Review of SEED.com: What to Expect

SEED.com is an online publishing platform that allows any writer to claim a title, write it, and submit it for review. If SEED chooses to purchase it, the article may appear on any AOL-owned site, such as Spinner, WoW.com, or Popeater. If it’s rejected, you get to keep full rights to the article to publish elsewhere, if you decide to.

They expect to see high quality writing, though–throwing together a simple 500 word article isn’t likely to be bought. Hint: They really like unique, well written “journalistic” content with references from AOL sites or experts, so that’s something to aim for.

Here’s what else you need to know about SEED.com’s submission process:

• Browsing: You can browse for titles by logging into your account, which automatically brings you to your dashboard. Each title includes its due date, how much they’re willing to pay, and the title’s category (i.e.; a story about travel tips would be listed in “Travel”). To learn more about the title, click on it to bring up a page displaying the details of the assignment. This may include instructions for writing each section, the writing “tone”, if it requires SEO optimization, or information about which links to include.
• Submission: Submitting an article to SEED.com is pretty straightforward. After claiming the topic, the browser will automatically direct to its submission page, where you can copy and paste the article, use the toolbar to format it, and even include an image relevant to the article title.
• Response time: Now here’s the kicker. SEED.com typically doesn’t review articles until after its due date is past, and even then the review time can take weeks. SEED.com emails writers if the article is accepted or not, so you don’t need to constantly log in to know the status of your submitted article.

Review of SEED.com: The Pay

SEED.com payments aren’t consistent, but they are considerably higher than other websites, including Demand Studios and Associated Content. Payments range from $25 per 400 word article to over $300 for lengthier, feature pieces. It’s normal to see $50 titles available for grabs, and SEED.com may even assign you high paying articles if you continue to turn in high quality assignments.

Once the article is purchased by SEED, the payment will show up in your payment module. You need to manually request payment from SEED.com by using this module, and they usually pay it within a week of the request.

So what’s the catch? Plenty of rejects, if you don’t know how to write well. They like snappy, conversational pieces with plenty of information, and if you don’t understand the style very well, you may have trouble getting articles accepted by them.

Otherwise, there is no catch–plenty of writers are already making a decent income here (not to mention getting some sweet bylines on top AOL sites).

Review of SEED.com: Benefits

So how can writing for SEED.com benefit you?

• The pay here is considerably higher. Articles range from $25 to over $300, with varying word counts and submission requirements.
• You get the chance to get your byline on a popular AOL-owned website. Some of the websites where SEED.com distributes purchased articles includes Asylum, AOL Music, Spinner, WoW.com, Moviefone and plenty of other websites (it’s too lengthy to list here).
• Anyone can join and claim articles. There’s no pre-screening process involved–you simply sign up and log in.

For some writers this may be the only way to get their foot in the door. Unlike magazines or publications, you don’t need to endlessly query and submit writing samples in order to write for them–SEED.com basically eliminates this process, making it an ideal hub for print writers transitioning to online freelance writing.

Review of SEED.com: Disadvantages

SEED.com may offer great pay and bylines to top AOL websites, but it’s not all good. Some of SEED.com’s disadvantages include:

• The quality of writing is higher here. To get a feel of what they want, try looking at the articles listed on their distribution websites.
• They take a couple of weeks to review articles on average. It also can take up to a week to receive payment for these articles.

Review of SEED.com: Verdict

SEED is highly recommended if you want to learn how to write to standards seen in most magazines or print publications. The work isn’t guaranteed to be steady, but if you’re willing to sacrifice that for more money and recognition, SEED.com is a great place to write. It’s definitely worth a try!

It’s often best to use your primary keyword first within the title.

Whenever possible, avoid placing the two keywords right next to each other. You want there to be some space between each keyword to avoid any confusion with the search engine. For example, if your primary keyword’s “free writing tips” and your secondary keyword’s “national writing contests,” your title should be written something along the lines of:

If you combine great emotion catching words, killer keywords, and strategic keyword placing, you are sure to capture your readers attention.

Here are a couple of other things you want to do:

• Make sure the keywords used in your title are used within the content text.
• Keep the keywords short and specific. The shorter the keyword phrase and the more specific they are, the better.
• Include the title keywords in your “tags” or “label” section when available.

SEO Keyword Tips: What to Avoid

The biggest mistake people make when trying to create a SEO title is cramming the title, or making it stuffy. A title becomes stuffy when too many keywords are placed within the title, the keywords are placed closely together within the title, or poor keywords are chosen.

Choosing lengthy keyword phrases within a title will quickly cause it to become stuffy. If you have an awkward title, readers are sure to pass over it for a simple and more specific title that fits their needs.

To increase content traffic it’s important to never duplicate titles. As with duplicate content, duplicate titles will decrease your likeliness of placing high on a search engines results page due to competition and spam confusion.

Using these simple SEO keyword tips for your title is a sure way to increase the amount of readers your content brings in.

About the Author Alyssa Ast is the co-founder of the WM Network, which includes the WM Freelance Connection, an informational blog that explores the creative and business aspects of freelance writing. Her first book, entitled “The Path to Freelance Success”, is due out in March 2010.

There are many simple SEO keyword tips you can follow that will produce a huge result.

Choosing Great Keywords

Before you can create a great SEO title, it’s vital to pick great keywords. Picking keywords for a title not only includes those with a low hit number, but those that are going to capture readers attention, inviting them to click on your content. There are certain words that have been proven to evoke a readers emotional response to content. This will cause them to be intrigued to click on a title.

Using these emotion catching words within your title by choosing a keyword with the emotional word within it is a sure way to increase your content’s traffic.

Here’s a sample of some of the proven emotion catching words:

The second most important aspect of creating a great SEO title includes choosing keywords. It’s best to choose a primary keyword and a secondary keyword. You’ll want to use both keywords within the title and within the contents’ body to increase traffic.

