AC Upfront Payment
By Canellita
@Canellita (12029)
United States
July 16, 2009 12:21pm CST
I noticed earlier there was an assignment on AC for interviews with public figures. There is only one day left to post an article but I have an interview already recorded that just needs to be typed up. I clicked on the button to view the details and saw you could only get performance payments for the article.
One of the advantages of submitting articles to AC is that you can ask for upfront payments. Even when they only offer a few bucks and the opportunity to still earn performance payments it is still something upfront.
I am less inclined to shift things around to get the article done today if I am only going to get performance payments. I can submit the piece at any time with the same results. I have audio and video on this same person as well that I would want to edit and then include the links or maybe post something on Hubpages with backlinks...
The person I interviewed isn't exactly rich and famous but he is very well known. There is no guarantee of page views and I might even be able to sell it locally. I have very limited experience with AC so I am not sure what the best course of action is.
Does anyone know what is the most AC has ever offered in upfront payment?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
18 Jul 09
Hi Canellita, since Mommaj is still barrowing in her cave to find the "expert" badge, I will summarize what I read in AC's forum.
AC used to pay very high upfront, before the introduction of performance bonus, and I think even before Mommaj's time.
One writer, Jamie K Wilson, said that one of her earlier article was paid $50 upfront. Some other writers were paid between $20 to $25 upfront per article. After introduction of page view bonus, AC reduces upfront to less than $20. Most writers receive between $7 to $10.
From the forum discussions, it appears that one of the determinating factor is the average PV per article. Another determinating factor is the potential earnings, based on the keyword density and keyword selection.
Not all writers know enough about SEO to gain from page view payments. Tsu Dho Nimh mentioned his best performing article, Lighting Tips for Digital Photography, had 85,330 pageviews as of March 2009. At a rate of $2 per 1,000 page views, this article made more than $170 for him. Other articles fell in the range of 3,000 to 10,000 page views.
I guess with knowledge of seo, a writer can make big money (upfront and page view) in AC.
2 people like this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
18 Jul 09
Thank you Scheng! I have an idea for a new strategy for AC articles. I will have to plan them around keyword density but I am thinking I will start with topics I have seen to be popular based on helium article performance. If the people searching these topics find them easily I should be able to see a boost in my AC earnings right away.
I have one article on Jazz music/musician that I need to get done and I was hesitating because of the whole upfront thing but I guess I should just complete it and get it out of the way and if I am offered a low upfront I will just have to accept it for now and work on my AC clout.
I have earned almost $1 in the past 6 days at helium. I would like to turn that into $1 a day if possible. I have added another slide show at AC and I have more waiting and some video that will hopefully boost my page views.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
18 Jul 09
Hi Canellita, that's a great working strategy. I hope you can make more in AC than Helium.
After all, Helium pays upfront, but does not require exclusive rights to the articles, so we cannot really expect Helium to pay high.
AC pays upfront and demands exclusive rights to the articles, so your upfront in AC should be at least triple that of Helium.
2 people like this
@mommaj (23112)
• United States
18 Jul 09
Okay, popped back out of my hole for this discussion. The only reason is I had a round about it. LOL. As far as upfront offers you need your average to be over 400 an article if you have been on AC for longer than a year to make more than a $4 upfront offer. If you haven't been on AC for a year depending on SEO and searchability, you will probably get around a $4 offer. Your writing is really good so I am sure you will get at least $4. To be sure, if you've been on AC for over a year wait to your pageviews are over 400 to publish the article. I am at 285 pv an article but it seems to be increasing about 1 pv per day. I don't think the upfront payments you ask for are as high as what Scheng was talking about. I think those were calls for content.
Good luck with your article. I hope they offer you alot! Then you can buy the chocolate for me and Scheng. LOL
2 people like this
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
19 Jul 09
I am not trying to discourage you from posting to Associated Content, but with an interview (which is more exclusive material), maybe you would do better to place the article with a site like Constant Content or Daily Article, where you can command a higher price. Of course, you are depending on someone actually purchasing it, but I think if the person is well known, you shouldn't have any problem.
Don't sell yourself short with this caliber of material. You might even consider approaching a jazz magazine ("Jazz Times") or a local newspaper in a city that is known for jazz like Chicago, New Orleans, or New York.
Good luck with your writing!
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
19 Jul 09
I considered trying Constant Content but I have no experience with them. I assume that since they can get higher amounts of money for articles that they have the means to broker them to the larger publications.
I am not sure Jazziz would be interested and the piece is sort of time sensitive and I really am not interested in local (New Orleans) publications and editors right now. I want to get out of the region to publications with wider circulation and I don't have any recent bylines to send off tear sheets. Not to mention, queries take time.
Have you had any articles purchased via Daily Article or Constant Content? Were you satisfied with the offers?
@oscar6 (1938)
• United States
17 Jun 11
The most that I have ever been offered for upfront payment is a little over seven dollars. However you can make up to twenty dollars for one article. I make a lot of money with my page views. I have made over a thousand dollars since I joined associated content a little over five years ago. This site is really great and I will continue to use it.
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
21 Jun 11
Again, this is a really old discussion. I have been offered as much as $15 and then told at the last minute, after they had held the article for a number of days, that my in-depth, 900 word, first person account article wasn't detailed enough so they were only willing to pay $8. That was the last thing I submitted to them.
