About Writing for About.com

About.com has one of the best reputations around, for a content-style paid writing site. It's the kind of writing job that'll get you some virtual high-fives from other web writers when they hear you write there.

The web workers they look for are skilled in one of three areas:

1. Guide
2. Topic Writer
3. Video Producer

Photo credit: earl53 from morguefile.com

 About.com Guides

After extensive training in the site's editorial style, a guide is expected to provide a minium of eight articles per month, a weekly newsletter, moderating a discussion forum in exchange for what is generally considered generous compensation for an Internet writer. Guides also receive extra PR and marketing support and, as part of the New York Times family, press access.

About.com Topic Writers

Topic Writers provide content that is described asmore specialized than that prepared by Guides, but they do not have the responsibility to prepare a newsletter or moderate a discussion forum. Topic Writers are expected to write between six and ten articles per month, with a flat fee payment for the first two years and according to page views thereafter.

About.com Video Producers

Video Producers create the site's videos in exchange for a flat fee of $250 per approved video. The Video Producer is responsible for paying talent and any other expenses incurred during the video shoots.

The only real down-side to writing for, or filming for, About.com: it can be hard to get in. They pay well. They have a good reputation. That means they get to be choosy. If you decide this site might be for you, and you apply and do not get in, you can always apply again, just choose another topic or area, and reapply.