Online Writing

There is absolutely no doubting that that the explosive growth of the Internet has seen an unparalleled level of opportunity for freelance writing online. When it comes to the Internet: content is king. In order to ensure that his website has a constant stream of visitors, a webmaster needs to ensure that his website has up-to-date and relevant content. Now the simple fact of the matter is that most webmasters don't have the time to create this content themselves, particularly if they're running multiple websites. They are therefore reliant on others to create the content for them, and hence the unprecedented need for freelance writers.

Now the writing stuff is one thing, but selling what you've written is another. Fortunately there are online marketplaces that have sprung up which allow for the efficient exchange between buyers and sellers when it comes to written material. These marketplaces work in a similar manner to a stock-exchange - they are a place where both buyers and sellers go to buy or sell written content. Elance and Guru.com are probably the best known examples of such exchanges. Bidding for projects works like a dutch auction. A buyer of content will place their job description details on the site and then the prospective providers of that content will bid to get the work with the lowest bid price (though not always) securing the job. If you're looking to set-up an online writing business then registering at places like Elance and Guru.com really allows you to settle down to the business of writing, as those organizations will provide you with the infrastructure to 1. Secure new work and; 2. Make sure that you get paid.

Now - some things to be wary of. The buyers at auction sites like Elance and Guru.com aren't really after top quality writing (except in the case of copy for web sales pages). They want fast content and they want to procure it as cheaply as possible. This can sometimes make for a low priced and unpredictable market.

There are therefore a few rules that you need to observe to ensure that you can consistently profit from your online freelance writing jobs:

1. Keep it simple
To be self sufficient as an online freelance writer you need to develop a system of getting buyers in your virtual door and out as fast as possible. This means belonging to one auction bidding site (either Elance or Guru) to keep life streamlined and simple. The great thing about doing this is all your accounts, job records, customers emails and work history are stored in a central location. This removes a lot of administrative overhead from your operation and allows you to concentrate on bidding and creating content.

2. Be consistent and relatively fast
You need to process books and articles as fast as you can and keep your practices to a single standard that your customers can recognise and come back for again and again.

3. Always raise your prices a little bit over time
NEVER give return customers discounts. You also need to be able to ask them for more money than they are willing to pay you if they ask for a second draft.
The writing market is slanted in favour of the buyer so you need to give yourself every edge at your disposal.