Studio Blog
Welcome to the Demand Studios Blog – a resource for writers, contributors and freelancers alike! Come here for answers to your questions, Studio news, writing tips and more.
Studio Blog
Hi all –
We all know how daunting it can be to learn all of our formats and associated guidelines. Rest assured, we feel your pain. In order to make your life a little easier, we have created a Format “Cheat Sheet.” This is by no means meant to replace the individual format guidelines, which are much more in-depth and detailed. This is simply a quick one-sheeter for your reference, aimed at briefly outlining all of our formats. Does the Fact Sheet format have an overview? Check. What about subheads? Check check. Word count? … You get the point.
The Format Cheat Sheet is located in the Training Camp section of the Resource Center. We hope this will be useful in helping you understand each format’s basic requirements. And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Happy writing,
Jennifer
We all know how daunting it can be to learn all of our formats and associated guidelines. Rest assured, we feel your pain. In order to make your life a little easier, we have created a Format “Cheat Sheet.” This is by no means meant to replace the individual format guidelines, which are much more in-depth and detailed. This is simply a quick one-sheeter for your reference, aimed at briefly outlining all of our formats. Does the Fact Sheet format have an overview? Check. What about subheads? Check check. Word count? … You get the point.
The Format Cheat Sheet is located in the Training Camp section of the Resource Center. We hope this will be useful in helping you understand each format’s basic requirements. And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Happy writing,
Jennifer
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
I'm Tamara Rutter, and I have written articles for plenty of online sources, but none offer the superb functionality and ease that Demand Studios does. The user interface provides writers with a simple Work Desk that is easy to navigate, so writers can upload their work in as few steps as possible. I regularly visit the interactive forum for tips and advice from other writers. Additionally, I can't say enough good things about the thorough Resource Center—each article format is clearly defined and listed. It is by far the best application for creative Web development. I have had nothing but a wonderful experience working with Demand Studios.
I'm Tamara Rutter, and I have written articles for plenty of online sources, but none offer the superb functionality and ease that Demand Studios does. The user interface provides writers with a simple Work Desk that is easy to navigate, so writers can upload their work in as few steps as possible. I regularly visit the interactive forum for tips and advice from other writers. Additionally, I can't say enough good things about the thorough Resource Center—each article format is clearly defined and listed. It is by far the best application for creative Web development. I have had nothing but a wonderful experience working with Demand Studios.
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
I’m Barbie Carpenter, and I am a copy editor for Demand Studios. I have worked as a newspaper editor as well as a technical editor for a variety of defense clients, including the U.S. Navy and Marine Cops. At Demand Studios, I can edit what I want when I want. This flexibility affords me the opportunity to edit articles on my own schedule. Moreover, editing for Demand Studios challenges me daily, requiring me to edit articles on a diverse range of topics. The flexibility and convenience of this position, not to mention its daily challenges, make it an ideal copyediting opportunity.
I’m Barbie Carpenter, and I am a copy editor for Demand Studios. I have worked as a newspaper editor as well as a technical editor for a variety of defense clients, including the U.S. Navy and Marine Cops. At Demand Studios, I can edit what I want when I want. This flexibility affords me the opportunity to edit articles on my own schedule. Moreover, editing for Demand Studios challenges me daily, requiring me to edit articles on a diverse range of topics. The flexibility and convenience of this position, not to mention its daily challenges, make it an ideal copyediting opportunity.
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
My name is Kim Nunley, and I had been working in the health and fitness field until I decided to pursue my true passion of writing. Demand Studios has been incredible in helping me work in the field I love and continue improving my writing skills—all while contributing financially to my family. I love the organization of the company as well as the respect they constantly display to their freelancers. Of course, being able to choose articles that interest me and the ability to work on my own schedule are large benefits. I look forward to continuing to work with Demand Studios for years to come!
My name is Kim Nunley, and I had been working in the health and fitness field until I decided to pursue my true passion of writing. Demand Studios has been incredible in helping me work in the field I love and continue improving my writing skills—all while contributing financially to my family. I love the organization of the company as well as the respect they constantly display to their freelancers. Of course, being able to choose articles that interest me and the ability to work on my own schedule are large benefits. I look forward to continuing to work with Demand Studios for years to come!
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
My name is Heather Wilkins. I have worked as a copy editor for more than five years, editing computer books, online college courses and scholarly magazine articles. When I was relieved of my full-time desk job three years ago, I started freelancing. I began editing for Demand Studios a few months ago. Demand Studios gives me a steady income that I can count on every week. It also allows me to fit in other projects as they arise and set my own schedule. All of this flexibility is from my home, and I love the variety of subjects that I get to edit. I'm so glad I found Demand Studios!
My name is Heather Wilkins. I have worked as a copy editor for more than five years, editing computer books, online college courses and scholarly magazine articles. When I was relieved of my full-time desk job three years ago, I started freelancing. I began editing for Demand Studios a few months ago. Demand Studios gives me a steady income that I can count on every week. It also allows me to fit in other projects as they arise and set my own schedule. All of this flexibility is from my home, and I love the variety of subjects that I get to edit. I'm so glad I found Demand Studios!
