Constant-Content recently added “writers pools” to the site and is currently accepting applications from writers to be considered for several different pools:

• Articles
• Press releases
• Reviews
• Blog posts
• SEO writing
• White papers
• Copy editing
• Sales copy
• Ebook writing
• Technical writing

In addition to the categories above, Constant-Content needs writers for pools covering different languages including: English, French, Spanish, and German. It also has pools dedicated to regional writing for the following regions: Canada, UK and Europe, and Australia.

I don’t expect this to replace the request system though it could affect whether or not a writer is considered for private requests. For example, newer Constant-Content customers may not know which writers to request articles from while long-time customers will already have their favorites based on past experiences. By creating writers pools, Constant-Content will be able to help newer customers find writers who specialize in a given area, are currently active, and who have demonstrated that they can consistently meet Constant-Content’s strict requirements.

In order to be featured in a Constant-Content writers pool, you must apply, send a relevant sample of your writing, and have a 60 percent article approval rating. The application process is straightforward in that it involves clicking the Apply button, filling out a Web form with your details, and waiting to hear back from Constant-Content.

As far as I can tell, the writers pool hasn’t been rolled out officially to customers. This makes sense as they must first fill the pools with writers. Have you applied?

Related Posts:

• Is it Necessary to Market Your Constant-Content.com Articles?
• Constant-Content Writing Tips
• Constant-Content Pricing: Top-sellers’ rates revealed
• 5 Constant-Content Mistakes
• Citing Sources on Constant-Content.com

While you could theoretically spend time marketing your articles for sale on Constant-Content.com, I feel that it’s more productive to move on and write the next article. Constant-Content attracts plenty of customers on its own, so let the system do what it’s supposed to do. The time that you’d normally spend marketing your individual articles could be spent creating more products or in marketing your writing services. Meanwhile, your existing articles are on a site that attracts websmasters and publishers.

That said, there are a few little things that you can try that could lead to more exposure to your Constant-Content.com articles.

• Add more keywords to the article’s keyword field. The keywords here are used in conjunction with the site’s internal search engine. Go to My Content, find the article, and click “edit.” Now add as many keywords as you can think of including both plural and singular versions.
• Set up a Twitter RSS feed for your profile. Any time you have an article approved, your new article will then be fed to the Twitterverse. I’ll create a separate post detailing how to do this.
• Place the Constant-Content widget on your website or blog. 

Related Posts:

• Constant-Content Adds “Writers Pools”
• 5 Constant-Content Mistakes
• Writing for Constant Content
• Constant-Content News
• Cross-over Niche Articles

1. Under- or overpricing your work. I see this all the time – a 1200-word article for $7 or a 350-word article for $125. It’s smart to poke around and see what the marketplace is really like. Watch the recently sold list, check out the top-selling writers on Constant-Content.com, and look at the price ranges offered in the public request section. In addition, consider what your time is worth. If a 1200-word article took you two hours to write and you’re charging $7 for it, you’re asking for $3.50 per hour (even less if you factor in CC’s commission). Under-pricing your work is a big Constant-Content mistake because you’re limiting your earnings. Overpricing is also a problem because you may never find a customer willing to pay the price.
2. Submitting one article and waiting to see what happens before submitting the next. While I get taking the wait and see approach, I also see lots of comments on the Constant-Content forums where writers are excited that their articles have just sold and they’re both excited to write more and regretful that they didn’t keep submitting articles between then and now. To give Constant-Content a realistic trial, you need to commit to submitting articles regularly for a given time period. I recommend at least one month (with three being even better) before you decide that Constant-Content doesn’t work for you.
3. Working with Constant-Content customers outside the CC system. This is a big no-no and a major Constant-Content mistake that could get you banned from the site. The customers are Constant-Content’s, not ours. And, we’ve all agreed to CC’s terms of service which forbids doing such a thing. If a customer asks you to submit work outside of the Constant-Content system, let him know that you are bound by the site’s terms of service and are not willing to break the rules. It’s also helpful to point out the benefits the client receives by using CC such as third party plagiarism checks and editorial oversight. Guess what? The customer will likely respect your stance and honesty. 
4. Letting fear get in the way. I see this one a lot too. Whether it’s fear of rejection, insecurity, or simply being overwhelmed by the site, try to move forward despite your uncertainty. You can’t possibly succeed if you don’t try. So what if your article gets rejected, with the right attitude, you’ll learn something new and potentially improve your writing skills as a result. Not sure you’re a “real” writer or can get your work accepted? Give it a shot! You may surprise yourself. Overwhelmed? Yeah, Constant-Content.com is overwhelming, especially at first. But, it gets easier. As you submit those first few articles, it starts to make sense. What’s the worse thing that can happen? Your article could be rejected or your account closed. Okay, fine. Time to correct the article and resubmit it or move on knowing that you at least gave it a shot. What’s the best thing that can happen? Your article could be accepted, you could sell the article, and you could be at the beginning of a fun writing journey.
5. Not understanding Constant-Content’s guidelines. This is one of the biggest Constant-Content.com mistakes you can make. Take the time to read the site’s guidelines and the mysteriously difficult to find extended Constant-Content.com guidelines. By carefully reading and understanding them, you’ll avoid common pitfalls such as submitting articles in the wrong font, with the wrong paragraph spacing, or in the wrong voice. The extended guidelines also give you a nice refresher on grammar and sentence structure.

