by Lee Ann Doskocil

Created on: May 13, 2008

For those of us who have always aspired to write and just have never gotten our big break, the plethora of online writing sites that allow us to write and share our thoughts with potentially millions of people is a welcome opportunity. Associated Content is just one of many writing sites that allows its members to write and have their work posted online for anyone to read.

Associated Content is unique in that it is one of the few sites that will pay you in advance for your work. It also allows you to choose among several options as to how you will be paid. You will be paid more upfront if you agree to give Associated Content exclusive rights to your work. Prices paid by Associated Content as far as I know can range anywhere from $2 - $3 up to $10 or $20 depending on how much demand there is for your topic and how well it is written. Every writer receives $1.50 per 1000 page views for everything they submit in addition to whatever they may be paid when it is written. This means that your work continues to earn money even after you have been initially paid. You can also retain rights to your work and merely earn the $1.50 per 1000 page views if you prefer. This gives the writer much more control if he or she thinks they have written something they might want to submit to another site or print publication.

Associated Content also pays very quickly and pays directly into your Paypal account. I have submitted several articles for payment and received payment within one or two days of accepting Associated Content's offer. Another advantage is that Associated Content pays two or three times weekly and you do not have a minimum dollar amount you must reach before being paid. Some sites such as Helium only pay when your balance reaches a certain amount and only deposit into Paypal accounts once a month.

Associated Content allows members to submit video, audio, and slide shows in addition to text which is an advantage for those member s who are avid video producers. For people who search for content on online writing sites, this is a big advantage because it brings more people to the site.

One thing I find lacking on Associated Content is the fact that they do not update their site as often as say, Helium for instance. Helium provides real time or instant statistics for the articles written. Associated Content , on the other hand, sometimes only updates the page views once a week or even less.

I also have found it difficult to find things on Associated Content at times. The design of their site is not as clean and easy to use as other sites on which I have written. Things tend to be cluttered on the main page and I don't always get the search results I want.

Overall, I think that Associated Content has found a real niche in the online writing market with their payment methods and promptness of payment. While the site certainly could use a few improvements, overall I think it serves its purpose and allows writers an outlet through which to share their work.

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