The trouble with Word Mills: Writers Beware.

The truth always comes to Light

As a writer it is always in my own best interest to pay a lot of attention to what is going on in the publishing industry. 
Writers in North America may be on the move.  Discontent and unhappiness with "word mills"  in the  internet writing community is growing.  It appears to be with some  justification. 
 Such is the current state of the business of "Word Mills," incorporated publishers  that collect, grab possession of,  market, and sell written works from authors and writers.  

It is not difficult for neophyte writers to be taken into this trap.  Writers starting out need somewhere to start, a forum to publish their work in--perhaps the start of an illustrious writing career.  Submissions from new, untested and inexperienced writers are welcomed.
None of the word mills  pay much for articles --essentially pennies --for hours of work crafting beautifully-written articles, How-to Guides, and creative work including short stories, poetry and other genres of work --even if  written by the most skilled, highly qualified freelance writer.


There is a growing movement to challenge the right of publishing "word mills"  like Helium.com ,  Associated Content.com  and others to claim ownership of  the right to commandeer  a writer's copyright in perpetuity. 
Much negative feedback is occurring.  The discussion is growing, and participants should be paying attention with good reason.  
 Good writers are disgusted, packing it in and leaving. Why?   The truth always comes to light.
 
In North America, copyrights belong exclusively to the creator of a  written work or other form of creative work unless those rights are specifically SOLD to another party.  This honourable process has been thwarted. 


To allow a writer to post an article on a site for exposure and readership,  publishers like Helium, Associated Content and countless others  seize the right to a perpetual license  for free use of the author's copyright.  
The reader should pay particular attention to this  fact.    It is NOT a  "one time use" claimed,  but permanent use --and  includes  the right to sell an author's work at any time without acknowledgment or compensation.


A  "content Word Mill", can,  at it's free will, sell an absentee writer's work --and under heavily-skewed TOS,  (terms of service) NOT  be obligated -- to provide any compensation, acknowledgement or by-line.  Once an article is submitted, the writer is simply offered no choice in the matter.
  Normally a publisher is supposed to pay writers when works are sold for any purpose but this requirement can also  be easily thwarted.   Articles may be sold repeatedly--without notifying or  paying any compensation to the author.    
"Stock content" articles are sold to third party publishers and token fee of a few dollars  (i.e. $5.00)  is paid to the writer.
A small revenue share arrangement for "hits" on the articles and associated commercial ad content may also  be paid to the writer.  Such "revenue shares" may be only pennies each month--or none at all.

If a  writer chooses to dissociate himself with the site for any reason,  and is no longer considered to be  "with " the site,  that sales and revenue share is happily absorbed by the publisher, leaving the writer with no compensation or redress for earnings and for articles sold to third parties.  
Increasingly,  it appears that  TOS (terms of service) of word mills  are a very serious bone of contention.  Terms of service are usually written for the benefit of the publisher and worse yet, they can be rewritten and redefined at any time, with no input from the thousands of writers such changes affect negatively.  

Discontent with treatment of writers is becoming a serious  issue--writer discontent is growing.  The dignity and self worth of writers is being ignored;    at times core issues of  respect for the welfare or dignity of writers  even appear to be an issue.   Many writers who have been with "Word Mills" are, as a result, disheartened.   There is much negative press being generated. 

Should any publisher or content Word Mill be allowed to commandeer the right to use a copyright in perpetuity contrary to the wishes of a writer?  Here at Incoming Bytes  we  think not. 
 Recent algorithm changes in  Google's unique-content " Panda" program have also  severely reduced the income paid to writers, -- in  cases from hundreds of dollars per month to mere pennies.  
The individual reader of Incoming Bytes  must decide if they believe a "Word Mill"   increases it's  profit immensely from such changes ---while the  writers,  the producers of the valuable, marketable content, struggle and scramble in real life --to try to earn lost income --and in many cases, even a basic  living.
 Issues of trust or a questionable editing policy  are always sources of irritation and trust in any writer/publisher relationship.  Lack of respect often comes into play, creating difficult situations.
Games can be played by enthusiastic  Word Mill supporters, by  unskilled  editors, or equally by the process of malicious favoritism,  placing poor quality work  in a  higher "ranking" than superior work.   The reader should understand that "Top-rated articles" are the displayed content seen  by the visitor to any Word Mill site; lower-rated articles are usually  down-listed, hidden and thereby ignored, earning nothing.  
The fact is, the readership generates the income and the Word Mill decides which articles are convenient to read.

 Perhaps this discontent and signs of cracking in the "Word Mill" publishing industry is best summed up by the phrase:

" Word Mills no longer offer credibility and writers no longer trust you".   
 Here at  Incoming Bytes  the old adage  "the Pen is mightier than the sword"  comes to mind.  

Let the neophyte writer be forewarned. Times are changing.





That's my story and I'm sticking to it.