eHow is quickly becoming one of the largest sites on the Internet for both information and online publishing opportunities. The site invites anyone to write for eHow and to make a residual income from their articles for as long as they stay on the site. The articles are written in a very specific format that provides clear steps for performing actions.
The writers of eHow articles do get paid to write for the site, but the formula for determining the pay is not reveled. It is believed by many freelance writers to be a percentage of the revenue brought in by each article. Some articles may not earn at all while others can earn the writer hundreds over several months.
eHow Format
eHow writers write a summary about their article, describing the main points that will be covered. Once this is entered, there are boxes for a series of steps that will make up the bulk of the article. There are a minimum of three steps for any eHow article, but the article writes can extend the number of steps to as many as are needed to walk readers through the process.
After the steps there are sections for tips and warnings that go along with the subject matter. Anything in the article that could be dangerous should come with precautions in the warnings section. Any additional tips for the reader that didn't fit into the how-to steps are written into the tips section.
To give eHow readers another place to learn more about the topic, the writers have the option of adding a helpful url into the resources section. The writer then chooses the best category for the article and submits it to eHow for inclusion in their voluminous how-to website.
eHow Style
The style of eHow articles is generally AP style, though the site doesn't hold its freelance article writers to a strict style. The site does recommend that each of the steps begin with an action word that will keep the steps short and to the point. eHow recommends no more than a few sentences for each step, but there is no limit on the length of each step.
eHow Payment
Like many content sites, eHow pays its writers with a portion of each article's revenue. The minimum payment amount is $10, and payments are made monthly through PayPal. For eHow writers who don't make the minimum $10 payment amount after six months, the amount in the writers account will be paid to them in January of the next year.
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