How to get mail.
Hey DSSers,
Hope that everyone has a great holiday. We’re still occasionally poking our noses in here to see what’s been going on from time to time.
I know we’ve gotten a lot of comments along the lines of “hahaha your traffic died down and your site is gonna tank.” Which we then immediately delete.
But, uhhh, yeah…..our traffic died down because people loved coming here and bitching about Demand Studios.
Demand has now fired everyone (including yours truly and Richard) so, naturally, there’s not as much traffic.
However, despite what the haters say, we’re making enough to pay for the upkeep in this here little slice of the interweb, so I don’t see us going away any time soon.
Now, what you’ve all been waiting for – from the DSS mailbag,
I am a professional writer and have written since 1999. I am a published author in both fiction and non-fiction. I have freelanced since 2006, but grew tired of chasing new clients and worrying with invoices and things.
I wanted to supplement some with DS and not have those worries. I didn’t even make it past the first 3. Two of the articles were edited by the same CE, who rejected both. My third was accepted, no issue, but a different CE handled it.
I’m used to criticism, but was essentially tricked. Of the two rejected articles, the CE didn’t bother to tell me they didn’t like my references in the article rewrite, but rejected the article for them. The second, I was supposed to use parenthetical references throughout the article, for some reason.
You don’t really see many DS articles using (parenthesis throughout) for no reason. I would like to remain anonymous, but wanted to get it out that many writers might be deceived by their CEs. Especially the CE that copies-and-pastes the same long block of text in every rewrite request that reminds you to consult guidelines and other resources.
Thanks for listening.
I was in mid-application for a writer position at DS when I decided to do a little research, see what if anything had been posted by those with a past/present relationship with this particular stable operator.
Wow, am I glad I did!
Everything I’ve read on this website is exactly what I experienced several years ago with a similar online company. I spent SO much time doing research for their How-To articles that by the time I submitted my work the pay equaled pennies per word, hardly worth my time. Then, after all that work, I was told by one of the CE’s that I had plagiarized and was released. I was SO devastated, and I have never written for the internet since.
Are there ANY reputable online opportunities for a freelance writer to make a few extra bucks without it becoming an all-consuming practice for a pittance?
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No.
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The problem seems to be that the CEs, with the editorial department driving them on, have lost all sense of proportion following the business model change in 2011/2012. Yes, they honestly believe that the paltry $10-an-article fee increase warrants considerably more research and vastly improved quality.
Despite all of this, almost every DMS writer I know reports dropping scores and a doubling or even trebling in the number of rewrites. The gulf between the reality for writers and the expectations of the editorial department has never been greater. And DMS wonders why people have either stopped writing altogether or reduced their output. I don’t believe sending out regular appeals for people to write moar in certain sections or even the “Ace Writers” incentive scheme is going to encourage writer productivity in the current system.
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One section of Demand CEs is made up mostly of the housebound unemployable or those with such extreme personality disorders that they can’t go out or aren’t allowed out. The second section seems to consist of people who clearly don’t need the money but just enjoy fucking with other people for shits and giggles.
Working briefly as a “writer” for DMS was probably the most frustrating, soul-destroying and enraging experiences of my life (and I’ve worked some shit jobs before.) The entire system seems to have been created as some sort of psychological experiment to see just how much shit a person will take before cracking. I can’t imagine that anyone with even a shred of self respect could tolerate working for them for long, but good luck if you’re attempting this feat.
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I’ve found most of the CEs in the biz section are decent, but there’s a core of amateurs who make the process bad enough you want to quit. What’s odd is that these few losers are so obviously out of touch with reality, all it should take is a few uses of the CE feedback tool to get them fired. Yet, Demand wants to protect unqualified CEs for some reason, tells them this, and emboldens them to continue to damage the company by driving away good writers. Wish Rosensplat would tell his editorial department that if they believe writers can suck, they shouldn’t deny that CEs can suck.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Things with Demand Media have never been better, especially now that all the pinheads, losers, and crooks have been cleared out of the system… you know, the devoted followers of this suck-ass website?
Pay rates are up, the CEs seem more reasonably than ever… I’m sure there are a few miscreants and retards still surviving, but I’m not worried. You’ll be sacked too, and things will keep getting better.
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I couldn’t disagree more. I dipped my toe in the cesspit again recently and have found CEs to be even more unreasonable than ever. The small increase in rates is hardly worth the additional inane rewrites, most of which ask the writer to make the small editorial amends that are the copy editor’s job.
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I left DS almost two years ago because of their editors. “Describe the entire state of Texas in 500 words”…yeah right. I’ve been in the fabric industry for 20 years and some editor was trying to tell me I didn’t know what denier is because I didn’t have links they liked (none exist).
They edit like this is for the Pulitzer and half the time they are wrong!
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I have been writing for Demand for almost 3 years. My ratings are hovering around 4 and I had 3 articles rejected despite the fact that they were technical tax topics and I’m a tax lawyer and the CE kept getting the content wrong and I just went through that shitty writer development program and received over 4 ratings and was just told that my writing wasn’t up to par and I would no longer be able to write for DS. What gives. I’m so angry.
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The more content you include, the more Demand CEs punish you. My experience is that I always do better when I provide less-valuable content. I would never recommend providing bad information, but the less info you include, the less the CEs dock you, and I’ve heard that from others. Set up another email address and re-apply under a different name in 90 days and see if you can get back in.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Yes, the tax attorney so desperate to work for Demand Media that she evades taxes by applying under a fake name and social security number. Wonder what the ABA would have to say about that. That an attorney would be willing to commit fraud to work for this organization proves that Demand Studios does not suck. It’s the ultimate place to be. Gives pause for thought.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Shhhh! You are dangerously close to reminded all the Sucktards that when they created multiple fake accounts at DMS using the SS# of their (stupid) family and friends, they were committing fraud. Like multiple counts of fraud for each fake account.
Committing serious crimes to make a few bucks and get shat upon by DMS. That is what DSS is all about!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Same thing happened to me this month. I have also been working on-and-off for the dbags at DM for a little over two years. My scores were also hovering around 4 (were climbing since I left Ehow). I had some pos ce reject an article because he didn’t understand the topic or the DM guidelines. These people really are scum. I hear they are cutting back in a few channels just after hiring people on about a month or two ago.
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Just write the piece as if your audience were six-year-olds. Your CE certainly has the intelligence of one, and at the end of the day you really are writing for CEs only. If that embarrasses you, use a pseudonym.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I had a similar experience with a DS CE. I kept having articles rejected for reasons that weren’t originally clarified. For example, the last article I wrote for them – or tried to write for them – was about grading a front yard. The CE instructed me to rewrite it with instructions about how to grade a sloped yard, if necessary, and then rejected it when I didn’t explain how to grade near a structure. It had a 500 word limit, of course, and it wasn’t possible to cover every scenario. I actually have over 20-years experience as a freelance writer and editor, and I’ve never seen such ridiculously harsh guidelines, or worked with such unreasonable editors. I quit when I was accused of plagarism by the same CE, even though that particular article easily passed a copyscape scan (I use copyscape, by the way, for most of my work so that I can ensure no one is stealing from me!). The same day I quit, I received an email later that day from DS that basically said, “Oh, you can’t quit because you’re fired.” Sheesh and good riddance.
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Amber here is a singular rarity: a complainer on DSS with real credibility. I say that because she has come out into the open — there is here website.
Kudos for you! The rest of these imbeciles hide behind anonymity even after getting sacked.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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