Associated Content: Still a Viable Source of Income for Writers

Now that the Demand Media Studios' (DMS) bubble has official burst and content mills are dropping like flies after getting slapped hard by Google Panda, freelance writers are scrambling in a panicked frenzy to find other online writing gigs. Needless to say, the pickings are slim and good luck finding another writing gig, like DMS, that will pay your bills. Which brings me to Associated Content (AC).

A lot of you writers out there might be wondering if you can still earn any money writing for AC since so many other similar companies have come and gone over the years and the mighty DMS has fallen seemingly overnight. Well, I'm here to tell you: yes, you can.

After writing here on and off for several years, I can still say that AC is a viable way to earn money writing online. Sure, you're not going to get a $25 upfront payment for a five-paragraph article about taking out a second mortgage or how to find the best running shoes for senior citizens, but you can still make some extra cash here if you have something to write about.

The last 10 or so articles I've submitted to AC have received between $4 to $5 offers for upfront payment, which certainly isn't going to make me rich, but is also nothing to complain about. AC has some other perks that other online companies don't, as well. To the best of my knowledge, I think it's the only site that still offers both an upfront payment and a performance payment. All of the other sites I've written for have offered either one or the other, or just one.

AC also lets you write in your own voice, which in my opinion, speeds up the writing process and makes it a lot more enjoyable. Oh, how I do not long for the days of following DMS' strict guidelines and AP-style format; let alone, the countless, annoying rewrite requests and ever-growing blacklist of unacceptable references and resources.

All in all, if you're one of the several thousand writers out there looking for a way to earn some money from your writing, you can still count on AC for something. However, I will strongly suggest bringing your clout level up to 10 and spending some time learning what kind of articles do well here if you want to gain anything substantial from it.