Thanks for stopping by to read my iWriter review.
You may be an experienced freelance writer or looking for your first writing assignment. And you know the freedom and flexibility of working from home is better than the worry and stress of working a job.
As a freelance writer myself, I agree.
When starting out though, the challenge is finding a good writing gig. Platforms like iWriter can be a great help.
Of course, not all platforms are legit.
Maybe you're still stuck at your job, trying to break free and getting nowhere. It's frustrating. Especially if you've got bills to pay and debt weighing you down.
Is it really possible to work from home? To start your day peacefully and live life your own way.
I had my suspicions too.
In this review, I'll discuss what iWriter does, how it works, and if you can actually earn a full-time income at home. I'll also explain why some have concerns about iWriter being a scam.
Here are the specific topics I'm going to cover:
- What is iWriter?
- Is iWriter Legit?
- How Does iWriter Work?
- iWriter Reviews and Complaints
- What I Like About iWriter
- What I Don't Like
- Where Do You Go From Here?
Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not a member or an affiliate for iWriter. This review has been researched with information and/or testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and/or conclusions are strictly opinions and may not apply to, or agree with, all persons or situations. See full disclaimer for more info
What Is iWriter?
iWriter is a marketplace for writing services. They connect freelance writers with clients and vice versa.
Founded in 2011 by CEO Brad Callen, iWriter is located in Carmel, Indiana.
Unlike similar platforms that require bidding, writing jobs are readily available on iWriter. Once inside, you can pick your projects from a list of available assignments on your dashboard.
Is iWriter Legit?
I've been a freelance writer for more than ten years, and as you might imagine, the number of scams I've encountered seems countless.
Maybe you've encountered many too.
So it's normal to think iWriter might be a scam. It's good to be skeptical.
When evaluating an online platform or make-money site, one of the first things I look for is an actual owner or founder. Is there a real person who is accountable? Someone who is proud of what they created.
In iWriter's case, there is. The founder (Brad Callen) is an actual person.
The next thing you want to know is whether it's been around for a while. Scams rarely survive. They may change names and evolve, but they don't last without rebranding or going after a new audience.
IWriter has been around for more than 10 years, saying something about its legitimacy.
They also have a decent online presence, which is a good sign. iWriter's Facebook account has roughly 8,500 followers, and they are responsive to messages.
iWriter is not a scam. That doesn't mean there are no negative reviews or scam accusations, which I'll discuss further below. As a freelance writing platform though, they are what they say they are; a legit article writing service.
It's not unusual to hear someone call freelance writing in general a scam though. Not because it's an actual scam, but because the pay when starting out is low and finding jobs when you're a new writer can be hard. It's a competitive market.
If writing is what you enjoy doing, don't give up. You can also earn money between writing gigs as I have on survey sites like Survey Junkie and Inbox Dollars. Of course, online surveys won't pay as much as what you can eventually earn as a freelance writer, but they're an effective alternative source of income.
If a full-time income is what you want, an online business is another option.
You may be at home with children to look after or have health difficulties that make your regular job a challenge.
If that’s the case, knowing how and where to get started is what you need in order to get what you want.
Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here
How Does iWriter Work?
You may be a freelance writer, or a client buying articles (known on iWriter as a “requester”).
How iWriter works for you depends on which one you are…
For Writers:
A quick overview of how iWriter works for writers is…
1. Register for an iWriter account.
2. Choose an article or topic to write about.
3. Work on your writing project.
4. Submit your work.
5. Get paid upon approval (you won't get paid if your work is rejected).
According to iWriter (image below), you can earn up to $80 for a 500-word article.
I'm skeptical about this, and I'll explain why in a moment…
Before I get too far ahead, new writers can only write simple articles. To move up a level, which comes with greater reward, you must finish 30 articles and achieve a 4-star rating or better.
If you average 4.6 stars (or above), you'll be invited to the elite writer's group. There you'll have access to projects from three tiers – Standard, Premium, and Elite.
If your average rating exceeds 4.85, the Elite Plus projects will become available.
iWriter Writer Application
iWriter used to accept writers/applicants from all over the world. However, at this time, iWriter is only accepting applicants from the following countries:
- North America
- South America
- Europe
- Australia
- Asia
Depending on when you're reading this review, this could change.
You first need to send an application form with your name and email to register an account. You also need to answer a few simple questions, such as how/where you heard about them.
Their application process also includes some short tests.
