The Full Text of Today's Site Update Email

With much anticipation, the new WriterAccess platform launched earlier today.

While the effects of COVID-19 are top of mind, we felt that now would be the time to showcase the significant upgrades and workflow improvements that we can all get to know.

Please offer your feedback, and report any bugs using the "Feedback" button in the platform.

Below are some answers to questions we compiled in the last few days from writers.

Do reach out with any questions, and I’ll try and get right back to you.

Look for more updates soon.

Byron

New Platform FAQ

Q: If I have a problem with the new platform, what should I do?
A. Please use the orange FEEDBACK button to report bugs, ask questions, or share feedback along the way to mastering the new process and workflow.

Q: What’s up with garage space and crowd orders?
A. After much debate and feedback from the community, we decided to continue the garage space as a fair distribution for orders and income.

Q. Is there garage space with solo orders?
A. No. Clients can send you unlimited Solo orders. Garage space does not apply to Solo orders.

Q: How many orders will I be able to reserve on the new platform?
A: Every writer, regardless of star level, will be given 5 garage spaces for Crowd orders and 5 garage spaces for Love List orders. This means that you are able to pick up 5 Crowd List orders and 5 Love List orders at a time. Just like before, you are still able to reserve an unlimited number of Solo orders.

Q: What counts as an order taking up a garage space?
A: Garage spaces are only taken up by in-progress orders. That means that if you are waiting for client approval on an order, this order will not be taking up a space in your garage. Just like before, topic pitches that are pending approval count for one-third of a slot.

Q: Would you remove a writer if they "outsource" content they "pickup" at WriterAccess?
A: Yes. Any and all writers that do not complete the work themselves and outsource work to anyone, anywhere, anytime, will be terminated immediately.

Q: What happened to the forum, I can’t find it in the new platform?
A: Many writers valued our forums—the place to learn, collaborate and connect with freelancers and friends. But without leadership and community support, the boards have become often harmful to other members and the WriterAccess brand. Our goal is to bring on a community manager soon to help provide the support and leadership we need to make the community prosper. They’ll look to you to make the decision on the best strategy to connect everyone once again, to collaborate and learn.

Q. Can you explain how the new Solo Order system works to accept or reject orders?
A. You have two choices with a Solo Order that must be executed within 24 hours:
1. Accept the order with requirements, and deliver to the best of your ability, even if the client does not answer your questions that may follow.
2. Reject the order by clicking "Not Interested" with an explanation as to why you are not interested. For example, price, instruction clarity required, delivery extension requests, word count too low, price not aligned with work requirements, or anything else, and the order will return to the client for consideration. Using the "Not Interested" will open up communication opportunity in your InMail, so be on the lookout.

Q: What happens if you need clarification and a client doesn’t get back to you?
A: When you "check out" an order in the new platform, you agree to deliver the order to the best of your ability, even if a client does not answer your questions or request for clarification. You may, however, submit a help desk ticket, and someone from our team will try to get a hold of the client to get your questions answered. We suggest you do your best to interpret the client’s instructions and complete the order, without any penalty should your assumptions be inaccurate.

Q: Will I be penalized for asking a client directly for an extension if they grant the extension with no issues?
A: In the new platform, extension requests are between you and the client. This means it is up to the client as to whether or not they want to grant an extension. However, if you are constantly asking for extension requests, the client may feel as though you do not have the bandwidth to handle their assignments, especially if it is a new client you have not worked with before. Clients will let us know when writers request too many extensions, and writers who abuse extension requests will be penalized.

Q: How does order pickup work for Love List orders?
A: You should only pick up an order if you are able to submit the order by the deadline. Solo orders are the only type of orders that allow you to communicate with the client before picking up the order. If you decide to pick up a Love List order and you have questions about the assignment, you can ask the client directly through WA mail. However, you are still responsible for delivering the order on time. If the client doesn’t get back to you in a timely manner, be sure to submit a help desk ticket for assistance communicating with the client.

Q: Do we still have a grace period to view order instructions before we claim an order? Is the one-hour window to return an order going away?
A: Yes, there is still a one-hour window to return an order without penalty if you decide you do not want to or cannot complete it.

Q: Will I still be able to pause for client assistance? If not, how do I get client assistance/clarification?
A: No. You no longer have the option to pause an order for client assistance. Based on client feedback, we’ve found that many clients prefer to let the writer make decisions about the content rather than pushing the deadline further back every time they have a question.
If you need client clarification when working on an order, simply message the client directly through WA mail with your questions. If the client doesn’t respond in a timely manner, you can submit a help desk ticket to get assistance reaching the client, but your responsibility to deliver the project on time continues.

Q: How does negotiating rates work with the new system? Would I pick up the order and then negotiate rates?
A: No. You should not pick up an order that you cannot deliver according to the order’s current specifications, including pay rates. If you want to negotiate rates on a Solo order, you can use the "Not Interested" button and communicate your pay rates with the client beforehand. The order then becomes inactive, and they can re-launch it with the proper pay rate if they agree to your terms. If not, they will assign to another writer that fits within their budget.

