Well, I haven't been here long, but in the time I have been here I've got through many article writing and forum posting deals, and I've written tens of thousands of words in that time,so I thought I would post this: the brief guide to content creation. I would just like to make the point that this thread is not to patronise anyone, simply to help. Sellers First of all, you need to choose a job. If you don't know about the niche, don't bother applying unless you are going to put the effort in and research the topic, otherwise you will end up writing poor content which is just a waste of yours and the buyers time. Also, look carefully at the thread, I've spotted quite a few times where someone is advertising their services, trying to sell their articles, and someone comes and offers to write for them. Look what you are applying for before you apply to it. Now, you need to apply for the job. Remember that you need to PM the thread starter, not make a post, or you could be liable to infractions, you aren't allowed to post 'Send me the details', or the similar. Just read the rules at the top of the section and you'll see what I mean. OK, so you're going to PM him. Remember to use correct spelling and grammar, as this is your first impression, and if you don't make the right first impression then you probably wont get the job. An example of a good application is: 'I saw your thread on article writing, and I was wondering if I can have some more details. Thanks, [YOUR NAME]'. It would also be a good idea to send some examples of some of your previous articles/postings, just so the buyer can see the quality of your work. After you've sent the PM, don't then make a post saying that you have just sent a PM, because firstly the person you sent it to will know you sent it, and secondly it just clogs up the forum and will get you banned. OK, so lets say that you've got the job that you just applied for. Now you need to actually write the article. It's extremely unlikely that you know the topic so well that you can just write the article, so do some research. Remember not to get the research from just one place, try and look around and get as much information as possible from different sources. Doing this will also give you an idea of which websites are facts and which are just talking rubbish. When writing the article, make sure that you are producing your best work: you're being paid for doing this, the buyer deserves the best that you can do. Also, make sure the article is unique, don't just rewrite an article, and definately don't just copy and paste. The vast majority of the time you will be found out, and then you'll lose the job. Right, forum posting. Make sure your posts are quality and relevant: never fill the buyer's forum up with unrelevant posts or one liners (unless they asked for that). Also, if the buyer asked for twenty five word posts, it will usually mean twenty five word main bodies to the post. If you write 'Thanks for your time, [YOUR NAME]' at the end of the post, then you've just written five words, and the count is down to twenty: just don't do it. Also, unless you have permission, don't just go on other websites and copy and paste news stories, as a lot of the time this doesn't add anything to the forum, which destroys the whole point of hiring you. Try and keep it unique and put your own opinion into it. When you finish the job, remember to send a PM to them saying that you have finished the job (again with good spelling and grammar). Also, it would be a good idea to ask for iTrader. If you don't know what this is, it's the number underneath your post count, and it is basically like the eBay feedback system: the people who buy from/sell to you give a report of how good you were, and if you have a high iTrader, then you're more likely to be chosen for future jobs, as it shows that you have quality. --------------------------------------------------- Buyers When you start the thread, you should try and have a budget in mind, and then you should advertise this price. This should save you from the hassle of getting a load of PMs asking how much they will be paid, and will also save the writer's time. Remember, when you start the thread, that you should never put 'No PMs', or 'Post here if interested', as this will get you and the other posters in trouble. Also, try and post as much information about the job as possible, this will again save loads of PMs asking for more details, and people will feel less inclined to do a post saying 'More info needed' or the similar. When you recieve applications, always give a PM back telling them whether they are hired or not. This is not so much a rule, but common courtesy, not just for the benefit of the seller, but also for yours, after all, you don't want a load of PMs saying they weren't sure if you got their PM. Similarly to the 'seller's' part, always give iTrader feedback. Not only do you benefit from this as they should give it back, but it also lets people know of your experience with the writer/poster. --------------------------------- OK, I think I've covered just about everything I can think of at the moment. If you have anything to add to it, please say, and I hope that this post can be a helpful resource to some people. Thanks, Simon
It's a pretty good sum-up about working here in DP, and I reckon this guide will be especially useful for the newer people here. One point I need to stress for other people new to the DP forums here - do not reply to requests by posting on the threads like "PM sent, please let me know details" or something along those lines. I found this out the hard way when I first came here a few weeks ago and seeing a lot of people replying in this fashion, I followed suit just in case the author of the thread did not see my PM. However, I ended up getting hit with a one-week ban and could not access the forum because of the infraction. So, please, be more mindful of the rules here, and you'll be well on your way to a smooth journey to making money here. =)
Yeah, I've had put that in. It was supposed to be aimed at the newbies, just to give them an idea of the whole process, and I'm hoping it will help a few people along the way
This certainly is something newbies are going to find very useful. One thing I thought would make a good addition is to actually find the relevant 'hiring' threads on the site. Oft times you will find a few threads that 'sell' a service. It might help to use the 'search' function; the other approach is to filter threads by 'thread start time' (the default would be 'last post time'), then keep the site open and refresh often. This works especially if you are online most of the time. It does for me
Way to go, Simon... You've wrote a nice flow and easy to follow instructions, which this will be a good guide for those that always post "Send me the details" or "PM sent, awaiting for your reply", not to repeat the same old thing again in the future... Listen to Simon said and the chance you're getting hired by the employers will be better than those that ignored the instructions...
Hi Simon I just wanted to say that it was very generous of you to offer your advice in the form of a well-written and well thought-out post. You didn't have to do that, so thanks. Karma's winging its way to you in some shape or form. take care...
No problems, isaa. I've just added a part for the buyers, hopefully now everyone can read this thread and learn something from it