Currently, they have these two tests for you to complete:
- You'll need to tell iWriter about yourself and why you'd like to apply to their platform. This is a common interview question, but the real test is writing your answer in English (200 words), so they can evaluate your writing skills.
- You are given another question, which is currently, “what is the number one way for a business to become successful in Social Media marketing? Again, you're required to answer this in 200 words using English. You'll also need to pass their plagiarism check, which shouldn't be a problem if you're doing the test correctly.
For Clients (Requesters/Employers)
iWriter for clients works much like other platforms. You submit writing projects, and writers pick them up.
What's unique however, is that writers simply submit completed articles rather than applying for the job first.
For example, on sites like Textbroker, or WritersAccess, writers apply with a pitch and a portfolio. You must choose them for the project before they begin.
To get started, choose “Order Content” from the top menu. You will be greeted with a video walking you through the ordering process as well as a request to add funds.
Once you've added funds (and watched the video if it's your first time), choose “Next” and fill out the content order form.
For the most part, the order form is simple…
Choose what you would like from the dropdown menu (by clicking the down arrow shown above in the “What would you like?” section.
The options are:
- Article
- Rewrite
- SEO Optimized Article
Next, pick from a list of options in the article category dropdown menu.
The current categories include:
Alternative Energy
Arts and Entertainment
Automotive
Business
Cancer
Communications
Computers and Technology
Environmental
Fashion
Finance
Food and Drink
Health and Fitness
Holidays
Home and Family
Home Based Business
Home Improvement
Insurance
Internet and Businesses Online
Legal
Medical
News and Society
Pets
Photography
Real Estate
Recreation and Sports
Reference and Education
Relationships
Science and Technology
Self Improvement
Shopping and Product Reviews
Sports
Transportation
Travel and Leisure
Writing and Speaking
Continuing with the order form, you'll then need to choose the number of articles you need written, the word count, and the quality level.
These options will determine the cost (as shown below)…
Make sure to provide your writer with detailed instructions. The more precise, the better.
It not only helps them write a better article, but it will also save you a tremendous amount of time during the approval process.
If you're new to iWriter, you won't have a list of specific writers to submit your work to. But I recommend that you build a list.
It's much easier to submit work to a dozen or more proven writers than to sift through mediocre articles written by writers you may have already rejected.
Finally, place your order.
iWriter is a busy platform, and you will likely have articles submitted within a few hours. You have three days (72 hours) from when they are submitted before they are auto-approved.
If approved, funds are transferred to the writer, so you need to be attentive to incoming submissions.
Writing for iWriter
Once accepted, you can start writing immediately. Here are the steps to get started:
- Log in, open your account, and click on the “Write Content” button.
- You'll see all available jobs with different labels (Standard, Premium, Elite, Elite Plus). As a new writer, you can accept the Standard level jobs.
- When choosing a job, you can check out the reviews for that particular requester. Like you, they also have a star rating. Personally, I would only take projects from requesters with at least a 4.0-star rating.
- You can also check out each requester's approval-rejection rating. Keep in mind you won't get paid for rejected work, and like all freelance platforms, some clients just have a habit of rejecting work. And not always for a valid reason. Therefore, my recommendation is to only accept writing jobs for requesters with a 90% approval rating or higher when possible.
- Once you find a particular project you're interested in, click on the plus (+) sign beside the project name.
- When the project description opens, click on the “Special Instructions” button to make sure you fully understand what the requester wants.
- Check on the turnaround time to make sure you're able to meet their deadline. Typical turnaround times are:
– 2 hours for a 300-word article
– 3 hours for a 500-word article
– 5 hours for a 1,000-word article - Next, click on the “Write Article” button.
- Once your article is written, submit your work to the requester through the iWriter platform.
- Wait for your article to be accepted (requesters are given 72 hours to accept or reject your work).
iWriter Jobs
Since iWriter is exclusively a writing platform, you won't find various freelance jobs. iWriter projects are limited to:
- Writing articles (basic and SEO optimized)
- Re-writing articles
- Writing ebooks
The amount of money you can make depends on the type of work you do and your current rank.
The ranking system has 4 levels or tiers:
- Standard – As an iWriter newcomer, you'll start with the Standard rank. As mentioned earlier, iWriter will evaluate your first 30 jobs to determine if you're qualified for the higher levels.
- Premium – You'll need an overall average of not less than 4.0 to qualify for iWriter's Premium writing projects.
- Elite – iWriter's Elite writers need to maintain an average of 4.6.
