I do mostly private clients. The pay difference is definitely worth it to me.
Which you choose to work for depends on your situation. If you are trying to make a career of freelance writing, I personally would lean towards private clients. If you have just a little time to write, you may prefer to write for content providers.
Generally speaking (there may be exceptions), here's how I've found that the two types of work stack up:
1. Application process - Content providers are relatively easy to work for. Many content sites accept all, or most writers. It takes a while, on the other hand, to build up a good base of private clients. Also, a private client tends to be more picky when hiring since most will only hire a single writer or a handful of writers.
2. Deadlines - Content providers usually have very broad deadlines. Some allow you to write whenever you want to and don't really work on a deadline system. Private clients tend to have very strict deadlines.
3. Difficulty of work - Content providers often allow you to choose your own topic or topics. They may suggest topics for you to write about - but usually you are not required to write about those. A private client, on the other hand, usually knows exactly what topic they want you to cover. They may even be very specific in terms of the details that they would like for you to include.
4. Contacts - Your contact at a content site may be a generic "editor," or you may have no real contact with an individual at all. At some content sites, you just post your material without going through any type of editing process. When you deal with a private client, you typically work with a specific person and the process is very interactive. The private client may request one, or more, rounds of revisions.
5. Pay - Pay for content providers is much lower. They often pay only a fraction of what a private client would pay. However, many content sites offer a continuing payment based on page views. Pay from private clients tends to be much higher, but usually there is no residual payment.
That's all that I can think of right now. BTW, I require new private clients to pay a percentage of the fee before I even start work. That way, I know that I'll be paid something. However, I second Deb's suggestion of getting an independent contractor's agreement - especially if you have a large project or will be doing a lot of work for a particular client.
That's all that I can think of now. I hope that it helps.
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