This is a tough question, but it is one that I have been asked in one way or another every now and then since I became a full time writer myself.

So I am going to try and answer it here.

The answer really depends on the person who is trying to make the money.  Let's face it, some people are more casual about writing than others.  That's fine though - we all have different goals in life and for some people writing comes nearer the bottom of the list.

For me it was always near the top.  At one point I was working long days in a factory and writing every evening so I could get to the stage where I could give up that factory for good.  It took over a year for me to do it, but eventually I did and I've never looked back since.

I won't say it was easy though, but I do remember the point at which I decided to try looking for writing work online.  From that moment, it took me just a few months to get to the stage where I could go full time.

But would it be the same for everyone? 

Of course, everyone will take differing lengths of time to start earning money from writing for online markets. I really went full tilt at it, and started bringing in a decent part time wage after a couple of months. But it took a few more months before I could consider going full time. Eventually it got to the stage where I couldn't really do anything else, which was delightful!

But back to YOU. I'm sure you're probably wondering how long your own journey will take. Even if you don't want to become a full time writer I'm sure you've read this far because you want to earn a nice additional income from it.

And you CAN do that.

The first thing you need to do is to search regularly for work. By that I mean EVERY DAY. Even if you only spend an hour or so doing this, it can be enough to make a difference.

Okay so where do you search? Let me reveal what I did. Bear in mind here that no one really told me what to do or how to do it - I think I went on instinct more than anything else!

I went onto Google and searched for 'online writing jobs', 'writing gigs' and lots of other similar search terms. This threw up websites of all descriptions that I then put into a special folder in my favourites so I'd know where to find them again.

Obviously this part takes the most time the first few times you do it. The more familiar you get with the marketplace, the less time you'll have to spend looking for new sources of work.

There are plenty of sites to look out for too. Online bidding marketplaces, where you bid for jobs, are good to try. Stick with the ones that offer free memberships to begin with if you wish - that's what I did and it worked fine for me.

Be sure to check forums, blogs and other writing websites too. Classified ad sites such as Craigslist can take time to plough through, but this one does have a specific writing section so it's pretty easy to find. Don't forget to search in more than your own home city or town - writing is largely an internet activity, meaning you can work from anywhere in the world.

Don't get disheartened if you don't get anywhere to begin with.  Have some samples ready and make sure you have a writing resume ready for those who ask to see it.

If you don't have a lot of experience with writing, it's easy to develop a history online.  Publish some hubs on this very site, distribute some free articles at some of the article directories, and develop a blog that shows other people how your writing style and skills are developing.  These have all contributed to help me win more work, so I can guarantee that it does work!

Apply for as many jobs as you can.  And once you have applied for them... FORGET THEM.  Many of them won't reply to you, and you need to focus your attention on new jobs to apply for and your continued search for work.

And no matter how hard it seems or how unsuccessful you might feel... KEEP GOING.  This is the part that separates the successes from the failures.  I kept at it and felt extremely stubborn in doing so, but it has got me to where I am today.

YOU can do it too. 

So, have I answered the question posed in the title?  Well... to a degree.

There is of course no definitive answer to it.  It could take you six months to start earning money from your writing.  It could take a year or more.  Or it could take a couple of weeks.

The thing to remember is that YOU are the only one who can find out the answer.  But you can and will get there, and if you start looking now, you'll get there a lot sooner.

Good luck! 

This hub was written by Allison Whitehead, a full time freelance writer living in the UK. She works for a wide variety of clients all over the world.  You can visit her website at www.allisonwhitehead.co.uk.