When it comes to finding writing gigs, there are a million places to choose from. You might be looking for a WordGigs review and trying to figure out whether you should go through the application process to become a freelance writer for their site.
This WordGigs review will go over what the site is, how it works, how much it costs, what you can expect from it, and ultimately if it’s worth it.
WordGigs Review
Let’s take a look at WordGigs and break down if it’s worth it for freelance writers.
What is WordGigs?
WordGigs is a freelance writing site. They have a wide variety of writing jobs in a ton of industries such as medical, finance, technology, legal, and more.
Compared to other freelance writing sites, they don’t just have job postings, you need to apply to be approved as a writer.
While the site is generally for both new and experienced U.S. writers, the common pricing is on the lower end, which tends to happen with these freelance gig sites.
You need to be a U.S. citizen in order to use WordGigs, which is a drawback for some people. You will also need to pass a basic high school grammar test in order to be approved.
Once you’re approved, you are still an independent contractor instead of being an actual employee or someone who gets gigs at a set rate and frequency. If you’re already a freelancer, it’s pretty much nothing new for you, but that just needed to be made clear in case you were looking for a site that offers part-time or full-time writing.
How much can you make with WordGigs?
The average pay on WordGigs is $4.50 for a 350-word article or $18 for a 900-word article.
Let’s be real here, that’s on the lower end of freelance gigs. Granted, for some people, they’re excited to be paid at all.
Along with articles, you can also get paid for press releases and ebooks.
The pay is twice per month through Paypal on the 1st and the 15th.
Unlike other sites, you don’t need to pay to join. It is free to use once you’re approved as a writer.
Here is what they say are the current other options for writing:
- Press Releases $15 (400-550 words)
- Elite Content $50 (1000 words) $70 (1500 words)
- Standard Content $7-$14 (550 words)
You need to work your way up to the higher-paid articles and a few people have said it can take quite some time to work your way up. At Make A Living Writing, we don’t want you writing for pennies. In fact, we have plenty of content (and even an online community) that can help you earn more as a freelancer.
Requirements to join WordGigs
To get an assignment through WordGigs, you need to be approved as a writer first. It’s not a job board where you just log on and see what jobs are out there.
They have a basic list of requirements you’ll need to meet first:
- US Citizen, currently living in US, native English speaker.
- Must be able to complete work within 24-48 hours
- Reliable computer and internet connection
- Must maintain quality writing levels
- A verified PayPal account
- Past writing examples to share
You are also considered a freelance writer if you join WordGigs. Meaning, you will need to take care of your own health insurance, taxes, and other responsibilities.
Application process for WordGigs
To work for Wordgig, you’ll need to send in an application and be approved before you can get some writing gigs.
You’ll want to gather your writing samples since they need them to look at and check your writing skills. You will also need to pass a basic high-school level grammar and writing test.
Once your writing samples are approved and you pass the test, you’ll then have a 10-15 minute phone call with someone from WordGigs to finalize your application.
You will be issued a Form-1099 but they don’t withhold any taxes.
How WordGigs works
Once you’re approved as a writer, you might be wondering how the site works.
You’re able to login at any time and search through the current assignments that are available. It’s open 24/7 with various assignments being posted at different hours. You’re able to take as much as you can handle, but don’t start missing deadlines or you could get kicked out.
They also have a writer’s hotline for emergencies if you have an internet outage or something similar.
One thing to keep in mind is that most of these articles only have a 24-48 hour deadline and must be submitted before the deadline to be approved. As you can imagine, that’s a tight deadline for a lot of writers.
There is also the chance that your articles could be rejected and you don’t get paid at all. They pass every article through Copyscape to make sure it’s not plagiarized as well.
As the writer, you don’t get any copyright, reprint, or byline rights. It might not even be possible to put pieces on your portfolio.
How do other writers like Wordgig?
At the end of the day, Wordgig is a standard content mill.
For that reason, the reviews are mixed. Some people are grateful to make any money at all, and some know the rate is low.
Some people expect more pay after such an extensive application process. With moderate experience, it’s not hard to find better paying freelance opportunities.
Some people are also frustrated with the idea that you need to do the low paying gigs first before you have access to the better gigs.
A few reviews mentioned frustration over the editing process and that some articles can be rejected without much of an explanation. You might also be asked to do quite a few revisions without extra pay for each version.
Ultimately, the editor gets the final say with each article, which can lead to some creative differences.
As mentioned earlier, it’s also only open to writers in the United States, so if you’re outside of there, it’s not an option for you.
Is WordGigs worth it?
Overall, it might be worth it to use WordGigs if you’re tight on cash or need something to build your portfolio. It might also be a fit if you’re struggling to land your first client or find consistent clients.
However, outside of those reasons, the pay is generally not great and certainly not enough to pay all your bills.
Considering how much they require of you in the application process, it’s interesting they pay so little.
It looks like some of their pay rates have increased a little bit through the years, but it’s still a starting rate of about $0.01 per word for the standard content.
Some people say that even the high-quality writers have to start with the low paying gigs and work their way up. For a lot of freelance writers with decent skills, that’s not a good deal.
You could make more money on other low-paying sites, especially since most of them don’t require you to jump through all kinds of hoops just to end up making pennies. If they opened the door to writers outside the U.S., some of those rates might make sense.
Alternatives to WordGigs
Since WordGigs is essentially a content mill, there are a ton of various competitors out there.
Upwork
Upwork is another site with a ton of freelance writing gigs. The application process isn’t nearly as long and you can join from anywhere in the world.
Constant Content
Constant Content is another site that offers gigs for freelance writers. They offer more types of writing as well. That includes articles, marketing copywriting, product descriptions, blog posts, and more.
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