Comments on: Blog Network To Avoid http://writerswell.org/?p=55 Your source for advice, links, hints & tips for writers and bloggers. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:30:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Steve http://writerswell.org/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-2577 Steve Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:30:36 +0000 http://www.writerswell.org/?p=55#comment-2577 I just left after blogging for them for two years, and the issues that were raised in 2007 in this article are still well in full swing. Low/no pay, broken promises, not valuing writers/bloggers, not abiding by the rules of their own contracts, but heaven forbid a writer break the rules just as they did, for they will not hesitate to withhold pay. This is one hypocritical network that I would advise to steer well clear. They talk out both sides of their faces. Whats that awful taste in my mouth? Oh that's bile. 451 Press has forever soured me on blogging with another network ever again. I just left after blogging for them for two years, and the issues that were raised in 2007 in this article are still well in full swing. Low/no pay, broken promises, not valuing writers/bloggers, not abiding by the rules of their own contracts, but heaven forbid a writer break the rules just as they did, for they will not hesitate to withhold pay. This is one hypocritical network that I would advise to steer well clear. They talk out both sides of their faces.

Whats that awful taste in my mouth? Oh that’s bile. 451 Press has forever soured me on blogging with another network ever again.

]]> By: Another Day, Not a Dollar http://writerswell.org/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-2321 Another Day, Not a Dollar Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:02:08 +0000 http://www.writerswell.org/?p=55#comment-2321 Troubles rise again and the natives are getting restless. A month without pay makes even the most loyal writers sour towards the company. It's a live soap opera with unpaid bills and building dissent in its wake... Troubles rise again and the natives are getting restless. A month without pay makes even the most loyal writers sour towards the company.

It’s a live soap opera with unpaid bills and building dissent in its wake…

]]> By: bobbi c. http://writerswell.org/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-1580 bobbi c. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:17:17 +0000 http://www.writerswell.org/?p=55#comment-1580 This is not true! I had thousands of readers and hits each day. I posted long articles and photos everyday, won several awards for my blog, etc. I got paid once in all the months (and hundreds of posts) I wrote for them. They basically broke their contract for no reason at all. They have a habit of locking their writers out of their blogs if you even dare to make any comments about pay in the forums. I personally know at least five pro writers who left there voluntarily, or were fired, after spending hundreds of hours working for them for free. This is not true! I had thousands of readers and hits each day. I posted long articles and photos everyday, won several awards for my blog, etc. I got paid once in all the months (and hundreds of posts) I wrote for them.

They basically broke their contract for no reason at all. They have a habit of locking their writers out of their blogs if you even dare to make any comments about pay in the forums.

I personally know at least five pro writers who left there voluntarily, or were fired, after spending hundreds of hours working for them for free.

]]> By: Shelly http://writerswell.org/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-1455 Shelly Mon, 12 May 2008 04:52:39 +0000 http://www.writerswell.org/?p=55#comment-1455 I currently write for 451 Press and have been with them for over a year now. My pay keeps increasing every month I get paid. I think mainly, the complaints are from those who did/do not post good content and don't have very many readers. (ie. page views). It is unfortunate that there are those who no longer work for the network that continue to degrade the entire process for those of us who enjoy their writing and get paid well for their efforts. I currently write for 451 Press and have been with them for over a year now. My pay keeps increasing every month I get paid. I think mainly, the complaints are from those who did/do not post good content and don’t have very many readers. (ie. page views). It is unfortunate that there are those who no longer work for the network that continue to degrade the entire process for those of us who enjoy their writing and get paid well for their efforts.

]]> By: Kyle Dylan Conner http://writerswell.org/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-1453 Kyle Dylan Conner Sun, 04 May 2008 17:46:46 +0000 http://www.writerswell.org/?p=55#comment-1453 I just joined 451 Press, and I must say that I agree with you. The community of bloggers are great and are fun to work with, but their pay is horrible! I'm about to post something along these similar lines in the forums. I guarantee that I won't be with them long if their pay does not improve. I just joined 451 Press, and I must say that I agree with you. The community of bloggers are great and are fun to work with, but their pay is horrible! I’m about to post something along these similar lines in the forums. I guarantee that I won’t be with them long if their pay does not improve.

]]> By: leslie http://writerswell.org/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-1403 leslie Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:57:19 +0000 http://www.writerswell.org/?p=55#comment-1403 And still bloggers write about 451 in unhappy terms, most recently blogger Daniel Perez: http://bibitob.blogspot.com/2008/03/word-to-wise-avoid-451-press.html And still bloggers write about 451 in unhappy terms, most recently blogger Daniel Perez: http://bibitob.blogspot.com/2008/03/word-to-wise-avoid-451-press.html