On February 21, 2010, I set out to earn $50,000 using the Demand Studios system.
My goal for week one was a modest $750. I'm pleased to say I've passed it. Rev share hasn't fully updated yet, however from current records my rev-share articles earned $80 last week with an additional $727.50 coming in from my standard flat-fee articles. The combined total from rev-share and flat-fee published articles comes out to $807.50... before taxes (sigh). During week two, I'll increase my goal to $1,000 per week, which will bring my total at the end of 12 months to just over $50,000.
So why exactly did I set my first week's goal below what I hope will be my average? I'm a big believer that goals should be determined through trial and error. By picking a modest number, I was able to test the amount of time it would take for me to write a large number of articles using the Demand Studios system, and therefore determine how much time I would have to write. I find, on a personal level, that gradually building goals allows me to set my own pace. I also needed to figure out how to balance my Demand Studios time with my own business and blogging duties, which was easier than I had originally thought.
What I noticed most this past week was the number of writers who seemed to be looking for motivation. I've been able to meet a lot of great writers, spend time managing a Facebook fan page, and received over 100 new Twitter followers @Techobsessed. The main response I received from writers was quick thanks for giving them motivation and inquiring what it is that keeps me motivated to achieve my desired goal.
I soon realized that many writers were losing motivation because of the amount of time they spent blindly researching each article. Research time is necessary, but cuts into the article creation process to one article per hour, in some cases even one article every two hours. For all those people, I have four words for you: Google Custom Search Engine. If you aren't using the power of customized searches, you're simple wasting time as you siphon through blacklisted site links and other useless information. The system is rather simple to use and can be found at www.google.com/cse.
I'll attempt a screencast of Google CSE in the coming weeks to show exactly how simple it really is to setup various custom search options. Once you start using Google CSE you'll never look at article researching in the same way again.
I'm going to keep this second post short, partially because I still have a lot of emails to return to my fellow writers and I want to open up the floor to questions from everyone reading this post. What do you want to know about my challenge and freelance writing in general? I'd be happy to offer tips, tricks I've learned as an online content writer, managing editor and content website developer over the years and other information you may want to know the answers to.
Send me your questions via Twitter or directly at James@indyposted.com and I'll incorporate them into my weekly blog posts.
Finally, if you want some extra motivation, join my "jogging team," which is basically a group of fellow writers who have come together to keep each other motivated. Simply tweet your daily article totals to my @techobsessed Twitter account, and send along any daily motivation tips and tricks you've been implementing. Just like exercise, working with a group of people helps all of us keep pace and is a great motivational tool, which I personally use every single day.
So come join the jogging team and let’s have a great 2010 with a team effort.
My goal for week one was a modest $750. I'm pleased to say I've passed it. Rev share hasn't fully updated yet, however from current records my rev-share articles earned $80 last week with an additional $727.50 coming in from my standard flat-fee articles. The combined total from rev-share and flat-fee published articles comes out to $807.50... before taxes (sigh). During week two, I'll increase my goal to $1,000 per week, which will bring my total at the end of 12 months to just over $50,000.
So why exactly did I set my first week's goal below what I hope will be my average? I'm a big believer that goals should be determined through trial and error. By picking a modest number, I was able to test the amount of time it would take for me to write a large number of articles using the Demand Studios system, and therefore determine how much time I would have to write. I find, on a personal level, that gradually building goals allows me to set my own pace. I also needed to figure out how to balance my Demand Studios time with my own business and blogging duties, which was easier than I had originally thought.
What I noticed most this past week was the number of writers who seemed to be looking for motivation. I've been able to meet a lot of great writers, spend time managing a Facebook fan page, and received over 100 new Twitter followers @Techobsessed. The main response I received from writers was quick thanks for giving them motivation and inquiring what it is that keeps me motivated to achieve my desired goal.
I soon realized that many writers were losing motivation because of the amount of time they spent blindly researching each article. Research time is necessary, but cuts into the article creation process to one article per hour, in some cases even one article every two hours. For all those people, I have four words for you: Google Custom Search Engine. If you aren't using the power of customized searches, you're simple wasting time as you siphon through blacklisted site links and other useless information. The system is rather simple to use and can be found at www.google.com/cse.
I'll attempt a screencast of Google CSE in the coming weeks to show exactly how simple it really is to setup various custom search options. Once you start using Google CSE you'll never look at article researching in the same way again.
I'm going to keep this second post short, partially because I still have a lot of emails to return to my fellow writers and I want to open up the floor to questions from everyone reading this post. What do you want to know about my challenge and freelance writing in general? I'd be happy to offer tips, tricks I've learned as an online content writer, managing editor and content website developer over the years and other information you may want to know the answers to.
Send me your questions via Twitter or directly at James@indyposted.com and I'll incorporate them into my weekly blog posts.
Finally, if you want some extra motivation, join my "jogging team," which is basically a group of fellow writers who have come together to keep each other motivated. Simply tweet your daily article totals to my @techobsessed Twitter account, and send along any daily motivation tips and tricks you've been implementing. Just like exercise, working with a group of people helps all of us keep pace and is a great motivational tool, which I personally use every single day.
