Rosyrain, I have a question. I'm fairly new to all this, and I don't understand what posting your writing inventory means. Is it posted privately, and potential buyers see excerpts, or is it posted publicly so people could potentially steal your content, or some variation of those? Thanks in advance.
Hi Diane, It means that you sign up for a website that let's you post articles in a virtual store, kind of like what you would do if you wanted to post an item on eBay or Etsy, except for it is a site devoted to written work. Customers then go to the site looking for written work to buy for their blogs and stuff. They can then purchase an article or written piece from you if they like what you wrote and they will pay you for it. You lose ownership rights for the written piece, but it is worth it if you write things to sell just for some money.
But can they just copy/steal what you have written, or do they just see a partial article, or an example of your writing? Sorry, I don't quite understand whether they are purchasing existing articles that are posted in full, where someone could come along and steal the content (as many do these days), or are they purchasing future writings based on examples you have posted? Thanks, sorry for all the questions.
Some content mills show the excerpts so a buyer can buy based on that. Other content mills you accept the job and then they review it and accept it, ask for revisions or reject it. There have been cases where some buyers reject the piece and then go on to use it. That is one of the perils of content mills as they are the middle man and often don't intervene. The buyer gets reported, but they can use other names and open up other accounts. It's wrong, but it does happen.
There are protections put into place through the sites to help mitigate against theft of your work. I know that some sites use special formatting for the written pieces and other sites will hold back some of the written content of a piece until the customer buys it. Nothing is 100% foolproof, but they do try to protect the author as much as possible.
Unless the site has 'protection-programming' (that either automatically cites your pages or totally blocks the copy/paste), it's mostly a 'rule' the same way it's a 'rule' that drivers should stop and/or drive cautiously around pedestrians---i.e. that may be 'the rule,' but drivers only follow it when they're feeling 'gentlemanly' or when they feel like 'following ettiquette-&-protocol.'
Wow, it didn't even occur to me that buyers would steal content. I thought they would have more respect for the process. I was thinking more that it was out there for anyone and everyone to see, so they could determine whether or not they were interested in purchasing, and other 'writers' could copy it and paste on other sites as their own work. I know some people do that with text, as well as designs. I make jewelry, and some people in other countries copy the designs that artists spend a lot of time creating, then either have them made in sweatshops and undercut the original artist's prices, or create patterns from the designs, then sell supplies and/or kits to make those designs. It can be very discouraging.
You have a lot of unscrupulous people out there, I suppose they're basically everywhere really. This concept sounds very interesting, although I don't think I've come across any sites with that sort of platform. My only worry would be what if my content doesn't attract any attention after I've done all that work LOL Maybe I'll look into it. Actually I think I know of one such site, i think it's called PenStars?
Sometimes it's not how you write, but what it's about. People look for cheap content with keywords and aren't too bothered about the wit or accuracy of the content as long as the grammar is good and they keywords come up in searches. That's the difference between writing and writing for a purpose. People will steal work and as they use pen names and go through various middle men, you never find the true source.
I just can't believe that people can brazenly steal other people's work and pass it off as their own. I mean, I do believe it, what I don't believe is their ability to do something so unashamedly mean! If my work got stolen, I wouldn't even know where to start in order to get to the bottom of it, in a bid to hold them accountable I would probably just let it go!
Often, there's nothing you can do, at least with regard to the jewelry and other product designs. The thefts I mentioned were from other countries, and apparently they aren't bound by U.S. copyright and patent laws. It sucks. What I couldn't believe was that the company I've seen people posting about that did the design theft is a big name that I've seen on all the social media sites, and I'd purchased from them before, not knowing they had no compunction about stealing. Theo has a good point, many of us do use pen names, various email accounts, etc., and it probably would be difficult to track, and even then, there probably isn't much you can do about it.
OMG Diane, it even worse if it's a well known company you've previously given your custom! What has the world come to?! It's just appalling and equally as frustrating. I guess we just have to suck it up and keep doing what we do with the hope that we aren't targeted
Design is a tough one in copyright law. One small change can make it 'different' and distinguishable therefore it would not be considered breach. You can Trademark your items which gives you more protection as a brand and it would be harder for them to copy. That's why designers have no copyright in fashion as it takes too long for a patent to come through and is too expensive, hence they use Trademarks as a brand.
Thanks, Theo, good to know. I think those companies, since they're out of the purview of the United States, just don't care. They obviously have different values, and feel it's o.k. to steal, as long as they come out ahead. That's why I won't buy from them, follow them on social media, etc., I don't want them to potentially benefit from me in any way.
I am into those as well! Well, except for PTC's and earning generators - it'll take you forever before you even earn your first dollar. But I have several ongoing jobs on Odesk wherein I do a variety of tasks - from cold calling to Doctors' clinics to sell TENS units to managing a client's Facebook fan page to doing research and data entry projects! I actually like the diversity in what I am doing because it doesn't get boring even if I'm working from home, and I also have a steady source of income weekly. On the side, I am making some money from advertising products and services on my blog site. Hey, have you tried social media marketing?
Well, let's face it, PTC sites are a joke! There aren't many people who seem happy with them. They work for some, but mainly not for most! Wow, you seem to have quite a number of various online income earners under your belt! Kudos to you. Can I just ask, where are you based where you are able to do some cold calling?
Most of the online-income-opportunities aren't really paying for 'original work' so much as for 'friends' audience' (AdFly is a prime example of that principle ... paying you when your friends click on redirected links you write). When you write something and put it on the Internet, it's essentially 'no longer yours'; I mean your name's on it & so credit for it SHOULD go to you, but I should be a bazillionaire with a nation of willing slaves
I get that it's essentially no longer yours in the true sense of the word, to a certain extent. But for someone to actually take it, not quote/credit you or re-word it, but to actually claim to have written it, surely that's nasty? I mean, would you do that, mythman? I know I wouldn't, and I'm sure you wouldn't either. It takes a "certain" type of person.
I totally agree, @Lushlala, and it seems there are plenty of that type of people ready and willing to steal anything that they can get their hands on.
@Diane Lane, I just couldn't sleep at night if I had the guts to do something so unscrupulous! I think with the advent of modern day technology, the mushrooming of all these online opportunities and easy access to the internet, we'll sadly see this sort of thing becoming common place, very much in the same sense as identity fraud. Very scary indeed
