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Demand Studios

Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:16 pm
by JoyRCalderwood
My sister was asking me what I know about Demand Studios. Nothing really. I think once I read their agreement and it scared me.

I do need to branch out though, to make more money doing what I love.

They don't seem to give a sample of how it works. Sounds to me like they present you with titles and you choose what to work on. They say you make $15-$20 an hour but there is no clue as to what they expect done in an hour. ie. how much they pay per article.

I don't know if I like the signing away of rights their agreement seems to say. Actually I don't understand their poorly crafted legal jargon.

Let me know what you can please.

Re: Demand Studios

Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:18 am
by jadedragon

Re: Demand Studios

Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 7:41 am
by Evelyn
Here's my experience with Demand Studios:

I was an EHow writer and when they decided to trash that opportunity and go with Demand Studios all the writers were "automatically" accepted. Not as lovely as it sounds. I think they do everything possible to nit-pick new writers into leaving in frustration.

First you have to write a bio, which will be sent back for revisions at least twice even if you follow directions exactly. Then, you're on a probationary period of three articles, which will all be sent back for rewrite even if you follow directions exactly. There are reams of directions for the different types of articles based on format, and each must be written exactly to those formats or they'll be sent back for rewrite. Then, of course, there are grammar issues and clarity issues that could cause your articles to be (wait for it) sent back for rewrite. If you make it through without quitting, you'll be allowed to claim up to 10 titles.

You have 100,000 titles to choose from, depending on which formats you're approved to write. You'll spend a SIGNIFICANT amount of time sorting through the titles to find 10 you can write to in a reasonable amount of time--most are miscatagorzied or don't make sense because they're computer generated. The category sort function sucks, so don't count on that.

Payment for how-to articles is $15 each, and other types pay $7.50 each or other amounts. In some mysterious corner of Demand Studios are better-paying articles, but I haven't found them yet. It's a flat rate. If you claim an easy title, you'll be able to knock out the article in half an hour, so it's true that you can "earn" $15-$20 an hour. This doesn't count the hour you spent just trying to find a title.

Most "research" is internet-based, and you need to find at least three "sources" for your information. Throw in the fact that there's a huge blacklist of sites you can't use as resources and you're hunting through page 12 of Google to find the simplest support for something you already know. Books, magazines, scientific papers, etc. are all acceptable resources but good luck getting those past the editors.

That's a whole bunch of negatives. On the positive side, if you can manage to not throw in the towel, Demand Studios pays twice a week. Almost all articles are reviewed within 4 days. The editors tell you what you did wrong and you have the opportunity to fix errors and resubmit. Once you get the hang of the format, they're super-simple to write. You're not punished if you claim a title and then don't write it. You have a week to get the writing done. And, if you keep writing, the editors get easier and most of your articles are accepted without rewrite.

For me, it's the twice-a-week payment thing. I use Demand Studios to make quick money and I curse its convoluted rules and impenetrable systems. However, I also grudgingly recommend it.

I have 10,000 tricks to make it easier if you're interested--just PM me.