Quiet times here at Constant Content?

[Lysis]

That's great information, Lysis; how many articles do you have in your catalog?

Also, thanks for sharing the actual figures as it really helps. I have never uploaded many articles but what's there does sell, which encouraged me to revisit the site and start working here again until I saw the recent downhearted writer comments. It's good to see your positive feedback.

I have about 750 written and a little less than 200 available. I have a consistent 25 hour per week gig on Upwork, so my time is limited for CC but I have some ideas that I will try to write maybe this month and upload. Still going for the 1000 mark but I know a few people in this thread have huge catalogs and if they aren't selling I'm more apprehensive about it.

[HiredGun]

For those of you suffering from declining sales on Constant Content, do you think the move to video has any impact on your sales-to-date? More brands are moving to video content in 2017 instead of text-based content; could content marketing overload (non video) be influencing sales here on Constant Content (not to mention competing 'articles for sale' services)? Would be interesting to see Constant Content expand their list of available content services. Pretty sure Revenue Wire users would be happy to expand their marketing toolset.
https://www.revenuewire.com

[cherylannej]

That's great information, Lysis; how many articles do you have in your catalog?

Also, thanks for sharing the actual figures as it really helps. I have never uploaded many articles but what's there does sell, which encouraged me to revisit the site and start working here again until I saw the recent downhearted writer comments. It's good to see your positive feedback.

I have about 750 written and a little less than 200 available. I have a consistent 25 hour per week gig on Upwork, so my time is limited for CC but I have some ideas that I will try to write maybe this month and upload. Still going for the 1000 mark but I know a few people in this thread have huge catalogs and if they aren't selling I'm more apprehensive about it.

Thanks again, Lysis. Good numbers there. Gosh, Upwork...I keep trying my hand there and can't seem to get a hold. I get fewer responses there than on CC, ha. I'm supposed to be novel-writing for a publishing deal, but can't get the inspiration so when one of my long-lost articles sold here unexpectedly, it pulled me back in.

HiredGun seems to do well here, so maybe it comes down to subject matter rather than our catalog size... maybe. Your numbers are healthy, HiredGun, if you're reading this. I have no idea how you find time to do private client work with a catalog that size. I'm seriously impressed, as I'm exhausted after drafting two articles a day!

[Word Gypsy]

Improving the search feature would definitely be a plus, especially since the current one doesn't actually work.

CC staff sometimes works in the background. If you send them a note about articles stuck in waiting, they usually email the client. CC no longer phones them, so it is easy for clients to ignore. I have 26 articles in waiting status at the moment, and some of them have been sitting in limbo for months.

I'm with Lysis as far as private requests. I've turned several down, and I don't regret it at all. Too many clients either failed to pay or tried to get the articles for half of the agreed upon price. Back in the day, the clients had to pay for all of their private requests before they could submit any new ones. Unfortunately, that rule was tossed out.

[HiredGun]

Once upon a time I was told Constant Content buyers have 5 business days to purchase an article in 'waiting' status. I now wait the 5 business days and then automatically delete article and resubmit with tweaked title. Every extra day the article sits in 'waiting' status is another day you could be earning revenue for your hard work. The 'snooze you lose' adage definitely applies.

[UKWriter101]

Improving the search feature would definitely be a plus, especially since the current one doesn't actually work.

CC staff sometimes works in the background. If you send them a note about articles stuck in waiting, they usually email the client. CC no longer phones them, so it is easy for clients to ignore. I have 26 articles in waiting status at the moment, and some of them have been sitting in limbo for months.

I'm with Lysis as far as private requests. I've turned several down, and I don't regret it at all. Too many clients either failed to pay or tried to get the articles for half of the agreed upon price. Back in the day, the clients had to pay for all of their private requests before they could submit any new ones. Unfortunately, that rule was tossed out.

I couldn't agree more that the site, particularly the search function, is in desperate need of an overhaul. As you and Lysis said, I'm pretty sceptical about private requests as well - there are too many clients that just disappear, leaving you with an often unsaleable article (since it's written for a specific brand). I didn't know that they used to have to pay in advance, but that certainly would make more sense.

