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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• How Do I Become a Freelance Writer?

With so many online writing sites out there, many of which pay only residuals, Constant-Content.com is different. Some new users of the site may arrive with preconceived ideas about what online writing sites are all about. After all, if you’re used to submitting articles for revenue based on page views, you might be a bit concerned about how Constant-Content works.

First, when you submit an article to Constant-Content, there’s no guarantee that you’ll ever make a single penny. Shoot, there’s no guarantee that your article will even be accepted. Even if it is accepted, it could sit on the site for months or years and you will earn nothing until it finally sells. Even then, you’ll only receive 65 percent of the selling price.

This scares off a lot of writers. I hear comments all the time along the lines of “Why on earth would you give up 35 percent of your pay?” Or “What if you spend all that time writing and no one buys your article?”

Here’s what else scares off writers: public requests and writing on speculation. Customers can issue “public requests” which go out to all writers. Interested writers then write the article on speculation, which means that a single public request could generate dozens, potentially hundreds, of similar articles. The customer then picks the article that best meets his needs.

Let’s address some of these concerns. If you’re used to revenue share sites, then you know it’s neat to submit an article and have it generating small amounts of money every time someone views it or clicks on an ad. I like that too, though the income I’m getting from sites like Associated Content isn’t terribly impressive. Revenue share sites are relatively low risk as far as submitting articles goes. As long as an article is accepted and appears online, it will likely get some page views and generate some money for you, especially if you promote it.

With Constant-Content, the risk is high because an article may never sell. On the other hand, prices are higher than revenue share articles. I regularly sell articles online in the $100 and above range on Constant-Content.

Let’s take a look at two of the most recent “on speculation” articles I have sold to Associated Content and Constant-Content as an illustration. Last month, I submitted an article How to Restore the Excel 2007 Ribbon, to Associated Content. I got a whopping $2.45 upfront payment and it has earned about ten cents in page views in the past 30 days. So, let’s just round that up to about $2.50 plus $1.20 per year (based on a dime per month). Assuming performance doesn’t change, in ten years, that article will have generated about $15.

Around the same time, I wrote an article for Constant-Content titled, The Google Wonder Wheel: A Mind Map for SEO. It has sold twice for usage rights at $30 each. After the 35 percent commission to Constant-Content, I have already earned $39. Plus, this same article can be sold over and over for usage rights, and I can also post it on revenue share sites. While it may only sell a few more times in the same ten year time period, it’s already ahead of my Associated Content article. Incidentally, it took me about 45 minutes to write The Google Wonder Wheel article, so my hourly wage comes to $52 per hour after the commission. Not bad.

About that 35 percent commission? I don’t worry about it. Simply be aware of it and mark up the price of your articles to account for it. After all, the opportunity to make over $52 per hour after commission is compelling.

About the “What if no one buys the article” question? I don’t worry about it either. If I’m willing to write an occasional article for $2.50 upfront in exchange for revenue from page views, I’m willing to risk an article never selling on Constant-Content. After all, if it doesn’t sell, I can always remove it and submit it to a revenue share site.

About writing for public requests? I wish I could do more of them! Sure, lots of writers are also trying to sell articles online by submitting articles for consideration and mine may not be selected. However, the reason I don’t have time to write more articles for public requests is because past submissions have led to loads of “private requests.” Now, I’m writing articles exclusively for customers with no competition from other writers – at decent prices.

There’s much more to how Constant-Content.com works than this blog post can possibly cover. For example, I didn’t even touch on the different license types, pricing strategies, topics that sell, or the article acceptance/rejection process.

How does Constant-Content work? I discuss it in greater detail in my inexpensive eBook, Celeste Stewart’s Secrets to Success on Constant-Content.com.

Related Posts:

• Constant-Content Adds “Writers Pools”
• The Constant-Content Long Summary: Posting Content Excerpts
• How Do I Become a Freelance Writer?
• 5 Constant-Content Mistakes
• Citing Sources on Constant-Content.com

Many new writers contact me asking about Constant-Content success. I imagine this is because I am well known on the Constant-Content.com site for just that. After all, I’ve sold thousands of articles and other writing projects there. While I have filled nearly 40 pages of text in my eBook talking about my “Secrets to Success on Constant-Content.com,” I can sum up what Constant-Content success really requires in just a few words:

• Strong writing skills
• The ability to accept constructive criticism and improve your writing
• The ability to follow directions
• A regular writing routine
• Patience

Anyone who has submitted articles to Constant-Content.com or browsed its forums likely understands that Constant-Content success begins with strong writing skills. Non-native English speakers rarely do well there nor do those with below average writing abilities.

That’s not to say that you have to be a perfect writer. If you can take constructive criticism and learn from it, you have a good chance of having your articles accepted. Most rejection notices will tell you where you need to improve. The reason may be vague, such as “erroneous capitalization” or “comma misuse,” but you’ll at least know where to start.

Following directions is also crucial to Constant-Content success. Not only must you follow the site’s strict guidelines, you must also be able to interpret customer requests.

A regular writing routine is also helpful. After all, if you only submit one or two articles a year, you’re not going to see stellar results. On the other hand, if you submit an article each business day, you’ll have the numbers in your favor.

Finally, patience. After writing and submitting an article, it could take several days, perhaps even over a week, before it is reviewed. You’re anxious. You want it reviewed now. You want it available ASAP so that a publisher will be able to buy it right away. Guess what? It may not sell for months! So, let it go and tackle the next article.

Obviously, there’s more to it than that, but these Constant-Content success factors are a good place to start as you consider whether or not you have what it takes to make a real go of Constant-Content.com. 

Related Posts:

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