Writing for SayItAloud.com
77A New Site for Writers to Make Money
The Benefits of Becoming a Writer on SayItAloud.com (and how)
SayItAloud.com
A few weeks ago, I was poking around the Digital Point Forum. I've been a member there for probably about a year, but hadn't visited for quite some time. Thought I'd drop in and see what was happening. That's when I discovered SayItAloud.com.
I might have noticed this burgeoning new site before, if I wasn't so lax in my forum checking. Digital Point Forum was recommended to me by a good client and there are a lot of freelance opportunities for writers there, but I'm not willing to work for as little as they pay. Still, I like to pop in now and again and see what's up with marketers and other writers.
On this last visit, I came upon a rather interesting thread. it was a call for writers to join a new site that holds a lot of promise.
SayItAloud officially launched on March 1st 2009, but has been accepting articles since January as far as I can tell. I signed up in February.
In a nutshell, here's how SayItAloud works:
- You write a good, original article
- Submit article for approval
- Article is approved and posted
- You wait, cross your fingers, promote if you want to
*** I've had enough comments made about the promoting aspect, that I think I should clarify: writers DO NOT have to promote. The site takes care of ad selling. Self-promotion is just another way to either pre-sell your work or hasten the sale of it.
For optimum results, it is recommended that you promote your articles and even contact anyone whom you think would be interested in purchasing banner ads on your article page. That's where the writers make money - when their page is sponsored by an advertiser.
Like I said, if advertisers find your content interesting and pertinent, they buy exclusive banner ads for your page. Currently, the maximum amount someone can earn for a one page article $33.75 USD. For a two page article the amount would be $67.50 max.
I have half a dozen or so articles posted online there at the moment. Haven't had any sponsor nibbles yet (hint to anyone interested in sponsoring little old me). A couple of other authors have however, and report that they have been paid with no problems at all.
SIA - About SayItAloud
Words that Sell!
 | Amazon Price: $8.86 List Price: $16.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $6.30 List Price: $14.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $5.01 List Price: $14.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $22.95 |
Pros of Writing for SayItAloud.com
There are many benefits to writing on SIA (that's how we refer to it on the site), as well as future benefits that we writers have heard rumblings about. This list is not in any particular order.
- The number one top benefit in my opinion, is the fantastic admin! They are absolutely awesome in their responses to problems and concerns. They can't always fix things the way that you'd like (please! can I get a preview screen that actually shows what an article is really going to look like?), and sometimes they take a couple of days to approve an article, but they are available, friendly and do everything they can to help. Last I heard, the SIA admin were going nuts with the unexpected surge of new writers and weren't getting much sleep.
- As I mentioned above, earning potential at SIA is good, better in fact, than most places online.
- There is tons of support to help writers get paid sponsors (advertisers). The site is currently doing a large hiring of sales reps to cope with the unexpected initial number of articles that hit the site even before it launched. Last I heard, SIA is aiming for 20 new reps to help sell ad space on the articles.
- The Writer's Cafe is mixture of helpful tools and fun. The site runs games and contests to try and keep things from getting too serious. There is a section for Want Ads and soon sponsors will be able to post articles that they want written to accommodate banner advertising that they want to purchase. That means guaranteed cash for the person who writes the article.
- Since the beginning, SIA has been doing site updates and tweaking. It seems to have more every time I visit. They've listened to what the writers have asked for as well as making planned improvements.
Cons of Writing for SayItAloud.com
If it weren't for the publishing platform that SIA uses, I probably wouldn't have any complaints. As it stands though, I find it infuriatingly frustrating. An article can look beautiful when you submit it, but once it's published, it no longer looks the same.
It took me awhile (I'm slow) but I finally started using the preview button (hint: it's the magnifying glass symbol) so I could see what my finished article would look like. That didn't help me however, because even though it looked screwy there, when I went back in to edit and figure out what was wrong, it still looked perfect.
Even now, with a few articles under my belt, it still happens. I have given up for a bit and just left the last one. I'm getting a little better at it and I will go back and get them all straightened out. When I do, I'll have to submit them all for approval again. Even adding a blank line requires approval before publishing. That way, SayItAloud can monitor the quality of all the articles on the site. I also find that a little frustrating but understand it.
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ONE WORD OF CAUTION:
Once your articles are published on SIA, they are there for life or until SIA decides to stop hosting a piece of your work. If that happens, then the article returns to you to use as you will.
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Attract Your Target Audience!
Imagine drawing only targeted customers to your banner ads. There are hordes of people interested in exactly what you're selling. They come to read the article but leave the page via clicking your banner.
If you'd like to sponsor a custom written article, drop me a line via the "Contact Shirley Anderson" below my profile pic.
Conclusion
Do I think that SayItAloud.com is a good place to write? Yes, I do. The site has a bright future that benefits writers and advertisers alike.
