How to Write for the Yahoo! Contributor Network

Updated on: by Amy Kennedy

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UPDATE: Yahoo Contributor Network no longer accepts contributions.

Yahoo! Contributor Network is one of the few places online that will allow you to publish what you want while giving you upfront payments as well as page view or performance pay. I love writing articles, but when it comes to writing for companies like Textbroker or The Content Authority, I struggle to find words to fill the screen on the most mundane topics. While it is a great way to make money and assure I meet my monthly goal, it is like pulling my eyelashes out trying to actually do the work! I have found that I much prefer to write what I want without worrying about the expectations of others. Of course, this is why I prefer to write blogs and earn from the advertising. However, there are often times I want to write something unrelated to my blogs or things I wrote for a college course that I could take advantage of. Here is more about Yahoo! Contributing Network and how it is one place you cannot afford to forget about.

Yahoo Contributor Network went by Associated Content not that long ago. Yahoo! purchased the company and made a few changes, some for the better, some not so much. Regardless, Yahoo is a huge name and the mere thought of writing for a company so well-known can be very intimidating!  Do not let that stop you, this network is open to everyone and even you can see your name published online alongside your writing. Whether for a little extra quick money or to build a writing portfolio to use as sample work for other jobs, Yahoo is a great resource to keep handy.

Where will my articles be published?

Articles submitted to Yahoo Contributing Network will appear on the site itself, open for the public to view and find through search engine results. However, some articles may be featured on any of Yahoo’s affiliate sites! It is not common to be featured, but when you are it can really help your pay!

What type of things can I submit to Yahoo?

Nearly anything, from recipes, opinions, poems, fashion, local news, the most recent surprise left by your cat… You submit what you want. Yahoo does have a set of Guidelines you can read through, which lets you know the expectations of length and how to use an effective title and such.  While you can, for the most part, write what you want, if money is your focus then you will need to stay within some borders and write on topics that are likely to be researched often and learn the value of keywords.

What does Yahoo pay for articles published?

As I told you earlier, Yahoo is one of the few companies that offer an upfront payment as well as a performance pay. But understand the payment will be low and not everything can be submitted for upfront payment.  Yahoo only pays upfront payment on certain types of articles. They do not pay upfront for reviews (book reviews, product reviews etc.), recipes, fictional stories or poems. If you want to write for upfront pay then write things like  How To Guides and information sharing articles. Yahoo does not plan to pay us for keeping an online journal or telling the world about how much we love our children, which is why the upfront payment is limited.

Upfront payment is not usually very much. The last I checked they pay anywhere from $2-10, but all of mine have been around $3. While it does not sound like much, I don’t mind considering some of the things I have submitted were college papers and articles I enjoyed writing so much I was able to slap it together in 15 minutes or less.

However, in addition to upfront payment you can receive performance pay. The pay varies depending on the traffic you receive, the more traffic the better your pay. But it always pays at least 1.50 per 1000 views. Again, not much, but if you learn the art of promotion and understand the value search engines can hold to bringing you traffic, you can work hard to build a network that can help you earn money through Yahoo.

When does Yahoo pay for articles and how?

Yahoo pays through PayPal. Upfront payments are sent within hours of accepting an offer. The performance pay is sent out once a month, after you have earned at least $1.50. If at the end of the month you have at least $1.50 of performance pay money in your account, you will receive payments the following month, generally the second Wednesday of the month.

Is there a potential for more at Yahoo?

Yes! If you have proven yourself and your expertise in an area, you may be contacted by Yahoo to be a part of a select group called Yahoo’s Featured Contributors. The featured contributors are given assignments that they can choose from. These writers are given a minimum of $15 per submission plus performance pay.

Do I keep the rights to the articles I submit to Yahoo?

You will be given an option upon submitting articles to Yahoo as to how much of the article you want to give. If wanting upfront pay then you do give up all of your rights and cannot remove the article after you submit. You can choose to retain the rights and edit or remove later by only submitting for performance pay. This is a great option if your plan is to build a portfolio you can use to showcase your skill but may find a better use for the articles at another time, such as a place that will pay more for it or your own blog or website.

Do I have to apply and provide writing samples?

No, anyone can sign up with Yahoo! Contributing Network!

Writing for Yahoo! Contributor Network has been enjoyable for me as I take advantage of some of the ways I know to make money online. After losing my main job, I was reminded of the value in keeping small jobs available when I need them most. Yahoo  has been one of those small jobs I have decided to pursue in an effort make some money while I get things in order with my other, higher paying, jobs.

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Comments

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Lacretia

October 5, 2011 at 4:38 pm

When I saw that someone does for work at home I thought I don’t know if my writing is good enough because I prefer blogging lol but I am going to check it out.

Miranda Grimm

October 5, 2011 at 8:33 pm

Yeah I feel that initimidation factor for all the jobs I do! No matter how well versed I am, there is this fear of failure. Once you submit your first article to Yahoo, that fear is relieved…usually 🙂

Amal Chatterjee

December 20, 2016 at 4:42 pm

When I tried to sign up for the contributor to Yahoo service to post an article, nothing happens.. Why is this? I don’t care to earn but want to post something important. What is the best way.?
Thanks.

aumolc

FStewart

December 21, 2016 at 9:52 am

Unfortunately Yahoo Contributor Network no longer exists. I was shut down a few years ago.

Anna

October 5, 2011 at 4:48 pm

I have about 20 articles up there. Some I wrote for fun, some for backlinks, and some were rejects or rewrite requests I decided not to attempt at Demand and sent there instead. The upfront pay is low, but it is nice to know you still get that performance pay indefinitely. Bright Hub is another site that will also pay you both upfront and performance-based, but you don’t have as much freedom there to write whatever you want, so in that way Yahoo! is definitely much more fun to write for.

