What is Demand Studios?

         Demand Studios is a content provider. They provide brief articles and videos for websites. Some of those websites, such as eHow, are owned by Demand Studios' parent company, Demand Media.
          Writers apply to the company, as would any job applicant. Yet, they aren't employees they are freelancers. Interested writers complete an application and submit writing samples.  If accepted the writers log into their virtual office space at the Demand Studios website. There they choose their writing assignments, and submit their finished articles to the editors.

You Choose the Titles to Write at Demand Studios

          In some freelance writing assignments, a writer pitches his idea to a publisher. This takes time and rejection.  In other freelance writing assignments, a publisher hires a freelancer to write specific articles. It may be in the writer's field of expertise or interest, and maybe not.
           At Demand Studios, the writer chooses titles from a list of available assignments. Sometimes the titles are really wacky (probably because they have been generated by some computer search and not a human - just my guess).
          The writer's experience and reviews with Demand Studios will factor in on what type of articles (and how many) he/she can pick.  An average 400-500 word article pays $15. Sometimes there are $20 articles, and some articles pay more than $20. There are also shorter, brief articles (of sorts) that pay less.  They also have a revenue sharing program, where you don't get paid upfront, but you share with Demand Studios revenue on the article for a specific time frame. Personally, I stick to the $15 or more articles.
          After writing the article, you submit it online. After the editor reviews it (which takes between several hours to a week) it is either accepted or sent back for a re-write. A writer has one chance to rewrite the article. If returned to the editor and still not accepted, it is rejected and the writer does not get paid.  It is the general consensus among some Demand Studios writers that you can loose your gig with the company if your reject rate exceeds 3 percent.

Is the Pay Low at Demand Studios?

          If you live in New York City, the pay isn't terrific. Yet, for many areas of the United States, the hourly rate for a Demand Studios writer can be decent. It depends on a number of factors. If a writer is choosing articles that take hours to research, and a couple hours to write, then the pay stinks, no matter where you live.  If you select articles you can nail in a reasonable time (including research), then it can be what many are looking for.
          Some of the articles I write can be researched, written and submitted in less than an hour.  This makes my hourly wage $15. Some writers are only able to knock out two or three articles a day; some can do 9 or 10.  If I find acceptable titles, it is fairly easy to complete three or four articles before lunch. The trick - finding the right articles.  Searching titles can be time consuming.

When Does Demand Studios Pay?

          Demand Studios pays twice a week, through Paypal and there are no Paypal fees for the writer. Articles approved on Sunday are paid Tuesday night, and articles approved on Wednesday are paid Friday night. The payment is deposited into the writer's Paypal account. I am sure that there is something in the Demand Studios TOS that states they have a window of time to get the money to the writers, like a week or two. Yet, I've always been paid quickly. There was just one time I received a Friday pay on Saturday.

Growing Pains at Demand Studios

          There have been significant growing pains at Demand Studios.  December of 2008 was pretty horrid. I remember there were so few titles and the system for claiming titles made it impossible to make any real money. They have made many changes and improvements since that time.  They still have a ways to go, but as a company, they seem to be making serious strides.

Is Demand Studios Right for You?

          Demand Studios isn’t for everyone. For some writers the job is a dream come true. Others view it as a sweatshop and feel Demand Studios is taking advantage of its content providers, who churn out countless articles for minimal pay, while the company makes all the profits.      
          The fact is, there are many low paying writing jobs.  Get a job at the local newspaper and you may stay up all night covering a boring city counsel meeting and then writing the article, while making minimal pay and worrying about daycare for the kids. Other writers spend hours pitching an article and when all is said and done, the actual hourly rate earned is not much better than what writers at Demand Studios earn. 
          As for me, I've been virtually self-employed for so long, that working for someone else, at an hourly wage - well that is a tough one. For me, Demand Studios is a comfortable compromise.   

       10-20-2009 - Bobbi Holmes