The way that I plan to play it is to only publish informative articles that I am not likely to want to put anywhere else. I'm happy to get paid for what's there, but I will put some thought into what I submit. It is the same as selling an article with rights, so I won't be publishing my fiction or life story.
 | Amazon Price: $13.01 List Price: $34.95 |
One of My SIA Articles
- 9 Tried and True Tips for Getting New Customers
Having a career past that includes twenty years in the promotional products industry, I've had several people ask me for ideas on how to go about getting new customers. Quite often, business has gone stale, or a slow quarter has them thinking that it
Join Us!
Come and be part of our nurturing writing community. Sign up for your own HubPages account and publish your work for others to see. You can even use your Hubs as sample clips when querying online publications. Publishers will be able gauge the caliber of your writing and you'll be making a bit of extra money at the same time. Can't beat it!
CommentsLoading...
Frieda! You fell over the edge and landed in the pool!
No, I don't find it easy to use but I'm still learning. I think if you know CSS (is that right?) code, it's a piece of cake though because you can figure out how to make the screwy things look good again.
You should check it out and see what you think.
Sounds good Shirley - thanks! I missed this on Digital Point - haven't been going there as often as I used to!
I haven't been frequenting DP or WF much for the past few months myself, Shalini.
If you sign up at SIA, I hope you make lots of $$$. Good luck and thanks for the comment.
I have had this doubt for some time now : If I write an article, should I publish it only one place? Basically what are the cons of putting up the same article at my blog, hubpages and SIA (and pros if any.. )
Thanks for the info though :)
Hi Shirley. maybe I'll look into this. About your problem (and not really knowing the site) I was wondering if you write first in a word processing program like Word and then cut and paste it onto the site? If so, you are pasting all kinds of code that most sites programs cannot deal with. I had this problem with wordpress. So, copy it to or write it on a simple word processing program like notepad, which you probably have on your computer, first, then cut and paste that into the site. Then, if they have formatting tools, do your formatting on the site and not before. anyway, could be that, but like I said, I don't know the site so this may be totally off. it's worth a shot though.
Good thorough look at this new site and it has sparked my interest. Thanks!
Thanks Shirley Anderson. I think the "published for life" needs some more thought.
Shirley, my Mentor! You always bring useful informations to Hubpages! Thanks
Mahendra
Hi, Abhishek. The writing for SIA has to be original content. If it's posted somewhere else and you try to put it on SIA, it won't get approved. Re posting it after the fact, they don't recommend it. Here is what you're looking for, I think:
http://sayitaloud.org/index.php/forum?func=view&am
Hi, Christoph. I have done the copy and paste from Word. Their editor has a button specifically for that (Word) although it doesn't help. You're right, it pulls a TON of Word code in with it. I have never used notepad but I know I have it. I'm going to try that, thank-you a bunch! Oh, and yes, they have formatting tools.
Thanks for the advice and comment!
Shirley, my Mentor! You always bring useful informations to Hubpages! Thanks
Mahendra
Earnest, I found this after I published the hub. It's from the forum link that I posted above:
"Once we decide to stop hosting your article it can be released to you or you can resubmit it."
So, I guess I should retract the FOR LIFE comment, as that is not entirely accurate although almost.
Thanks for your comment.
Mahendra! How are you? You are welcome. I hope that it is of some help to you. Thanks for your comment!
Shirley - this looks good - will go and have a look - would dearly love to be paid of course! cheers and thanks for this information...
Hi Ajcor. Thanks. Bet you meant to say, "paid" instead of "aid" but I guess getting paid is an aid. :)
Good luck if you sign up at SIA. Thanks for commenting.
Luckily I had time Shirley, to improve my spelling - but I do agree getting paid is an aid....cheers
interesting review - will you give an update later?
Shirley, in a nutshell: The more banner ads you can sell, the more money you can make. Right?
So, actually what we would be doing for SIA is writing AND selling ad space? I'm not sure, but I think that's a job which pays pretty well ... marketing, that is.
*Ajcor, it's okay, it gave me a chuckle. I always figure it's a sign of a hard-working writer who's tired. :)
*Yes, LondonGirl, I'd be happy to!
*CW - that's right. There are only so many spots per page (3, I believe) and only one advertiser gets exclusive rights to have their banners on your article page for at least a year.
You don't actually have to do anything but write. The promoting your work part is done only if you want to try and speed up the process.
Thanks for your comments, everyone!
Interesting topic and hub! Will have to check it out.
Like the new pic!
Thanks, Jerilee. If you have any questions, I can try to answer them for you.
Thanks, CW! Not one of my favs, but I don't have very many to choose from.
sounds like hp except for securing your own sponsors. I've made such oodles and gobs of money from Hub Pages (NOT!)
Actually, HD, HP is easier to use. If they (or you) sell a sponsor on your article, then you make the money.
sounds like this could be a winner, Shirley-- thanks for the heads up-- although I don't seem to have enough time as it is to write everything, everywhere I want to LOL.
H,i Robie! Yes, I think it probably will be. I completely understand the time issue! If I could clone myself, it would help. :)
Thanks for your comment.
You've caught my attention. Great info:-)
tDMg
LdsNana-AskMormon
Thank-you, LdsNana!
This is just another bussiness trick. We have to find advertisers for our articles. Then only we get money.What does the website owner loose?hubpages are better than this,if only we know how to link our hubs properly with search engines.
