Our FAQ covers the following categories. Click on the link to jump directly to that section and learn more.
WriterAccess Basics
Money Matters
All About Assignments
Rules and Star Ratings
WriterAccess Basics
Yes. No fees or obligations exist for strategists.
Currently, we're only accepting applications from U.S. strategists with PayPal accounts.
Yes, we do allow strategists to be writers or editors at the same time. However, you must be able to fulfill the requirements for those talent types, which can be found in the Writer and Editor FAQs.
Strategists who are accepted receive an initial star rating of 3, 4 or 5, which is determined by the strength of their profiles, initial application and test score. A strategist's level can improve (or decline) as assignments are completed.
Clients can place orders with strategists using an order form (using the rates preset by WriterAccess that vary by star level). The order will typically either be for an hourly-project, such as Managed Service, or for a project, like a Keyword Map.
Once an order is reserved, strategist are required to fulfill the order requirements as given on the order form. Once an order is submitted, the client can either approve the work or request revisions. In the case of orders that have a written component, we urge strategists to comply with a minimum of one revision request if the client returns the first submission with comments. When an order is approved, the rights to any produced materials are transferred to the client and the strategist is paid for their work.
Clients order strategy from the strategists and provide instructions on each order. Orders can contain links, attachments and SEO keywords. Clients can submit orders to a single strategist or a team of strategists if those strategists have been added to their “Love List.” Clients only pay for content they approve—which should always meet the specifications and order requirements. Funds are held in escrow, and WriterAccess provides mediation for both strategists and clients as part of the service.
WriterAccess is owned and managed by ideaLaunch, a leading content marketing agency founded by Byron White. He also managed a number of companies in the content marketing space including LifeTips.com, WordVision.com and more.
You can reach out to the WriterAccess staff using the Help Desk in the platform.
Talent earn 70% of the client pay for any and all orders. Full transparency of prices help us attract the best talent and best clients.
A wide range of orders for strategy are placed on WriterAccess. Some of the assets that these orders may focus on include advertisements, annual reports, articles, banner ads, blog posts, books, brochures, case studies, catalog entries, data sheets, direct mail pieces, email copy, Facebook posts, grants, mobile content, newsletters, presentations, press releases, product descriptions, proposals, radio spots, speeches, traditional scripts, Twitter posts, video scripts, web pages, webinar presentations, webinar scripts, and white papers.
For Strategy, we currently have suggested products for clients with possible price points, with more on the way as we develop and refine our offerings to client needs.
Yes indeed. Clients can add their favorites to a Love List. All the talent they add to their Love List can also be added to smaller teams, for organizing. When a client adds you to their Love List or a team, you will also be added to their order form.
Talent pick up orders first-come, first-serve, with only one person responsible for that order.
Yes. Clients own the copyright of any content purchased on WriterAccess. Clients do not own the copyright for any copy that they do not approve or do not pay for. Copyright is transferred upon approval of the order, which transfers payment to the talent. See our terms of use for more information.
Money Matters
We pay twice per month.
$10 USD is required in your account for payment. PayPal accounts are used for payment.
All assignments are tallied up on the 4th and 19th day of the month, for those orders that were submitted by the end of the preceding half-month (allowing previous period's items to be approved by clients). Once tallied, WriterAccess transfers the required funds to PayPal (which may take a few days) and send payments as soon as the balance is available to do so. By the end of this process, strategists are typically paid out between the 7th and 9th for those pieces submitted before the end of the previous month, and between the 22nd and 24th for those pieces submitted by the 15th.
We say typically, but because we rely on a slow ACH transfer into PayPal, where PayPal quotes 3-5 business days, that transfer may technically finish as late as the 11th and 26th, exclusive of holidays.
Sometimes long client approval times or editorial workflow may cause an assignment to not be approved by the time payments are disbursed. Affected orders will be batched into a second payment, and paid before the end of the following pay period's cutoff date.
