Questions about eHow? Here are some answers!

Some of you have been asking questions about eHow ever since we sent out a special announcement on the market, so I thought I'd answer some of those today. Please keep in mind that I'm not an experienced eHow writer, but I did sign-up for their Writer's Compensation Program and have already written my first article! You can see that here (shameless plug). Here are some questions we received:

Q: Is eHow for experienced freelancers or for newbies?

A: I'd say eHow is for writers of every level. As part of the Writer's Compensation Program, you have the ability to continue earning off of writing one article. Please note that it does not pay you up front like a traditional freelance gig. Instead, you earn money from the amount of times your article is viewed (pageviews), and from ad clicks, etc. So, if you have a killer article with content that people are interested in then you have the ability to make more. So, in that sense, I'd recommend being a fairly good writer who is familiar with keywords.

It works like this: you pick a "How-to" topic, write about it in simple steps, and then pick your categories and keywords. The template is super easy-to-use and the articles are short. You don't have to craft an elaborate article with an introduction and conclusion since it only allows you to write "steps" of how to do something. In fact, the simpler, the better.

Q: How much can I make writing for eHow?

A: As I said, I'm still a newbie, but I'm sure it varies, depending on how many articles you write, the accuracy of your keywords, and the "stickiness" of your content. Recently, we had a chat about this on the Premium-Green listserve, and one of our members said, "I get a little bit of money (around $75) each month from that [Writer's Compensation] program. A few of my articles seem to earn me most of my revenue. It's nice to get that money coming in for no work."

Now, there are no guarantees. So remember, as with anything, to read the fine print and decide whether it's right for you. In my experience, there's no such thing as "easy money," so I'm sure you get out of it what you put in. For instance, I would recommend publicizing your content on your own blog and making friends within the eHow community. Friends return pageviews and comment on your articles, thus making you money.

Q: What's the difference between writing for eHow and writing for Demand Studios?

A: You have to apply and be accepted to write for Demand Studios. They pay a flat rate of $15 per article you write for eHow. You do not earn residuals from your article. With eHow, you pick your own topics, write on them, and get paid by pageviews.

There is a rumor that in the past, writers who signed up for Demand Studios could earn residuals through the Writer's Compensation Program as well. That is no longer possible. But you can sign up for both and keep the accounts separate. You just can't make any further money from the articles you write for Demand. I hope that makes sense!

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Tip: if you are an author looking to promote her book, I'd definitely check out the program. You can put a link to your website on your profile and on your articles. I'd recommend writing about topics that are related to your book. That way, if a reader is interested in that topic, they'll be more likely to visit your website and purchase your book.

I'm using it as a promotional tool for WOW! We'll see how it works! If you do end up joining the Writer's Compensation Program, hit me up. My username is AngelaKnows. Happy writing!