Writer FAQ
These are common questions asked by writers concerning The Content Authority and the contracted work that occurs on the site.
General
How do I get support from The Content Authority?
If you need support from The Content Authority staff/editors use one of the following:
- Submit a ticket using the “Support” link at the top of the site while you’re logged into the writer portal. Choose a category that best matches your problem.
- Email support@thecontentauthority.com
Exactly what are these articles used for?
The Content Authority writes articles for a variety of clients. These articles are often posted on blogs, used for promotion and marketing and sometimes used with printed material.
Does The Content Authority guarantee work?
We do our best to ensure every writer on the site has an opportunity to write content and earn money however, there is no promise of a minimum amount of work. The number of available articles is based on writer activity and client demand.
Can anyone be a writer for The Content Authority?
All writers interested in writing for The Content Authority must submit an application to be accepted. There are certain requirements we have for all writers who want to write for us. You can view the requirements on the writer application page.
Are there training resources new writers can use?
Check out the Writer Help and Tutorials page for helpful information about how to be a successful writer at The Content Authority.
Is there a limit to the number of articles I can write?
There is no limit to the number of articles you can write beyond the limits placed on writers who are on probation. We encourage writers to write as much as they want as long as they carefully follow the instructions and quality requirements of the orders they write.
Does The Content Authority allow clients to order articles considered rude, offensive or immoral?
Some articles that are ordered by clients can be considered offensive to some writers such as articles on gambling or relationships. However, we do not allow clients to order content that are pornographic, sexual or illegal in nature. Writers are not expected to write any content that they find offensive or objectionable and we will not require anyone to write on anything they don’t find comfortable about. Report offensive, pornographic and illegal content requests to support@thecontentauthority.com.
Will I have rights to the content I write for The Content Authority?
No, you do not. The terms of agreement that signed when you apply to work for The Content Authority rescinds all right you have to the content you write for us. The content, upon delivery to the client, becomes property of the client to do with as they wish. It is a violation of your contract and/or applicable civil/criminal laws for you to repurpose or reuse any content that you write for The Content Authority.
Will I be paid for the sample article I wrote?
You will not be paid for the sample article you submit with your application. We will not use this content for any purpose other than judging your writing ability for the purposes of writing for The Content Authority.
Tiers
What is the rating that I receive as a new writer?
New writers are rated at Tier 1, our lowest bracket. During this time you will have probationary status and will be able to write Tier 1 articles. At the end of your probation, your activity and written articles will be reviewed for quality and client feedback. If your writing skill and feedback indicates a higher tier ranking, you will be promoted (subject to editor discretion).
What do tiers mean?
Your tier is a rating out of four based on your consistent writing performance for all articles on the site. Your tier is assigned when you first start as a writer and is updated as you write articles for us. Tiers primarily affect the articles you can see and write on the Standard tab on the “Write Content” page. The higher your tier, the more articles you will have access to. Further, higher tier articles have a higher compensation value. Your tier does not change the compensation you get for tiered articles lower than your rating.
Additionally, your tier impacts your access to different types of content clients can order. In order to write Rewrites, for example, you must be a Tier 2 writer. Unique Article Wizard articles also have a Tier 2 writer requirement.
How can I have my tier increased?
Your account will be periodically reviewed for quality control. During this process, writers who write at a level consistently above their current tier ranking will be promoted. New writers will be reviewed for quality after their five article probation. If you have been writing for a long period of time and have not recently received a review, you may contact support@thecontentauthority.com and request a tier review.
Probation
What is probation?
New writers and writers who write content below The Content Authority standards are put on probation. During probation there is a maximum number of articles you can write before you must wait for your content to be reviewed. New writers have a five article maximum before review. Writers who get put on probation after writing for The Content Authority after their initial probation have their maximum number of written articles set based on the editor team’s discretion. If a writer fails probation they may be demoted or have their account deactivated.
I’m on probation and have written the maximum number of articles available to me, when will I be reviewed?
Writers on probation are often reviewed within 24 hours of the next business day. If it’s been longer than 24 hours and it is a business day, contact support@thecontentauthority.com and we’ll review your work. If you are a new writer, this review process may include a tier promotion.
Keywords
One or more of the keywords is misspelled or otherwise incorrect, do I correct them?
Do not correct keywords in the articles you write. Clients are specific about the keywords they want in their articles and often purposefully target misspelled words or phrases. If a phrase is grammatically incorrect or is missing words, fit it in the article as is written anyways. However, there is one exception to the above: proper nouns should and must be capitalized. Clients often do not capitalize these words but will expect you to do so, as correct capitalization is both professional and does not affect the search engine optimization of the content.
