How to Make Money Writing

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I'm About to Tell You How to Live Your Dreams and Make Money from Writing....

I make money writing for a living. My career has changed much over the past few years - this last year especially. Most of the changes reflect the ever-changing internet. So, this lens is newly revised to reflect the times.

So I've been there, done that, made a few mistakes... The bottom line is I have a successful career and now I am here to help you do the same. You can start by browsing this lens. Also, I suggest you visit my blog for writing tips and to sign up for my free seven day course on how to start your freelance writing career.

The Very First Thing I'd Do Is Start a Blog 

So, why do you need to start a blog? Because it is an easy way to gain credibility and showcase your writing skills. If you put your best writing on the blog, you show people that you are a good writer and are worthy of getting hired.

There was a time when I used the free blog services like Blogger and Wordpress.com. I realize now how much time I wasted with them.

They didn't go anywhere and now that I have my own blog, I realize that I have a lot more creative freedom and pride because the blog is something I started from scratch.

I suggest you do the same. Here are the steps.

Find a blog host. I use Hostgator and am very happy with their service. But I've also heard good things about iPower and BlueHost, among others.

Reserve the domain. Next, you need a domain for the blog. My first "non free" blog was on the domain name that bears my name. Now I have several blogs with different purposes.

Choose a name that has important keywords for your subject in it - you'll rank better in the search engines. For example, if your blog is about writing, make sure "writing" is somehow in the url.

I use GoDaddy.com for registering all of my domains.


www.godaddy.com

Install wordpress. Okay, so it doesn't need to be wordpress. It can be another platform, such as Movable Type. But wordpress has a great support pool and there are a lot of people out there who can help you out if you're stuck.

Make the blog successful. This is a big overstatement. There's a lot that goes into making a blog successful. The two things I'd start with is posting at least three times a week and somehow letting people know your blog exists.

To get started you can send an email to your friends, comment on other people's blogs, and put your blog in your forum signatures.

Now, you can sign up for other blog services. Although I don't use free blog services anymore, I do occasionally join a network, such as Today.com which is free to sign up for.

The only difference is that you can get paid for each post and you get an additional amount for page views. It's a good way to make some extra money. You can look at it as your first paying gig. :-)

You can shop around for other hosts and domain registration places. However, Hostgator and Godaddy are what I use.

Make Money Blogging - Learn How at Blog Cash Bank 

Newest blog project created by a friend and I. Stay tuned... we have a membership site in the works. :)

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Favorite Blog Resource #1 - The Niche Blogger 

Visit www.TheNicheBlogger.com

Have you ever been frustrated by a "how to blog and make money" resource because you didn't know how to do half the things they said to do? Well, I've been there. It's frustrating.

The Niche Blogger - Make Money Blogging is such a great resource. In fact, Amy Bass literally takes your hand and walks you through how to start a blog and make money from the very beginning.

I am not a beginner, and I still learned a ton. It has meant such a difference in my blog income that I'm so thankful to have found it.

Favorite Blog Resource #2 - Blogging to the Bank - Newly Updated Version 



I loved Version 2 of Blogging to the Bank but version 3 is even better! In my opinion, this is one of the best manuals out there on how to create a profitable blog. I started making money as soon as I implemented the suggestions and techniques.

Sign Up With These Sites to Start Making Money 

Some of these sites are specifically for writers. Others are also for blogging. Choose the ones that you are most qualified for and feel most comfortable with.

All of these websites will help you learn how to write for the internet and excel at it. The more you do it, the better you'll get.
Constant Content
Constant Content is available to people outside of the United States. You're also able to set your own prices on the articles and write whatever you want. Just be careful to follow the rules and guidelines.
Associated Content
I don't pay nearly enough attention to this site as I should. You can either submit an article for up front payment or just let it earn residual income. You can also give up exclusive rights or nonexclusive rights. Non exclusive is the option to choose if you want to publish it elsewhere.
Squidoo
Yes, you are reading my Squidoo lens so you may already have an account. But if you don't I'd sign up ASAP! It's a fun site and you can also earn money through your affiliate links and through their revenue share program.
Hubpages.com
Hubpages is similar to Squidoo but be careful not to put too many links in your hubs, especially affiliate links. Just focus on great content with at least 400 words - but more is better. To make money on this site you'll need an Amazon, eBay, Adsense, and Kontera account.
eHow.com
eHow.com has been very good to me. Yes, it is possible to earn a great monthly income - as long as you research your keywords and follow the guidelines for good content on the site.
Bukisa
This is another revenue sharing site that seems to be paying higher than some. I haven't gotten started with it yet but people have been happy with them. It's worth looking into anyway.

Be True to Yourself 

I recently had to do some soul searching. For the past several years, I made most of my money writing for clients. Well, I got very tired of that work. So after "saying I needed to" for the past year or so I finally did it. My schedule is clean.

See, there are certain kinds of writing that I love. Working for clients is something that pays the bills but is not overly self-satisfying. I stopped writing poetry and flash. My idea well dried up. Not good.

So I've changed gears. No more client work. Instead, my income is coming from my blogs, squidoo lenses, and other projects such as writing articles at eHow as the Herbal Medicine Expert.

It's important to find your own way. Don't just take my suggestions because I said you might want to try it. Go ahead and try it, but also don't be afraid to let it go. Don't ever be afraid to tread new ground in your writing career.

Sign Up For Paypal 

You'll need to sign up for PayPal if you are going to use some of these websites because it is the accepted way to get paid.

Associated Content and PayPerPost, for example, both pay to your PayPal account. It just makes things easier.

