ZenPlus is recruiting freelance writers who specialize in Japanese culture!
Do you have:
- A passion for and mastery of Japanese culture and society?
- A knack for weaving stories that can entertain, engage, and educate?
- A deep understanding of SEO, or a willingness to learn about it?
If so, we've got the perfect gig for you!
Read on to find out how you can be paid to simply write about your passion as a ZenPlus Japanese culture specialist!
Contents
Write for ZenPlus
ZenPlus is a rapidly growing online marketplace in Osaka, Japan. We're a part of the popular ZenMarket shopping proxy umbrella, connecting Japanese sellers and communities with users around the world.
To help us achieve that goal, you'll write blog posts, personal editorials, and other articles about your chosen area of Japanese culture and society (see below for a list of example specializations).
Your collection of original, tailor-made posts will entertain, engage, and educate users -- and help them evolve from casual readers to Japanese culture aficionados like yourself.
Ready to help grow the community? Read on to find out what specializations are available!
Writing specializations
As a freelance Japanese culture specialist, you'll be able to pick from one (or more!) of the following areas:
- Anime & manga (ideally both current and classic series)
- Japanese games (video games, trading card games, etc.)
- Kawaii culture (Rilakkuma, Sanrio, Sylvania Families, etc.)
- Traditional Japan (kimono, tea ceremony, arts & crafts, etc.)
- Japanese cuisine (snacks, sweets, ramen, sake, etc.)
- Japanese beauty products (cosmetics, haircare, etc.)
- Japanese fashion (streetwear, cosplay, gothic lolita, etc.)
- Japanese fishing gear (Daiwa, Shimano, etc.)
- Luxury goods (designer bags, Japanese watches, jewelry, etc.)
- High-end goods (Japanese cameras, appliances, guitars, tennis rackets, etc.)
The great part about choosing a specialization yourself, of course, is that you won't be inundated with writing requests for fields you're completely unfamiliar with. We want this writing gig to be fun for you too, obviously!
Of course, if you have expertise in multiple specializations, feel free to let us know too.
Project workflow
Here's a quick overview of the sort of workflow you can expect when writing for ZenPlus.
Step 1: Batch Request
At regular intervals we’ll request a batch of 2-3 articles related to your designated specialization. We'll generally provide you with topics, sub-topics, and keywords to cover in each batch, but feel free to pitch your own ideas too!
Batches will have overarching themes so you won’t have to change gears between articles, plus ideally a logical progression to cover the entire customer journey.
Ex: Kimono batch (kimono culture intro blog → best patterns listicle → store spotlight)
Step 2: Submission & Feedback
Submit your completed story or article to us by the deadline. We'll get back to you with feedback and any requests for changes or improvements.
Note that we don't provide rewriting services, so please maintain a high level of quality in your submissions. Also, if your post is found to have inaccurate information, it will be rejected without payment. See the disclaimer at the bottom of this page for other rules and guidelines.
Step 3: Publication & Promotion
Once the final version of the text has been submitted and validated, it will be published on our blog and shared on our social networks. You'll receive your payment once the text has been approved.
Step 4: Repeat Requests
If all goes well and you end up writing an awesome piece of content for us, we'll reach out to you again with more writing requests in the future!
We would like to find writers and editors with whom we can work on a medium to long term basis.
Types of posts
We'll commission a variety of posts in each batch to keep things fun and exciting for you and our readers, as well as to prevent our content base from becoming too one-sided.
Note: Word counts indicate the desired minimum and maximum length.
Type A: 500-1,000 words
Personal stories (example), humorous editorials (example), and other light content.
Designed to entertain the reader and add a human element to ZenPlus.
Goal: Brand awareness and enjoyment via social shares
Type B: 1,001-1,500 words
Reviews (example), store spotlights (example), and other evergreen content.
Designed to engage the reader while never becoming stale or irrelevant.
Goal: Trust via social shares, Google rankings
Type C: 1,501-2,000 words
Ultimate guides (example), tutorials, and other cornerstone content.
Designed to educate the reader and help answer their questions.
Goal: Authority via Google rankings
How much does it pay?
You'll be paid a set USD rate per word, depending on your writing tier as outlined below. All writers will start out on Tier I, with the chance for promotion based on performance and other factors at our discretion.
Tier I (Starter): 0.05 USD per word
For a Type A personal story of 1,000 words: 0.05 x 1,000 = 50 USD
For a Type C ultimate guide of 1,800 words: 0.05 x 1,800 = 90 USD
Tier II (Intermediate): 0.10 USD per word
For a Type A personal story of 1,000 words: 0.10 x 1,000 = 100 USD
For a Type C ultimate guide of 1,800 words: 0.10 x 1,800 = 180 USD
Tier III (Expert): 0.12 USD per word
For a Type A personal story of 1,000 words: 0.12 x 1,000 = 120 USD
For a Type C ultimate guide of 1,800 words: 0.12 x 1,800 = 216 USD
If you live in Japan, for mutual convenience the tier rates will be 5 JPY, 10 JPY, and 12 JPY respectively.
Payments will be made via PayPal after the work is completed.
Special rate arrangements may apply if a certain topic requires extensive extra research or other skills.
Other benefits for you
There's a host of other perks that come with being a ZenPlus Japanese culture specialist. Here's just a few of them:
- Borderless: Work at home or on the go, at your own pace.
- Flexibility: Blog requests are made in advance (based on your availability) with deadlines that work for both parties. Emergencies and other personal circumstances will be taken into account.
- Direct hire: No intermediary platforms or services that take out a cut of your earnings.
- Focus on the writing: We'll insert appropriate images and store links, so you can concentrate on what you do best: write awesome content!
- Creative freedom: We're aiming for a casual, mutually beneficial arrangement. Feel free to pitch your own blog ideas as well.
Writer requirements
Here's the kind of qualities we're looking for in our Japanese culture specialists for this gig:
- Excellent command of the English language (spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, word choice, etc.)
- Passion for and thorough knowledge of your specialization
- Professionalism when it comes to communication, feedback, and deadlines
- Any sort of writing and/or SEO experience is appreciated
- Japanese language ability, even if minimal, would be appreciated
If you or someone you know fits the bill, get in touch with us and let's see how we can work together!
Disclaimer
By applying to this freelance Japanese culture specialist position, you agree to the following conditions:
- Revisions: ZenPlus reserves the right to require changes or improvements to articles as many times as necessary before accepting them for payment.
- Ownership: ZenPlus becomes the exclusive owner of the articles that you write. You will not be able to re-use the content elsewhere, either partially or in full. (It's OK to link to the content on ZenPlus as part of your writer portfolio, however.)
- Originality: Articles that paraphrase, plagiarize, recycle, or reformulate content already present elsewhere online will not be eligible for payment.
- Accuracy: Articles with unsourced, inaccurate, approximate, or outright false information will also be rejected without payment.
- Research: Depending on the nature of the work commissioned, you may find it best to supplement your writing with information not immediately known to you. Extensive research outside your usual specialization may be rewarded accordingly in the form of bonus compensation.
Apply now!
Does this freelance writing gig sound like the perfect fit for you?
If so, we'd love to hear from you!
Click or tap the button below and fill out an application today!