The four levels all have different rates of hourly pay. Most of the time, however, clients will cap how long a strategist should spend on an order, thus capping the hourly pay. For example, a $35/hour 4 Star order might be capped at 2 hours of time, making the maximum pay $70.
The hourly rate breakdown is as follows:
3 Star - $24.50/hour
4 Star - $35/hour
5 Star - $52.50/hour
6 Star - $70/hour
Strategists can specify an alternate email address for use with PayPal. If strategists don't provide this alternate, the primary is used.
At the beginning of each year (before January 31) WriterAccess sends 1099s to all talent who made $600 or more in the previous year. We do not send 1099s to talent who made less than $600 in the previous year. However, we do offer an unofficial 1099 (available through the website on your Payments dashboard) for those who earned less than the $600 minimum.
All About Assignments
Once a strategist is approved with an initial star rating, they have full access to strategy orders of their star level or lower. This approval process may take a couple of weeks.
Yes. The client has deposited sufficient funds to create the order, so strategists are guaranteed payment for successful completion of the order. Strategists can request assistance for orders where they feel the client may be taking advantage of the revision process.
The available assignments pool may seem empty, but that's because the general pool is highly competitive. Orders get picked up as quickly as they're placed. Strategists can increase their exposure among clients by becoming more interactive on the site by:
1. Responding to private messages. Sometimes a client will find strategists in a general search because values on an strategist's profile match the experience and qualifications required for a project. Clients can send messages to an strategist directly to discuss projects. Communication must remain on WriterAccess through messaging or the Conference Call line.
2. Filling out your profile. Our search is based on your profile, so by filling out more assets, industries and samples, you are more likely to be found by clients.
The more successfully completed orders, the more visibility a strategist has on WriterAccess.
Once a strategist logs into WriterAccess.com, they have full access to the platform. The Available Orders page posts a list of assignments that are available to be picked up.
An order is claimed by clicking “View” and then “Checkout this Order.” There is a checkout rule which states that a strategist has one hour to review the instructions on an order and determine whether or not they can complete it. If the order is unreserved past the one-hour grace period, a penalty may be applied. All order cancellations beyond the one-hour grace period are reviewed by WriterAccess.
Strategists are expected to only claim assignments they are qualified to complete and are encouraged to reach out to the clients for clarification if there is a problem with the order details/instructions.
Strategists are also expected to submit the article by the deadline prescribed on the order. Extensions can be requested, but cannot always be honored, and may result in penalties. Strategists submit the content to the client by hitting the “Save and Submit” button at the bottom of the order form.
Yes, in most cases this is preferable, especially if a strategist is preparing a proposal, presentation or other deliverable with graphics and branding.
Strategy is only available to our Plus, Pro and Enterprise Level clients. Plus clients have 168 hours to approve the work once a strategist formally submits the order: by hitting the “Save and Submit” button. Pro and Enterprise clients have 336 hours. Plus clients can also pay for additional approval time when placing the order, however the max is 336 hours. This extra cost is split with the strategist according to the usual 70/30 breakdown.
The time for client approval is decided at the time the order is created, and the strategist can see this value before they reserve the order.
During the approval time, clients have the opportunity to request revisions, at which point they can return the article to the strategist with comments on what to revise. When the strategist again submits their content for approval the client's approval time is reset.
Yes. As part of the WriterAccess satisfaction guarantee policy to clients, one round of revisions is required by the client if the order does not meet their expectations and they would like to remove the strategist and get a refund for their order. Clients can request revisions for a number of reasons:
Strategists are given a certain amount of time to perform the revision request, but a minimum of 24 hours. Strategists are expected to comply with revision requests if they haven't fulfilled the order requirements. WriterAccess encourages strategists to notify the Help Desk if they have any questions or concerns about a client abusing revision requests.
Strategists are not required to do any revisions, but dropped orders cannot be paid, and will also be automatically reviewed by talent management.
Strategists can improve their rating by completing orders successfully, receiving positive ratings from clients, and being added to Love Lists. There is an algorithm in place that determines the strategist's algorithm score.
