Yahoo Contributor Network/Yahoo Voices Shutting Down

In an announcement that caught several hundred thousand writers by surprise, Yahoo announced it was closing the popular Yahoo Contributor Network which is had acquired from Associated Content only a few years earlier.

Yahoo told its writers--some of whom had been with the site for a decade--that it would keep articles up for the month of July, make one final payment, and then delete all content. At that time the rights would revert back to the writers.

In limbo are the articles made "for hire" which Yahoo said it might chose to keep or delete, reminding writers that works for hire become the property of Yahoo and they can do what they want with them.

The Yahoo site had been having major issues keeping tracking of page views and dealing with changes in the Google algorithms, most recently "Panda." But some writers are speculating that the acquisition of Associate Content was merely a ploy to get rid of its content competition on the web and that Yahoo may have never had any long-term plans for the Yahoo Contributor Network. It is unknown if any attempt was ever made to sell the site to any interested parties.

Stay tuned for more details and updates.

How to Make Money Writing on Seekyt

For writers who know how to put a decent article together, Seekyt is a great writing platform for writers that want to diversify how they get paid. It has similarities to Examiner and other sites that pay based upon page views, but it is quite different in how the money is earned.

Instead of paying a percent of a penny for each page view, Seekyt pays their writers a percentage of ad revenues. However, as page views translate into purchases, there is a direct correlation between page views and earnings.

Seekyt requires original articles with a minimum of around 250-300 words. Writers can earn money by incorporating one or all the following ad types into their articles: Google AdSense, Chikita and/or VigLink. Product-based articles like reviews and how-tos seem to work best on the Seekyt site.

VigLink

Seekyt now uses an affiliate  program called VigLink. One reason signing up for VigLink should appeal to writers is VigLink is a good fit for international writers as well as Stateside. VigLink is affiliated with over 30,000 sites, including big name retailers like eBay, Amazon, Walmart, Macys, Nike, Home Depot, Forever 21, Neiman Marcus, Dillards, etc. Writers can earn by letting VigLink create links to specific product names or by copying and pasting links to specific merchants. VigLink has a referral program that enables writers to earn for referring friends and readers: Click Here for Details.


Referrals


Using the affiliate advertisers mentioned above, Seekyt pays writers a percentage of all ad sales on our articles. Writers increase their ad share by writing articles, by referring new writers, by gaining new followers, and by interacting on the site in other ways.  Seekyt also pays bonuses for followers, comments and other activity on the site. Click here for my Seekyt referral link.




By the way, if you ever see anything you are interested in buying from Amazon on one of my Seekyt articles,  it won't cost you any more to use my link to purchase, but I will earn a percentage of the sale.


Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.

How to Earn Money Writing for Examiner.com

Although I write for 10 or so different websites, the one where I earn the most money is Examiner.com. Back when print was king, I earned $400 - $450 per article writing for magazines, but those days appear to be over. Now I write for less than a penny per page view, but the place that penny goes the furthest for me and where I regularly earn several hundred dollars a month is Examiner.

Not only does Examiner pay a higher percentage of a penny than the other sites I write for, but it attracts many viewers so I don't have to do all the work of promoting my articles. Examiner will also frequently feature me on the Examiner site, or on their popular Facebook page, Google Plus and Twitter.

Examiner's minimum word count requirement is only 150 words per article, so it isn't difficult to come up with ideas and articles. If you know a little basic SEO and have some social networking skills, it helps pull in readers, page views and earnings more quickly.

Earn an Easy $25

Right now Examiner is also offering a "signing bonus" of $25 if new writers contribute two articles of 150 words or more for their first two months. This helps cover the first two normally low-paying months while a writer starts to build a library of articles and begins to get the word out. 

If you have not tried Examiner, you should check it out. It is not "get rich quick," but for any writer who can steadily generate articles of 150 words or more each month, it is a good way to earn several hundred dollars a month once you have a library of content up. That is definitely money I can put to good use!

My January 2014 stats

Examiner is currently in the US and Canada. I am not sure what other countries it might be in now or expanding into.

Click Here to find out more or save this link to use in the future: http://exm.nr/Mo5A9X

What I Examine:

• Skin Care,
• Barbie Collecting
• Nashville Doll Collecting, 
• Nashville Gospel Music & Entertainment  
• Nashville Skin, Health & Beauty 
• National Rodan + Fields

Also see: Make Money Writing Online: Where to Write

Why Google's New Approach to Copyright Violation Matters | ThinkProgress

Why Google's New Approach to Copyright Violation Matters

 Now, that's what I'm talkin' about! Google announced last week that its search algorithm will begin downgrading the search rankings of sites that have been hit with numerous claims that they’re violating copyright. I say "Go for it!

