Many online job opportunities exist for freelance writers. With a bit of ingenuity, skill and hard work it’s possible to make a nice income from writing.
Many Americans are actively searching for ways to supplement their incomes through online jobs. Working from home is an ideal way to earn some extra money for you and your family. There’s certainly no shortage of enticing offers to make tons of money working online. No honest person will tell you that you’ll start out making tons of money being a freelance writer, but it is possible to make a comfortable income from your online writing.
Article Writing
There are many Internet article markets available to online writers. Doing a quick online search will produce hundreds of sites. Some article websites require an application process and some don’t. Often, those that do require you to apply and submit either a sample of your writing or a resume are among the higher ranking, better paying article companies.
Some article networks, like Yahoo’s Contributor Network, pay an upfront fee plus revenue on an accepted article. Others pay writers a percentage of ad revenue. All article networks are not created equal. Some article sites pay a generous percentage to their writers and some severely favor the website. The good thing is that once your article is accepted and published it remains online and your potential to earn revenue never ends.
Knowing each market’s guidelines as well as your rights and responsibilities as a writer is crucial to your success. Many of these sites require each article to be original and not have appeared anywhere else online, including your own blog. The length of time a market will retain rights to your articles varies. Being sure to thoroughly read the site’s guidelines will help you decide what, and even if, to write for a site. Article writing is a great way to build your writing portfolio, gain experience and network with other writers.
Freelance Web Content Writer
There are literally millions of websites online and everyone of them needs quality content to increase and maintain traffic. Many website owners lack the time or experience to write a constant flow of interesting Web content. That’s where a freelance writer comes in.
You can develop your own website and advertise your Web content skills. If don’t feel confident in your Web development skills you can use a free or low cost website builder to help you. Or you could advertise your Web writing content through online classifieds and local newspapers. Working for an existing Web content company is also an option.
Be wary of prospective clients who ask for samples or require you to write anything pro bono. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous people who will take your samples or upfront copy and use them without ever compensating you. Additionally, when you find a client be sure you have a contract in place. This will protect you from someone who promises to give you a byline, or to pay you a certain amount and then reneging on the deal later.
Write an eBook
Self-publishing has become easier and less costly than ever before. You can do this on your own, from scratch or you can purchase eBook writing software. There are companies online who can help you from start to finish. Amazon.com makes it possible for writers to publish their ebook to Kindle. If you have a particular area of expertise, a passion for a hobby, or a compilation of family recipes you can easily turn these in to an eBook.
Newsletter Writing Business
Many businesses have a need to stay in touch with customers. Newsletters make it easy to do this on a regular basis. But finding the time, know-how and fresh content is often overwhelming for the average business owner. You can offer your newsletter writing services. You can simply write the content or you can offer newsletter distributing services as well.
If you enjoy writing, are able to research topics and arrange them in to coherent, informative content you can easily use your skills and make money online. Quality writers are always in demand by business and website owners. Earning a part-time or even full-time income from your online writing skills is possible.