Crowdsource Top Tier Writing Hits

Discussion in 'Requesters' started by jbird7, Nov 2, 2012.

  1. AmieW

    AmieW Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2012
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    When I can find a string of topics I know well and can research and write quickly, the pay is great. When I first started, I was doing $20 to $25 an hour writing, but all the topics they have now (stock and bonds, mostly) are way out of my range of expertise, so not worth it to write them, as it would take too long to research.

    I did few yesterday that were easy topics for me, and ended up making $43 in about 2 hours. That's the kind of money I like.

    They haven't said anything mean to me, but I did get reminders about how to write titles and headings, and to not use first person. No problems with my writing so far. I must just have a great editor.
     
  2. AmieW

    AmieW Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2012
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    I got the notice for that, but it was for more than .15 and when I clicked the link, it was gone. Guess they went fast.
     
  3. Crayonshaver

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2012
    Messages:
    313
    Likes Received:
    0
    Ugh, just got dinged for a serial comma. I've gotten that Oxford comma so ingrained, I can't get it out.

    Someone earlier said, 3 comments on any article type and you're banned. I haven't been banned. I did make a horrible oversight yesterday and got a comment. I was so embarrassed, I emailed the main crowdsource email just to apologize (even though it won't matter to them).

    I don't know. I get nervous each time I submit. I love the money I'm making right now. I went from $5-$8/day (turking about 1-2 hours a day) to $20 or $30/day. Every time I submit, I'm nervous they'll toss me out.
     
  4. naturegirl

    naturegirl User

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2012
    Messages:
    701
    Likes Received:
    0
    Good, kinda hope they planned to fix the pay. I didn't check them out too hard after I saw it was for .15 per HIT.

    You are very sweet, Crowdshaver. That's nice that you emailed them.

    I submitted something with a serial comma the other day (saw it as the HIT was submitting; I have an Oxford comma habit, too). Figured they'd say something, but nope. That seems to be the way with mine. They either say a couple of things or nothing.

    Personally, my philosophy is that if someone is eager to toss me out, I'm happy to go. Too many opportunities in the world to fret over one, and there's little enough time in life as it is!
     
  5. JenniLeigh

    JenniLeigh User

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2012
    Messages:
    1,531
    Likes Received:
    0
    I got refused for using PROPER commas too.
    Ugh. Whatever. I don't understand why messy sentences are the normal now.
     
  6. Maggiemw

    Maggiemw User

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2012
    Messages:
    139
    Likes Received:
    0
    The Chicago Manual of Style, which is my go-to reference guide for all things in American style, and the Oxford Press style guide, ditto for British style, both advocate serial commas. You might want to drop a note to the editors to let them know that there is a sound reason behind your usage of them.
     
  7. Crayonshaver

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2012
    Messages:
    313
    Likes Received:
    0
    I've had a HIT out at Crowdsource since Saturday. They've approved a bunch since then. They must REALLY hate this one. It was a daring one, though. The content was about how to write an essay on controversial topics. I could have just written things like, introduction, thesis statement, yada, yada, yada. But I thought that things like "Don't alienate half your readers" or "Be fearless but factual", or "Pick a side - don't be wishy-washy" were better tips . I guess they beg to differ.
     
  8. glitter

    glitter Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2012
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    I was about to post a question about the same thing. One of my HITs from last Friday hasn't been approved yet, either. There wasn't anything controversial about mine, though. It was about gardening. :)

    Maybe they got caught up and distracted with the bonus structure during the holiday weekend?
     
  9. AmieW

    AmieW Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2012
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    Has anyone done any of the $2 Callouts? I was thinking of trying to knock a few out if they're worth it. I figure 10 minutes each, 6 an hour won't be too bad for fill-in stuff.
     
  10. naturegirl

    naturegirl User

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2012
    Messages:
    701
    Likes Received:
    0
    I love your idealism! I agree with you strongly that those *should* be seen as arbiters of literate US writing style, but they aren't, at least not in many print situations. CS uses AP style, which is a style originally designed for journalism. One of its priorities is using as few characters as possible (throwback to the days when print dominated journalism and column-inches were scarce). That's why serial commas aren't permitted.

    By the way, I had no experience writing to AP style before this, and I can't say I enjoy it. Don't know whether it's me, CS' editing, or AP style itself, but I find it odd, restrictive, and even imprecise. We have verb tenses for good reason, after all, and requiring every sentence to be in present tense seems silly to me. But I know that may just be me. AP style seems to serve a purpose, whether I appreciate it or not.

    I enjoy them. I agree that they take about that much time.
     
  11. Maggiemw

    Maggiemw User

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2012
    Messages:
    139
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hi Naturegirl,
    I know that AP doesn't use serial commas, and it's one of the reasons I dislike AP quite a bit. AP is also responsible for the current war on the present perfect, which is trying to reduce the American sense of past time to one single use-all-the-time past tense. Ugh. All this makes me very happy not to do AP-style writing.

    People are going to think I've got really weird tastes, but the Chicago Manual is actually a really interesting read!
     
  12. AmieW

    AmieW Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2012
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    I know what you mean about present perfect. The editors at one of my clients used to jump on me all the time about "passive tense." I wanted to slap them! There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. I used to complain all the time because they would change my writing from passive to active and change the entire meaning of the paragraph, plus sometimes they made the sentence into an untruth. I had to leave that client behind, and thank God every day I wrote under a pen name there so no one will know that horrid stuff is mine.
     
  13. AmieW

    AmieW Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2012
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    Have you seen the new system for choosing hits?

    It rocks! There is a list of all available articles, and once you accept the category, you can go down and pick the ones you want to write. Haven't tried it out yet, so don't know if you can choose more than one, but it will save SO MUCH time. It is also categorized, so you can choose just to see the articles in certain topics.

    THANKS, CROWDSOURCE!
     
  14. naturegirl

    naturegirl User

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2012
    Messages:
    701
    Likes Received:
    0
    OMG, you aren't kidding. That is gorgeous. :) Thanks for pointing it out!

    Indeed, thanks, Crowdsource. Much more Turker friendly.

    (Those of you who haven't seen it yet, it's built into the HIT interfaces directly, so previewing any batch shows you the full list for the batch. Woot!)
     
  15. AmieW

    AmieW Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2012
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    I am so happy now. So much easier and faster to see if there is anything I can actually write. I've been doing callouts all night. Love those! Had to return a couple because once I had them, couldn't figure out what to do for them, but finished 8 in about an hour, so I'm happy.
     
  16. glitter

    glitter Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2012
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Just saw it now! So flippin' excited. :)
     
  17. AmieW

    AmieW Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2012
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    Yeah, the only problem will be that the hits will go faster. I was doing callouts earlier, and they were disappearing before I could accept them. Still, I'm really excited about it. Tomorrow, I'm going to do as many as I can.There are some pretty easy computer lists.
     
  18. Crayonshaver

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2012
    Messages:
    313
    Likes Received:
    0
    Yay Crowdsource! That format is fantastic! Love, Love, Love!!!
     
  19. AmieW

    AmieW Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2012
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    Unfortunately, I guess only the top tier articles are on that format.
     
  20. Crayonshaver

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2012
    Messages:
    313
    Likes Received:
    0
    Excited about the recipe articles that just came out. I had to stop for a few days because I have ZERO comfort level with PC or stock articles. Saw a batch of job-related ones a few days ago and they were snatched up quickly!
     

Share This Page