Advice for New Freelance Writers

If you are just venturing into the world of freelance writing, there are some things that you should do to prepare yourself.

The first thing you should do is figure out how long it would take you to research and write an article, both 300 words and 500 words. This will be just so you can know how many articles you would be able to write in an hour. Make sure that you give yourself enough time when applying for writing jobs. I had a job offer today where they were expecting me to write 4- 350 word articles in an hour. Yeah, I'm sure I could do it, but they would be shotty articles because I wouldn't have the time to do the proper research and proof read everything a few times.

The next thing you should do, is figure out what the smallest amount is that you are willing to take for your time and effort into writing an article. I am bringing this to your attention because I am seeing too many writers selling themselves short. When you are applying for jobs on freelance websites such as elance and odesk, be sure to know what your hourly rate would be. I've seen job posts where some clients are only offering $1 for a 500 word article. Seriously? My time is worth a lot more than that, and if the topic is something that needs researched, it is going to take even more time to search and read through material. I can't believe that so many people are willing to work for such a tiny amount, or that clients or buyers expect writers to put all kinds of work into an article, for mere pennies. If you are a good writer, you are worth more money!

If you are going to try out one of the freelance websites I have posted about, make sure that you know what to say when you apply for a job. Unfortunately, there are lot of other writers out there who are applying for the same job and are willing to work for pennies per article, however their articles may not be of very good quality. When you apply for freelance jobs, be sure to list any experience that you have, whether it be blogging, guest blogging on other blogs, other freelance writing gigs you have done, any college courses you may have taken, and what your areas of expertise are in. Also, always make sure to give them an example of your work. If you have never done any freelance writing, go practice by writing a few articles. Pick a subject and then write about it. Always have something to show in your portfolio. Most freelancing websites provide a way for you to upload articles to put in your portfolio or profile. Also, if the job listing includes what subjects they need articles about, or how many hours per day, be sure to include something of the same nature in your application letter.

Also, never write a specific article for someone as a test. I've had people contact me telling me, "write a 300 word article on Ohio Real Estate (ok, I made the Ohio Real Estate thing up, just as an example), for a test and then I will decide if I want to hire you." Errrrrrrrrr, hit the brakes! This is a great way for them to get a free article out of you. Don't waste your time on something you don't even know if you are going to get paid for.

Once you begin producing quality articles, clients will begin noticing you. Don't expect to get a bunch of jobs immediately, it may take time; just be patient and write your butt off!

More Ways to Earn Money Writing Articles

Forgive me for not posting in a few days. I was sick all weekend and am just now beginning to feel better. So much for my posting every day, huh? But I will attempt to make up for it after the end of the month!

I've recently been searching for more writing opportunities since I'm not making money with Demand Studios any more. I still occasionally write for textbroker, but honestly, the pay is so small, sometimes it doesn't seem to make it worth my time. I really can't believe how much some people expect from a writer for such small pay.

Examiner seems to be a great place for writers. With Examiner, you must apply to be a writer for them. They have numerous subjects that you can choose from, but if you are hired for a specific subject you have to stick with that subject. They also go by your location, so for instance, I was approved to be an Animal Advocacy writer (which goes right along with my last post, eh?), so I have written a few articles on various things regarding animals. I wrote an event article about a local Pit Bull adoption event and also wrote an article on why people should adopt from shelters instead of breeders/pet stores. Articles are only required to be at least 200 words and no more than 400. They feel that an article that is too long will not keep the reader's attention (makes sense). This means, that the articles can be written fairly easily. I began earning money right away. I've only written a few articles for them so far, but could see this as being a good income source once I get a lot of articles under my belt. Pay is based on a variety of things including page views, and ad clicks...etc.. Apply with Examiner here.

Infobarrel is another writing platform. Your first article has to be approved for publishing, but after that, no approval is needed for future articles. You earn money via your own adsense account, amazon, and chitika accounts. I have only written a couple of articles for them as well, but have plans for more in the future.

Seekyt is another one that also uses adsense and amazon. I have not signed up with this one yet, but would love to know if anyone reading this has any information on them?

The difficult thing with using these websites is knowing which one is the best to make money with. Should you only use one single platform, or should you spread your articles around? It's so difficult to know which ones to sign up with. I have quite a few articles on Suite 101, but have only made about $90 in the last year. Should I put all of my articles on there to grow it? Or try these other places? Ahhhh! Here's an article I wrote last year regarding ways that you can promote your articles . I still use all of these, along with facebook and Twitter.

Would love some comments from any of the other writers out there? What works the best for you??

First payment from Suite 101!

Yes, I am so excited to announce that I got my first payment from Suite 101! I didn't think I would make payout this quickly as I've heard others say that it takes a long time unless you can put a lot of effort into it. I just had to share this though. I made my first payout with only 12 articles. I've heard from other suite writers that once you make your first payout, it gets easier and bigger from there on. Anyone else having luck with suite 101? Any suite 101 writers like to share advice or information on how to write successful articles? I'm all ears!