Online Publisher Associated Content Turns Its Back on Non-US Freelance Writers

On the 28th April 2010 online publisher Associated Content informed its non-US resident writers that from the 1st May onwards it will no longer pay them for page view performance on their articles. Non-US Associated Content writers were already prevented from receiving up-front payments for their articles, so the publisher is basically turning its back on its non-US writers entirely, with their only option being to remove all published articles from the Associated Content site and find an alternative online publisher with which to publish them.

This astonishing move is due to a change in American tax laws, which state that Associated Content must withhold a portion of any non-dom's payment, which it has unfortunately decided too costly to implement. It seems there are a few talented, non-US writers whom Associated Content deems lucrative enough to keep on its books, but the vast majority have been told to pack their bags.

Shockingly, Associated content has given its writers just two days notice that their articles will no longer earn them money for page views, despite the fact that Associated Content itself will still earn revenue generated from the advertising in place on any remaining articles. Anyone who is currently on holiday, ill in hospital or bed, or otherwise too busy to log on to their computer, will be literally handing money over to Associated Content for nothing.

The change seems especially unfair to those writers who have invested precious time and energy not only in writing the articles, but also by improving their page rank by steadily building up back-links to promote their work - only to now find they must start again from scratch elsewhere, where they may be treated in the same manner later on.

Where will Associated Content's non-US article writers go? There are plenty of alternative online publishers, but Associated Content pays its writers better than many online publishers do, and those resident in Europe - and the UK in particular - may not be prepared to write for peanuts. Some may decide they simply no longer trust online publishers to look after their interests, and that they don't want to risk doing the same hard work all over again when it might result in a similar situation.

Considering the fact that associated Content writers are often fairly well-trained regarding SEO, they might do well to consider going it alone with their own blogs, or forming groups of writers with similar interests, to blog as collectives. Whatever Associated Content's writers decide to do, this event is bound to affect the way many feel about working with online publishers in future, and perhaps freelance writing online in general.