So come join the jogging team and let’s have a great 2010 with a team effort.
Demand Studios Grant Program - February's Winner
Posted by cowan10 | February 26, 2010 | Comments (6)
This is only the second month of the Demand Studios Grant Program, and it has already become one of the highlights of our responsibilities. Many of us here have been involved in numerous personal creative projects, so it gives us great pleasure to pore through your grant applications to learn about some of the interesting creative projects about which you are passionate.
This month’s winner is Clarissa Adkins of Midlothian, Virginia.
Clarissa is part of a group of independent yoga instructors who are collaborating on a book about practicing yoga in a chair, which opens up the discipline to those with chronic injuries, beginners, or any yoga enthusiast looking to try something different.
We liked this project for a couple of reasons. For one, the book really epitomizes what Demand Studios is all about: creating interesting and highly relevant content for a niche category. For two, we feel that the $1,000 will make a difference in enhancing the quality of the end product. Among other things, Clarissa plans on spending the money to hire a professional photographer to capture high-quality yoga pose images.Much like any award given for creative work, this is a highly subjective decision. (Please see “Taylor Swift wins Best Album at The 2010 Grammys”, “Olympic Ice Dancing”, and “Elizabeth Taylor Wins Best Actress in 1960”).
When we come up with a winner, it is always at the expense of 30 to 40 other very worthy projects. Thanks for all your February submissions. We are looking forward to reviewing more projects in March!
This month’s winner is Clarissa Adkins of Midlothian, Virginia.
Clarissa is part of a group of independent yoga instructors who are collaborating on a book about practicing yoga in a chair, which opens up the discipline to those with chronic injuries, beginners, or any yoga enthusiast looking to try something different.
We liked this project for a couple of reasons. For one, the book really epitomizes what Demand Studios is all about: creating interesting and highly relevant content for a niche category. For two, we feel that the $1,000 will make a difference in enhancing the quality of the end product. Among other things, Clarissa plans on spending the money to hire a professional photographer to capture high-quality yoga pose images.Much like any award given for creative work, this is a highly subjective decision. (Please see “Taylor Swift wins Best Album at The 2010 Grammys”, “Olympic Ice Dancing”, and “Elizabeth Taylor Wins Best Actress in 1960”).
When we come up with a winner, it is always at the expense of 30 to 40 other very worthy projects. Thanks for all your February submissions. We are looking forward to reviewing more projects in March!
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
My name is Tracy Morris, and I’ve dreamed of being a writer since I was in my teens. I have a degree in journalism, and I’ve published two novels. Over the past 10 years, I’ve worked for newspapers and magazines while at the same time writing fiction. Demand Studios gives me complete control over my time and money. The flexibility with Demand Studios has allowed me to travel the country with my husband as well as write and promote my novels. I can even take off for a dentist appointment without worrying about my paycheck.
My name is Tracy Morris, and I’ve dreamed of being a writer since I was in my teens. I have a degree in journalism, and I’ve published two novels. Over the past 10 years, I’ve worked for newspapers and magazines while at the same time writing fiction. Demand Studios gives me complete control over my time and money. The flexibility with Demand Studios has allowed me to travel the country with my husband as well as write and promote my novels. I can even take off for a dentist appointment without worrying about my paycheck.
Demand Media Announces Editorial Advisory Board
Posted by Robyn | February 25, 2010 | Leave a comment
I am happy to announce the formation of Demand Media's Editorial Advisory Board. The board has been in the works for a while and includes the dean of USC's Annenberg School for Communication; the dean of UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television; SPJ's president; and the former president of Lifetime. I am looking forward to learning from their experience and passing their knowledge on to our community while we continue to evolve the Studio and the content we produce. I like how board member Teri Schwartz, producer of the movie "Beaches," an office favorite, explains her role: "I plan to call on my experience to explore exciting possibilities for processes that can benefit the entire Demand Media creator community." See the full press release for details.
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators—writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers—and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
I'm Mike Mann, and I spent 20 years of my life as a project manager, operations manager and radiochemistry technician in the nuclear power industry. I finally decided to take advantage of something I really love and just happened to stumble upon Demand Studios. The cool thing is that I'm getting paid for something that I actually enjoy doing. (See ya, corporate stress.) I've been very impressed with the professionalism at Demand Studios and love how I can count on my paycheck being deposited in my PayPal account when they say it will be. The freedom to work as much or as little as I want and get compensated for it is great.
I'm Mike Mann, and I spent 20 years of my life as a project manager, operations manager and radiochemistry technician in the nuclear power industry. I finally decided to take advantage of something I really love and just happened to stumble upon Demand Studios. The cool thing is that I'm getting paid for something that I actually enjoy doing. (See ya, corporate stress.) I've been very impressed with the professionalism at Demand Studios and love how I can count on my paycheck being deposited in my PayPal account when they say it will be. The freedom to work as much or as little as I want and get compensated for it is great.
