Last week in our iWriter Review, we discussed an overview of what the platform does and who it serves.  We looked at some of the positives and negatives of the site.  Thanks to some of you who gave me insight on your experience with the platform.  This week, we will continue our review of the freelance writer’s platform.

iWriter Review – Part II

You’ve decided that you’re going to give the platform a shot. What are some other things that you should know as you’re navigating your way around the platform?  Here are some additional things to consider.

Fast Track Program

For writers who want to accelerate their way to higher tiers, iWriter offers an alternative method to being promoted more quickly.

By paying $147, writers are given the opportunity to writer three articles based on keywords provided by the iWriter team.  Once written, you will be given feedback via a star rating assigned to each article written.  Your initial rating will be based on your overall score from writing these articles.  It is important to note that the highest rating that you can be assigned for the Fast Track program is Elite.  You will still need to write ten more articles with an overall rating of 4.85 to qualify as an Elite Plus writer.

Is it worth it?  It seems fairly pricey to me and you have to be confident that the iWriter editors are going to rate your articles highly.  For those wanting to move quickly, the Fast Track program does serve as another option.  I’m not a fan.

Helpful Tips

If you’ve decided to take the plunge, avoid these pitfalls that may make your life with iWriter run a bit more smoothly.  If you decide to move forward with iWriter, review these items to help you along with way.

Clients to Avoid

One thing I appreciate about iWriter is the fact that they show a requester’s statistics.  You are able to see exactly how many articles have been accepted versus those declined in real numbers as well as a percentage.  For example, if a client has requested 10 articles total and declined 5, you will see the number accepted (5), the number declined (5) and the acceptance percentage 50%.  This can help you to gain some insight. Whether you are dealing with a long-time client notorious for declining articles or a new kid on the block.

You’ll want to avoid writers who have a track record of rejecting articles.  One example is this fine requester who has a  23% approval rating.

I wonder who thought it was a good idea to continue to try writing for this requester when things went so poorly?  Writers vote with their pens.  If they stop writing for a requester, eventually they’ll have no one to complete their articles.

My rule of thumb, especially when starting out is to select a requester with a minimum of a 75% approval rating.  Preferably the higher the better.  Be careful when using the filter to decide on which clients to choose.  There may be new clients that have low ratings due to the fact that they have not given many assignments.  These may be worth a shot.

Leaving Reviews

One of the relatively unique things about iWriter is that not only can requesters leave reviews for writers, but writers can provide feedback for the clients.  I think that this is a great idea in theory, but most of the requesters on the site have nearly perfect ratings.  Poor requesters being removed from the platform or high ratings given to requesters for the potential of more work?  I’ll let you be the judge.

Reviews and Feedback

You’ll want to pay careful attention to your reviews and ratings as this is not only your reputation, but also directly impacts the amount of money that you can earn.  Remember, your tier is a reflection of your ratings.  The higher you are rated, the more money you can potentially earn.  While writers start out earning on average, less than one cent a word, Elite Plus writers can earn well over six cents.

Direct Assignments

If you have impressed a client, you may be lucky enough to start receiving direct assignments.  Rather than selecting an article from the general pool a client will provide one for only you.  This is an opportunity to get regular work.  As a bonus, you will also earn an additional 5% of the total cost of the article.  This means 86% of the total price as opposed to 81% in your pocket.

Can I Be Booted From the Platform?

Yes, if you plagiarize or violate any of the terms and conditions of the platform, iWriter reserves the right to remove you at any time.

iWriter maintains that it checks every piece of work via Copyscape for plagiarism.   There is no where on the site where you can see this first hand like other sites and so I am unable to confirm.

Can I Get Content Written For my Own Site?

When you sign up with iWriter, you have the option to be both a writer and a client.  So if you have a site of your own, you can request to have an article written.  I have not had any experience having articles written for me.  If you’re interested in me doing a more specific review from the client side, please let me know in the comments below and I’d be happy to take that on.  If you have had any articles written on your behalf with iWriter, please let us know your thoughts.  The website includes a video tutorial to get you started as a requester that you may find helpful. You can make your request to any one of the four tiers of writers (Standard, Premium, Elite, or Elite Plus).

My guess is that the old adage “you get what you pay for” likely applies here, though you may find a gem from an author still working their way up the ranks.

So there you have it, my complete iWriter review.  Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  If you enjoyed what you read, please feel free to share it with others who might find it helpful.

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.