Consistent good work is rewarded with an increase in star level, whereas any discrepancies regarding the quality of work will have a negative impact on the star level. This algorithm can automatically move you up to a 5-star strategist, but moving up to 6-star is done by periodic review by talent management.
Strategists do not have a limit on the amount of hours they can pick up at this time. We trust that professional strategists are able to accurately estimate their time on projects, and execute efficiently to stick within the deadlines of the order.
When starting out, we do recommend that you do not book more than 20 hours a week in orders. As you become more comfortable, booking 40 hours a week is more reasonable. We do not recommend booking more than 40 hours worth of work in a given week.
Clients can initiate communication with strategists in several ways.
These terms refer to way the order is sent to the strategist rather than the level of the order. Crowd orders are released to any strategist who wants to claim them, while love list and solo orders are sent to a single strategist directly (solo) or a group of strategists (love list) to see who picks it up first.
All levels of strategy orders are potentially available via these distribution methods.Rules and Star Rating
The WriterAccess freelance editor community is categorized into a four-level rating system. The purpose of this system is two-fold: 1) It allows more experienced strategists to have access to complex assignments and earn more money, and 2) It's an easy way for clients to choose the level of quality they desire and pay accordingly. Strategists are assigned 3, 4, 5 or 6 stars depending on their profile details, industry experience and demonstrated strategy proficiency.
3 Star Content Specialist — The majority of applicants fall into this ranking. Profile and samples are basic, yet informative. The strategist may have previous content strategy experience. Some 3-star strategists don't specialize in any one field or industry, but should exhibit a proficient understanding of content production, promotion, and image research. They have an average of 1-2 years of professional strategy experience.
4 Star Content Strategist— Strategists of the 4-star level have valuable strategy experience. Most of these strategists have experience editing a variety of asset types, managing a content production schedule, working with different platforms for both promotion and analytics. They have an average of 2-5 years of professional strategy experience.
5 Star Senior Strategist— Strategists who receive a 5-star rating on WriterAccess are typically recognized authorities with proven content execution abilities. The strategist is highly professional and has an expert grasp of the inbound and digital marketing strategy. Some 5-star strategists are also experts in a given industry or strategy subject matter. The 5-star strategist also understands the complexities of editorial requirements and always delivers work that meets order specifications. They have an average of 5-10 years of professional strategy experience.
6 Star Chief Strategist — 6-star strategists can create the 10,000 foot view of a marketing plan and has experience taking that and turning it into an executable plan for marketing success. With, on average, over 10 years of marketing experience, these strategists have seen it all and are highly likely to be specialized in a specific industry.
Strategist's star levels can increase and decrease depending on the algorithmic scoring of completed orders and client ratings on the platform.
No. Strategists (and clients) are not allowed to exchange personal contact information for privacy purposes. This includes full names, email addresses, and phone numbers. Communication should take place within the WriterAccess platform. This includes comments on orders, In-Mail messages, and Conference Calls. By keeping communication on the platform, everything is recorded and monitored so that WriterAccess can come to the defense of an strategist or client in the event of a discrepancy.
If a client reaches out to you from any avenue, and requests that you complete work or would be paid outside of the WriterAccess platform, please open a Help Desk ticket, as doing so would be a breach of our Terms of Use.
Yes, clients are required to rate the order when it is approved. If the order is auto-approved, the client is given 2 weeks after the auto-approval to rate the order. After the 2 weeks, if the client doesn't rate, WriterAccess deems the order as “met expectations.”
This is good for strategists, because it's counted toward the algorithm as a successfully completed order.
Clients can rate “exceeded expectations,” which helps the strategist's rating even more so than having met expectations.
Some clients choose to rate an order “did not meet expectations.” In order to leave this rating, the client must comment on the order with their reasoning. All work rated negatively is reviewed by WriterAccess internal staff. Internal staff determines whether or not the client's rating was justifiable. If not, we don't hold it against the strategist. If so, a penalty will be applied to the algorithm, which can be canceled out by "met" and "exceeds expectations" ratings.