Miranda Grimm

October 5, 2011 at 8:35 pm

I agree, it is enjoyable writing for Yahoo, sometimes it is worth giving up pay to do something I like for a bit. I have not dont much work there, but plan to start submitting regularly for some back links and just to get out of the rut I seem to regularly find myself in.

Ray

December 24, 2019 at 5:33 pm

Where do I sign up? I clicked on the link but it just takes me to the yahoo main page.

Katie Jones

October 5, 2011 at 6:19 pm

I’ve always wondered about this, but was so confused. Now I feel enlightened 🙂

Jess

October 6, 2011 at 11:08 pm

I signed up the other day. We will see how this goes. Thanks, you’re always on top of it!

Joe Roberts

December 1, 2011 at 11:20 am

Here is my story:

When I first submitted articles to Yahoo, the always got rejected and were ineligible for upfront payments. So out of frustration, I decided to publish them and forgo the upfront payments. The articles were all sports-related.

After I submitted about 5 of the articles, I noticed in my Assignment Desk that there were opportunities to write sports stories that were eligible for upfront payments. After doing about 5 of them, I was offered a chance to submit an application (writing assignment) to write for my favorite college football team. It was accepted and now I am a beat writer for Yahoo and have steady work.

I almost quit in the very beginning, but am glad I didn’t. Now I am learning how to promote my articles for better viewing and SEO.

Anyway, I don’t know if my story’s typical but that’s how I did it. Now I get to work at home (I have 2 small children so it is great). And I get paid to watch sports. I’m not getting rich (yet) but it’s a nice side income.

Miranda Grimm

December 1, 2011 at 12:26 pm

Fantastic story! I have always been curious how people land those dedicated positions 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!!

George

October 19, 2016 at 2:42 pm

Cannot find where to submit articles to become a Contributor on Yahoo? Please give the link

FStewart

October 19, 2016 at 5:35 pm

I a pretty sure they do not do this anymore.

Suzanne

February 5, 2012 at 1:08 pm

I cannot find the payment terms anywhere, WHEN do you get paid, HOW SOON do you get paid, HOW FREQUENTLY do you get paid… does anyone know the answers to these questions? I’m wondering if I started now, when I would first start seeing results so I can calculate whether it’s worth my time and effort.

Thank you in advance for your response!

Miranda Grimm

February 5, 2012 at 1:15 pm

If you are referring to the upfront payment:

You submit the article, it can take up to a couple of weeks to receive an offer or be declined for upfront. Once you accept the offer, the payment is deposited into your PayPal.

I am not sure if any updates or changes have been made, but I believe with the revenue share, you are paid once a month after your account reaches at least $2.50??? I will double check and see what I can find, as well as the date they pay. Its one of those things that I never think about. I dont have many articles there and so I cannot tell you how quickly you could see a nice return.

Maybe someone with some experience who has dedicated more time to it will chime in and give you an idea.

krishna kishore

February 10, 2012 at 9:23 am

hi

I am glad to be here and be part of the network. I recently signed up of YCN. After writing the article how long it takes to publish the article and if i want to know the status of the article, how to track this. can anybody tell me how.

Elizabeth

August 9, 2012 at 11:55 am

Great and informative article, as well as responses to each of the commentators, but what is the website for the YCN, if you want to submit articles? How does one find out where all of this information is on the Yahoo website?

Jim R.

August 10, 2012 at 2:14 pm

Google search is your friend, but here’s the link to the Contributor Network signup. https://contributor.yahoo.com/signup/

Brenda Hammett

November 19, 2013 at 8:29 pm

I originally started writing for yahoo in 2008. I had a few articles published, a few rejected and a few rewrites. I began writing for them this year and decided to complete the learning academy which gave me a better insight into what they were looking for. After Yahoo Academy I submitted a few articles and even a couple of upfront paying articles. I am beginning the enjoy it and have found the more I write and continue learning the more articles I get published.

merchant

December 28, 2013 at 8:21 am

i am just wondering. can Africans also earn money from YCN? I am so much interested to do this though i don’t know if i am eligible to participate. someone advice please….REGARDS STEVE

Ralpheal Jackson

January 23, 2014 at 6:21 pm

This is pretty unique, I just wonder if Yahoo allow writers to link by to their website in their by-line or about the author section? If so, not could you earn some additional income for writing, but you can also get a super quality link from Yahoo, plus direct traffic as well.

Sam wandui

January 25, 2014 at 6:32 am

How can one from Africa be part of yahoo contributor , there is a lot one can share about African culture ,tourism spots and stories about local community .

krishnendu roy chowdhury

February 21, 2014 at 3:46 am

Hi,
I am from India, and it was nice going through your article. I was wondering whether i should use some KEYWORD GENERATOR tool for writing on topics in Yahoo or not. Your valued suggestion on this is most welcome.

Miranda Grimm

February 21, 2014 at 7:17 am

I would think researching the keywords and finding productive ones would be ideal when writing for any site. If done correctly, it will reach a broader audience if you use the wording they are more likely to be searching.

Tony

November 10, 2014 at 9:24 pm

Nice article, but it is my understanding that Yahoo shut down this service in July or August of 2014 already, something I did not see mentioned in the article.

C D

November 15, 2014 at 9:29 am

Links don’t work…is it possible above post is correct and service is shut down?

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June 16, 2015 at 3:27 pm

When I originally left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on whenever a comment
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Thank you!

Sheena Claymore

September 19, 2019 at 12:30 pm

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