Regarding articles stuck on waiting, try emailing Support if you haven't done so already. I did so a few days back regarding 4 of my articles being stuck in 'waiting' status for months, and Nicole replied fairly promptly to ask me to give her the links to the articles so she could release them. That's something at least.

I'm sad to say that I'm pretty much done with Constant Content now, since writing on-spec articles just isn't worth the effort any more, especially since they did away with usage rights, and private requests are rarer than ever.

Now I'm spending 4-5 hours per day looking for new opportunities instead. The freelance bidding sites and few remaining content mills are just as dreadful as ever it seems - what's with these so-called 'brands' expecting quality content for $2-5 for a 500-word article?!

[Word Gypsy]

Once upon a time I was told Constant Content buyers have 5 business days to purchase an article in 'waiting' status. I now wait the 5 business days and then automatically delete article and resubmit with tweaked title. Every extra day the article sits in 'waiting' status is another day you could be earning revenue for your hard work. The 'snooze you lose' adage definitely applies.

I usually wait two weeks before I delete and resubmit, but the 26 in waiting belong to a longtime client (maybe 8 years), who I suspect has fallen on hard times. He's been contacted at least twice now, possibly more. Would be nice to give clients a deadline, rather like they give writers.

[Word Gypsy]

Improving the search feature would definitely be a plus, especially since the current one doesn't actually work.

CC staff sometimes works in the background. If you send them a note about articles stuck in waiting, they usually email the client. CC no longer phones them, so it is easy for clients to ignore. I have 26 articles in waiting status at the moment, and some of them have been sitting in limbo for months.

I'm with Lysis as far as private requests. I've turned several down, and I don't regret it at all. Too many clients either failed to pay or tried to get the articles for half of the agreed upon price. Back in the day, the clients had to pay for all of their private requests before they could submit any new ones. Unfortunately, that rule was tossed out.

I couldn't agree more that the site, particularly the search function, is in desperate need of an overhaul. As you and Lysis said, I'm pretty sceptical about private requests as well - there are too many clients that just disappear, leaving you with an often unsaleable article (since it's written for a specific brand). I didn't know that they used to have to pay in advance, but that certainly would make more sense.

Regarding articles stuck on waiting, try emailing Support if you haven't done so already. I did so a few days back regarding 4 of my articles being stuck in 'waiting' status for months, and Nicole replied fairly promptly to ask me to give her the links to the articles so she could release them. That's something at least.

I'm sad to say that I'm pretty much done with Constant Content now, since writing on-spec articles just isn't worth the effort any more, especially since they did away with usage rights, and private requests are rarer than ever.

Now I'm spending 4-5 hours per day looking for new opportunities instead. The freelance bidding sites and few remaining content mills are just as dreadful as ever it seems - what's with these so-called 'brands' expecting quality content for $2-5 for a 500-word article?!

I'm waiting until January before I begin the dreaded search. I really don't want to ruin my Christmas!!! If I left CC completely, I have about five former CC clients I could go to for work. My catalog continues to sell, and I do have about 500 to 700 usage articles in there, so not sure I want to go that route yet. I've been selling 10-year old stuff lately, which is nice, particularly since they've sold a few times over. Just need to get CC to stop selling my usage articles for unique and full rights when they already have several usage licenses sold on them.

It really is a shame that CC made so many unfavorable changes for everyone involved. I sometimes wonder what the guys at the top were thinking, but then I remember all of the surveys asking clients and writers what changes they would like to see. Everything began to go downhill after that - at least in my opinion.

[Lysis]

Once upon a time I was told Constant Content buyers have 5 business days to purchase an article in 'waiting' status. I now wait the 5 business days and then automatically delete article and resubmit with tweaked title. Every extra day the article sits in 'waiting' status is another day you could be earning revenue for your hard work. The 'snooze you lose' adage definitely applies.

I was told the same thing, but I think they've changed that.

