Studio Blog

Editor's Note: We asked Maria O'Brien, also known as WriterGig on eHow.com, to speak to some of the differences she noticed since the Studio became the writing platform for eHow.com. Here are her thoughts.


For countless mornings over the past few years, I've slipped out of bed at 5 a.m. while my children slept on, stealing the precious early-morning hours for myself as a writer before facing the day ahead as a mom. The time alone, the chance to write and the opportunity to build a business all motivate me past excuses of tiredness and lack of inspiration. And through it all, writing has been a central part of my early-morning life.

My limited time, due to family commitments stemming from my role as primary caregiver to my children (aka “Mom”), necessitate a certain approach when building my writing income: I make every effort to maximize my long-term residual income so that I continue to earn from my writing during the days and even weeks (welcome, baby No. 4!) when I am unable to write at all.

When I started as a Studio writer, I wrote hundreds of flat-fee articles for upfront income while also building up a large library of revenue-share articles on eHow.com through the Writer's Compensation Program.

Now that Demand Studios is the exclusive writing platform for eHow.com and they have lifted the five-year limit on revenue-share article earnings, I've returned to the Studio for article writing, choosing almost exclusively to build my long-term residual income through the revenue-sharing model. While the platform change from eHow.com to Demand Studios was unexpected by many eHow writers, I think most will appreciate the transition. The better article input tool, extensive writing guides, helpful article editorial process and robust community found within the Studio site give writers the resources they need to create and publish quality articles on eHow.com while earning a steady long-term residual income from their efforts. 

The process for creating titles and writing profitable eHow articles is virtually the same through the Writer's Work Desk as it was on eHow.com. Title research, subject knowledge, keywords and search engine optimization are all very important, as is clear and concise writing.

Don't fake it or write off the top of your head; the content editors and your audience will know the difference between a well-researched article and fluff. Do your background work on keywords and even more research on the subject itself--even if you think you know it already. If you need motivation, make a goal for your monthly residual income and look at each revenue-share article you write a step toward that goal. 

I'm working toward a full-time residual income goal, and plan on eHow articles contributing about half of the total. Even the highest-paying flat fee article titles available on Demand don't really tempt me because, as wonderful as they were to write when I was a new Studio writer, they don't come with the promise of pennies and dollars trickling in week after week--something I've come to appreciate. There's a certain satisfaction about knowing my writing is paying me even when I'm knee deep in the baby pool, busy pushing swings or making organic sandwiches, something that makes 5 a.m. worth it.