How the Writer Pools Work

[jak]

Now that writer pools are working, I'd like to ask some questions.

1. I've been getting emails about pool requests, but when I go to the writer pool pages they aren't there and I have no opportunity to claim them if I wanted to. Why is that?

2. The requests I do see that have a yellow claim button have been there for a while. Does that mean noone has claimed them?

3. Are they deleted from the pool lists as soon as someone claims them?

Now that I've got them written up, I see that they are all related and the answer to No. 3 might also answer the other two.

Can anyone help please?

[Lynnemac]

I think that when someone claims a writers pool request it becomes invisible to everyone else.

I think the good ones go fast - it does seem that there are a few no-one is interested in.

Cheers,
Lynne

[Celeste Stewart]

Yes, once someone claims a pool request, it disappears for everyone else. Kind of a first come, first served thing. I did see that you can only work on one claim at a time, so that should avoid any one writer from hogging all of the requests. It is nice to be able to claim a request and have that added assurance that your work will be most likely purchased. I haven't claimed anything yet, but it seems like a neat system for some of the more difficult (ie, risky) requests.

[aprilk10]

jak, Are you going to the "request" tab and hitting the "Writer Pool" tab? There are a few there right now...a couple for blog posts and one for SEO. Another for reviews I think. I know we can only see the ones for the areas we have been approved for. I know there is one there that I would like, as it is on a topic I already have a private request customer for, but...well..the pay just isn't enough. My current customer pays significantly more, and I just can't see the benefit of it (plus, I would then feel guilty about charging my other customer so much more). I think that is why many are not taking these orders...the pay just isn't enough. I think the majority of writers who applied for the pools are fairly established here and are perhaps not as willing to take a lower paying offer than newer authors would be. With public requests, we have the freedom to go ahead and submit at our price, and they can take it or leave it. When we claim a request, I think we are almost obligated to charge what they are asking since no other authors are able to submit to it. I think alot of clients may just be testing the waters with it right now. Hopefully the pay offers will increase.