Online Writing Career

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   lillmposted 13 years ago

   Hello!
   
   I'm new to Hubpages and to writing online in general. I just started a blog and am considering writing for some other sites. I'm really enjoying it so far, and I learn new things everyday.
   
   I have a few questions for those who write online as a full-time career or at least make a significant portion of their income from writing online: How many total hours do you spend each week on your writing, and what's the breakdown of hours you spend each week on blogs, writing sites, etc.? How many different writing sites do you write for?
   
   Any information or advice would be appreciated by this newbie!
   
   Thanks!

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   1. 70

      thisisoliposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It's not really howmuch you put in per day, but how much you put in total. It takes quite a long time to get a passive income up to a level that will keep you fed.

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         David 470posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Well said

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      2. 61

         lillmposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for your response! I'm beginning to understand that this is a long-term process. I'm ready for the challenge though! I love writing and learning, so hopefully it will pay off for me down the road.

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            thisisoliposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            It should pay off, just do your research, find out how things work and you will be fine

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   2. 81

      David 470posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Its all about how much effort you put in the long haul. For example 20 hours a week writing may not sound like full time work, but considering EVERYTIME you write its new. Unlike getting paid for doing something over and over again.
      
      I would say write 2 hubs daily (most of the time) and send backlinks, ping etc...
      
      If I would put a an amount of time on it, I would say 14-30 hours a week, but some do more if they own websites and such.

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      1. 61

         lillmposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         You make good points. Also, although 20 hours may not seem like a full work week, that is 20 hours you are actually writing, so it is intense. I would say many people putting in "40 hours work weeks" at an office don't actually work for 40 hours with office distractions.
         
         It's a struggle to write one hub per day with my time constraints, but I'm hoping to catch up on the weekends. Thanks for the information!

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         1. 81

            David 470posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Yeah, there's no ta set number, this is all up to you. I admit there are some days I don't feel well and don't write or something. Just don't overdue it or underdue it.
            
            Write as much as you can adapt to easily.
            
            It also depends on what type of stuff your writing on. In my opinion, sales hubs take longer to write about generally.

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   3. 70

      LeslieAdrienneposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Never give up...

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      1. 61

         lillmposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the encouragement!

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2. 63

   SandyMcCollumposted 13 years ago

   Yes, but you can write for several sites at the same time. I spend a lot of time on researching and writing. I never try to figure out what it equals per hour because I'd be writing for pennies. But when you add all the sites together you can make a decent income. Multiple streams of income add up.

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   1. 61

      lillmposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I think because I'm so new, I have spent tons of time just researching the online writing process, maybe even putting more time into research than writing right now. There is so much to learn! I hope to start writing for multiple sites soon. Thanks for your advice!

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3. 85

   wychicposted 13 years ago

   Bear in mind that writing as a career involves a lot more than just writing...it also involves information and trend research, searching for clients if you go that route, corresponding with clients and readers, seeking out new opportunities, and doing your bookkeeping.
   
   Personally, I have been a full-time writer for three years now, and spend about 50 hours a week on a mixture of writing and all the other duties that come with it. Initially, I put in as much as 80 hours a week writing proposals, building up portfolios, and struggling just to find the next client -- along with doing the actual work. At the time almost all of my income came from freelancing, though I wrote for a couple of affiliate sites when I had a spare moment.
   
   Now I usually work about 8-10 hours per day, and it's gotten to where most of that is spent writing rather than all of the other administrative stuff. I've always tried to divide up my work day to include a certain amount of time writing for affiliate sites (currently Hubpages, Helium, Associated Content, and Epinions) to build up my residual income, and the rest of my writing time is spent on my client projects. Affiliate earnings can add up to something substantial over time, but if you need a steady paycheck then clients are a great way to get an up-front lump as soon as the work is finished.
   
   This year I finally got to the point that I could spend 2-3 hours per day on affiliate sites, and currently have an overall article base of about 750 pieces that I own the rights to and that have residual potential. Normally, affiliate earnings make up about 80% of my income now, though with baby due shortly I've been spending a lot more time on the residuals and a lot less on the clients (I really don't want to upset clients that could be late when I go into labor), so it's been more like 50% for now.
   
   Overall, there are only so many hours in the day, so once you find a way to get your foot in the door your goal is to work for increasing dollar amounts per hour, and/or increasing amounts of residual income. Don't expect to be making market wages right away, and if you decide to freelance then hold on to the good, repeat clients with all you have -- these are the ones that will keep you going in the future, you get to know their expectations well and do jobs for them without any additional time investment in proposals or clarification, and a lot less time in revision.

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      lillmposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It's inspiring to hear that you've been able to become a full-time writer. I can't currently dedicate a ton of time to writing now because of my job (online writing is more of a hobby for me right now), but I'd love to develop my knowledge and expertise over the next few years to eventually be able to write full time. It's so helpful to get tips and advice from people like you that do this full time, so I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me about your experience.

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         wychicposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         That's a great place to start ...the more time you have to learn when you're not relying on it, as well as time to build up recurring income on affiliate sites like this before the money HAS to be there, the better. Initially that's how I'd intended to do it, but life changes kind of threw me off a cliff and decided when I'd go full-time with my writing -- a little while before I thought I was ready. Being able to learn at your own pace and slowly build while relying on a more stable income will give you a lot more room to learn through experimentation, a lot less stress, and a lot more time to figure out just what facets of the writing world you like and want to pursue before money becomes the overriding factor.

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   psycheskinnerposted 13 years ago

   I make about 10-20% of my income online from about an hour a day's work.  It is a matter of trying things, recording which are the most profitable, and doing more of that.  In my case ebooks writing makes the bulk of the money, but advertising on blogs and content writing also contributes.

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   1. 61

      lillmposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, for now I'm doing most of my learning from reading about other people's experiences, but I have started to pay more attention to how my own work performs in the hope of identifying some patterns of what works and what doesn't. I admit I don't know much about ebooks, but you've inspired me to check them out. Thanks for the advice!

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