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Freelance Writer Tip #2 : What to do about Plagiarism
So, you were out there on the web, engaging in a little harmless narcissism by searching for your name, or some favorite phrase of yours, and you come across someone who is publishing your articles, on their web site, with out credit to you, or a how-dee-doo … no nothing – Just blatantly using your work for their profit.
Well how about that?
What to do. First, read this page on Responding to Plagiarism, and follow the instructions.
Next : people who do this type of stuff, generally have ads on their pages, which means, they are making money on your work, without paying you. If there is a Google Adsense ad on there, there will be a link at the bottom of the ad you can click on, which will take you to a Google Adsense Report page. At the bottom of this page, is a form you can fill out, to make a DMCA complaint against the owner of that web site.
Google is famous for not messing around with this type of thing. Someone stealing content, will generally have their Adsense account closed in 48 hours. They will not be able to get it back once it is closed. There are far too many people and companies out there on the Internet willing to run ads on their web site, for Google to risk the possibility of being pulled into a DMCA related law suite. They remove the account.
Most other ad companies, affiliate programs, and the like — do exactly the same thing. If you can find out which ad/affiliate companies the bad-man-site is using, then send them off an email as well.
It is a simple thing to ask permission to use an article. People ask me all the time. If it is an article which is on one of my web sites, I generally say yes, as long as I get a link back. Why not? It is even a little flattering. In fact you will find on most of my web sites I have a function which allows for exactly this type of co-sharing.
However, most of the time this occurs with my work, it is an article that I’ve sold to a client.
Clients don’t like the value of their investments undermined like this, and they will appreciate your effort in keeping their investment in good health. This doesn’t mean you are obligated to play watch-dog for their content (it is thier content once they have purchased it), but if you see this happening, let the client know, at the very least, and send them the information in this article, so they can respond in the most efficient manner.
– you have my permission to do so…
You might even pick up a few more projects from the client that way.
Happy writing.
Freelance Writer Tip #1 : Version Piracy
I posted earlier today that I’ve always been paid for my writing… and that is still true as far as the circumstance which prompted that article are concerned,… but it is not completely true. Version Piracy has gotten me a few times, before I was aware of what was happening.
Not every employer who is asking for a re-write is up to this scam, which is more prevalent than you might expect with freelance writers.
The way this scam works is the customer asks for a set of articles, let’s say 5 of them, on a topic… let’s say health care for the elderly. You bid them out at $20 a piece, he accepts the bid and you start to work.
Continue reading >> … can you re-write this? Freelance Tip: 1
As a freelance writer, you normally don’t have to worry too much about not being paid for your work, especially if you are working through a service like Guru.com. The DMCA is simply too effective.
Seologic.com has a great list of contact information and instructions on how to notify the search engines about plagiarism or stolen content. The reason you would start with the search engines is, whoever took your content and didn’t pay for it, will find that the web site they used it on, and just about any other web site they own, will simply disappear from the Internet searches. Adsense accounts and other affiliate program accounts will be closed.
Continue reading >> Not paid for Articles
Also, on the Examiner.com web site …
I just came across this Motherhood 101: How to stay professional as a work-at-home–mom article.
I love the “Get out of Bed” image. I almost stole it for this posting. 
This article points out a serious hurdle when you first start working at home, and though the writer is pointing out the need to remain professional at home (a very good point…) there is also a reality here that until you live it, you simply can’t realize the potential problem, and that is — when you work at home, when you wake up… you are at work.
In her article, Kristen Schnurman makes several other good points and it is worth reading, but the potential for your energy to be sapped from you in a matter of months, because you aren’t’ aware of the stress level that comes from never leaving the work place, shouldn’t be over looked.
I’ve seen more freelancers succumb to this environmental problem than any other. It is never– not being able to find enough work; if you read the comments and project descriptions often enough, you will find that employers often specify that they want someone who can “finish” the job — often they are referring to (though they probably don’t know it at the time), this burn-out problem every freelancer is going to run into who has chosen to work at home.
Trust me, it is kinda creepy, looking at a stack of work sitting on your desk, which will net you more in a week than you made in two-weeks at your regular job, and simply not being able to start on the stack of work, and having no reason in your mind, which makes sense, for being unable to do the work.
So, be aware of this, follow Kristen Schnurman’s advice about staying professional and vigilant, and keep aware of your own mental state.
Any time there is a desperation level in a life area, such as the burden of trying to make ends meet, during a down economy, the effect is like blood in the water, and all kinds of advisors, planners, kit-creators, and learn-how-to packages start showing up. I like to keep an eye on these when they come into the Freelance Writer area.
This morning I stumbled upon this article which was published on the Examiner’s web site. Quick ways to make money at home… is the title.
- Sell Products
- Freelance Work
- Garage Sales
These are the Quick ways to make money at home?
Selling off your stuff, in a Garage Sale, or running it down to the pawn shop, certainly has a level of speed to it, though it isn’t an easy way to get together the house payment, and certainly not a renewable resource.
Selling products from home, isn’t a quick way of doing anything, as anyone who is successfully running an eBay, Yahoo, or Amazon store will tell you. There is nothing quick or easy about that kind of work — although it can be done and done successfully.
Freelance work, is neither fast, nor easy, nor without a risk factor. As with any area of life, from the outside-looking-in, it is impossible to see all the details, or plan for all of the eventualities. Until you get inside, speculation, is at best, based on partial and incomplete information.
I try to post tips and hints on doing freelance work, as much as possible, but do your research and learn as much as you can, especially if you are up against the wall financially. Reading articles like this from a source like the Examiner, make freelance work sound like this is simply something you over looked, like that $50 you forgot you put inside the cover of the family bible, and can lead you to invest in some gimmick package you can’t afford, and can’t help you over the hump of getting into freelance work anyway.
Elance is a pretty good place to check out. I don’t like GetAFreelancer, because of the cost and lack of support they have. Guru.com is a good place to get an account, and RentACoder.com has several writer project requests coming in a day.
Freelancing as a writer is possible and profitable, you can make a decent living or bring in extra income, but don’t go into it with the thought that it is simple, easy or without its problems and risks.
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