About.com (about.com) is a content website featuring thousands of articles on nearly any topic, ranging from serious topics such as sexuality to the less serious, such as online freebies.  Each writer provides content about his or her topic, much like Examiner.com—the big difference here is a higher quality standard and substantially better pay.

About.com Review: How it Works

Writers can apply for About.com topic positions through their online application, where they must provide a resume, previous relevant experience, and links to any previous work.  They may also need to provide a writing sample.

Simply having written about a topic in the past will not qualify you.  You may need to be a prolific expert in the field, a doctor or a community leader, depending on which topic you apply for.

If About.com accepts your application, you will go through a training process, where you will learn how to write “approvable” articles, how to keep your topic area fresh, and other relevant information, such as how to update your blog.

If you pass this training process, you will be accepted as an About.com expert and will be required to update your topic area several times per week.  You may also be required to regularly update your blog and interact with commenters.

About.com: Benefits

About.com is currently ranked as one of the top 15 content websites on the Internet, making it a great place to gain some Internet recognition and great money.  Their high volume of traffic benefits the writer in many, many ways, including:

• For the first two years you are paid a guaranteed $750 per month. If you are able to increase traffic to your topic area, you’ll receive even more money.
• Writing for About.com can help your writing career. How would you like to say you write for one of the 15 top content websites on the Internet?  Many About.com experts also enjoy an extra kick in their writing career (some have had books published, or used their experience to get a better paying job in their field).

About.com: Disadvantages

The money and prestige is great, but it does come with a price.  Some of its disadvantages include:

• Because About.com requires you to interact with your community, update your blog, and provide content several times per week, you may have to do this full-time.
• You aren’t given as much freedom that write what you want—you’ll need to abide by the guidelines they strictly enforce.

About.com Review: Verdict

If you like “doing your own thing” when it comes to writing, you probably want to avoid About.com.  Examiner.com, while not paying their contributors upfront, offers roughly the same writing structure as About.com without the strict editorial standards.  If you want to become a recognized expert, are willing to pursue it as a full-time gig, and want to make good money, however, About.com may fit your needs.