- Elite Plus – The highest-paid writers, Elite Plus, need to have an average rating of 4.85 and above.
Of course, your earnings will increase as your rank increases.
As I mentioned a moment ago though, I would question their claim of making $80 per 500-word article, and here's why…
In the image above, the current rate for an Elite Plus 500 word article is $39. So if that's the case, how do you earn $80?
I know I've never made $80 on iWriter for 500 words, but with that said, $39 isn't a terrible rate either. But, of course, that's what requesters pay iWriter, not what iWriter pays writers.
It's their platform, so they take a cut…
iWriter Fees
It's not wrong for iWriter to make money. Still, as a writer, I can't help but feel a little bitter when they (or any freelance platform) only pays me a percentage of what the client pays.
You may feel that too. After all, it's you doing all of the work on that particular project, right?
Of course, I know intellectually they (the platform) deserve their fee. If not for iWriter, for example, I wouldn't have the job in the first place.
But it's also painful knowing how much the client is willing to pay and how much I could earn if I worked for them directly. Still, that doesn't change the fact that iWriter must get paid to stay in business. All things being equal, we are lucky to have these freelance platforms.
On a side note, having done this for so many years, I now work directly with most clients and rarely use freelance platforms. It wasn't always that way though.
Anyway, iWriter's fees seem to change from time to time, and the rates are vague. Or at least unconfirmed.
At one time, they apparently paid as much as 81% of the article cost. Today, it seems writers only receive 65%.
If you're currently writing for iWriter and these rates sound incorrect, please let me know, and I'll update this review.
Additional iWriter fees include promotion fees or reading fees. These are fees paid to iWriter to evaluate your writing for quicker acceptance into the higher paying ranks. Reports indicate these fees range from $150 to $200.
All of this, of course, begs the question… how much can you make on iWriter?
How Much Can You Make on iWriter?
The amount of money you make on iWriter will depend on your rank and the number of words you write. There are various income claims online, but I wouldn't take them as fact. At least, not with respect to your specific earnings.
Instead, they provide a guide as to what you can expect.
According to multiple sources, iWriter pay is roughly $2.50 per 500-word article for Standard writers, $4.00 per 500 words for Premium writers, and $8 per 500 words for Elite level writers.
Elite Plus writers will earn significantly more, although I suspect the Elite Plus projects are harder to come by.
From what I've inferred online, iWriter doesn't seem like a platform commonly used to find the highest quality writers.
That doesn't mean you won't find any Elite Plus jobs, but they may be too few and far between to make this your full-time gig.
Clients who use platforms like iWriter are typically looking for an inexpensive writing service. Not always, but in the years I've been doing this, it's been my experience.
The best way to increase your earnings as a writer is to improve your writing skill. Whether clients are looking on iWriter or other platforms for the best writers, I can't say for certain. But what I do know is that there is big demand for great writers.
If becoming a great writer isn't what you want though, and all you're really looking for is some extra spending money, survey sites like Survey Junkie and Inbox Dollars are the easiest way to earn it.
They're also a good first step if you've never made money online before.
For those who are interested in earning significant money online, an online business may be your best option. Online businesses are not for everyone, but you may be at home with children or dealing with health difficulties and earning a full-time income from home is the best option.
If that’s the case, knowing how and where to get started is what you need in order to get what you want.
Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here
Also, as mentioned earlier, you can expedite your acceptance into the iWriter higher ranks for a fee ($150 – $200). iWriter will give you three articles to write and rate your performance on those articles.
Be aware, though, there is no guarantee you'll be awarded a higher rank.
I have read some not-so-flattering reviews about this process. One is that previous works were also considered in the rating process (in addition to the three test articles).
To be fair, I can't say I disagree entirely with iWriter on this. As much as they want to look after their writers, they must also satisfy their clients. Upgrading a writer's rank based only on test articles may not accurately assess the work they will deliver to clients.
How Does iWriter Process Payments?
iWriter currently uses PayPal, and they have a minimum payout threshold of $20.
They pay on Tuesdays for the previous week's earnings.
iWriter will also forfeit your pending payments (if it's below $20) when and if you close your account.
Getting Banned on iWriter.com
Based on iWriter's Terms of Service, they can terminate or cancel your account without notice.
Should this happen, any unclaimed payment/balance on your account will be forfeited. In the real world, I'd question the legality of this, but in the online world that transcends borders, those are the terms of service you must agree with.
At least in practice, if not in principle.
I know it's time-consuming, frustrating, and often confusing, but you should always read the terms of service whenever possible.