[Lysis]

I couldn't agree more that the site, particularly the search function, is in desperate need of an overhaul. As you and Lysis said, I'm pretty sceptical about private requests as well - there are too many clients that just disappear, leaving you with an often unsaleable article (since it's written for a specific brand). I didn't know that they used to have to pay in advance, but that certainly would make more sense.

Regarding articles stuck on waiting, try emailing Support if you haven't done so already. I did so a few days back regarding 4 of my articles being stuck in 'waiting' status for months, and Nicole replied fairly promptly to ask me to give her the links to the articles so she could release them. That's something at least.

I'm sad to say that I'm pretty much done with Constant Content now, since writing on-spec articles just isn't worth the effort any more, especially since they did away with usage rights, and private requests are rarer than ever.

Now I'm spending 4-5 hours per day looking for new opportunities instead. The freelance bidding sites and few remaining content mills are just as dreadful as ever it seems - what's with these so-called 'brands' expecting quality content for $2-5 for a 500-word article?!

I'm going to develop some ideas myself next year. CC is kinda the last of the decent content mills. Textbroker is still alive but that's probably the worst of the worst content mills. I actually like CC because we can charge high or low if we want. No revisions (well, I decline/ignore any because what you see is what you get with my catalog articles). No real hassle except if an editor gives you a hard time. I'd like to think this is just a slump for them and things will improve.

I'm done with content mills except for this one. I don't think they are a thing anymore anyway. I think for the most part they've died off. I'd still buy from CC if I had a site. I think for the most part the content is good here but I think their navigation for clients could improve for the better.

[Lysis]

Thanks again, Lysis. Good numbers there. Gosh, Upwork...I keep trying my hand there and can't seem to get a hold. I get fewer responses there than on CC, ha. I'm supposed to be novel-writing for a publishing deal, but can't get the inspiration so when one of my long-lost articles sold here unexpectedly, it pulled me back in.

HiredGun seems to do well here, so maybe it comes down to subject matter rather than our catalog size... maybe. Your numbers are healthy, HiredGun, if you're reading this. I have no idea how you find time to do private client work with a catalog that size. I'm seriously impressed, as I'm exhausted after drafting two articles a day!

The trick to upwork is to specialize. It's the opposite as you see here. Here, you really need a wide range of topics in several areas. That is part of my problem. I stick to one section.

At Upwork, you need to specialize in something that has a lot of buyers. I sell on my "ex software dev for 15 years" experience. There are a lot of fake profiles there, but you can't fake the nuances of real experience, so it's why my clients go with me. They are usually either operations or developers who can see from talking to me that I'm the real deal.

fewer headaches here tbh as long as the eds aren't driving you mad. lol I'm currently in a dispute on Upwork, and that sucks but at the same time at least I have the option to fight for my pay rather than here where they just don't pay.

[HiredGun]

I couldn't agree more that the site, particularly the search function, is in desperate need of an overhaul. As you and Lysis said, I'm pretty sceptical about private requests as well - there are too many clients that just disappear, leaving you with an often unsaleable article (since it's written for a specific brand). I didn't know that they used to have to pay in advance, but that certainly would make more sense.

Regarding articles stuck on waiting, try emailing Support if you haven't done so already. I did so a few days back regarding 4 of my articles being stuck in 'waiting' status for months, and Nicole replied fairly promptly to ask me to give her the links to the articles so she could release them. That's something at least.

I'm sad to say that I'm pretty much done with Constant Content now, since writing on-spec articles just isn't worth the effort any more, especially since they did away with usage rights, and private requests are rarer than ever.

Now I'm spending 4-5 hours per day looking for new opportunities instead. The freelance bidding sites and few remaining content mills are just as dreadful as ever it seems - what's with these so-called 'brands' expecting quality content for $2-5 for a 500-word article?!

I'm going to develop some ideas myself next year. CC is kinda the last of the decent content mills. Textbroker is still alive but that's probably the worst of the worst content mills. I actually like CC because we can charge high or low if we want. No revisions (well, I decline/ignore any because what you see is what you get with my catalog articles). No real hassle except if an editor gives you a hard time. I'd like to think this is just a slump for them and things will improve.

