In an uncertain economy, people may be looking for ways to increase their income, pad their bank accounts during times of lean finances, or there may be people who truly want to make a fresh start and begin working from home as an online writer.
There are essentially two main ways in which a writer can break into the field of online writing.
1. Writing for residual-income sites (like Suite101)
2. Writing for up-front pay sites.
The Differences Between Residual Income and Up-Front Pay Writing
Writing for residual income sites means that writers are paid a portion of the ad revenue that comes from each article written. There is little or no up-front pay; payment builds up over time, and some writers swear by this method. While it's still up for debate, there are other writers who claim the only way to make money writing online is to write for up-front pay websites.
Writing for up-front pay sites means that writers are paid a specific amount (usually, anywhere from $2-$30 for articles) and receive no residual income.
Another crucial difference between these two types of writing is that with residual-income sites, the writer is free to choose his/her own topics to write about. When writing for up-front pay sites, a wide range of topics are given in the form of article titles. Writers can choose which titles they want to "claim."
Information for the Novice Writer
If a writer wishes to break into the field of up-front pay writing sites, it is imperative that the writer has a resume and online clips to showcase his/her writing. For that reason, starting off by writing for residual sites is an important part of becoming an online writer. It is not the only way; some writers may wish to write articles on their own blogs. However, the following residual-income writing sites may be a good bet for writers to begin their freelance writing careers.
Suite101.com
Bukisa.com
AssociatedContent.com
Helium.com
FireHow.com
Information for the Veteran Writer
If writers already have online clips showing their ability to write good, evergreen content, they can apply to be writers for the following, legitimate, up-front paying websites:
DemandStudios.com
TextBroker.com
Life123.com
Mahalo.com
WritersResearchGroup.com
InternetBrands.com
wiseGEEK.com
Online writing is not for everyone, but for the truly dedicated writers who want to begin a freelance writing career, these companies are ones that are legitimate and offer a good stepping stone to writing gigs that pay more. Many online writers eventually are able to land high-paying gigs, both for online websites and print publications.
For more information on how to make money by writing for residual income sites, visit No Job for Mom. This is a popular blog written by Felicia A. Williams, who has been in the residual-income writing world for several years.
For more information on writing for upfront pay, visit The Freelance Home Writer, written by Willow Sidhe. She also writes about her experiences in writing for residual-income sites.
