Freelance writing

This is aimed mainly at non-fiction writers, but fiction writers need a portfolio too. Publishers or potential clients need to know that you can write, and if you have a portfolio you can point them to it. If you're just starting out, it's also good to just get published somewhere, and many content sites have revenue sharing, like Squidoo.

There are many places you can start building a portfolio. A couple I would recommend are Associated Content and Helium. Both give you a link you can use to point people to your growing portfolio of articles, and both bring in a little money. Helium has a marketplace where publishers go to buy content for off the site, and for US writers only, AC has a similar arrangement. Helium has a very supportive community, and there are mentors to help new writers find their feet. You can also build a zone there, which is similar to a Squidoo lens.

Once you've built a portfolio of articles (or short stories, poetry or whatever, if you're into fiction), it's time to go and look for some clients or publishers. A good way to get your name 'out there' and start earning more money than the few dollars you'll make on the content sites, is to join one or more of the freelance sites. There are many, and you will find good and bad jobs on all of them.

A word of warning: many of these sites have writers from developing nations who are willing to work for ridiculous rates. I've seen hourly rates as low as 50 cents an hour! Also, many buyers, having seen these rates, expect other writers to write for the same idiotic pay. You will have to search through the listings to find the good jobs, but they are there. Also, you may decide to take on a low-paying assignment to start with, just to build up some feedback. Once you have the feedback, you have a testimonial for your website, and feedback to attract other buyers.

Also, make sure you know how the site works, and make sure you get paid. With oDesk hourly jobs are guaranteed, but fixed price jobs are not. I've only had a problem with one buyer who didn't pay, but it stung. Guru has a guaranteed Escrow system, which means the buyer pays the agreed amount into a third party fund before you start work, so you know the money's there. When the job is done and they're happy, they release the funds. The invoice system at Guru is not guaranteed.

oDesk is free, so a good place to start, and they do have some good jobs there, if you look. Guru has a limited free site, but if you pay the subscription there are several benefits, among them being you're not competing with third-world writers who can happily live on much less than someone in the developed world.

Joining up with one or more freelance sites is also good for later on when you may want to hire someone for overflow work. It's good to see how they work first.

Other freelance sites I know of but haven't any direct experience of are Elance, RentaCoder and a new one called Ozlance.

With all these sites good feedback is essential, so always do the best job you can do. These sites are also great for marketing your services. Several clients I have had at the freelance sites have recommended me to their friends.

Okay, you've built a portfolio at one of the free sites, and you've had some work at the freelance sites, so now you need your own website, where you can market your skills, add a testimonials section and a guest book or contact form. You might also add a blog, or post a link on your site to blogs elsewhere.

You need a web host, and there are thousands of them. Make sure you can have unlimited domains and good bandwidth, and make sure there's good support and they have the tools you need such as a site builder or access to Wordpress.