Writer Beware: Many Online Freelance Writing Sites are a Scam!
I was recently referred to a freelance job site called AllforFreelancers by a fellow writer at HubPages. I went to that site thinking that it would be filled with serious clients offering steady work at fair prices. Boy, was I wrong. For starters, here is what I located in the biotechnology section of the site:
Article Writers Needed for Long Term Projects – 25+ Articles Weekly least 3 writing samples in your PMB. If you do not provide any samples your bid will not be accepted. |
Long Term Article Writers Needed 25+ Articles Weekly least 3 writing samples in your PMB. If you do not provide any samples your bid will not be accepted. |
25 Articles on Online Poker of 300 words eachMy budget is fix. I will pay 1.5 $ per article, total 37.50 $ for 25 Articles/">Articles. I will not be doing any escrow deposit or advance payment. Payment will be done after completion of the project. I am looking for very quick turn around with excellent quality. Please place your bids with relevant samples and the time you will take to complete this project. |
So, let me get this straight…I get to write in-depth articles that span 300 words and the client pays me an entire $1-$2. I like how 2 out of these 3 ads actually require writing samples. My suspicion here is that the same client posted all 3 ads, though why this was done, I haven’t a clue. Good luck finding a writer who doesn’t use a random word generator to create that requested content!
And then, there’s this lovely work "ad":
I wonder if this biology major’s instructor approved him or her to post such an ad? I love how the title of this ad mentioned "Tutor", because when you’re filling out someone else’s homework assignments and exams, that exactly what you are. Far be it for me to mention anything about cheating here. |
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Of course, AllforFreelancers.com isn’t the only site making freelance artists question their work ethics and morals. Perusing around another online writing site called WriterBay, I found the following writing requirements posted:
"For Activation of Account the Writer has to fill in the registration form at the Website, pass grammar and 3 formatting styles tests and download diploma scan and original sample essay."
OK, that sounds rather innocent so far, right? However, Freelance Writers, Inc., a group that I am a part of on LinkedIn, state the following issue with the site:
"WriterBay is an academic research mill. In fact, I actually chatted with one of their CS reps yesterday and she confirmed that they do school papers. It’s not only cheap payments but it’s so unethical it’s scary."
Looking over the site’s writing assignments, I noticed that many of them do appear to be academic in nature. If WriterBay is indeed an academic content mill, this would also explain why prospective writers need to submit three formatting styles. The pay is also not stellar; a 1650 word paper on "Thermoregulation in the cold climate" is offering a grand total of $30. An 825 word paper on "Mitigating Risk in Transportation Costs" is offering a whopping $14. Give me a break. Bottom line: WriterBay is certainly a site to be wary of as you look for ways on how to make money and keep your morals intact.
On a more positive note, there are still plenty of online freelance writing sites that offer legitimate writing opportunities. These sites clearly state their payment rates, ways to make additional cash via ads and referrals, and do not ask you to do anything unethical. Click here for my own list of online writing sites that I’ve personally used to make money:
My Experience with Online Freelance Writing Site Textbroker
My Experience with Online Writing Site Associated Content
My Experience with Online Writing Site Constant Content
My Experience with Online Freelance Writing Site Examiner
How to make money through online writing
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