Q: How does the topic pitch system work now, and the deadlines?
A: Topic pitches are changing with the new one-deadline system. The 24-hour countdown with topic pitches will now start from the time that the order is launched—NOT from the time that a writer reserves the order. If you are not able to submit a pitch by the pitch deadline, then you should not reserve the order. The amount of time that it takes for the client to approve a topic pitch will be added to the final order deadline.
For instance, if a client launches a topic pitch request on Monday at 4 p.m., the topic pitch will be due by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, regardless of when the writer reserved the order. If a writer was to reserve the order at noon on Tuesday, they would have 4 hours to submit a pitch.
If the final order deadline is initially at 5 p.m. on Friday, and the client takes 24 hours to approve the pitch, then the new final deadline will be 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Q: Can you explain how it’s going to work without the "I’m interested, but…" button, I’m still a bit fuzzy?
A: There is no longer an "I’m interested but…" button. For Crowd and Love List orders, you will either reserve the order or pass on the order based on the specifications and price listed on the order details. If you reserve a Crowd or LL order and then decide you cannot complete it after speaking with the client or being unable to contact the client, you only have a one-hour grace period to unreserve the order without penalty.
For Solo orders, you can use the "Not Interested" button to let the client know that you need adjustments before reserving the order. The message that you send to the client will go straight to their WA messages. If they agree to the terms you have presented, they can relaunch the order with adjustments. If not, they can then relaunch the order and assign it to someone else who is able to complete it without adjustments.

Q: What are some of the new features in the platform?
A: Take a look around and you’ll find lots of new features, with more on the way soon.

Q: Are there any changes to the availability settings we are now able to set? (Days, times, vacation)
A: Yes. We will have much more robust availability settings that will allow writers to continue to keep clients informed on their availability.

Q: Do we still have the 10-minute wait period from the time of the email for LL orders to become available? Or are LL orders going to be available as soon as the email sends?
A: Yes, orders will still appear in the WA platform 10 minutes after they are launched. This helps us provide more fair access to interested writers while allowing the client the ability to make quick changes if they have entered something incorrectly on the order form.

Q: Tell me about the new payout options, including on-demand payouts and partial payments?
A: With the new portal, you will now have the option to get instant payouts via PayPal for any approved the work. We will charge a small fee (currently $7 which may increase depending on volume) for instant payouts to help us cover the costs of client credit card transactions and PayPal fees.
You will still be able to get regular bi-weekly PayPal payments as you do now. However, there will no longer be partial payments for when a writer finishes an order by the cut-off date but the client approves it after the cut-off date. All payments will be made based on when the client approves the order.

Q: Will there be any specific changes to the text editor?
A: We are upgrading to the latest version of the vendor’s text editor plugin. We’re also enhancing our auto-save feature to preserve unlimited snapshots, taken every 60 seconds, so that you have more protection from losing work. The auto-save history for an order is only cleared when you explicitly click the Save or Save and Submit buttons.

Q: What measures are being put into place to ensure that clients are paying for image research?
A: Customers will now be required to pay an "image research fee" of $5 ($3.50 to you) when placing orders. You’ll determine if that rate is acceptable before you reserve the order. You’ll see that we have added image libraries to your portal for quick and easy access to 250M images. If a client asks you to source images without putting it into the order instructions (thus compensating you for it), they will need to edit the order to include this fee. If they need help editing the order, you can submit a help desk ticket and ask our team to assist them with this.

Q: How does the AI-Powered Match Me Up work?
A: AI-Powered Search is a collaborative effort between WriterAccess, IBM Watson, and Cambridge University in England that uses text analysis to match your writing style with client’s samples. To be included in the service, you’ll need to complete a survey and submit samples that map to the survey. You are assigned a number with no personal information attached to your information, and your information along with other writers' samples and answers are aggregated to create the matching algorithm.

Q: How does the AI-Powered match actually work and find me work?
A: Customers now have three choices when they place an order: Love List. Solo. Match Me Up. The Match Me Up algorithm analyzes the text that the client submits, identifying the "style zone" coordinates derived from the aggregation of all of the surveys completed by our writers. The "style zone" coordinates are then used to pinpoint writers that display the order to for pickup, cycling through the best matches first then next best onward.

Q: How will profiles be reviewed for increase in star-level with the new platform?
A: Our new search result algorithms are simplified, and focus on the performance data you’ll see on your dashboard and the quality ratings for your work by customers. We’ll be building in triggers to determine when to review your star rating, and then take a look at your work, profile, samples, and customer reviews to determine a boost in the future.

Q: Will revision requests negatively impact star ratings in the new system? (Many clients see revision as part of the collaborative process and not as a negative thing.)
A: We have completely removed the first and second revision requests from impacting your star rating. We do get notified when an order gets a third revision request, but that is just for us to check in to make sure that both you and the client are communicating revision needs. If that is the workflow you and the client have, then it’s not a problem and there is no need for us to intervene. Do let us know at the help desk if a client seems to be abusing the revision process.

Q: Are there any changes to the Casting Call system?
A. We pulled the Casting Call option out of the order form, for lots of reasons. Casting Calls are now more of a recruiting option for clients that are looking for special skills, expertise and eagerness for the opportunity—symbolized in personal responses to the requirements.

Q: How will elite badges work in the new system?
A. Look for an update coming soon, for elite badges and a new system we are launching to help us market your skills to prospective customers.

Q: How is response time figured into the new algorithm?
A: Response time to messages is a part of our new algorithm. It’s less about average response time and more about how often you get back to the client within a reasonable time frame. It’s also not about being the last one to chime in on every thread, but instead about responding to new conversation threads.
It’s very important that you work to respond to clients as soon as possible. Responsiveness is one of the major factors that clients take into consideration when deciding which writers to work with. While clients that you have a relationship with may know that you typically take a day to respond to a message, new clients won’t be familiar with your workflow. If a new client reaches out to you and you do not respond for a couple of days, they may take this as disinterest.