Constant Content

I think I need to respond to some public requests to even have a chance at getting some selling history.

How do we know when it's too late to respond to a public request? I'm interested in responding to one, but it's about a week old. I see no notation it's closed, so there doesn't seem to be any way of knowing. I thought I might be able to ask the buyer directly via the Q/A pull-down, but that seems to be useful only if you have an article reference after approval. Am I correct?

Am I too late at this point? I know it won't hurt to write the article anyway and submit it for review, but I'd still like to know.

Thanks for your help
Lor (rain)

Hi Lor,

The Q/A section is exactly for this sort of question. Just shoot a quick note to the requester and see if they have received all the articles that they need.

As you mentioned, working on public requests is the best way to get your foot in the door with some of the people snapping up content. And once you have done a few articles for a customer they're in a good place to start making private requests for your work.
Cheers.
Jeff

Thanks for your assistance, Jeff. This answers perfectly. <gr>
Lor (Rain)

I tend to disagree. I was writing for over a year. Last year when I was writing full-time like I am again now, I had very limited success with public requests. I've only ever had one private request. It seems like some of the old-timers (to the site) like Celeste and others get steady work. They have long-standing relationships with customers. I've made over 2,000 in sales writing on a variety of topics. I try to make my writing short and long, interesting and routine. Interestingly, I've found that the most random topics that pop into my head, especially for blog entries, sell the fastest. At one point, I had nearly 400 articles posted here. Now that they've changed the format, I'm not in the Top Ten anymore.

Hope this helps.
AB

All of my long-standing relationships started by answering public requests. . .

Thanks AB. I think the key is to do it all and put yourself out there. I too, am writing articles that "pop into my head", but I do need that motivating first sale. Feet ... door... anyway I can. I can only try and I don't expect instant success.

Lor (Rain)

I know, Celeste, because you've mentioned it many times to other writers here. However, I haven't seen more than a dozen or so writers with their names regularly popping up under the private requests listings. But I was remembering last year. Remember when you sold that article about the expensive purse that your mom or someone gave you and it sold?.. :) That is what I meant about random.

There are definitely different paths - I do sell the occasional article that popped into my head and honestly, those are the most rewarding.

A whole new crop of writers are regularly getting private requests. Off the top of my head we have: dswaltenburg, Mary White, Bryan Sylvester, sketchum, Amy W, Dr. Kristie, Elizabeth Ann West, and quite a few others -- all relatively new to the CC system in the past year. Plus the old-timers and a few stragglers in between. It also looks like bconrad just landed a sweet series as well - from a very recent public request (good job b!). Private requests do happen and they are awesome and worth pursuing if that's what interests you. Some writers aren't interested in that and would rather do their own thing and that's fine too. The main thing with CC is that opportunity is a knockin' in more ways than one.

By the way, my mom is STILL buying Coach purses and stashing them in her closet. She is finally carrying one and actually using it. She says that she finally found one that is "more my style." Hmmn, follow up article?

In my very, very short time here, I've written both styles.....the 'top o the head' pieces and some for public requests, and sold both styles, and I was just so completely fortunate and lucky to have landed my private request. But that's another whole novella :)

I came into this completely on a whim, and didn't have any high expectations. Just wanted to see what would happen. But I definitely believe two things are key, here, and everywhere else for that matter:

1. Staying open to all the possibilities.
2. Patience.

Without these two traits, people tend to narrow themselves into a corner, and miss out on many things because they just won't wait around to see what will turn up. I know society pretty much trains us to want everything NOW NOW NOW, but some of the best things in life (as I've learned by writing about the canyons) can take eons to come to fruition.

I think the best thing about CC is (as Celeste stated) that the choice is up to the individual, and opportunity knocks all over the place here. There are no 'real' constraints. Topics are open, requests are open ( although some of you are so freakin' speedy that you get articles out for Public Requests before I even finish reading them!!), and I've never witnessed so much excellent interaction and feedback between staff and users.

I have checked out writing sites to numerous to mention, and this, by far, is the best place for beginning authors to get the toes wet, and besides the pay scale here kicks the a#$ of other sites of this kind. Sweet.

Deborah

Some of us find success in a certain niche and continue doing those things (because they work for us or are fun). Naturally, our successes or failures skew our perspective a bit. I'm successful doing what I do, so I continue doing it. Likewise, many of us have had a few not so great experiences and then stop pursuing those options. For example, I haven't been successful doing other things, like selling usage articles, so I don't focus on pursuing that sort of license. This doesn't mean that these options don't have potential or aren't working for others - they're just not for me.

However, I do believe that responding to public requests is one of the best ways to build relationships with paying customers. This doesn't mean responding haphazardly to requests but it does mean paying attention, finding the ones that spark your interest, and writing articles that meet the customer's needs. Consistent submissions tailored to the customer's request can, and do, lead to repeat business. I love dreaming up my own topics but there's not necessarily a customer who happens to know about CC who will show up and snatch up my ideas right away. With public requests, there's a customer saying, "Here's what I want. Show me what you can do." If I can show him, I have a decent chance. If I can wow him, I have a happy buyer who will hopefully want an encore.

Lots of good comments here. Like I said, "Feet ... door ... any way I can." I know CC has potential for me and I'm patient.

Have a great day, everyone.
Lor

CC has the potential to work for you the way you want it to work. I think that selling to public requests offers immediate justification for your hard work and the motivation to move forward. At the same time, you're also competing with other writers who may be faster, who may be more familiar with the system, or who may just write something that better suits the customer's needs.

If you're more interested in writing off-the-cuff, you probably need to write many more articles and be more patient. However, if you've got 400 articles up for sale, it's impossible that you aren't going to make money. Those four articles about springtime gardening you wrote two months ago might be just what someone is looking for come February or March.

If you think that writing about what interests you is a good trade-off for not making consistent sales through public/private requests with topics that you may find dry, then you should do that. Your best work will come if you enjoy the topic about which you're writing - and this will show. If you're interested in making money by writing on topics with a high immediate demand, then you should respond to public requests with the hopes that they will lead to private requests for your work.

I think they both lead to the same end - you write quality articles, customers see them, become familiar with your work, and then purchase more/send you a private request.

Ed

Thanks Ed,
I'm so buzzed today. There was another thread started over the weekend that was also very motivating ... the things Audra said especially, because I think I'm more apt to write what "pops into my head." I've just noticed the Vienna and Rotterdam articles are already up and I'm sure there are others waiting in the wings. Away a couple of days and may have missed that boat, so maybe something on putting the garden to bed for the winter. <gr>

I do know I need more "product" to make a sale and I've got lots waiting for my proof-reading. Gotta let them sit a few days though.

Lor