Updates: CloudCrowd is now CrowdSource

If you have been wondering what happened to CloudCrowd, here are some updates. I recently received an email invite from Crowdsource. CloudCrowd is now with Crowdsource. Crowdsource puts out work on the platform of Mechanical Turk (Amazon) while Cloudcrowd was accessed through a Facebook app. Now, Cloudcrowd is using Paypal details such as username and password to gain access to the job pool. Frankly, I have a lot of hesitation giving out my PP password, but it seems this is the only way former Crowdcloud workers can have access to titles and work. And so, I tried if this would work. When you first get to the site you will see a lot of paying jobs. I have not snagged any writing assignment just to see how it goes first. While the reviews are mixed saying that editorial feedback is much faster, there are also others who complain of the lack of coherence amongst editors. So rather than getting a rejected piece of work, I prefer to wait and see. At the moment though, there are loads of assignments on CrowdSource and the bonuses they are giving out are indeed, very tempting.

Blogging Assignments

I stumbled upon this site, Bloggers Required, while looking for information over the net. Apparently, you have to apply to write or guest blog for the site. There are also assignments available based on your geographical region such as the US, UK, Europe, Australia and World Wide. For example, a brand will be looking for a blogger who can review the product it is offering. You can get compensated by payment or keep the product. However, there are several requirements for you to snag the blogging assignment - you must have a quality blog that has a high traffic, followers and excellent visibility. Maybe, I will try this one out if there is nothing else to do. It does look like it has a good potential especially if you get lots of blogging assignments.

Independent Publishing Closing Its Doors

I received this email a few days ago. Sad news, really, but I knew it was coming. The sudden drop in titles was the beginning of the demise of Independent Publishing. I want to thank IP, too for the site was a good source of alternative income.

"After the execution of current orders, we will shut down the author platform and thus the business of Independent Publishing by the end of this month. This decision has been made on short notice and is now definite. The reason for the close-down is that the business model – despite rising sales figures since the beginning of the year – does not pay off for us any longer. Also the decreasing market prices conduce to the lack of success.

We would like to take this opportunity and thank you for your loyalty, your commitment, and your great texts in the last months and years. Furthermore, we would like to ask you to complete all texts still in process as usual. Naturally, your work will be paid as always. The last payment will be made on April 30th 2014, provided that credit is still open.

Nevertheless: All the best for you and your families – have relaxing holidays!

Your team of Independent Publishing"

I hope there will be another Independent Publishing, soon.

Review: Independent Publishing.com

I started writing for Independent Publishing in 2012. The sign-up process is fairly easy. You fill in your personal details and write a sample text. You can choose from any of their 3 topics such as writing about your hometown city, how to open a bank account or child- friendly activities for the weekend. The text should be from 100 to 150 words which was really easy. It did not take me long to write a short sample. If I remember well, I wrote something about Brussels. I did not really think about it for a few weeks and then one day, I received an email stating that I was accepted to write for them along with my login details. During the first month after being accepted, I could not really find anything to write. The queue was empty. And then, there were several clients that placed large orders. Sometimes, there were at least 800 articles in the pool. I could claim 10 articles in one go. Deadlines for these varied anywhere from a day to three days. At one point, Independent was paying €3,50 for an easy, 250-word article which was not bad. To date, I have written nearly 400 articles for the site. IP has different levels of writing such as Silver, Bronze and Gold. You get rated for every piece you submit on quality of content & performance, spelling & grammar, clarity & style, and availability & timeliness. I have moved up since then to the highest tier which is Gold, but frankly I don't see any improvements in the amount of pay per article. If anything, IP lowered their rate on a bulk order to be competitive with other sites. I know this because I was also checking other sites. However, since they paid the most, I stuck with them because of the pay rate.

Does Independent Publishing pay?

IP pays twice a month, on the 15th and 30th or 31st of each month for as long as payday is a working day. Otherwise, you get your pay the following day. I have a European bank account so my money goes straight to my savings account. A credit note is generated so you can use this when it's time to submit your income tax declaration.

How are non-Europeans paid?

The good news is, if you are outside of the UK or the EU, Independent can still pay you through PayPal.

Verdict

At the moment, there is not much going on at IP. The pool is nearly empty although I get the occasional email stating there are articles ready to be written. I check from time to time, but the number of articles is not as large as it used to be in the past. I believe there are many authors working for the site as well since articles disappear really fast. For me, Independent Publishing can be a useful backup when things are slow in other sites. In addition, you can also apply to become a copy editor. I have not done this yet, but will probably try my luck in that area one of these days.