Freelance Writing Online

Finding high paying online writing opportunities is difficult if you have no experience with online writing. But, you can gain valuable experience, while making a little extra cash, with several online markets geared towards the new web writer.

You won't get rich and you probably won't become famous, but you will gain the experience you need to begin writing for more lucrative markets.

There is no shame in starting on the ground floor and working your way up.

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Freelancer Peter Bowerman answers the questions new freelancers haven't even discovered yet, but are sure to surface. Covering everything from setting prices and marketing your work to how to make those cold calls that will bring in the money, Bowerman's easy to read style builds confidence and brings the life of a freelancer to light with personal anecdotes. A must have for beginning freelancers.

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The Well-Fed Writer:
Financial Self-Sufficiency As a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less

If you are new to online writing and are looking for a place to get started, Associated Content is a great place to start. After signing up as a content producer, use their publishing template to submit articles for upfront pay.

They advertise payments between $3 and $20, but generally average in the lower range.

The great thing about Associated Content is that you can earn money on the number of page views you receive. This starts out slowly and builds as you get more articles published. You aren't likely to make a lot of money on Associated Content right away, but it is a great place to build a portfolio.

Once you have published three articles for pay, you can then publish articles that do not need to be reviewed. These publish almost immediately. You will earn page views on these.

My experience with AC has been positive. By the end of the first year, I had over 200,000 page views. By the second year anniversary I expect to have close to 450,000 page views. Many have higher page views as they have published more articles.

Payment ranges from $1.50 per 1000 views to $2.00 per 1000, depending on your overall views.

Visit My Profile Page to see view the range of articles I've written on Associated Content.

How eHow Works

eHow publishes "How to" articles on any topic.Length varies from 400 words or more and is written in the eHow template. These should be actionable steps that tell someone exactly how to perform a task.

Publishing

Articles are published immediately and do not need to be approved by eHow. You can edit the article at any point in the future.

Making Money with eHow

eHow earnings must be over $10 before you qualify for payout. Payments are made monthly and any unpaid earnings will roll over to the next month until you reach pay out. The exact formula for pay is not disclosed but appears to connected to clicks on ads placed with the article. Page views and earnings are updated daily and you can view them from your account.

How much can you make?

Success depends on the popularity of your article and the ad revenue it generates. Many claim to make hundreds of dollars a month from eHow.

My Experience With eHow

My experience with eHow is limited to a few articles that I placed there through a private account. Two quick experimental articles popped on the site and left to sit with no promotion earned me $13 in about 3 months.

I've recently added a few articles to eHow and have begun to see a few dollars trickle in. Its too soon to tell yet how successful it will be. View My eHow Articles here.

Signing Up for HELIUM

Helium does require registration, but it is quick and easy and absolutely free. You will be asked to choose the name that will appear as your byline. What you choose is up to you, of course, but avoid choosing cute sassy names to accompany your work. This name will appear on any work you produce. If you are serious about your writing, choose a name that will give you some credibility. Many people choose pen names instead of using their real name. Whether or not you choose to use a pen name or a real name depends on your personal preference. I know successful writers who write under their real name and those who write with a pen name. If you do choose a pen name, be sure it sounds like a real name.

Getting Started

Helium accepts articles on any topic. Simply write your article and submit it and it will appear on Helium. Writing to one of their suggested topics is probably a better way to get started because it it will put you into the read and rate program where others will read your article and rate it against others. This may be a little intimidating, at first, but can be a great learning tool. It can also be a great confidence booster when you rate well.

The Market Place

The market place lists articles that publishers are interested in purchasing. It gives a good description of the requirements and the amount the publisher is willing to pay for the article.

The catch here is there will be many people writing the same article and the publisher will choose only one for publication. Those that were not chosen will automatically transition to Helium. You may end up spending precious time writing to the publisher's specifications and not get chosen.

Making Money with HELIUM

The formula for calculating monthly bonuses from your work is not disclosed. Presumably it is some combination of popularity and peer rating.

My Experience with HELIUM

Within three days of signing up for Helium, I sold one article to the Market Place for $48. Over time I have sold more articles in the $40 to $60 range.I don't write there often because I don't like giving away my work for free if it isn't chosen by the publisher.

Helium Update

Helium now offers a small upfront payment for accepted articles and pays a small fee for those that transition from the market place.

I've heard great things about Twitter, but have been reluctant to try something new for fear it will occupy my time and take me away from writing.

Others say that it is a great way to network with other writers and to expand on your writing opportunities, as well as a great way to gain readers.

I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try for a month to see what happens. Follow me on my journey to see how it works out.