I can't tell you how often I find my work copied word for word on someone else's website, Facebook, or board, stealing my work and my income. Just this week I found an article I wrote about B12 shots for dogs printed word for word in a Pap Rescue newsletter, complete with a photo of me and my two dogs and some text I later edited out. This organization did not ask me if they could use my article and photo, nor was I paid for my work. In fact, by publishing this article in their newsletter, this organization reached into my pocket and stole my income. They also violated my agreement with the website that did pay me for the article that I would not publish this article elsewhere.

Here is my original article:

• The Top Five Benefits of Vitamin B12 Injections For Dogs

As the writer says in this ThinkProgress article:

a focus on incentives, and on driving users to licit, quality streams of content, is where this debate should be.

Read the article at: Why Google's New Approach to Copyright Violation Matters | ThinkProgress

Make Money Writing Online: Where to Write

Power_of_Words_by_Antonio_Litterio

For many years, I wrote for magazines and newspapers and was a shop girl part time in the evenings. As more and more newspapers and magazines closed, I discovered I was running out of places to write. I was forced to learn how to write for the web, which pays far, far less than writing for print. However, with time and practice, I have learned how to make a humble living as a self-employed internet writer.

One thing I have learned is it is wise to write for more than one website, and it is good to write for both websites that pay based upon page views as well as revenue sharing sites. The internet is constantly changing, and a site where you do well today may not be the site where you do the best next year. Diversify.

Unless you have your own website where you sell ads and engage in affiliate marketing, writing for the web typically involves two forms of payment: page views and revenue sharing. The following are a few of my favorite websites in both categories. I will be adding more websites, so check back for more ideas!

Earn for Writing Based Upon Page Views

Examiner is by far my favorite website to write for. I have made more money consistently every month on Examiner than any other platform. Articles only have to be 150 words in length and only one article is required per month to maintain commission. Examiner does not have a set pennies-per-view figure, but I average about 80¢ for every hundred (100) page views which is on the high end of what most sites pay.

Examiner also has a very generous referral incentive, usually $50 per approved referral. I make much more money writing for Examiner than referring people, but those occasional referral bonuses are very nice. If this article is helpful and you decide to try Examiner, please allow me to refer you! Sign up for Examiner here.

Yahoo Contributor Network (YCN) is the first site I ever wrote for starting back when it was Associated Content. Yahoo prefers articles of 350 to 500 words. Although at times I wrote every single day, and I promoted my content, I averaged $16 a month for my first 3 years and am now averaging $30-ish a month on Yahoo. YCN starts payments at $1.50 per thousand (1,000) page views and maxes out at $2 per 1,000 page views.

Some articles may qualify for an upfront payment on YCN. Advertised at $2 - $20, the usual upfront payment is more like $2 - $6 for articles that qualify. There is usually a one-two-week delay in getting articles approved. There is no referral bonus for Yahoo. Register to write for Yahoo.

Revenue Sharing Websites

Seekyt is my favorite revenue sharing site. I have been surprised at how well some of my articles have done on Seekyt, and as I am learning which articles generate more income, I am producing better income-producing content. Articles must be at least 2,000 characters (350-450 words).

Seekyt referrals also generate income. You earn a 25% of the revenue generated by people you refer. Register for Seekyt here.

TopicSpotter is fairly new and it doesn't have a lot of clout yet because it doesn't have a huge amount of content. Still, it is growing and it does pay similar to what Seekyt pays. As with Seekyt, articles must be at least 2,000 characters (350-450 words).

You can also earn through referrals as you can earn a percentage of the revenue generated by anyone you refer to TopicSpotter. Sign up for TopicSpotter here.

Best Reviewer is one of the easiest and most fun sites to write for. The publishing platform is set up in a numbered list format. You simply pick a topic you can make a list of 3 - 20 items out of. The basic platform is free.

For $5 a month the owner will put more Adsense ads on your articles. Your AdSense ID will also be displayed on pages of anyone you refer. Sign up for Best Reviewer.

Squidoo Squidoo is a fun place to create content, share photos and post some of your best links from other sites. Squidoo is a module-based, income sharing platform where you select the modules you want to use as well as most of the ads. Create lenses on Squidoo.

Squidoo does have a referral program, too, but with Squidoo you only earn a one-time $5 bonus when someone you refer earns more than $15 on a lens, and the one time I referred someone, the referral did not get applied to my account.


I will be adding more websites so check back for more ways to earn writing for the web!

More ideas:
Make Money Online with CashCrate

Leave me a comment below if you have any questions!