Skyword offers is a writing platform that connects writers to some big name clients, including IBM and the Wall Street Journal. In addition, to up-front payment, they also offer residual payments to their writers, so you can keep earning long after you’ve written your article.
I wrote a review of Skyword some time ago so take a look at that article to refresh your memory if you need it. One of the great things is that at Skyword there is give and take between the writers and editors as well as the writers and clients. It’s just an all-around great place to work with and if you haven’t already checked them out you should.
To briefly review, you need a good solid sample when applying in general and then will need an additional topic related sample for each partner. It’s a really simple process and completely painless.
Finding Work
Start with your profile. This is your Skyword resume (and they want one of those too!) that program managers see. Sill this profile out entirely and upload your resume and clips. Once you have done this you will have to wait. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to be contacted and invited into a program. Most people are initially invited into the Gather News Program.
Gather News is highly rated and ranked with Google so it’s a great place to develop a following of readers as well as being one of the best places to learn great SEO and online news writing. You are paid based on the page views and will have the best luck if you stick with trending topics; more about that in a second.
Invitations to other programs generally pay an upfront fee as well as a page view fee. These pay anywhere from $35 up to $50 per article depending on the program and the client needs. Some white papers can pay as much as $250.
Trending Topics
To build your brand and gain readers for your writing, it is vitally important to pay attention to trending topics. Within the Skyword writing platform, there is a button that allows you to check the current trending topics on Google and select a topic based on what will both meet your program criteria as well as your interest. Always try and aim for topics that are trending but seem to have a lengthy lifespan. The longer it’s hot the more you will earn on the page views.
Skyword Partners
The partners that Skyword works with are some of the top brands in the marketplace. The Livestrong brand was one of the earliest to partner and others quickly followed suit. Companies like Lowes, Canon, MasterCard and even Staples. These top level companies offer great pay, a byline and an incredible chance for exposure. New opportunities within these programs are available frequently and this is why it’s so important to keep your profile sharp and updated.
The Writing Platform
Skyword has one of the best online writing platforms on the Internet for writers. When you decide to write an article you simply click on the create button and move to the Topic creation page. Here you create a title, write a brief summary and create a keyword. The site will automatically make sure that your article is unique and after doing so you will be taken to the main writing page. You typically have two hours from this point to create your article. So be sure to not start the process until you are ready to write.
You have a lot of options here. You have text formatting options and can even create special characters. You can also add photos and include links. The writing platform will keep a tally of the word count for you as well.
Where Skyword stands out far above all other online writing platforms is in its integration of an SEO analyzer that will kick in as soon as you finish your article. All articles are essentially a rough draft until you click to evaluate the article. You cannot submit the article until this evaluation has been completed. This is a really cool addition to the platform as it looks at spelling, grammar and SEO. You correct any problems and then evaluate it again before submitting.
At the end of the article is a text box that allows you to send a message to your editor. This is really helpful when submitting articles with strange or foreign spellings. Just let your editor know that you double checked the spelling and they are correct. Once submitted the editing turnaround is generally within an hour or two for the news programs. Other programs may have a bit longer wait but it’s typically not long.
Payment
Payment is simple and straightforward. Payments are made via PayPal on the 1st and 15th of each month for both the accrued page views and upfront article payments. There have never been any issues with writers being paid on time or being shorted here. When in doubt Skyword tends to err in favor of the writer.
Editing at Skyword
Editing here is a flat out dream. There is easy back and forth between the writer and the program editor, issues are discussed and you have plenty of flexibility in your articles. Each program has a specific manager and you can contact them at any time with questions and for clarification. If there are necessary changes the editor will inform the writer and give clean instructions as to the issues. Unlike most sites, I have never heard a complaint about the editors here.
Where is the money?
Writing for the News program can bring in a nice amount of money. But the upfront payments and the big money is typically in the partner programs. But don’t just sit back and wait for an open application time or an invitation to one of the programs. Most of the writers invited to the top dollar programs are pulled from the Gather News Program. Once you are accepted into the News program write as often as a trending topic piques your interest. Try and write at least one article a day whenever possible. The more you write the more attention you will get from the program editors.
Putting it all together
Okay, you now have all the necessary information to make a success of writing at Skyword. Here is how to put it all together quickly and efficiently:
- Apply to Skyword and as soon as you are accepted complete your profile and add your resume and samples. Try to include as wide a range of sample types as possible.
- Apply to Gather News as soon as there is a chance to do so. Once accepted start writing and try to write at least one article per day. These articles don’t have to be very long, 300-400 words is fine.
- Be on the alert for any partner programs that open for application and apply to any that interest you. Beyond that you have to wait for an invitation. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a few weeks to get an invite. Generally speaking, the more you write and the better you write the faster the invitations will present themselves.
That’s it for being a success at Skyword. I recommend that as many new writers as possible write for Skyword if for no other reason than this site gives new Internet writers a virtually painless way to learn outstanding SEO practices that will serve you well. In fact, after a few articles you will naturally begin to write ALL of your online articles with these techniques as they become second nature. If you write for more than one site you will find that you SEO will improve for all of those sites.
All writing sites have their positives and negatives and Skyword is no different. In addition to the SEO training program and the best writing platform on the Internet, the positives are that you can make some great money, get incredible exposure and develop a wide readership under your own byline. The downside is that you may have to wait a bit for the best opportunities to present themselves. But as everyone knows, good things come to those who wait. So if you haven’t already, give Skyword a hard look. Take a look at the full review for all the particulars and get started writing today!