Take one of these mistakes and turn it around. For example, if you tend to undervalue your work, pick a few articles write now, go into the Constant-Content site, and edit your prices upward. That 1200-word article you have prices at $7? Change the price to at least $75. If the opposite is true and you’re charging $200 for a 350-word blog post, go in and change your price to about $30.

Are any of these Constant-Content.com mistakes holding you back? What are your ideas for overcoming them?

Related Posts:

• Constant-Content Adds “Writers Pools”
• Is it Necessary to Market Your Constant-Content.com Articles?
• Citing Sources on Constant-Content.com
• Constant-Content Success
• How Do I Become a Freelance Writer?

Citing sources on Constant-Content.com can take several forms ranging from simple inline citations in the text to a complete bibliography at the end of the document. Which is best? It depends.

Citing Sources on Constant-Content.com: Consider the Article’s Audience

I like to think of the article’s audience before deciding how to cite sources. For example, if I’m writing a short career profile and citing job outlook data from Bureau of Labor Statistics, my audience probably wants to know that I used a credible source but doesn’t necessarily plan on verifying the information on their own. In this case, I’d use an in-line citation such as, “According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, . . .” This way, the audience knows that I’m not making stuff up and if a reader really wants to look for additional details, she knows where to look.

On the other hand, if I’m writing a 20-page white paper about the hottest careers in the health care industry, I’d be more likely to cite my sources at the end of the document using an established citation format such as APA or MLA. Because the document is academic in nature, the audience is more likely to want to see academic citations.

Citing Sources on Constant-Content.com: Common Formats 

• Inline citations – Overall, I tend to prefer the simple, in-line citation. It alerts readers to the fact that I did my research but it’s not overly academic or distracting. Plus, “According to ____,” is easy to read.
• Simple source lists – Another option is to include a simple source list at the end of the document. This is fine for general purpose Constant-Content.com articles with some supporting research.
• APA, MLA, and other established citation formats – If the article is academic in nature, citing sources using one of the established formats such as APA, MLA, or Chicago Manual of Style may be the best choice. Hint: Microsoft Word has a built-in References and Citing tool that makes it easy to manage and each cited source using a variety of established formats. Not sure which format is which? Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) explains the different formats for citing sources.

If you cite inline, it’s not necessary to cite again at the end for general purpose articles. If you want to provide additional details at the end, it won’t hurt but it’s not generally necessary to list each cited source again at the end for CC articles.

Keep in mind that when citing sources on Constant-Content.com, you still have to respect the “no live hyperlinks” rule. If your source is a website, make sure to remove the “http://www” part. For example, MayoClinic.com is fine but www.MayoClinic.com is not (see the live link?).

