Just a few short years ago, finding reliable, steady work-from-home writing jobs was easier said than done. Nowadays, though, there are plenty of great options. A relative newcomer to the scene is Writer Access. The increasingly popular site, which is modeled largely after Textbroker, connects various clients with writers of many different skill levels. Getting on with Writer Access is fairly easy; moving up through the ranks, though, can be a little tricky. Furthermore, the site has yet to hit its stride in terms of regular work. Still, it's well worth the consideration of any serious work-from-home mom.

What is Writer Access?

As its name implies, Writer Access gives clients access to a pool of writers. Like Textbroker, it has a job board where clients can post orders. Those orders are assigned a level of two, three, four or five; depending on your ranking, you will be able to access all or some of these orders. Although it's quite similar to Textbroker, there are many important distinctions between Writer Access and Textbroker. A few of the key similarities and differences between the two sites are highlighted below.

Similarities to Textbroker

The main thing that makes Writer Access similar to Textbroker is the fact that it acts as an intermediary between writers and clients. Clients' funds are held in a type of escrow until assignments are approved. Therefore, writers and clients are protected and don't need to worry about getting ripped off. Like Textbroker, Writer Access ranks its writers on a scale from two to five, with five representing professional-quality writing skills. Clients may also request revisions, which writers have a limited amount of time to carry out. By receiving a steady stream of high ratings, writers can move up in ranking.

Differences from Textbroker

Writer Access is not a complete carbon copy of Textbroker. The most glaring difference is that Writer Access doesn't generally have hundreds – or even tens – of orders on the open order board. In fact, it's unusual to see more than one or two of them at any given time, especially if you're not on anyone's love list – but more about that later. The pay rate for levels three and four is higher than Textbroker's rates, but there are so few orders that it really doesn't make a big difference. Additionally, writer profiles are much more elaborate on Writer Access.

Love Lists

One of the biggest differences between Textbroker and Writer Access is that the latter has what is called "love lists." Clients can handpick writers that they like and put them on these lists. When they place orders, they can specify that the orders only be released to writers who are on their love lists. The more love lists that you are on, then, the more work there is to do. To get onto a client's love list, you need to dazzle them with your skill. There is no surefire way to get onto such lists, though, so it can be confusing.

Moving Up

Most people start out at level three or level four on Writer Access. Unlike Textbroker, there's no clear explanation about how you are able to move up in the rankings. The process is explained on the site, but it is very vague and confusing. It seems that client ratings and the ratings of editors at Writer Access both come into play. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. Sometimes, clients are unnecessarily finicky or expect far more than they are paying for. Just do your best and see what happens.

Completing Assignments

Clients can specify different deadlines when they place orders. Timeframes from a few hours to several days are possible. Pay attention to the deadline before accepting an order. If you keep letting orders expire, it can adversely affect your rating. Besides, clients won't want to add you to their love lists if you continually are late with their assignments. The form for submitting orders is very simple. In some cases, keywords may be specified. If so, you can't return an order unless you have included the specified keywords. Always read through client instructions and files carefully before submitting an order.

Getting Paid

Like Textbroker, Writer Access is only available to U.S. writers. You also have to have a PayPal account if you want to receive payments from the site. Writer Access only pays once per month, which can be an issue when you are relying on the income. Also, there is not a specific pay date that is used; instead, you are generally paid sometime during the first week of the month. If you are looking for work that pays you at least twice a month, you should stick with a site like Textbroker; if you need to be paid more frequently still, give Demand Media Studios a shot.

Communicating with Clients

It is very confusing to communicate with clients on Writer Access. The main issue is that clients don't have ID numbers or names. You can't just select a client from a list. This can create problems when you'd like to ask a client a question but don't have an order open for them. Once you have an order open for a client, though, you can attach messages to it. This isn't a very intuitive way to communicate and it's tricky to market yourself through messages within the site.

Is Writer Access a perfect writing opportunity? No. Is it a worthwhile option to explore? Absolutely. There is nothing wrong with keeping your options open. By checking in a few times a day, you should be able to earn a little money through the site. There's virtually no way to earn a substantial, full-time income through Writer Access, so it's important to stay active on other sites. As time goes on, though, the site could grow in popularity. If you get on enough love lists, you could also start earning considerable amounts of money through the site; only time – and effort – will tell.