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?

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While I’m a firm believer that Constant-Content customers deserve to see the entire article before they buy, Constant-Content only requires that writers post one third of the article in the “content excerpt” (formerly called the “long summary”) section of the submission form. This excerpt can be the first third of the article or it can be a series of excerpts.

If you choose to post only a portion of the article, it’s smart to include a line that explains that the text is only an excerpt. For example, you might add a line at the end of the sample that says, “End of excerpt. Article continues to cover key point 1, 2, and 3.” Otherwise, customers may think that what they see is what they get. They may be unfamiliar with the Constant-Content system and unaware that excerpts are encouraged. By telling potential customers that there’s more involved, you’ll avoid having customers think that the article doesn’t have much substance or ends abruptly.

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• How Do I Become a Freelance Writer?

Several people have asked me, “How do I become a freelance writer?” While I’m tempted to say that it’s a simple matter of declaring yourself a freelance writer and writing, I realize that there’s more to it than that. Sure, that’s a good start, but there’s that pesky matter of finding clients willing to pay for your writing projects. This involves marketing and selling your writing services which may involve creating a website, printing business cards, attending professional networking events and so on. In other words, becoming an entrepreneur or self-employed business professional.

Fortunately with writing these days, numerous opportunities exist both online and off. If you’re asking yourself, “How do I become a freelance writer?”, here are a few freelance writing tips to help you get started:

• Join Constant-Content.com and start submitting articles to the site’s most current public requests.
• Join at least one other online writing site that pays such as AOL’s Seed.com, Yahoo!’s AssociatedContent.com, or Demand Studios. (If you’re just starting out, try limit yourself to one or two online writing sites at first as each has a learning curve that takes time to master. Give yourself time to explore the site and allow it to work before giving up on it.)
• Bid on writing projects at sites like Guru.com or Elance.com.
• Pick up a copy of Writer’s Market and submit articles and queries to magazines.
• Contact local publishers about freelance writing opportunities this includes publishers of newspapers, coupon books, local directories, websites, and so on.
• Look for writing opportunities on Craigslist, local classifieds, Twitter, and other locations.
• Let your network know that you’re now a self-employed writer and that you appreciate any referrals.
• Submit a press release announcing your new writing business to your local newspaper as well as to online press release distribution sites. 

Business and Tax Considerations

In addition to actually writing, you’ll also need to brush up on running a business. One of the reasons that I fell in love with Constant-Content.com was that I didn’t have to do too much on the business side (such as marketing, invoicing, and collections). Don’t forget to set aside enough money for income taxes as well as the self-employment tax. Get into the habit of setting aside money as soon as you get paid. You may need to pay quarterly estimated taxes, too.

Writing for Constant-Content.com

If you want to get started with Constant-Content.com, consider my inexpensive eBook which details everything you need to know about this site and is loaded with success tips. Having sold over 3,000 writing projects here, I know a thing or two about this site. I’ve kept the price low (under $10) on purpose so that writers new to Constant-Content aren’t risking much as they pursue the potential rewards offered at Constant-Content.

Learn more about this informative freelance writing eBook or buy it today (instant download) for just $9.95. If you’re wondering, “How do I become a freelance writer,” this eBook will help you get started with writing articles for paying customers on Constant-Content.com.

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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?

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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.

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