Citing Sources on Constant-Content: When Is it Necessary?

Common knowledge does not need to be cited but direct quotes and excerpts do. For example, it would be silly to cite every little detail of your article such as:

“Accidents can be avoided by taking a driver’s refresher course (source: AARP), refraining from drinking and driving (source: MADD), and hanging up the cell phone (source: DistractedDriving.com)”

Duh – that’s all common knowledge. We already know that drivers education, not drinking and driving, and not talking on the cell phone can prevent accidents so there’s no need to list sources. However, if that sentence were a direct quote and relevant to your article, you would want to identify who said it such as:

“Safety officer John Q. Public tells us that ‘Accidents can be avoided by taking a driver’s refresher course, refraining from drinking and driving, and hanging up the cell phone.’ He stresses that his course teaches drivers how to blah blah blah. . .”

You should cite a source when not doing so could lead readers to question whether you’re making up information or using information from questionable sources.

For example, today in my local newspaper, a columnist was throwing around traffic statistics but never cited her sources. It made me wonder if she was exaggerating or distorting the data. Had she simply said, “According to the California Highway Patrol” or “According to a recent report issued by the Insurance Information Institute” she would have sounded much more credible than she did.

Finding Credible Sources to Cite

Who you cite matters. Which of the following cited sources do you find more credible: Wikipedia or the Mayo Clinic? Bob’s Best Auto Parts Store or the Automobile Association of America? Sally’s Fish, Bait, and Tackle Shop or the U.S. Department of Fish and Game? Tina’s Teaching Blog or Stanford University?

Here’s a great way to find credible sources: Use Google’s Advanced Search option and limit search results to only .gov, .org, and .edu sites.

I’ve shared a few of my favorite citing sources tips (using Word’s References section and Google’s Advanced Search). What are yours? Please share in the comments below.

Related Posts:

• Constant-Content Adds “Writers Pools”
• 5 Constant-Content Mistakes
• The Constant-Content Long Summary: Posting Content Excerpts
• Is it Necessary to Market Your Constant-Content.com Articles?
• How Do I Become a Freelance Writer?

While articles on topics of all types sell on Constant-Content.com, a good strategy to ensure that your articles have a fighting chance is to write a narrow topic with broad appeal. This take niche writing to a more mainstream level.

For example, let’s say you’ve determined that the auto insurance niche is hot based on your research indicating that bloggers and Internet marketers need articles about car insurance to support the “get a free quote” ads that they are hosting on their sites. Wonderful! You have a niche and you’re inspired to write about car insurance. Before you begin, consider this: Unless the site is brand new, it likely already has plenty of “how to save money on premiums” and “what is an insurance deductible” articles.

Go ahead a write a few of those if the mood strikes, but don’t stop there. Think beyond the niche. How about writing about who should pay for a teen’s insurance policy? Now, not only do you have an article that appeals to the niche sites, you have an article that appeals to parenting sites, personal finance sites, and even women’s lifestyle sites.

The other day a newcomer to Constant-Content asked me to look at his articles and make suggestions. One of the articles, which is perfectly fine, tells British citizens how to research their family histories. It’s market is limited to the U.K. However, a minor tweak (researching your British ancestors) could easily open up that article to a U.S. audience as well. After all, many U.S. citizens have British ancestors.

Another writer mentioned on the Constant-Content forum that she was considering writing articles about how to read music. I hope she thinks beyond the narrow audience of people trying to learn how to read music and writes articles that could appeal to parents, teachers, and lifestyle publishers. For example, an article illustrating how learning to read music improves math skills could have broader appeal than an article about musical scales. 

So, find your niche and broaden it so that your Constant-Content article has several possible homes.

Related Posts:

• Constant-Content Adds “Writers Pools”
• Cross-over Niche Articles
• Is it Necessary to Market Your Constant-Content.com Articles?
• 5 Constant-Content Mistakes
• Citing Sources on Constant-Content.com