Contract terminated for no good reason. Glorified content mill that pays terribly and controls your hours. - Freelance Writer Static Media Employee Review

1.0
Sep 11, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Nothing at all. This is not even a reputable enough publication for me to mention the work I did for them on my resume. I'm embarrassed to have associated my name with Static Media. Wish I had read these fellow Glassdoor reviews first!

Cons

--The hours are not flexible, contrary to how their freelance jobs are advertised. You have to work a minimum of 10 hours/week, in 3-hour blocks, during which block you are expected to produce 500 words. Sure, you can work more, but not less. Their job postings are full of misrepresentations, as was the onboarding experience. --The pay is terrible. $21/hr - after taxes, that's barely $15/hr. Doing the math and considering word count, that's $45/hr after taxes to write 500 words...so, 9 CENTS per word. Terrible! --As the title of this review suggests, they are not a reputable publication. Don't make the same mistake as me and associate your name with them. The topics (as a News Writer for House Digest, at least) you get to choose from include subjects like: "How to use paper towel rolls for extra storage in your closet" and "This household cleaner will help you get rid of bedbugs forever" or, my personal favorite, "How to use bleach to get rid of weeds on your lawn." Seriously. They're recommending the use of a harsh cleaning chemical on grass. The content is ridiculous and is often misinformation that is "researched" by simply copying what other publications are writing about, and all the content you will produce is merely to drive SEO to their ad-filled, clickbait website. It's a recycling plant for words, basically. A content mill. --Unprofessionalism abounds. My contract was terminated in such a way as I've never experienced in my career. Completely unprofessional management. I had to reach out to 4 people before I got an answer (other than a bland, impersonal email) as to what their reasoning was. There was no real reason, and I was not contacted a single time by any editors regarding the reasons they claimed to have let me go. How can someone amend a mistake without being aware they made one? --The people on your "team" will hide behind chipper voices and constant Slack messages with photos of their pets and talk about how we're all part of the "family." As a rule of thumb: run far, far away from any organization who claims to be a family. They are not - they are promulgating an environment of unfairly low pay for what the job requires. It's not just writing, it's research, which is not factored into your pay. Avoid avoid avoid!

Explore other reviews about Static Media

5.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The Culture is Unmatched: From day one, the environment at Static has been incredibly welcoming and collaborative. There is a genuine lack of ego here; everyone from junior devs to upper management is accessible and willing to help you succeed. Autonomy and Trust: Management actually trusts you to do your job. There is very little micromanagement and unnecessary company bureaucracy . You are given ownership of your projects, which has allowed me to grow professionally at a much faster rate than at my previous companies. Smart, Driven Team: You are surrounded by brilliant people who are passionate about what they do. It’s an inspiring place to work because everyone is constantly pushing the envelope and looking for innovative solutions. Great Perks & Flexibility: The remote-first flexibility genuinely supports a healthy work-life balance. Burnout is actively discouraged, and work life balance is respected.

Cons

Fast-Paced Environment: Because Static is growing so quickly, things change fast. If you prefer a highly predictable, rigid corporate routine, the speed of adaptation here might be a adjustment. However, the teams handle these scaling shifts with great communication.

2.0
Apr 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Occasionally fun topics. Scheduling flexibility. Remote work. Money for words.

Cons

After a few months you may be lulled into the sense that all the complaints in the freelance community are just whiny or entitled or coming from unskilled writers. Then you'll get an editor who makes a litany of nonsensical revision requests, demands citations on common sense assertions, and seems incapable of reading above a sixth grade level. Once you make the requested revisions, they'll publish your article with a whole slew of new grammatical errors you didn't make. Then they'll fire you for not meeting their "quality standards." They don't have quality standards. They have a mindbumbingly pointless churn and burn content mill business model. The editors are so completely different and inconsistent that you'd have to know which one you're writing for in order to submit a piece that doesn't get sent back for revision. And you never know who you're going to get. Often, it's more than one. Getting pieces sent back for revision isn't part of the editorial process here; it's grounds for termination. If you're desperate for work, sure, take a role here. Just don't count on keeping it. One day you're getting shout outs from the editors on your good work. The next day, you're just out.

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