TextBroker: An In Depth Review for Freelance Web Writers

I've mentioned TextBroker briefly in previous posts, but I've never done an in-depth review of the site. This is in part because I've written for them only very little (enough to reach payout once) and there are many more lucrative sites out there. However, TextBroker definitely deserves more attention on this blog for being legitimate, paying, and a great place for web writing newbies to begin.

According to the website:

Textbroker is a great way to earn money by doing what you love. You don't have to be a professional writer to complete articles, however, the better you write, the more you can earn.

This is what makes TextBroker stand out from the crowd. They will hire absolute newbies with no prior experience as long as you can write clearly and concisely. The pay is rather low in the beginning, but you are able to get some experience, earn some extra cash, and the better you write, the more quickly you'll gain access to higher-paying jobs. There are some writers from WAHM.com who make the bulk of their income from this site.

How Much Does TextBroker Pay?

You will be paid by the word when you write for TextBroker. The amount you're paid is dependent upon your rating. When you apply, you'll be required to submit a small writing sample on a topic of their choosing. Once submitted, you'll be given a star rating. The average rating, and what most people begin with, is a 3.

Once you have your rating, you can go in and begin to claim assignments. There are four ratings, from 2-5. If you have a rating of three, you can claim articles in the two and three star categories. If you have a rating of four, you can claim articles in the two, three, and four star categories, etc.

The difference in pay can be substantial between stars. The 2-star articles are worth less than $0.01 per word, the 3-star articles are worth about $0.01 per star, and the 5 star articles can be worth as much as $0.03 per word. So, if you're determined to make Textbroker work for you, do your very best on the low paying jobs and get your rating up. Then, you'll be able to write many more assignments at higher prices.

Payment is made monthly via PayPal. Once you've accumulated $10, you can request a payout by the 5th of the month. All the money you earned in the month will be paid out around the 10th of the following month, as long as you have requested a payout. This means, you can hold your payments until you have a larger payout, if you like. But, you also can't forget to hit that request button, or you could miss your payment for the month.

What Type of Articles Will I Write for TextBroker?

Unlike many other content sites which hire freelance writers, TextBroker doesn't post the articles to their own website and profit from them. Instead, clients who need articles written for their own projects contact TextBroker and pay to have articles written on a variety of topics. These requests are listed on the TextBroker website for the writers to claim and write. You can choose anything you want from the list (as long as it's in your star range), and I have seen a HUGE variety of subjects available.

I have personally written articles on the benefits of fruit, exercise clothing, colon cleansing, fine art, and dog training. Most of the articles are VERY simple to write and require almost no research. Plus, if you feel that the article would be too much work for the price, you don't have to write it. Search through the list until you find something you can write quickly, and go from there. These clients don't expect a research paper for $4.50, but a general overview with a few keywords thrown in.

Also, each individual article will have it's own instructions to follow. You can look over these instructions before you decide to write the article. However, the most unique feature that TextBroker offers is the ability to receive direct orders from clients....

What Are Textbroker Direct Orders?

If you write a few articles (or even one) for a client, and they really like your work, they can request you specifically by sending you a direct order. The great thing about this is that you can set your own per-word rates. The default rate is set to $0.015 per word, but you can change this anytime you like.

You also have the ability to message the client directly and offer your services for direct orders if you feel you would be a good fit for the subject matter. This is a great, easy way to get some personal clients through the site, and is a nice introduction for newbies into writing directly for clients. Here's what the website says about Direct Orders:

A DirectOrder offers our clients the possibility to assign their orders directly to one single author. As an author, you can set your own word price for DirectOrders. You can even specify different price points for each client who wants to work with you. You can contact clients and negotiate prices using our internal messaging system.

What Else Should I Know About TextBroker?

Keep in mind that you are essentially a ghost writer when you work for TextBroker. This means that you can't use any of the articles you write as samples in a portfolio and of course, you don't own the rights to these articles. However, you can list TextBroker on your freelance writing resume.

TextBroker does not accept International Writers at this time. They are a German company, but have an office in Nevada, in the United States. This office only hires American writers to compose articles. In fact, according to this article, TextBroker currently has more than 13,000 writers on contract and is still growing rapidly and hiring nationwide.

What's The Verdict?

TextBroker is a great starting place for new web writers, and can even provide some great filler work for more experienced writers. Although the starting pay is low, you can easily get your rating up if you're a good writer. Once you're a 4 or 5 star writer, the pay rivals that of many other content sites.

The website is very simple and easy to understand. You can claim one article at a time and write as many as you like. The pay is monthly, so you'll need to be okay with that, especially if you want to make this a full time income.

Overall, I highly recommend TextBroker if you want an easy place to write, you have little experience, or you don't mind working for low pay for a bit until you get your rating up. The site is not for everyone, but they are reliable, legitimate, and pay on time every month. For more information about Textbroker, visit the Author's Page or the Author's FAQ. Good Luck!