Editor’s Intro: This WriterAccess review, like our earlier review of TextBroker, is written by someone who’s spent proper time using the service and earning money from it. We do our reviews thoroughly at HomeWorkingClub, and don’t publish them until we’ve put a service though its paces!
UPDATE January 2019: Writer Access is now available to writers in certain countries outside the US – see below for details.
Let’s begin.
What is WriterAccess?
WriterAccess is a content marketing agency that offers writing assignments to freelance writers. It could reasonably be described as a content mill, but the pay is better than you see at some others.
WriterAccess hires writers to produce a huge range of different materials, these include articles, banner ads, blog posts, brochures, newsletters, presentations, press releases, product descriptions, video scripts and white papers.
WriterAccess used to only accept US-based writers, but at the end of 2018 they changed this policy. The company now accepts writers from the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and the Republic of Ireland.
You will require a PayPal account to get paid, and payments are made every two weeks.
Getting Started with WriterAccess
Signing up to WriterAccess is free. Instead of charging for a membership, WriterAccess divides up the money charged to its clients – with 70% going to the writer, and 30% going to WriterAccess.
The WriterAccess writing tests and application processes are time-consuming; After you’ve taken the tests, you need to provide WriterAccess with a resumé, which includes a short bio and photo. It takes Writer Access a week or two to review applications. If your application is successful, you are taken on as a Writer Access writer.
WriterAccess operates a rating system for writers. New and inexperienced writers begin at star-level one, with only top-notch writers reaching star-level six.
In the beginning, writers seem to be placed in the middle, usually at star-level three, and earn their way up by completing a certain number of words, meeting clients’ expectations, and by submitting on time. The higher your level, the higher your per-word pay rate. I understand that Writer Access pay rates are higher than many content marketing agencies.
All submitted writing goes initially to Writer Access, who run it through Copyscape to make sure there is no plagiarism. After that, it is submitted to the client for approval.
WriterAccess Review: My Personal Experience
This was the first time I’d signed up to a content marketing/writing agency. Most of them that I had looked at seemed to pay ridiculously low “per-word” or “per-job” rates. When I asked Ben if he knew of any sites that actually paid “US level wages,” Writer Access was one that he suggested.
You can apply as a writer, an editor, or both. I went the writer route.
As stated above, the application process is time-consuming. It includes testing, writing a bio, uploading work samples, and providing a photo.
I found some parts of the test to be extremely confusing. I’m accustomed to performing well when it comes to spelling, grammar, syntax and quality content, but I struggled to understand what they were asking for in some instances. It took about 12 days to hear back from WriterAccess and know that I had been approved.
When I first logged on, there were no jobs listed for my rated level, and it remained that way for a couple of days. Predictably, there was an immediate rush upon notification that there were jobs available. As such, it took me a few days to land my first job. Since then, the flow seems to have been steadier, but there are still some days with no jobs. Since I have only been writing for WriterAccess for a matter of months, I am unable to comment on any seasonal trends.
In the beginning, I was nervous and slow, double-checking everything as I was learning the system. Translation: I was making no money! As time has gone on, however, I have got used to the system. I’m not nervous, and of course, my earnings have increased.
At the level I am now, I could not depend solely on WriterAccess as “making a living” income, but if I have free time and see a job that interests me, I can earn some extra money. I’m not able to say what the income possibilities are for their higher level writers as yet. A couple of months in, I earn on average $15 per hour, and I expect that to increase over time.
What do you Write on WriterAccess?
So far, I have been writing web copy – home pages, “services offered” pages and blog posts.
Because I have a background in writing medical articles and have indicated that in my bio, six clients have put me on their “Love List.” That means their job listings go to a much smaller pool of writers, and not to the general list for that level.
It’s first come, first served when jobs are listed for check-out. I have written for veterinarians, chiropractors, vision centers, and medical clinics. I’m happy to be on these six Love Lists, but I’m reaching the point where I have to be careful about repeating myself when writing for such similar clients. The boredom level can become an issue too, so I’m working on branching out more for those reasons.
WriterAccess Practicalities
When it comes to working for WriterAccess, you can work offline, then copy and paste your work into their own word processing program, or you can just work directly within theirs. For my first job or two, I wrote my content offline. After learning their system well, I now just work within it.
The system maintains a list of jobs you have completed, the word count for each job, and the pay for each job. Every two weeks, you get paid through PayPal. Payments have been reliable. At the beginning of the year, you get a 1099 tax form if you have earned over $600 with WriterAccess in the previous year.
WriterAccess Review Conclusion
WriterAccess has lots of good features.
There are webinars, podcasts, writers’ forums, and pricing guides to help if a client asks you to pitch a price. You also have the ability to email a Help Desk.
As I said, it is not quite a way to make a full-time living, but can earn some cash if you have an hour or two here and there to complete a job. I think it is fairly beginner-friendly, though I am not able to see the number of jobs available at the lower levels. WriterAccess has been a good teacher for me, and I feel more comfortable checking out and joining other higher-paying sites now.
You’ll find WriterAccess here.
Further Reading
Fancy learning more about establishing a freelance writing career? Read this article.
Or how about launching a blog? This article’s a perfect place to begin.
Jean Calvert is a freelance writer and jazz & blues singer based in the award-winning city of Greenville, South Carolina, with her significant-other and two black-and-white cats. She has had diverse writing experience and is a stickler for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
