to the per word rate, all Idea Orders pay out a minimum of $1.05 for each approved idea.
Industry Elite Writer
Writers with specific education, writing experience or actual industry experience in a particular area can apply for Industry Elite status at Writer Access. This status is given to experienced writers who demonstrate their industry-specific writing experience and extensive background in a particular field. These writers have established themselves as some of the best writers on the Writer Access platform through their experience, dedication and contributions to creating outstanding content. Writers of this status have a badge placed on their profile and clients can select writers for their projects based on their status as an Industry Elite Writer. Writer Access strongly urges all writers who have any particular industry experience to indicate their qualifications on their profiles.
This is one of the best ways to make money on this site. Look at it from the point of view of the client (always a good practice): They want a computer expert to write a series of articles for troubleshooting Windows 8. The easiest way to find exactly what they are looking for is to simply look for the Industry Experts in that category. These will likely be premium orders and pay better than average. If you are a listed Industry Expert in that category then it’s going to be much easier for them to find you.
Writing the first assignment
Once you have selected an assignment, you need to write it and submit it as quickly as possible. You have the choice of writing it in your own word processor and then copy and pasting it into the writing block or you can write it in the block itself. I recommend using your own word processor. The text block is basic and there is no automatic save feature.
Communication
If you need clarification on details or something simply isn’t clear, ask before you begin writing. Writer Access makes this easy from the assignment page. It’s always better to ask for clarification and then turn in a clean copy rather than a copy that needs revising.
Editing
As soon as your assignment is submitted it goes in for initial editing by the Writer Access staff. It’s also examined for plagiarism. Plagiarism is grounds for immediate dismissal from the site. The editing is pretty basic; they are looking for your normal spelling and grammar issues. Beyond basic editing they are easy to deal with and I’ve heard of no issues with them. They all seem to be a nice group of people.
Article Approval Process
The approval process is actually a 2-step process. First you pass through the editors and then the client. The client can request revisions. If this happens, complete them as quickly as possible. The client has 120 hours to approve the order before it is automatically approved. There could be additional approval time if the client paid for a premium order.
Ranking System
The ranking or rating system is set up to pay according to ability. The highest level not only pays the best but it also expects the best. There is movement within each rank based on what the client is willing to pay. Most new writers at the site will start at a level 3. Consistent writing, meeting of deadlines and great work will see your level increase. Currently the levels and their minimum per word pay is as follows:
- Level 2 orders pay 1.13 cents per word
- Level 3 orders pay 2.14 cents per word
- Level 4 orders pay 3.53 cents per word
- Level 5 orders pay 4.60 cents per word
What the Rankings Mean
It’s not unusual for people to want to know why they rank at a certain level and what each level means in terms of writing ability. Please remember that your rating is subjective and in no way means your aren’t good enough. Keep improving your skills and you will soon be snapping up the level 5 assignments.
Level 2 is generally an inexperienced writer who has some experience in a particular field and is branching out into writing. These are normally professionals in another field or industry and simply lack much writing experience.
Level 3 is the average level that most writers begin writing at for Writer Access. This is generally a writer without specific industry knowledge, decent writing skills but low level SEO abilities.
Level 4 is a writer with some content writing experience, few grammar and spelling errors and a decent knowledge of SEO.
Level 5 are generally commercial level writers. They have outstanding knowledge of SEO, industry experience and their copy is generally error free.
The Inside Track
You will have to essentially ‘pay your dues’ here by writing a dozen or so articles. Make the copy clean and write as though you are a level 5. Answer Casting Calls, apply for Industry Expert rating and Idea Orders. Once you do that you should start to see a jump in both your order rate as well as your level should also begin to rise. This is a site that rewards good writing so keep that in mind when you are working.
Payment
Payment is made monthly via Paypal. The site specifies that the deadline for payment is the 9th of the month. In practice it is almost always the 7th. It has never gone beyond the 10th.
That’s it for Writer Access. This is a great little site to get started with and you can easily make a living working here and no place else. I cannot stress enough that it is never a good idea to only have only one writing source. Writer Access is a great site to have in your basket but please make it one of 2-3. Happy Writing!
Learn More
If you want to really succeed with Writer Access, we’ve written even more about this company. Check out our extended review.