Question about traffic and sales

[drearden]

Is anyone getting decent catalog sales? My goal was to try for 4-5 catalog sales/day. Wondering if the traffic to the site/customer demand would support this. Does anyone know?

[Lysis]

I don't think it's possible for pure catalog sales. I tracked a guy who was making crazy sales for a few months but he was in private request pools. I tracked him making 100 sales one month. If you are in a lot of pools, I guess it's possible. I wouldn't count on it though.

I think the only way it's possible is to have a very high number of catalog articles across several areas... and by several I mean like every one. That would take a lot of time though.

I only write in one area with the occasional ones in others and mine are higher priced, so maybe some of the higher volume writers that have cheaper prices maybe do it. There are a few.

[drearden]

Thanks for your insight Lysis. What do you think is more realistic?

Reason I'm asking is lately sales have dropped off a cliff. When I came back to CC last month, I got several quick sales, and things started looking good. The more I wrote, the more I sold. Then, poof. Nothing. It feels like a desert now. And, I have an OK catalog size right now (I count 93 available with more waiting to be released). Most of these are in what should be popular topic areas. I've gone over my keywords, pricing, etc. Nothing really changed in how I approached my writing. Totally baffled.

Guess I feel lost and not sure what to do. Not sure where to set my expectations. I know you've been doing this a long time. Any advice?

[Lysis]

Eric, before he left, said sales had increased. I did killer in Feb and March, so I believed him. I've kinda dropped too but I haven't written much lately. I plan to do a few in the next coming weeks. It's summer too and I never do well here during the summer.

My articles are higher priced, so if I sell 5 in a pay period, I'm pretty happy but I do this as side money to pay off stuff I buy through PayPal credit. lol I've hit some good numbers especially Feb and March but again my articles are higher priced compared to others so 10-15 sales hits 4 figures for me. I submitted only 1 in the last 2 months, so if I don't upload anything then I don't expect much.

93 is not really a lot. I always factor that I'll sell about 30-50% of what I write initially, so if I do 30 in a month I expect something like 10-15 to sell quickly and then the rest sell over time. I'm not consistent with my uploads though, so that is part of why I don't sell consistently.

I think with so few open items, I would not expect anything near 4-5 a day. Like I said, I tracked a pretty high volume writer who was killing it and he sold 100 in a month but was in a lot of pools. I got screwed out of payment too many times in the pools, so I no longer do any requests.

[LMasterson]

Sales have dropped off dramatically for me too in the past month or so - but I was killing it through March/April/May. Lots were sales from various writer pools I'm in, some were private requests, and there were a decent number from general catalog sales. That's left me with a dismally low number of articles sitting in the catalog, so I really must sit down and add to those numbers to boost them back up again.

These days it seems even the pools have dried up! I wonder if it's just a summer thing?

[drearden]

Ahh..thanks.

I didn't realize the volume was so low. When I used to write here often, there was a customer who kept ordering an insane number of energy-related articles. I think there was some stuff on credit cards or something (can't remember). I was in some pool that was so busy...it really was crazy.

These days, I have no idea what it takes to make it here. What's considered a decent number of articles (in the catalog)?

And, what do CC buyers generally consider "quality articles?" I hear this word thrown around a lot, and I'm having trouble trying to figure out what a lot of these buyers want. Stuff that's sold is so all over the place in terms of the angle of the article ("how to" or "7 ways to" vs what I would consider "plain jane"/non-seo stuff). I've seen some decently-priced articles up for sale that kinda-sorta look like rehashed blog articles and others that are really impressive/original and detailed.

[Lysis]

Sales have dropped off dramatically for me too in the past month or so - but I was killing it through March/April/May. Lots were sales from various writer pools I'm in, some were private requests, and there were a decent number from general catalog sales. That's left me with a dismally low number of articles sitting in the catalog, so I really must sit down and add to those numbers to boost them back up again.

These days it seems even the pools have dried up! I wonder if it's just a summer thing?

TBH, I thought the new interface is slick and looks good, but I think it is less intuitive and harder to navigate to buy content. I could be totally wrong! eric said sales increase. I too had a killer Feb and March, so I believed him but I am a little worried. Last year I wrote a bunch in May and they didn't sell until Nov/Dec, so I'm not too worried yet.

@drearden, yeah I heard about the energy guy. When I was stalking the writer, I think that is where all his 100 sales were coming from. He dropped out the beginning of 2014 I think.

Personally, I write about things I'm an expert in. There are topics on here that have been done to death (like SEO) so I write about things that the generalist writers don't understand and don't even know to write about. And I have no problem selling higher priced stuff by doing this.

I am trying to hit 800 articles by the end of the year, but I rarely can write fast enough to have more than 100-200 articles in the open marketplace. I usually write a bunch like 20-30 of them and then stop writing for a few months. This place is great for side cash but I wouldn't rely on it as a main source of income.

[Pellucidean]

I sold more last month than I had in any other month yet this year, by a relatively large amount. This month, however, has so far been very dry. It seems to me like there's a lot of random variance in how much you sell over a single time period, and when individual articles sell.