I'm done with content mills except for this one. I don't think they are a thing anymore anyway. I think for the most part they've died off. I'd still buy from CC if I had a site. I think for the most part the content is good here but I think their navigation for clients could improve for the better.

Agreed. If you're experiencing a lull at CC, good time to spend time promoting your existing catalog or work on adding samples to your writer's website. There are just tooooo many companies and individuals hunting for quality writers to throw in the towel on CC. A simple search on Glassdoor or Indeed shows thousands of companies looking for quality writers. CC is a viable alternative to hiring your own writing staff and training them from scratch. Professionally edited content + images ready for posting = #winning for busy business owners and marketing professionals.

[bridger]

Glad to see this thread here and find out it wasn't just me... it sounds even from the positive posts that almost everyone is seeing a general decline in catalog sales. Private sales, to me, are basically a gamble, and it's nice that it's paying off for some folks but it could just as easily not, and I don't do them anymore.

I've only ever used CC as a sort of dumping ground for articles or ideas I didn't sell elsewhere, so it's never been a main source of income, but for much of the past year it's been a nice side stream. But since August or so, things have really fallen off from a previously steady sales rate.

I'll miss it--I don't know of any other service that fills the same niche--and I suspect it's hard to really pin down where the problems are coming from without an inside perspective on numbers and issues, but my sense is that everything mentioned so far in this thread has played a part. One thing no one has mentioned is some of the basic communication problems that plagued the site this summer. Messages to customers just disappeared into the ether, or vice versa; notifications didn't show up via email. I'm certain I lost work from that, and I know that clients were frustrated. In this day and age, with so many other outsourcing platforms available, it's difficult to recover from major fumbles like that. I suspect a lot of people left and never looked back.

Not a huge fan of some of the other bumbling UI and licensing changes, either, but I suspect is that it has all just piled up to make the place relatively unattractive all around. With no one from the staff even bothering to come in and make halfhearted excuses, it's easy to see why people would give up on it.

[Lysis]

Glad to see this thread here and find out it wasn't just me... it sounds even from the positive posts that almost everyone is seeing a general decline in catalog sales. Private sales, to me, are basically a gamble, and it's nice that it's paying off for some folks but it could just as easily not, and I don't do them anymore.

I've only ever used CC as a sort of dumping ground for articles or ideas I didn't sell elsewhere, so it's never been a main source of income, but for much of the past year it's been a nice side stream. But since August or so, things have really fallen off from a previously steady sales rate.

I'll miss it--I don't know of any other service that fills the same niche--and I suspect it's hard to really pin down where the problems are coming from without an inside perspective on numbers and issues, but my sense is that everything mentioned so far in this thread has played a part. One thing no one has mentioned is some of the basic communication problems that plagued the site this summer. Messages to customers just disappeared into the ether, or vice versa; notifications didn't show up via email. I'm certain I lost work from that, and I know that clients were frustrated. In this day and age, with so many other outsourcing platforms available, it's difficult to recover from major fumbles like that. I suspect a lot of people left and never looked back.

Not a huge fan of some of the other bumbling UI and licensing changes, either, but I suspect is that it has all just piled up to make the place relatively unattractive all around. With no one from the staff even bothering to come in and make halfhearted excuses, it's easy to see why people would give up on it.

I'm the same. Won't do private requests anymore. If I come up with an idea, I just write it and post it here. I only make about $5k-$10k/year here but I always sold a little something each month. I've been pretty dry since August too.

I was looking at the client side of things yesterday and it's a little more intuitive than if you come in as a writer. The content isn't in the customer's face though like it was before. I guess we won't know though because we don't have the numbers in front of us. Before, you saw content and everyone knew if your content got on the front page it would get tons of views and had a high chance of selling. Now, the customer has to click once or twice before getting to content. I'm not sure that is a good idea but again they have the numbers.

[Judith]

Well, I have written 1802 articles and have 149 remaining in my catalog. I have done really well with spec sales on CC until the last two months. Things have slowed down dramatically. I will complete 2000 and see what happens after that. I also have my own website for article writing, which yields me quite a few dependable clients.