In today's dipping economy, many people are looking for ways to make extra money from home. Online writing is an excellent way to make some extra money with just your laptop and internet connection.
You should begin by learning what online articles look like. Online writing is a little different than traditional journalism or essay writing. When writing articles online, you will want to use short paragraphs and include relevant links back to other websites.
By viewing a few online articles on websites such as Suite 101, you can begin to get a good picture of what your articles should look like. One advantage to freelance writing online is that you can usually write about things that you are interested in. Take a few moments to write down hobbies or interests that you have that you would feel comfortable writing about.
Freelance Writing Sites
Sign up at a couple of articles sites such as Associated Content, Helium, Bukisa or eHow. These sites are great places to get your feet wet with online writing. You can write articles for these sites on things that you are interested in and you will be paid an amount each month, depending on how many times your articles were viewed and how many ad clicks they got.
Applying for Writing Jobs
Create a resume using the freelance writing sites that you have articles on as your references and your previous employment. You can even link to your articles in your resume. This makes it very easy for someone who is considering hiring you to see samples of your work and decide if you are worthy of the job.
Once you have been writing at these sites for a couple of months, you can begin to apply for other freelance writing jobs online. Search Craigslist, writing forums and freelance writing blogs to find out information on other online writing jobs. Apply for a couple of jobs using the articles that you have already written as sample articles and you will be well on your way to earning a living by online writing.
Bidding Sites
Don't get discouraged if you are not hired for the first couple of jobs that you apply for. You can always apply again at another time. You can also consider signing up for a site such as Elance or Get a Freelancer where you can bid against other writers for online writing jobs. This is a great way to get a few clients. These clients may even begin to contact you privately for other work.
Once you have a few regular clients, be sure to update your resume and re-apply for any jobs that you were previously turned down for. You will have a much better shot at these jobs since you have more experience and time on your side.
Jennifer Brister - I am a freelance writer currently located in Northeast Louisiana. My interests include music, love and theoretical physics. I have been ...
