[Ipg-smz] [Ipg-l] WriterAccess: some first thoughts

[Christine Hall]

I wrote for Writer Access for about a year, four or five years back. 
Didn't get rich, but kept the bills paid. They paid very quickly. Got a 
lot of work after some of their customers started liking my work. I 
haven't written for them in like forever, but they still send pitches.

Christine Hall
Publisher & Editor
FOSS Force: Keeping tech free
http://fossforce.com

On 10/9/19 9:56 AM, David Strom via Ipg-l wrote:
> So both Alfred Poor and I have signed up for this platform a few months 
> ago and have been trading stories about torment and torture. Neither of 
> us has seen dollar one from any assignments, although we have both come 
> close.
> 
> The initiation process is only slightly less annoying that the average 
> frat hazing week. You have a lot of screens to fill out that describe 
> your quals, your experience, your astrological sign (well, maybe not 
> that but it seems like they asked for something equivalent), etc. Once 
> you go through that, and you can't leave much blank, you are asked to 
> take a 44 multiple choice test. I got 31 of them right, Poor did a bit 
> better on his answers. Take your time (it is not a timed test and you 
> can return to where you left off so you don't have to go thru it in one 
> go) on these if you are serious about joining up -- your ultimate rate 
> will depend on your accuracy, and some of the questions are deliberately 
> misleading (and both of us took issue with the answers on some of them 
> too). Only a few applicants get more than 38 questions right. I get why 
> they are trying to do this -- to weed out folks that don't have basic 
> English syntax knowledge -- but still it is annoying.
> 
> Level 3 orders pay at least 2.8 cents per word____
> 
> Level 4 orders pay at least 4.2 cents per word (this is where I ended 
> up)____
> 
> Level 5 orders pay at least 5.6 cents per word (this is where Alfred 
> ended up)____
> 
> Level 6 orders pay at least 7.0 cents per word
> 
> 
> You might think the operative words above are "at least." What I have 
> found is that it is assumed to be an upper bound. Now, I don't want to 
> get into rate shaming here, but the last time I took a gig for 7 cents a 
> word I think was never.
> 
> You don't find out what the rate chart is until you complete the process 
> and have been approved. Once that happens, you get a daily email where 
> the jobs that are being offered at your level are listed. I have applied 
> to a couple, and here you are provided an opportunity to really pitch 
> your actual rate. That usually -- at least in both of our experience -- 
> scares folks off. From this point it seems like WA is a lot like 
> Contently/Skyword et al. -- but then, since I haven't actually completed 
> an assignment I can't really say for sure. You do get the funds 
> deposited directly upon assignment completion with one important caveat: 
> a 30% commission is deducted from your quoted fee. So keep that in mind 
> if you are going to quote anything. That means that 7 cent per word fee 
> is actually a lot less. (Most corporate clients of the other platforms 
> pay the commissions, but not all.)
> 
> For those of you familiar with Psych 101 and Skinner's extinguishing 
> behavior, WriterAccess practices this in spades. I don't think the 
> platform will be a useful one for anyone in IPG. Mr. Poor can comment on 
> his own experience, but he has yet to get a gig either.
> 
> I am happy to take questions, either on or off list, about specifics. If 
> you wanna see a screencap of the WA dashboard, I can send that to you 
> directly too.
> 
> David
> 
> -- 
> --------------------------------------
> david strom,  st. louis, mo
> follow me on twitter: @dstrom
>