Studio Blog
My name is Graham Ulmer. I have experience as a researcher for the Army's Center for Enhanced Performance. I got my M.S. in exercise science from the University of Idaho and began working as a part-time researcher for the army. I received certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association not too long ago and quickly heard about the opportunity with Demand Media Studios. Demand Media Studios has been a great way to fill in my income and has even allowed me to purchase my first home. I am 28, and I love the freelance lifestyle Demand Media Studios provides. I have nothing but positive things to say about this company, its platform, management and contributors. I currently view Demand Media Studios as my main source of income, and since I live on a small island in the Puget Sound, it’s the most convenient job I could imagine. I hope it never goes away.
My name is Lisa Rusczyk. I am a novelist and freelancer, both in writing and editing. I found Demand Media Studios over a year ago, and my favorite part of writing for the company is the flexibility. I can work when I want or need to and have plenty of time to edit and write fiction. The writer support is a wonderful conglomerate of peers, and there are endless opportunities to write content on what I already know or want to learn about. I am a shy person, and working from home gives me the freedom to feel comfortable while I work.
I'm Hayley Harrison. Most of my experience as a writer revolved around fiction prior to Demand Media Studios. My “real job” as a branch manager of a bank was stressful and not what I wanted to do with my life. I started writing for Demand Media Studios to make extra money but enjoyed it so much that I now write full time. Demand Media Studios works for me because I have a 6-year-old autistic son, and this is the first time in his life I've been able to really be involved in his school and therapy. Plus, I'm making more money than what I made at the bank.
Each year the editorial team at Demand Media takes time to recognize our favorite article, writers and/or filmmakers. Each editor will reveal their pick(s) every day of December in the blog, and explain why it stood out to them.
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I’ve often heard that a great feature should inform, entertain and persuade, and I couldn’t agree more. There are many Demand Media Studios articles that do this, but none stand out to me as much as August McLaughlin’s piece on vitamins. I chose this article because I believe it does all three.
To start, the intro not only grabs my attention with a startling statistic, but it also makes me curious — I want to know more about the vitamins I should be taking. Then, instead of rattling off facts that I may or may not remember, the author uses an anecdote to describe the importance of the story. At this point, the intro has done its job, and I am hooked. I know what the article is about, and I want to continue reading. When the time comes to inform, the author delivers. She uses several quotations from a variety of reputable sources, adding to the credibility of the piece.
Each section is chock-full of information, and the article clearly explains what I need to know: how to find out which vitamins I need,need, common nutrient deficiencies and vitamins that may cause problems. Finally, the article ends with a strong conclusion that commands me to take action. As a reader, I walked away informed, entertained and persuaded. The article accomplished exactly what it was supposed to.
Of course, doing this is no easy task. I suggest you interview your sources in person. If you plan to talk to a professional, take the extra time to do it right.
Observation will help you paint a picture for your reader, and this can go a long way in illustrating why the reader should pay attention to what you have to say. Also, use as many sources as you can. Even if you choose not to include certain ones, you will still have more information to choose from when you sit down to write your article.
This is the best way to find interesting and surprising facts. Finally, end your article with a bang. Readers will remember your article if your conclusion is strong.
And in this case, I will remember to read the fine print before taking a new supplement.
Five Trending Topics:
Wikileaks
MLB Winter Meetings
Google TV
Google Chrome 8
Five Breakout Topics:
Christmas
Healthcare Debates
Economic Policies
Holiday Season
I'm Cheryl Hinkson, and having just started writing professionally in 2008, I am new to the journalism industry. I love working for Demand Media Studios because it not only gives me an outlet for my writing, it gives me the ability to make real money at home, online. After attempting to obtain an income from just about every other online source, Demand Media Studios restored my faith in legitimate online earning opportunities. The guidelines and editing processes continue to help me to polish my natural writing skills and master my ability to write for a constantly evolving market.
Each year the editorial team at Demand Media takes time to recognize our favorite article, writers and/or filmmakers. Each editor will reveal their pick(s) every day of December in the blog, and explain why it stood out to them.
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Hello,
I am honored to be able to share some of my favorite recent LIVESTRONG.COM articles from Demand Media Studios writers and copy editors. As many of you know, LIVESTRONG.COM has continued to grow and flourish in the past few months. With that growth came some changes to the kind of content we publish. Namely, we’ve been focused on building out our fitness, diet & nutrition offerings. We’ve relied on the professionalism and skill set of so many of our freelance writers and copy editors to help us create high quality articles in those areas.
