My Experience Earning on Yahoo Contributor Network

What is Yahoo Contributor Network?

Yahoo Contributor Network is a platform for writing that allows individuals to share their voice online. With Yahoo Contributor Network (YCN) individuals can write about a large number of topics, and can choose between free-writing and assignments. Most articles submitted through YCN are published on Yahoo Voices; however, sometimes pieces are chosen to be displayed or even featured on other websites- YCN articles can even end up on Yahoo's home page! Not only does YCN allow you to write and submit to their editors, they even pay you to do it. Some articles are awarded upfront payments, while others pay per page view.

Pros:

• Upfront payments- Every article you write and submit only to Yahoo for exclusive use can be submitted for consideration of upfront payments. These seem to range anywhere from $2-20, but I have heard of special assignments and particularly valuable pieces getting much higher pay-outs.
• Occasional assignments- The assignment desk Yahoo has will occasionally offer contributors specific assignments, some specifically targeted to the writer. The most recent offer I accepted from the writing desk was about weight loss. They asked for 400 words about my personal success story, and offered $14 upfront, plus payment for views.
• The Academy- Yahoo now offers an academy to teach contributors exactly what they are looking for in an article. They also offer valuable information on search engine optimization, basic writing skills, and copyright issues.
• Residual Income- Yahoo is reliable with payments, and they will continue to pay you as your work continually generates profit. The amount you get paid varies, but generally remains steady.
• Beat Assignments- If your writing in a particular area is stellar, you may land a "beat" assignment. This is a reoccurring assignment that you can submit to over and over for a set amount of pay.
• Referrals- Another way to earn with YCN is to refer your friends. If they get paid, so do you.
• Contests- Yahoo often offers contests and awards for great content and outstanding contributors. These awards come with a profile badge, and sometimes even a prize of up to $1,000!

Cons:

• Low pay for views- Payment per 1,000 page views (PPM) is currently at $1.50 for Yahoo Voices. Most content published through the contributor's network ends up on this site. Other sites like Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, and Yahoo News range from $1.10-$1.40.
• Forum- The community on Yahoo Contributor Network is present, but not nearly as strong as similar writing websites. The forums are under-utilized, and mostly idle.
• Inconsistencies- Though I generally felt my work was evaluated fairly by editors, some of my best pieces were either rejected, or paid very little, while some of my poorest performing pieces were awarded the highest upfront offers.

My experience with Yahoo Contributor Network

I began writing for YCN in December of 2011. At first, I wasn't sure what to write about. I submitted a couple of articles that were nothing like what Yahoo was looking for. They allowed me to publish them, but only under a "display only" mode. This mode allowed me to edit or remove content, but only paid based upon views.

After some practice, I took assignments from the YCN assignment desk and published much more promising pieces. Shortly after, I found that I had been rewarded with a Yahoo Finance beat. My specific beat allowed me to submit 5 assignments per week, each valued at $10- plus earnings from page views. The assignment called for very specific structure and had several guidelines, but only required me to produce 400 words about my personal finance experience. I felt encouraged. 400 words for $10+.

As I continued, I experimented with other topics. My best performing were about finance, travel, and pets. I didn't write often, but still managed to make a decent amount of money from upfront payments; My page view payments however, were not very high. An average month only yielded $1.50-$5.00.

With more time on my hands I plan to contribute more to Yahoo Contributor Network. I enjoy sharing my thoughts with other people, and adding a little extra spending money to my pockets. I think that with time and more articles there is serious potential to make decent money. I may only make $5 in performance payments (page views), but I only have a small handful of articles published with YCN at the moment. I imagine with many more quality articles the number of page views will greatly multiply, and therefore, so will the pay-outs.

If you are interested in writing for Yahoo Contributor Network, please consider joining through my referral link by clicking here.

For more information about writing for online publications, I highly suggest checking out the Yahoo Style guide (listed below).