The Cons of Working With Demand Media Studios
In my previous article I wrote about the good experiences I have had working with Demand Media Studios. In this article I will talk about the cons of working with Demand Media Studios.
Con One: Sometimes pay is really late. There have been times when I didn't get my pay until 9:00 PM. That makes it a little harder when you have a bill due or if you need to buy groceries. It doesn't happen all the time but it has happened and it will probably happen again.
Con Two: If you want to get a job doing titling for them you should apply as soon as you can. The reason I say this is because it will take a while to hear back, if at all. You have to take a test for whichever titling role you decide you want and if you don't get a really high score, you will not hear back at all. The only way you will hear back if you don't get a high score is when they are in major need of titlers and they decide to let you in. It took me a year to hear back when I got my first titling job and I was so thrilled to have it that I made $5 an hour starting out for fear of messing up and getting fired. That is another thing to think about, if you do get in titling for them, be careful and read the guidelines as often as you can. Read them before you work every day and keep them open while you are working because if you mess up bad enough, they will put you on probation or remove your permissions entirely.
Con Three: There are some rude copy editors. Sometimes, you will get a really long re-write back from a copy editor who has a problem with your article, and I mean a major problem. Sometimes, it is not worth the $15 and you can just let the re-write expire. I have had this happen more than once.
Con Four: It can be hard to get a job with Demand Media Studios. I got lucky and got in the first time I applied but some people have been trying for years to get in as a writer. I already told you how hard it is to get in with them as a titler, it is just as hard and maybe even harder to get in as a writer. You have to have a good writing sample and preferably one written for their style. It is also a good idea to already have some writing experience on your resume. I have been writing for Associated Content for three years and was a writer for them for a year before I used them as my writing experience to get in as a writer for Demand Media Studios. I was already a writer for Ehow before Ehow closed their Writers Compensation Program. Now if you want to write for Ehow, you have to go through Demand Media Studios.
That is all of the cons I can think of for right now. Not as many cons as pros with my experience but some people have better experience and some have it worse. It all depends on your personal experience writing for them. If you can get on with them as a writer and/or titler, you are doing good because it can be easy money even if it is a little stressful at times.