In what was to many a great shock, Yahoo sent an email out to their thousands of contributing members informing them of the imminent shutdown of their contributor network. Effectively immediately, there will no further assignments accepted from the contributors. Assignments that had been submitted but not yet approved will be declined. The final payment for content will be made in August for the July page views. Content will be removed on August 1^st.

This move has stunned many contributors. Roughly 10 years ago, Yahoo purchased Associated Content and renamed it Voices. At that time it was assumed that massive changes were going to take place and that the contributor aspect of Associated Content would be terminated. Yahoo was emphatic about the desire to continue the contributor network and honored the Associated Content contract of the contributors. All of their content was preserved and payments continued as originally specified.

However times change and what was once a unique aspect of Yahoo is now no different than other contributor networks. Site like Hub Pages, Wikinut, and Skyword also have vast contributor networks and various payment methods. These sites have all been reviewed in the past and readers interested in these sites need to check out those reviews.

In past reviews of Yahoo Voices I have mentioned the array of benefits of this site. It is with personal regret that this site is closing. One of the most important aspects of being a freelance writer is the ability to adapt to changes in the marketplace. Freelance writers that have been using Yahoo Voices will simply have to adapt to the new reality. This closing is sad but we are all read to start a new chapter in our writing lives.

What should Yahoo Voices writers do with their Content?

Until August 1^st, contributors can access their content as normal. The best advice that can be given is to download your existing content from Yahoo Voices. This is easily done by logging into your account, clicking on the “content” tab and then selecting each piece of content. Once it is highlighted you will see an information box on the right. At the bottom of that box you have the option to download the selected article. You will have to do this for each article as there is no way to download all of your content at once.

Within this box you will also find the designation of the specific article. Most of your content will have the license for that piece returned to you on August 1^st. Only select pieces of content will be kept by Yahoo and they will notify you if any of your pieces are going to be retained. If you are sent no notification then you may assume that the license for the content has reverted to you.

Is there is viable alternative to Yahoo Voices?

As mentioned earlier, there are numerous sites that have vibrant contributor networks. The best of them, outside of the closing Yahoo Voices, is probably Hub Pages. Wikinut and Skyword are also outstanding options.

Yahoo Voices Portfolio

Many Yahoo Voices writers are users that primarily use the site to act as an online portfolio. This allows them a place to have their content published and used as easily accessible samples. Hopefully those writers have a hard copy of the story. If not they will need to download each article to save it. It’s easy enough to create Hub Pages or a blog as a place to store these articles online.

For creating a great online portfolio of your work, consider using a Contently profile. Contently has been reviewed here in the past but in a nutshell it’s a site that allows you to create a free online portfolio. Once your articles are on your blog or Hub Pages, et al, you can easily add them to your Contently profile.