Top 3 Ways to Make Money Writing Online

Ask yourself the following:

• Do you have a way with words?
• Have you ever wished you could make money with your writing talent?
• Would you prefer to earn money doing something you enjoy?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then you might benefit from taking up a job writing online. There are many ways to do it, so for 3 of the top ways to make money writing online, read on.

(Remember that this article gives suggestions about getting writing jobs and earning with your writing online. To make the most of freelance writing, the real bricks-and-mortar world should not be put to the back of your mind)

Freelancing is one of the most mainstream ways of making a living out of your writing - but if you want to be a success, you're going to have to swallow some of your pride.

Freelancing involves writing to other people's specifications.

That means gone are the days where you can write what you like, and here are the days of writing what other people want you to write...

What is freelance writing?

Freelance writing is a term used to describe using writing as a way of earning a living without being employed by anybody. This means doing a whole host of different writing jobs for different people for different amounts of money. This can involve:

• Writing articles
• Writing brochure content
• Writing web content
• Writing sales letters
• Ghostwriting novels
• Constructing CV/Resumes
• Editing
• Proofreading
• The list goes on

The best way to make money with your writing, is to really find out what you're good at. If you're fairly adaptable, you'll probably have more success as the demand for freelance writers can fluctuate both in quantity and quality on a daily basis.

To see a professional writer in action, click here.

Why companies will pay you money to write their content.

It's one thing a company tapping out a paragraph or two about about themselves for their homepage. But many want to go a step further and hire a professional to make sure that visitors landing on their page are intrigued, captivated and compelled.

The truth is, some people have difficulty with words whereas others can weave an intricate tapestry of content without a second thought. If you're one of these people, consider offering your writing services as work for hire. If you find the right jobs, the payments can be high.

How do I get started?

There are many ways to go about it. If you're good with marketing, you might consider setting up a website detailing what you plan on offering potential clients, then concentrate on getting the orders in.

There are also online platforms which offer you a place to search for freelance jobs, offer a price and win the work.

These sites will generally take a fee in the form of a percentage of your job price, but they offer more consistent work and safer ways of ensuring clients pay up.

Online Freelancing Sites

• Odesk.com
• Elance.com
• Guru.com
• Freelancer.com

Each offers their own unique layout, pricing structure and benefits, so it's all about finding the right one for you. Remember though, these are sites designed to connect clients with providers, not to provide a practice-ground for amateurs. If you feel you're not ready to start selling your services, then come back when you do.

If you have a knack for writing content both regularly and with high quality, you might make a great blogger.

If you're blogging off your own back you're going to have to do a lot of work marketing it initially to generate an interest, but once you have a good following the traffic will become more consistent.

What is a blog?

Blog is short for Web Log, and is quite simply an online journal about anything.

People blog about sport, religion, humour, business... the list is endless.

How blogging can make you money

If blogging is your hot-spot, and you write quality content and develop a consistent level of followers, you have a lot of power to look into many money making avenues.

For example, you could get paid by companies to advertise their products on your blog because they know it generates a lot of views.

Companies like Google AdSense will analyse the quality of your blog and decide whether or not they feel it will be mutually beneficial to put their adverts there and pay you a share.

This article you're reading right now?

It's an example of User Generated Content.

What is user generated content?

User generated content is content freely available to the public on the web, which has been written by every day web users to share and help their skills and knowledge. There are many websites you can sign up to (hubpages being one of them) where you can share your knowledge with others.

Writing articles, creative writing, how-to guides, recipes... it doesn't really matter. As long as you can write detailed quality content, you can write about whatever you like.

How does that make me money?

Whichever company you are using to post your content, the ways of making money is by receiving a share of their advertising profits.

For example, Hubpages gives its 'Hubbers' 60% of any advertising revenue generated as a result of their content. Not bad for writing about something you love?

Platforms to submit user generated content

There are a lot of platforms out there helping writers to share their knowledge. Some of the more popular ones are:

• Hubpages
• Squidoo
• Suite101

Please remember that writing online is not a get rich quick scheme. It requires patience, dedication and talent. If you have the talent to write, the patience to build up a good image and the dedication to continue, you can make a lot of money writing on line.

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