Recently I received an email from Ashley from QualityGal. She wanted to let me know that QualityGal has revised their payment structure, and that effective November 1, their pay scale will be based on the number of links an article has as follows  (taken from Ashley’s email):

up to 29 links: $12
30-39 links: $15
40-49 links: $18
50-59 links: $21
60+ links: $25

Currently, there are no positions available for anything other than writers. When other positions become available, they will be announced via the QualityGal blog and/or Twitter.

If someone is interested in applying, they need to submit copies of the following paperwork:
-A signed copy of the Content Release form
-A signed copy of the Style Guide
-A signed copy of SEO Writing for Dummies
-A signed copy of the Non-Compete form
-A FULLY FILLED OUT (SIGNATURE INCLUDED!) W9 form (even if they are not a US citizen!)

They also need to register on our Writer Panel. mAll this paperwork can be found on the right-hand sidebar of qualitygal.com, and can be sent via fax, email, or snail mail.

I’m not very familiar with how QualityGal works so I asked Ashley if she could further explain the payment structure. I was confused because I’m used to earning money based on word count and not link count.

Ashley was patient and sent me the following info:

“…Unless otherwise stated, our articles are all roughly 500 words. We call all our assignments “articles”, but some might not fit the classic article mold you are probably thinking of – some of our assignments take the form of links lists, glossaries, and other similar formats.

The big variable from article to article are the number of links requested – we like our articles to be resourceful, and ask our writers to include links to outside (mostly) authoritative sources (such as .edu/.gov pages). An article might require 40 links, but only end up being 200 words. Finding authoritative links can be a challenge, thus our structure for payment based on number of links rather than per word…”

That made more sense to me and probably is a welcome change for those currently writing for QualityGal.

What Do They Pay?

Before I get too excited about any paying site for freelance writers I have to know how much they pay and how often. Taken straight from the QualityGal site, as of 1/1/09, below is their current pay rate:

• Editing (per article) – $2
• General articles (about 300 words) – $8
• Researched and referenced articles (about 500 words) – $12
• Blog posts – $20
• Newsletter articles – $25
• Linkbait articles – $50
• Press Releases – $50

UPDATE effective 11/1/09: Check out their Revised Payment Schedule

How Often Does Quality Gal pay?

According to their website, payments are processed weekly. The writer, however, must submit an invoice by Thursday 3:00 in order for payment to be processed by Friday. Weekly payment is a nice feature.

How Does One Apply?

After finding out what they pay and how much they pay, I figured it was time to find out how to apply.

In order to apply for QualityGal as a writer, you must complete

• The Writer’s Application
• Submit a Content Release Form.  QualityGal retains all the copyrights to your written work – in essence your work is ghost written and cannot be placed online. You can, however, include it in your off line portfolio.
• Complete and submit a W-9 Form
• Confirm that you have read their Style Guide and SEO Writing for Beginners documents
• Register on their Writer Panel

They also require a test assignment before you are approved.

Quality Gal appears to be serious about the quality of its content which I find admirable. They take their deadlines as seriously as they do proper spelling and grammar.

Maybe a little down the line when my plate is less full, I’ll give them a try. In the meanwhile, I’d love to hear from anyone who is currently writing for them.