Hello, FWG readers! This post is a little outside of my normal approach to freelance sites, and that’s because I have a little confession to make: I’ve kinda been keeping WriterAccess to myself. It’s an amazing platform, and frankly I didn’t want to flood it with new applicants and risk crowding myself out of my own job, even it was for the greater good. However, since so many new writers are coming on board there and hitting the WA forums for answers, I figured it was high time to write a guide on my favorite freelance writing site.
Planning on applying to WriterAccess? Please let me know if I steered you that direction, and please mention that Delany M. sent you! I don’t get any $ for doing this blog, and a few referral bonuses would go a long way in the WordChick household – THANK YOU! ❤
Here are the basics:
- WriterAccess accepts American writers only. (Sorry, overseas friends!) You will need an SSN to apply there, and you will also need to fill out a W-9 form. Get the jump on that W-9 requirement by filling one out, scanning it, and having it ready as a file to email.
- WriterAccess rates its writers from 2 to 6 stars, similar to the rating tiers at sites like HireWriters,
Voldemort.com“The Site That Shall Not Be Named” and Textbroker. When you first apply, the highest you can be rated entering in is a 5, though most applicants will land at a 4 or below, so don’t be discouraged! That coveted 6 star is earned over time through professional, high-quality work, which we’ll discuss a little more at length later. Think of 2 stars as “Cats are pets you will like to have around.” and 6 stars as more of “If you’re considering adopting a pet, felines are a smart option for even the busiest household.” - WriterAccess pays twice a month, and only pays through Paypal, so you must have an account. Check out the graphic below to get a better idea of how it works:
For work submitted between 12:01 am EST on the 1st of the month through 11:59 pm on the 15th and accepted by the client without a revision request that falls after that cutoff time, you’ll get paid out sometime between the 22nd-26th. (“Period A” / Green in the graphic above)
For work submitted between 12:01 am on the 16th through 11:59 on the 30/31st and accepted by the client without a revision request that falls after that cutoff time, you’ll get paid out sometime between the 7th-11th. (“Period B / Blue in the graphic above)
Why the range? WriterAccess is at the mercy of Paypal’s slow-as-syrup transfer times when shifting over the money to pay us. The 11th/26th end dates for the range come pretty often because, unsurprisingly, Paypal likes to hold onto money so it can earn interest.Bear in mind that, as of this writing, we will never be paid on weekends – so if those end dates fall on a weekend, you can pretty reliably plan to get paid on the Friday prior.There are no specific times of day we get paid, and they can vary from early in the morning to late at night with no indication beforehand, so be prepared for that. You can read more about it in the WriterAccess Writer FAQs.
WriterAccess absorbs the Paypal fees, so what you see in your on-site dashboard is exactly what you’ll be paid. They also take their 30% site cut of earnings out before the rates even display to writers, so you’ll never need to do math to figure out what’s coming to you – what you see is what you’ll get!
Ready to learn more about this awesome platform? Part 2 is now up!
The Freelance Writer Guide 