Some notable reasons that could get you banned are:
- Plagiarism. iWriter uses plagiarism checkers like Copyscape. If you copy your work from someone else and your requester files a complaint to iWriter, you risk having your account terminated.
- Unacceptable articles due to low quality of work.
- Spun articles.
- Not following the client's instructions.
- Consistently low ratings (below 3.5).
- Sending abusive messages to other iWriter members.
- Work with iWriter clients off-platform.
- Outsourcing your iWriter projects.
iWriter Reviews and Complaints
Like most companies, the reviews of iWriter are a mix of positive and negative.
BBB Reviews
iWriter currently has a C+ rating on BBB, with no reviews and only 2 complaints.
Regarding the two complaints, one is from 2019 and the other from 2017. So, although worth mentioning, they may not be relevant today.
I'm actually impressed that there are only two complaints. iWriter has been around a long time. If there were any widespread issues or common grievances, you would expect significantly more complaints.
For the sake of being thorough, however, one was from a requester who said there were bugs in iWriter's system and complained about their poor customer service.
The other complaint was from a writer who paid a $200 reading fee to have their writing evaluated so they could accept special assignments. However, they encountered problems during a site update and no longer had access to those projects.
According to the complainant, to further add fuel to the fire, this issue was amplified by frustrating customer support.
In the end, it seems the issue was resolved.
Again, two complaints in over ten years should not deter you from working with iWriter. In fairness to those who have struggled with the platform, though, customer support seems to be a recurring issue based on the dozens of iWriter reviews I've read.
Facebook Reviews
iWriter, at one point, had an overall rating on Facebook of 4.8 out of 5 (based on 50 reviews) before Facebook modified their review/ranking system.
These positive reviews however, came from requesters rather than writers.
The positive reviews mention good quality articles at affordable prices and working with great people on the platform. While these reviews are not directly from writers, they speak to iWriter's screening process and management of writers.
The takeaway from these Facebook reviews is that iWriter seems to work for many people. Where there are happy clients, you will often find happy freelancers.
What I Like About iWriter
- iWriter is another legit platform for freelance writers to make some money.
- It's easy to join iWriter and get accepted.
- iWriter pay is decent enough for new freelance writers. Depending on where you live, it won't likely replace your job income, but everyone needs to start somewhere.
What I Don't Like
- 30 highly-rated works to qualify for promotion to the Premium level. I can't help but wonder if this is iWriter's way of getting as much work as possible from good writers who are stuck at the Standard level… but that's pure speculation. I don't know it to be true.
- While their highest-ranking level (Elite Plus) pays well, I suspect there are few Elite Plus jobs (relative to the number of writers competing for them).
- Reading fees to have your work evaluated and considered for higher-paying gigs.
Where Do You Go From Here?
I know you want to make money from home, and I can say, based on my own experience, that writing is a great way to do it.
Whether it's to replace a job you hate or generate extra income to pay off debt and catch up on bills… I can relate.
And having read many iWriter reviews on the web, both positive and negative, it seems clear that they've improved throughout the years. Their screening process has gotten better, along with their customer service.
I've written for many platforms and clients, and iWriter may be the quickest way to get started.
Eventually, you'll want to work with clients directly or write for yourself, and iWriter is an excellent first step on that journey.
And it's usually the first step that's the hardest…
You might be a student in school or a single parent at home. You may have a medical issue that makes regular work difficult or maybe you're just tired of working for someone else…
If that's the case, an online business may be your second (or third or fourth) step.
With all the scams and schemes out there though, knowing how and where to get started the right way is what you need in order to get what you want.
Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here
On the other hand, if you’re just looking for a simple way to make some extra spending money as many are, legit online survey and get-paid-to sites are a good way to get started.
Sites like Survey Junkie will pay you for your opinion and Inbox Dollars offers rewards for doing things like watching videos, visiting websites and searching the web.
They won't replace your job, but like iWriter, they can be a good first step if you've never made money online before.
I hope my iWriter review has been helpful and if you have any comments, questions, or experience with iWriter, please share in the comments section below.
Thre’s no work on there anymore. Waste of time.
From one writer to another, great article! I’ve been a freelance content writer for over 12 years now. I use Upwork which has given me access to some great clients and wonderful human beings. Not many downsides.
But thanks for sharing these pearls of wisdom. It is valuable advice, especially to those who are just stepping into the world of freelancing and possibly content writing.
Keep up the good work!