It sounds so tempting. You're sick of your job - or perhaps you're stuck at home through illness, or keen to stay at home with your new baby - and all over the internet, people are telling you how easy it would be to set yourself online and make millions. Or at least, make a good living. Surely they can't all be lying?

No, they're not all lying. I've been writing on the internet for nearly three years and I know it's possible to make a living online. But the picture of an internet entrepreneur sitting back with a glass of wine while his websites earn income effortlessly is a myth - making money online is hard work, and in the early days, it's likely to require even longer hours than you currently work in your regular job.

That's why I decided to go back to my "day job". You may not have that option, and if that's so, I'd like to reassure you that you can make a living online. However, it's likely to take two or three years of dedicated, full-time effort before you can hope to live on the "passive income" that the internet marketers promise you. And you have a big learning curve in front of you!

"But", you say, "I can show you a hundred websites which tell me making money online is easy!"

Well, most of them aren’t lying when they say you can “make money”. People do make money at MyLot, because 3 or 4 cents is still money. You can earn 20 cents per article per month at Helium or Bukisa if you’re a good writer – it’s not a lot of money, but it’s still “making money”. The same goes for survey sites. All these sites would argue that if you choose to read "make money" as "make lots of money" - well, that's your own fault!

If you're thinking of joining a site like HubPages or Helium, do your research first on what pay-to-write sites are really earning. Bear in mind that most of these sites pay commission. A lot of people join revenue-sharing sites, then realize they can make more money persuading other suckers to sign up, than they can make actually contributing to the site!

Personally I find HubPages is miles ahead of any other revenue-sharing site I've tried. It takes more work to get set up, and there's a learning curve to writing the Hubs - but for that reason, it's an excellent way to learn the ropes, and means you're much better prepared when you're ready to start your own website or blog. I should disclose that I also get paid a commission for recommending HubPages, so don't take my word for it - you'll find plenty of people openly discussing earnings on the HubPages forums.

However, no revenue-sharing site is going to give you a livable income on its own.  To have any hope of earning enough to live on, you have to create your own websites or blogs. 

Don't think, though, that having your own website or blog is an automatic passport to success.

Bear in mind that some "successful" internet entrepreneurs aren't being entirely honest. I've met people who claim to make a living blogging, but their idea of "making a living" is very different from mine!  A common boast is that they're making enough to afford a "permanent holiday lifestyle". BUT - look more closely and you realize they live in a low-cost holiday destination where they live a quiet life.  Whereas my idea of "making a living" involves a nice restaurant meal occasionally, and some money to put aside for my old age. 

And of course, some of them are flat-out lying - if they want you to buy their $49.95 e-book, they're not going to admit they're not making money, are they?

Before you rush out and pay for any courses or e-books, ask the seller to show you their own successful blogs and reveal how much they're earning. In many cases, their only blog is the one you're reading - they're making all their money selling courses or e-books to suckers like you!

Even those who are genuinely making money usually owe their success to coming up with a unique and original idea for their website/blog. Sometimes that success is enduring, but sometimes it's short-lived because their success is noticed, and hundreds of other people jump on the bandwagon. That's the point at which they start looking for other ways to keep the income flowing in.

And as many charlatans have worked out, the easiest way to make money on the internet is to write about how to make money on the internet. It’s a vicious circle which preys on vulnerable people.

I know several people who do make a good living on the internet.  What they all have in common is a determination to succeed and a wilingness to burn the midnight oil.

All of them spent around two years working long days on the net, educating themselves, developing their business and promoting it. Most of them worked a day job as well, because their online business made no money to start with.

If you're hoping for something that will earn you a living without putting in a full day's work, you may find it on the internet - but only after have put in the groundwork by working long hours for a year or two.

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All text copyright Marisa Wright. Photo courtesy of rkimpeljr on Flickr.