SEO Keyword Tips Cont. >>>

• Tara M. Clapper’s Official Website
• Tara’s Articles on AssociatedContent.com

Flat fee articles: Flat fee articles are just what it sounds like–articles offered at fixed fees. You can’t negotiate its price with Demand Studios staff, nor will they give you less money for writing poor articles (expect to get a rewrite request instead). It’s steady, dependable money, starting at $15 per article.*

Revenue share articles: For revenue share articles, you are paid depending on how many page views your article accumulates. These articles are still assigned, though, and you won’t get a flat fee payment for it.  So what’s the advantage? Well unlike flat fee articles, you receive payment on a month-to-month basis. Over time, you may make well over $15, making it a great place to increase your residual pay.

Which one is better?: If you need money–fast–stick with their flat fee articles. Articles are typically reviewed in one to three days, with payments given twice a week. If money isn’t an issue for you, and you’re willing to experiment, it won’t hurt to write revenue share articles, though. Just be prepared for a rewrite request if any of your articles do not meet Demand Studios’s guidelines. Both flat fee and revenue share articles are reviewed by editorial staff.

How Do You Make Money with Demand Studios? is part of the Demand Studios Tutorials series on WJR.  To see all of the articles listed in this tutorial, click here.

*$15 per 350+ word article.  They do offer articles for less than $15 which require a smaller word count.

Associated Content’s new image gallery allows you to search–and select–photos to display with your article. This WritingJobResource.com tutorial walks you through the process, from selecting a photo from the public gallery to uploading your own photo.

Note: Please remember you need to have the proper rights to use photos you upload. Do not upload any photos you do not have permission to use.

This article is a part of the AC Tutorials series on WJR.  To view all of the articles included in this series, visit the AC Tutorials section.

Credits: Kevin MacLeod, Music/AssociatedContent.com

Download the guide (PDF viewer required) here.

This article is a part of the AC Tutorials series on WJR.  To view all of the articles included in this series, visit the AC Tutorials section.

Why: The first sentence is filled with two obvious passive phrases–”should” and “can be”. Although the second sentence starts out as an actionable sentence, it goes off track quickly by stating the obvious (it’s obvious the Control Panel screen pops up when you click on the Control Panel–you don’t need to say it).

The third sentence starts out by explaining where the cursor should be, which really doesn’t instruct a person to do anything. You want them to click on a link, not hover their cursor over a link. You’re only confusing your audience by writing passively.

To make this entire paragraph actionable, try this:

Step 1: Click on the “Start” button, located in the lower left corner of the desktop. Double click on “Control Panel”. Click on “Uninstall a Program.”

It’s not the most creative paragraph in existence, but it is actionable, which Demand Studios really likes.

So to recap:

• Passive writing means you’re telling, not showing.
• Cons of passive writing: reduced readability, considered amateur writing, makes it harder to understand the article’s main points
• Identifying passive writing: past tense verbs paired with to be, has, had, was, should be, can be, etc.
• To eliminate passive sentences, make it present tense and make it action first, description later.

And that’s really all you need to know about passive writing and Demand Studios. Not only does Demand Studios love active writing, it also improves your web writing skills (an important skill to learn if you want to get better paying clients).

How to Stop ‘Passive Writing’ is a part of the Demand Studios Tutorials series on WJR. To view all of the articles in this series, click here.

Example 2#: “After turning it on, the USB cords can be moved near the computer.”

To fix it, bring the action to the front. State what happened first, including additional details later.

Example 2# (fixed): “After turning it on, move the USB cords near the computer.”

Now that you understand the basics of eliminating passive writing, let’s apply this to a sample paragraph. Let’s say the topic is about accessing Windows Ozark’s Uninstall a Program feature*.

How to Access Windows Ozark’s Uninstall a Program Feature
Step 1: To begin, you should click on the the “Start” button, which can be found in the lower left corner of the desktop. Double click on “Control Panel” so that the Control Panel screen pops up. The cursor should be placed on the link “Uninstall a Program” to launch the Uninstall a Program feature.

Now what’s wrong with this paragraph?

A) There are no actionable sentences.
B) There are too many passive phrases/words.
C) There are too many passive phrases/words but the sentences are actionable.
D) A and B.
E) B and C.

Click Here for the Answer>>>

* Obviously this isn’t a real operating system; you’ll never find this title on DS.

Unfortunately, passive writing is hard on the eyes, especially for the Internet readers you want to attract. It also makes it more difficult to understand the article’s purpose because of the needless extra verbs–a sign of amateur writing.

But what the heck is passive writing?

Demand Studios and Passive Writing: Definition

You probably remember your English teacher instructing you to show instead of tell. Telling a story weakens it and kills a person’s concentration; showing a story through adjectives, descriptions and actions draws a person in, willing them to read on.

Passive writing is simply that: telling instead of showing. When Demand Studios sends you a rewrite because your writing is too passive, they’re really saying “You’re telling too much. Show readers how to do it instead.”

Identifying the Markers of Passive Writing

Now that we know what passive writing is, let’s find out how to identify it.

Commonly used words/phrases: to be, could be, should not be, had, that, was, which was, had, or the dreaded has had.

Other identifies: The verbs are almost always in the past tense (example: broke, slid, ate), paired with be, had or was.

Let’s put this in a sentence.

Example 1#: “All of the apples should be placed near the oranges.”

The passive phrase here is “should be”. To eliminate it, state the action in present tense.

Example 1# (fixed): “Place the apples near the oranges.”

Compare both sentences. The second example is very clear and easy to follow. The first example? Not as much.

Let’s look at another example.

Demand Studios and Passive Writing: Part 2>>>