You don't always need Paypal. There's a way around it, but often you need to pay a fee for the sites to cut a check. For me, this is an easy way to keep track of my books, too.

I Find Clients on Rentacoder .... 



Rentacoder is my favorite freelance job board. I like it because you don't need to pay a membership fee. They do take a commission, but I've learned how to bid to compensate for that.

You need to sign up, verify your account, set up your profile, and bid for jobs. It took me about two months of getting things set up and bidding on at least 1 project a day before I landed my first assignment. Once I did, it snowballed. You just need to be patient.

Rentacoder Tips 

Yes, You Can Succeed There!

Check out my lens on rentacoder. I even shared my most successful bid there so you can learn how to structure a bid.
featured lens Get Freelance Writing Jobs with Rentacoder

  Rentacoder.com is not just for software coders. Freelance writers also benefit from it because there are TONS of job listings for writers.  As a freelance writer, one of the challenges I am faced with is securing e...

Three Other Job Sites to Try 

It is a good idea to not pour all your efforts into one job board site and try several. Check out Get A Freelancer and Go Freelance.


Just because I had the best experience with Rentacoder doesn't mean everyone will ... my advice is to try several (which is what I did) before settling on the ones that bring you the most success.

oDesk is also another great option. You can read my review of it here.

And remember, it may take you a while to actually land a client. But once you do, it gets much easier.

Make Even More Money Writing... 

Do I want to turbo charge my income? Oh ya! I'm always looking for new ways to make money. Since i purchased this ebook, it has helped me take things to the next level.
Turbo Charge Your Freelance Income
I've been a fan of Beth Erickson for a while. Her ebook is a must read especially if you want to take your career to the next level. I've read it and it is one of my favorite resources for making a living as a writer.

Beginner's Guide to Freelance Writing 

Step by step guide to kick-starting your writing career.
featured lens Step by Step Guide to Starting Your Freelance Writing Career

Hey, I was a beginner once and I know it can be overwhelming. You probably have a million ideas but you may feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. I've been there. It took me over a year to really get going because it was so confusing. I don'...

I Make Money Writing for Magazines 

Another way I supplement my writing income is to write for magazines. The first magazine that ever paid me was the Dollar Stretcher. I got $50 for a 500 word article.

A resource I recommend is the Writers Market. You can buy the print version, sign up online, or do both. But, you can get by without it.

Check out Writers Weekly. They have a newsletter with markets and also a database. You can search the database for markets that are open to new writers.

How to Write a Query Letter 

featured lens How to Write a Query Letter

If you want to write for magazines and newspapers, you need to learn how to write a query letter. Your first step is to find a market to submit your work and to come up with ideas. Then, you will write a query to pitch an idea to the publication. This...

Follow My Path to Success 

Want to see my progress with building my career online? Check out my most recent blog posts.

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More Lenses About Writing 

Want to see some of my work? Here's where to find me.
A How to Guide - Get Paid for Writing Content
Explore ways to help you make money online writing content.
Beginner's Guide to Freelance Writing
I put together a tutorial for beginners to help you jump start your career.

Challenge Yourself - Set Goals for Maximum Success 

It took me a while to get started with my freelance writing career. The one thing that finally propelled my career forward was that I set a challenge. I set out to write 25 query letters or make 25 submissions in one month's time.

After my first month, I sold two of my articles for a grand total of $60. The second time I did it, I sold an article for over $200 to Herbs for Health and another article for around the same price to Herb Quarterly.

That translates to one query or submission a day. That's perfectly doable and it can help kick start your career!

My Other Squidoo Lenses 

featured lens My Writing Lenses

When I first started my writing career, I learned a lot from all the people who shared free information on their blogs and websites. As I was absorbing the information, I realized that I wanted to do the same thing - help people start their writing c...

Writer's Market 2009 - Online version 

2009 Writer's Market Deluxe (Writer's Market Online)

2009 Writer's Market Deluxe (Writer's Market Online)

by: Robert Brewer

Amazon Price: $31.49 (as of 07/10/2009)Buy Now

I just bought the Writer's Market 2009 Online Version. In the past, I had just gotten a membership to the online version. I think that the database is wonderful, but I missed holding the book in my hands and paging through it. This is THE resource for finding freelance writing markets. Yes, you can get them for free but making this small $30 investment can save you a ton of time.

Other Ways to Write for Money 

  • Sell your services. Do you love writing ebooks, articles, etc for others? Set up a website that sells your services. Promote the website and work hard to find clients.
  • Find clients on forums. Look for internet marketing and blogging related forums. Sometimes, the people there need writers. Participate in the forum in a meaningful way, then go to the proper section in the forum and advertise your services. Notice how I said "proper section". Placing an ad in the wrong section can really aggravate the members.
  • Write a book. Go ahead and write that book! I only have experience writing ebooks but stay tuned and I will share some resources with you that will help you get started. I just need to find some good ones first. :)

My eZine Articles 

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What Do You Think? 

Thanks for all the wonderful comments so far. Keep them coming! :)

Lensmaster

Cop-Speak wrote...

I love your Lens... Thanks for the great information on "Being True to Yourself" 5 stars

ReplyPosted July 07, 2009

Lensmaster

paulcamarinha wrote...

Great info and article.

ReplyPosted June 22, 2009

Lensmaster

jvizzini wrote...

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ReplyPosted June 21, 2009

Lensmaster

Chinese Author wrote

I am strange how to start to be a freelance writer in English.
http://www.vaishravana.com/

Reply Posted June 18, 2009

Lensmaster

BFuniv.com wrote...

Lots of good writer's information here. Congratulations on breaking free to write what you wish.

ReplyPosted June 16, 2009

 
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