[Lysis]

I sold more last month than I had in any other month yet this year, by a relatively large amount. This month, however, has so far been very dry. It seems to me like there's a lot of random variance in how much you sell over a single time period, and when individual articles sell.

This is good to hear. It's so hard for me to judge, because sometimes I write a bunch and they sell really well months later or sometimes I sell right away. I wrote 1 article in the last 2 months, so I don't expect to sell much. Even so, I think I've gone only 1 payout without even a little bit of money.

[Abbamay]

Hi guys. The energy guy requested hundreds of articles on various subjects. He worked for a big UK company and I think he used the articles on different sites and blogs to help more traffic come to the main company - before SEO rules changed (that's my simplistic version because I don't really understand the details of how it worked). Those of us in the pools had all the work we wanted for several months until he stopped requesting and buying. I remember a writer who joined CC around that time and who sold a lot and wrote a book about how to sell well on CC! But the massive sales stopped when the customer no longer needed all the SEO articles.

It sounds like you're saying Eric has left? I have been offline for a couple of months while moving house so I must have missed that. He was amazing at chasing up payments or clarifying any details for me.

Have a good night/day.

Abba

[Lysis]

Hi guys. The energy guy requested hundreds of articles on various subjects. He worked for a big UK company and I think he used the articles on different sites and blogs to help more traffic come to the main company - before SEO rules changed (that's my simplistic version because I don't really understand the details of how it worked). Those of us in the pools had all the work we wanted for several months until he stopped requesting and buying. I remember a writer who joined CC around that time and who sold a lot and wrote a book about how to sell well on CC! But the massive sales stopped when the customer no longer needed all the SEO articles.

It sounds like you're saying Eric has left? I have been offline for a couple of months while moving house so I must have missed that. He was amazing at chasing up payments or clarifying any details for me.

Have a good night/day.

Abba

Yeah, he probably got the UK client a penalty. That stuff catches up to you. The guy who wrote the ebook on selling well was ridiculous. "How to make money on CC -- do 1 short term private project and look at me" and then he got angry when it stopped. well DUH you had to know that wouldn't last forever.

And yeah, Eric left, which really sucks. All I'm hoping is that the catalog keeps running smoothly. I'm not into these pools where they have "lots of work for me at $5/article." lol Dude, I don't want to work. that's why I raised my rates so I can work less. lol

A lot of small time broker sites are popping up too. I was accepted into one and they told me they would pay me $55/article. I told them I charge at least $90 for a one-off and only give 1 revision with that price. They told me they only charge the customer $120 so they can't do $90. lol Sheeesh.

[Abbamay]

Thanks for the reply, Lysis. I'll miss Eric because he always replied and always helped. He got me lots of private work and the pay rates were really good, so I'll be grateful to him forever!

I haven't added to the catalog for ages but it was a good way to start at CC. I don't think I know what buyers want anymore!

[Lysis]

Thanks for the reply, Lysis. I'll miss Eric because he always replied and always helped. He got me lots of private work and the pay rates were really good, so I'll be grateful to him forever!

I haven't added to the catalog for ages but it was a good way to start at CC. I don't think I know what buyers want anymore!

Yeah I've spoken to writers privately and it seems he was the guy who answered everyone. I haven't had a problem in a really long time, but when I wrote about a chargeback on my account years ago someone did answer me.

The catalog is still good to me. This is the only place where you can write about whatever you want without the rigid junk SEO rules and make some extra cash. I really hope it sticks around. I always see it as a relaxed way to make money without worrying about whatever customer quirks that go along with requests.

[cmcmahon66]

It definitely rises and falls, and summer is always slow. I'm working on beefing up my catalog with evergreen stuff so it is there when buyers come back. I have also raised my rates a bit to close to 10 cents a word, and that seems to do pretty well in the business and tech categories. Even the quickie weight loss and health articles I start at 40-50 now (used to be more like 20-30) and then lower after a couple of months, but I have been pleased with how many have sold at higher rates.

I like CC because as the previous person said, I can write about anything and not have to worry about finding a way to wedge in "windshield repair in Lansing" and still sound natural. It will never be full time but it's fun to do while marketing for private clients, which will take a bit to produce results.

When I get bummed at low sales, I write silly stuff to cheer myself up. A bit of bizarre history or an entertainment listicle (I'm still proud of the one about "if you liked Sharknado, here are 8 more silly movies with sharks or tornados" And when someone famous blows up in the news (sadly, often for dying) a list of their top movies often sells immediately.

I suggest using this time to get ready for fall and the upcoming holidays. Halloween costume ideas and all things Thanksgiving and Christmas usually fly out of my catalog and I always kick myself that I didn't have more ready to go. I've also started pulling out really old stuff that didn't sell, reworking it, and resubmitting so at the very least it gets another shot at being seen near the top of that category list.

I just wish I could produce at the rate that someone like Dr Christie or Word Gypsy does!

Talking about all this has me all fired up to write. Unfortunately I have a doc appt before that!