Do I use all the keywords the client requested?
Yes, you must use all keywords requested by the client at the density for each as requested. The sidebar of the writing area will give specifics of the number of times each keyword should appear. If the instructions provided by the client say something different from what the sidebar specifies, please unassign yourself from the order and email support@thecontentauthority.com the details of the order so the problem can be rectified.
What is “Phrase Density”?
Phrase Density is the number of times a given keyword/phrase appears in an order. Clients often have restrictions on the number of times a keyword appears to avoid oversaturation (and sometimes undersaturation) of phrases. All phrases in an article with Phrase Density requirements must follow the specifics, regardless of whether they were listed by the client or not. The system will automatically tell you if you fail these requirements and successful submission requires following these requirements. If there is a problem with the order (such as the client’s instructions conflicting with the density requirements), please unassign yourself from the order and email support@thecontentauthority.com the details of the order so the problem can be rectified.
Writing
Is there recommended writing software?
Any word processing software is recommended. As a professional writer, you should choose software that has a built-in grammar and spelling checking solution. Microsoft Word is a common tool used by writers. A free writing solution is OpenOffice.
Is there a standard format I should write my articles?
First and foremost: the format you write in is based on what the client requires in the instructions they include with the order. Read their instructions carefully and follow them to the best of your ability. Clients may request a specific number of paragraphs, specify paragraph order and even limit the number of sentences used in an introductory paragraph. In general, however, all articles should have an introduction, supporting paragraphs and a conclusion.
In addition, your article should be written in “plaintext” format. It should not include HTML or special characters outside what is found on a standard English keyboard.
I wrote an article and am ready to submit it, what do I do?
The most important thing you should do is check the article for spelling and grammar errors. The most common problem writers have is the failure to proofread the content they write. Proofreading your content will prevent a majority of revision requests and will improve your promotion appeal. Next, verify that the content appears correct in the textbox used to submit articles. Double spacing and indentations should be removed. Finally, while you are prohibited from publishing any content you have written for The Content Authority (or reuse content you have written for new orders), it is recommended to keep a copy of all articles you write along with identification numbers of the orders. System errors, power outages, copy-and-paste submission errors, etc., will make having a saved archive of your previous work quite handy.
Are we allowed to use numbered/bulleted lists and headings in our articles?
An article must have introductory and conclusion paragraphs unless otherwise explicitly stated in the client instructions. If you use a numbered/bulleted list, it must fulfill the above requirement. In addition, bulleted lists should use the “-“ character instead of the “•” symbol. Avoid using any spacing or indentation before your list items.
Headings are a useful tool for organizing lengthy articles and can add appeal to the content you write. With that said, they should be used intelligently and their use should add value to an article’s organization and message and not detract from it.
Why are some orders listed with red backgrounds?
Orders with red backgrounds are considered “priority” orders. Priority orders are often orders that have been in the queue for a very long time. Some clients are considered a priority and their orders are also listed as a “priority”. If you see a red background order, consider picking it up and completing it. Clients are impressed by timely turnaround and are more likely to place orders with us in the future if we deliver quality content quickly.
How does an article’s word count work?
When a client orders an article they specify a minimum word count (which is displayed to you when choosing and writing your articles). That word count is the minimum number of words that you must write in order to submit the article without problem. You may write any number of words greater than the minimum word count, however you are not paid for any additional work you do on an article. With that said, all writers are expected to finish the articles that they write, even if that requires them to go over the word count. Reaching the minimum word count is not an excuse to submit an unfinished article.
As a note: if an order’s instructions require a word count different from the word count listed by The Content Authority, contact support@thecontentauthority.com right away. A client cannot request for you to write more or less than the word count that they have paid for and you should not honor such requests.
Is there a specific order I must pick up articles to write?
There is no specific order you must follow. While we strongly recommend picking up red background orders as they appear, you can choose which orders you write. Feel free to pick up orders that you feel comfortable writing, regardless of priority or position.
Can I change my mind on the orders I pick up?
Yes, you may change your mind on the orders you pick up. While writing an article, you can click the “Unassign Me from this Article” link near the top of the page. This link appears both on the “Write Content” tab dashboard as well as on the page where you write the article. Be aware that writers that abuse this feature as a method of resetting their timer may be demoted or have their account suspended as it significantly impacts order turnaround time and client satisfaction.
How long do I have to write an order?
