The internet is made up of written content and there is a demand for writers to create more. As the internet continues to grow expect there to be more people looking for good writers.

 Working as a writer online does not pay very well, at least not when you are starting out. Because the internet is global you will be competing for jobs with other writers all over the world. This means that you need to stand out above everyone else. You can do that by having a fast turn around time and producing quality work.

To get top dollar for your work your english must be absolutely impecable. Always spell check what you have written before you present it to your buyer. Because you are usually paid per word include a word count too.

You will find that people are willing to write dirt cheap, but dont sell yourself short. Cost and quality go hand in hand. Sure someone in India will write a 500 word article for $4 but it is likely going to be garbage.

When you are starting out you can offer your services cheap in order to build your reputation and build a list of paying clients. After awhile you will want to raise your prices to reflect your skill and actual worth.

Expect to start out earning .01 per word. As your progress start upping your price. Eventually you will get .05 per word. As a writer you will spend more time promoting yourself than actually writing, at least at first.

It wouldnt hurt to create your own website that has samples of your work, and lists your prices and offers potential clients a way to easily get a hold of you.

You can find work by searching the internet and on forums especially. Digital Point and the Warriors Forum are two good places to get started. Bidding for jobs on Elance is another way of getting work.

You will find that people looking to hire writers really do not want to pay very much money. Then again they are not expecting shakespere either. Even if you are a moderatly good writer you should be able to create content that will make your clients happy. If you are an amazing writer with charisma, imagination, and talent then you can start charging a decent rate right away.

Working for .01 a word is insulting to say the least and if you are good dont be afraid to charge more. It is your time and effort and if people do not want to pay you for it then find another venue.

Your calling the shots and there are ways to get more money for the work you do. You could write content in advance and then put it together in a package with bonuses to make the price more attractive.

Consider selling your work with resale rights. With resale rights you can sell your articles to more than one person. It is best to be fair and only sell to a limited amount of people. By limiting how many you sell you will be preserving the value of your product. Selling your works with resale rights is a win/win situation for both the buyer and seller. As a writer you will make enough to cover your time and the buyer will be getting content for cheaper than what they would normally pay. The only downside is that they will not be the only one with rights to that content.

You can sweeten the deal by adding other products with resale rights. You can find loads of them at Information Ninja.

 You can ask for and be paid more money if you market yourself as an expert on a particular niche.  Instead of offering your services as a writer on any number of topics focus on a single area of expertise.  People are more willing to pay top dollar if they feel that the author is a pro on the subject they require articles for.  This does not mean that you cannot write about a variety of topics, just make different posts in forums or on blogs that are each niche specific. 

 It you love to write then blogging could be your ticket to making money as a writer.  Create and blog and then write about topics that interest you.  Get yourself a adsense account with google and use their contextual ads to generate a passive income for you when people click on the ads displayed on your blog.  Adding adsense ads to your blog is easy;  Pick up a adsense ready wordpress template and then simply insert your adsense publisher I.D.  - Thats it! 

Even better than using adsense is signing up with a cpa company like azoogle.  Same idea as adsense but it pays better!

Once you have more experience and if you are feeling abitious you can rent out adspace on your blog by dealing directly with advertisers.  More work but more money too!