The 'only get paid if an advertiser buys a banner ad' part is the turn off for me. If SIA is deluged with new writers and articles, there can't possibly be enough sponsors to go around. Sounds like even great writers will get zero pay. No thanks, I'll just plug along with HP (and its software) and let Google pick advertisers based on my page rank, which is a much more accurate measure of how good my stuff really is. Isn't tailoring ads to content what Google already does?
That said, it's a great hub, Shirley! Thanks for the information!
Shirley, you never cease to amaze me, you are such a great mentor, teacher, and friend! Thanks for tipping me off to this site!
You are amazing as with you there is always something new, I am glad you tested the waters and then gave us the pros and cons of the site. :)
Looks like a great site, thanks for sharing Shirley!
Prasadjain, we don't have to find our sponsors, they are paying people to do that. It's just something you can do if you want to try and speed up the process, that's all. I'm waiting to see what happens with what I already have on there. If something comes of it - good or bad - I'll post it. Thanks for coming by!
Hi, Jama! There are tons of advertisers online, it's a question of whether or not they'll put their banners on your article page. From what I gathered from the forum about a month ago, health topics were the first to get picked up. Thanks for reading and commenting, Jama!
Aww, thanks, Lilymag!! :) Back at ya, too. Thanks for coming by!
Thanks, AEvans. What can I say, I like to share. :)
You're welcome, WC. Thanks for dropping by and for commenting, I appreciate it.
nice
Thx.
ive written several short stories since christmas how do i let someone read them
Hi, Marana. Where are you trying to get your stories published? Do you mean at Say It Aloud, or a print publisher or ezine?
If you do mean Say It Aloud, you just sign up, type them in and submit them for approval.
On the other hand, if you are talking about having a print or ezine publisher see them, than I can probably point you in the right direction. Just let me know if this is the case. You can contact me via HubPages (under my pic at the top).
You can also try a couple of the hubs I did on the topic of selling submissions. While they are by no means complete or extensive, there may be something in them that is helpful or can give you a starting point. Here are the links:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Places-To-Sell-Your-Writin
http://hubpages.com/hub/Places-to-Sell-Your-Writin
Whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck with your work.
Do you know if anyone has done a hub that lists and compares all the writing outlets?
Hi, IV. I know that there is one that has compared HubPages and Helium (HP won!). Aside from that, I haven't seen any, although that doesn't mean there are none. If you want to do one, I'd say go for it.
By the way, did you receive my email?
Shirley
Didn't check my email, checking it now
To answer your question, I did remove it. so you can take it out of your list. I am non commercial and there was something that I read that I wasn't happy about.
Thanks for asking.
I sent it yesterday or the day before, I forget which.
Okay, IV but we can't remove it without losing everyone's votes in the poll.
Too bad you removed it, it was good. Thanks for letting me know.
Shirley,
That is fine, I understand about the poll, I am sure that someone else will shine for that guy in Hawaii.
Very nice informative hub I am very impressed and happy that you took the time to write out a very clear and un-biased review. it is also professionals too.
Actually, IV, I was more concerned about other people getting the chance to read it. It was a damned good article.
Thanks, Terrowhite! Say It Aloud is trying to come up with ways for the writer to make money in the interim of their pages being sponsored. Hopefully, they'll come up with something good.
I couldn't stop reading this hub! I've been looking in to freelance writing online. No luck so far. I was wondering if you have to pay a membership fee or something to join this? There has been numerous amounts of new online business and I'm afraid of falling in to scams. So I guess we'll wait and see how it all goes out for you! May the force be with you!
Hi Mayhmong, I'm glad the hub held your interest! No, there are no membership fees at Say It Aloud, it's free to join and earn.
Don't forget though, that whatever you post stays there unless SIA releases it.
Good luck in your search for freelance work. You can try my hub called, "Places to Sell Your Writing". It may be of some help to you. It links to freelance writing job boards and sites.
Thanks for reading, Mayhmong!
Shirley
Not according to some. well actually just to one from HI.
Thanks again for your opinion.
You mean this one, IV?
"Content - Excellent. There are a lot of well-researched facts in this hub about many topics from tax law to our population and more. The proposal of ridding ourselves of the income-tax system as we know it is poignant and provocative, while the National Sales Tax solution is interesting and original."
thanks for nice information. I know you are expert in writing English skill. But you haven't had any sponsor nibbles yet. But this site nice to try. and good opportunity for writer.
Hi, Prasetio. That's what I thought, too. It's a brand new site and worth a try to see what happens.
Thanks for coming by and commenting.
Literally the penny for your thoughts. working for peanuts would be more lucrative.
Apparently, the website where talk is cheap.
Thanks for all the preemptive footwork Shirley!
You're welcome, Mit. Thank-you for your comment.
awesome article. I am going over to SayitAloud right now to check it out.
Thanks, Trish! Good luck if you decide to sign up.
Frieda Babbley Level 2 Commenter 3 years ago
Very interesting. I'll have to check it out. Thanks. Is it easy to use?