The amount of time you have to write an order is dependent on the word count with a minimum of eight hours. Each order will have a listed due time so you should know how much time you have to complete an article.
What are revision requests?
Both clients and editors can request revision for the content you write. An order will not be approved until the revision request is resolved successfully. Sometimes writers will get revision requests that are outside the scope of the instructions the client wrote or the tier level of the article—if that is the case, you can submit a “dispute” of the revision to the editors for review. If the editors determine the revision request is indeed outside the requirements of the article/instructions they may rule in your favor, sending the order back to the client–approved. However, if the editors determine the revision request just, you must complete the revision or forfeit the work you’ve done on the article.
How long do I have to complete revision requests?
24 hours.
How long does it take for an article to be approved by the editors?
Orders are often approved within several hours of completion on a business day during standard business hours (EST). During holidays and weekends these approval times can increase.
Rewrites
What are Rewrites?
Rewrites are content orders where the writer rephrases content provided by the client. Writers can choose to write these orders as sentence-by-sentence rewrites or completely paraphrase entire paragraphs. These orders have no set instructions and simply need to meet keyword, density and uniqueness requirements.
Direct Orders
What are Direct Orders?
Direct Orders, found on the “Direct” tab on the “Write Content” page, are orders placed by clients to specific writers. These orders do not have tier requirements and are often paid at significantly higher rates compared to “Standard”-type orders.
How do I get Direct Orders?
The easiest way to get Direct Orders is simply by being awesome. Write good content for clients and clients will be more likely to choose you for their future Direct Orders. Writers should also set up Direct Order Rulesets on the “Settings” page through the link found on the Direct Order tab. Rulesets increase your visibility to the clients when they search for specific writers when desiring to place Direct Orders.
What are Rulesets?
When you specify rulesets you are telling clients which topics you want to write about and how much you want to get paid for writing them. The client will search for rulesets based on names and tags when looking to place an order. As such, you’ll want to create a diverse range of rulesets based on your interests and expertise. Select a price that makes sense. Select word count ranges you feel comfortable writing. If you select that you’re interested in writing 10,000 words on Dalmatian puppies, be prepared to write such orders. With tags, be as diverse and specific as possible. For example, for a ruleset on Dalmatian puppies, you might have tags like “pets”, “dogs”, “puppies”, “Dalmatians”, etc.
Changing Your Direct Order Rulesets Status
When you will be away (for more than 3 days) and unavailable for direct orders, it’s important to change your status to “away” so clients are not placing direct orders that you aren’t available to write. To do so, log into your writer account and go to the “Write Content” tab. Select the “Direct” tab on that page. Click on the “Settings” link. There, you will find the option to “Change Availability” by clicking on the link by that name. Remember, upon your return, to reactivate your status so clients can start placing orders with you again.
Payment
When do I get paid?
Every other Monday, all writers who meet a $25.00 minimum payout when the payroll is processed will receive payment through PayPal between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Orders that are not yet approved will not be paid and will go on the next week’s payment schedule. If you do not qualify for the $25.00 minimum payout, your unpaid work will go on the next week’s payment schedule and will continue to do so until you meet the minimum payout amount.
How do I check my unpaid orders?
When logged in, go the Earnings tab. On that page, you will see a list of your unpaid orders (listed as invoices). You can use the filters to change the selection to specific date ranges or filter by payment status.
How long do clients have to approve an order?
This time depends on the order type and client. At a minimum, clients have 72 hours to approve an order before it’s automatically approved by the system. You can check on the Earnings screen the expected approval time for all orders so you can plan appropriately. Estimated approval times are also listed on the “View Order” screen on the Write Content page.
How do I know which orders I’ve been paid for?
The Earnings tab while logged in will display all unpaid orders by default. If you wish to see the orders you’ve been paid for, check the “Paid” box and uncheck the “Unpaid” box and filter the results.
Will I receive a 1099 for writing at The Content Authority?
The Content Authority considers each writer an Independent Contractor and as such, it is the writer’s responsibility to report all earnings to federal, state, and local tax agencies. At the end of the calendar year, you will be sent a 1099, if your earnings are greater than $600, or based on the most recent IRS Tax code requirements. Please consult a tax professional if necessary.
Disciplinary Procedures
Will I receive a warning before having my account suspended?
Depending on the severity of the writer’s actions, different consequences may take place—up to and including immediate account suspension. Typically for writing low quality content a writer receives a warning and/or tier demotion. A second warning will result in a tier demotion. Egregious problems or consistent failure to follow quality control guidelines will result in account suspension and/or termination.