]]> By: Bobbi A. Chukran http://writerswell.org/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-887 Bobbi A. Chukran Sat, 27 Oct 2007 01:52:09 +0000 http://www.writerswell.org/?p=55#comment-887 I'm also a former blogger for 451Press. I *dared* ask questions about non-payment on the private company forum, and was fired and threatened with lawsuits if I pushed the issue. This after working ceaselessly for them for months, doing daily blogs and promoting the hell out of my blogs. It was just about the time when my blog traffic went through the roof (thousands of page views) that they fired me and was immediately locked out of my account pages, forums, and blog. I was never paid for those last months, either. Since I am a professional writer, there was no way I'd allow them to keep my content, so I made sure I had copies of everything. Some of it was written before I even heard about them, so as far as I'm concerned, I was justified in doing that. I was also threatened with lawsuits if I even talked to any of the other bloggers there, some of which have been friends of mine for years. That's just ridiculous. The problem is that there are too many "writers" there that don't care if they get paid or not; they are in it for the prestige and/or experience. And they are afraid to make waves, afraid that they'll get fired. That's fine, but a company shouldn't promise payment if they can't afford to pay it. There are a few of the employees who were sympathetic, but were powerless. The only formal explanation I got was that I wasn't a "good fit for the network." yeah, right. If I wasn't, then why did I have thousands of readers? bobbi c. I’m also a former blogger for 451Press. I *dared* ask questions about non-payment on the private company forum, and was fired and threatened with lawsuits if I pushed the issue. This after working ceaselessly for them for months, doing daily blogs and promoting the hell out of my blogs. It was just about the time when my blog traffic went through the roof (thousands of page views) that they fired me and was immediately locked out of my account pages, forums, and blog. I was never paid for those last months, either. Since I am a professional writer, there was no way I’d allow them to keep my content, so I made sure I had copies of everything. Some of it was written before I even heard about them, so as far as I’m concerned, I was justified in doing that.

I was also threatened with lawsuits if I even talked to any of the other bloggers there, some of which have been friends of mine for years. That’s just ridiculous.

The problem is that there are too many “writers” there that don’t care if they get paid or not; they are in it for the prestige and/or experience. And they are afraid to make waves, afraid that they’ll get fired. That’s fine, but a company shouldn’t promise payment if they can’t afford to pay it. There are a few of the employees who were sympathetic, but were powerless. The only formal explanation I got was that I wasn’t a “good fit for the network.” yeah, right. If I wasn’t, then why did I have thousands of readers?

bobbi c.

]]> By: leslie http://writerswell.org/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-865 leslie Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:11:12 +0000 http://www.writerswell.org/?p=55#comment-865 Thanks Lewis. Several other bloggers on 451 have mentioned recent changes as well. On the surface the changes sound like a step in the right direction: $2 per 250 word post or per two 150 word posts in a day, plus a token amount for page views/ad impressions. However, digging deeper the changes only seem to benefit 451 and actually create so much more work per post for the bloggers (especially the entertainment bloggers) that it ends up costing them to blog. For example requiring an image per post, plus two links back to 451 sites is self serving and spammish, not to mention a right PITA for the blogger. Add in the required one outside link per post as well, which would actually help promote the network, and which most bloggers already do and it costs more time. The token sidebar "control", heavily crippled by 451 to prevent many of the fun things that draw in traffic, the shutting down of threads in the forums that 451 does not like, the lock out of previous writers before they can get their writing down, the battle over content with some writers (not all writers), the ongoing battle of payment with a few writers who left the fold (BB comes to mind), and so much more... It all combines to paint a picture of a network that continues to not value its bloggers, in spite of an exceedingly high turnover rate and a constant need to seek out and train new bloggers (they have long passed the time when already trained bloggers sought them out). There are people on the staff I consider online friends, and whose life I made very difficult with this post, and I'm sorry for that, but those people have no decision making control over these issues and can not fix them. Only Steve can fix them. Thanks Lewis. Several other bloggers on 451 have mentioned recent changes as well. On the surface the changes sound like a step in the right direction: $2 per 250 word post or per two 150 word posts in a day, plus a token amount for page views/ad impressions. However, digging deeper the changes only seem to benefit 451 and actually create so much more work per post for the bloggers (especially the entertainment bloggers) that it ends up costing them to blog. For example requiring an image per post, plus two links back to 451 sites is self serving and spammish, not to mention a right PITA for the blogger. Add in the required one outside link per post as well, which would actually help promote the network, and which most bloggers already do and it costs more time. The token sidebar “control”, heavily crippled by 451 to prevent many of the fun things that draw in traffic, the shutting down of threads in the forums that 451 does not like, the lock out of previous writers before they can get their writing down, the battle over content with some writers (not all writers), the ongoing battle of payment with a few writers who left the fold (BB comes to mind), and so much more… It all combines to paint a picture of a network that continues to not value its bloggers, in spite of an exceedingly high turnover rate and a constant need to seek out and train new bloggers (they have long passed the time when already trained bloggers sought them out). There are people on the staff I consider online friends, and whose life I made very difficult with this post, and I’m sorry for that, but those people have no decision making control over these issues and can not fix them. Only Steve can fix them.

]]> By: LewisC http://writerswell.org/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-864 LewisC Sat, 29 Sep 2007 13:50:12 +0000 http://www.writerswell.org/?p=55#comment-864 It hasn't changed much. I signed up with them at the end of July. I constantly had issues with servers being down and with my blog being inaccessible. When you complain on the forum, the threads either get locked or deleted. I complained that the response I was getting was unprofessional and have been booted from the network. I also was told that the network now owns my writing even though my contract grants no rights to the network. I've written an email asking for my work to be taken down. I hope to avoid a lawsuit over this but after the way I was treated, I am willing to pursue that if I have to. It hasn’t changed much. I signed up with them at the end of July. I constantly had issues with servers being down and with my blog being inaccessible. When you complain on the forum, the threads either get locked or deleted.

I complained that the response I was getting was unprofessional and have been booted from the network. I also was told that the network now owns my writing even though my contract grants no rights to the network.

I’ve written an email asking for my work to be taken down. I hope to avoid a lawsuit over this but after the way I was treated, I am willing to pursue that if I have to.

]]> By: meleah rebeccah http://writerswell.org/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-794 meleah rebeccah Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:07:14 +0000 http://www.writerswell.org/?p=55#comment-794 Thats WHY I left too! Thats WHY I left too!

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