Throughout the last few months, the LIVESTRONG.COM writer and copy editor community has demonstrated their agility, skill and commitment to quality. The articles I’ve chosen to highlight are just a small number of thousands.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the LIVESTRONG.COM writer and copy editor community on behalf of our users. The expertly sourced, thoughtfully crafted resources you provide our users have real, tangible impact on their lives. Our users have been, in part, successful on their weight loss and healthy living journeys because of the information you are providing. They express this (more eloquently) here, here and here.
Below, some of my favorite picks from recent months:
David Carnes does a fantastic job introducing us to this practice. He provides historical context, relevant facts and information about benefits. This precise roundup could turn any reader on to becoming a yogi.
I’m loving this piece by Lillian Downey. This article provides a mother-to-be with all the facts on getting fit pre-pregnancy. The tone is inclusive and straight forward but the article is also full of relevant information. We love providing fitness resources for readers relevant to their life stages – this is a great example.
Kay Uzoma really delivered on this fitness-focused piece for diabetics. This article is a nice example of how content plays with our tools (in this case, MyPlate D) – giving readers essential resources for overall wellness specific to their lifestyle.
Vitamin Supplements for Energy, Depression & Anxiety
Robin Wood-Moen demonstrates the power of preparation and research in this piece. The article is packed with valuable information but is also organized simply and approachably.
Why Should We Eat Organic Food?
This article provides essential facts on a very relevant question for consumers. Jessica Bruso includes unbiased information that’s relevant to the average consumer and the piece is supported by the most recent resources available.
Vitamin D Deficiency & Health Problems
Tracy Roizman does a fantastic job addressing a growing trend in today’s health sphere. This piece introduces readers to the problems associated with Vitamin D deficiency so that they can take an active approach to management and/or prevention.
I've included an image showcasing just a small portion of the hundreds of user Success Stories we've received on LIVESTRONG.COM. As a LIVESTRONG.COM writer and/or copy editor, you are part of a team empowering people to achieve their goals.
On behalf of the LIVESTRONG.COM team and community: thank you Demand Media Studios contributors for a fantastic year. May the next be filled with continued successes and good health.
My name is Lee Weal. I’ve always loved writing but didn’t have the confidence to pursue it as a career. When I lost my job of 15 years, friends encouraged me to write. I recently freelanced as a content writer for a consultant for several months but didn’t care for the tight deadlines and low pay. The economic downturn made it imperative for me to pursue new opportunities for income, so I decided to try Demand Media Studios. I like it here because I enjoy writing about topics that interest me rather than being assigned topics I don’t care much about.
I'm Kathy Arellano, and after retiring from the costume industry in 2000, I earned a degree in journalism. My original goal was to have a portable career, so my husband and I could travel and I could still earn spending money. With Demand Media Studios, I have that flexibility, but it's serving a different purpose right now. I make increasingly frequent (and costly) trips from my home in the suburbs of L.A. to the deserts of Arizona to help my two elderly, ill parents and their respective spouses. With Demand Media Studios, I know I have work and, armed with my trusty laptop, I can write while my mom is napping or while my dad is watching golf. I enjoy the option of deleting a title without guilt if my schedule becomes too hectic or stressful. I love having the opportunity to learn about new things and writing about things I know and have experience with as well. This is a perfect fit for me.
At Demand Media Studios, we are always looking to provide more opportunities for our community and expand the scope and depth of the content that we create. In addition to the Feature Format, we rolled out the Topic View format to offer writers more freedom and flexibility in their article approach. With 2010 coming to a close, we decided to take it a step further.
The Demand Media Studios editorial team has hand-selected over 100 writers for the opportunity to write a $250 article of their choice for eHow.com, LIVESTRONG.COM, or Tyra Banks’ Beauty & Fashion. The topic is the writer’s choice, and there are none of the restrictions of any of our current formats. The articles will be edited by some of our best CEs, but there will be no rewrite requests or rejections. The only requirements are that the article is original (not previously published) content, non-fiction, and is between 750 to 1,200 words. Writers will be able to pick any topic they want to write about, but it has to be a good fit for one of the three sites mentioned above. We want our writers to have fun and let their creativity take over.
In addition to the $250, we are also giving away Grand Prizes to the writers who write our favorite articles (as selected by the Demand Media Studios team in their sole discretion). Below is the prize breakdown:
- $1,000 for best overall article
- $700 for best LIVESTRONG.COM, eHow.com and Tyra Banks’ Beauty & Fashion article
- $350 for the runners up for each site
- $200 for third place for each site
The Copy Editors chosen for this project have been singled out for their great work with writers. Editors will receive $50 for each of these articles that they edit and are eligible for prizes if one of their edited articles wins one of the top two prizes.
We’re excited to feature these articles in the upcoming weeks and months. Congratulations to the Writers and Copy Editors chosen for this project!
