Freelance Writing Online: Some Hard and Fast Facts
August 19th 2007 12:39
An Intriguing Article Reprint
The following article is reprinted with permission from Articles Alley Article Directory. It presents an interesting perspective on earning a living as a freelance writer online.
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There is a wonderful opportunity to make a substantial income by doing freelance writing online. However there are some things the aspiring freelance writer should be aware of.
If there is one maxim that has continued to remain true about the Internet it is that "Content is King". The fact that website owners need fresh and relevant content to keep browsers coming back to their website means that there is a secondary market for content creation.
This of course has created a wonderful opportunity for freelance writers who can spend their time creating content for others and be paid for it. But before you throw in your day jobs, register your profile with Elance or Guru and start banging away on your laptop, let's look at some of the truisms of the market so that you can enter the opportunity with open eyes.
Firstly, let's deal with the question of how much money you can make. Will you make a million dollars? No. Only very high profile offline authors make this sort of money. Is it possible to make $80- $100k per year. The answer is yes but like anything it will require some hard work and a dash of entrepreneurial spirit. In fact, to be truly successful you will need to spend nearly as much time marketing yourself as you will creating content. To command this type of income you will also most likely need to augment your writing efforts with some affiliate marketing. This isn't difficult: you still create content but you will also make sure that you embed some of your own affiliate links in the content that you create.
It also depends on your agenda. If you're looking to make a full time income then those figures are within your reach. If however, you're a student for instance and therefore do not have as much time at your disposal, then a $20k per annum secondary income at the upper end would be the more likely scenario.
Do you have to be a good writer to succeed online? No. In fact being a good writer may actually be a hindrance: simply for the fact that your work may not be appreciated and command the price that you feel it's worth. The nature of the market that you will be dealing with is one that is after fast and relatively cheap content. They're not after high quality writing so don't try and be Shakespeare. All you really need is a decent grasp of spelling and punctuation and be able to write in a conversational tone. Easy? You bet.
Do you need to have a subject specialty? Once again the answer is no and if you do specialise then you may be severely denting your income prospects. The secret here is to not put all your eggs in one basket. You want to have multiple sources of income: this means not only a multiplicity of subjects but also a multiplicity off avenues to get your writing out there. Bidding at auction sites such as Guru.com and Elance.com is certainly one way of getting the dollars in but it does not preclude creating monetised blogs or writing and submitting articles with embedded links.
It helps when writing online for a living to think outside the box. You can certainly make a steady income from just writing alone but by tweaking and monetising your approach with affiliate marketing you can put yourself in a position to really explode your income.
Article Source: http://www.ArticlesAlley.com/
About the Author
Scott is a successful freelance writer who makes the bulk of his income by writing online. To learn how you can create a secondary income through pursuing freelance writing opportunities go to Writing for Income.
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What Do You Think?
Can a writer expect to earn a living online while emulating the excellence of a Shakespeare, or are "a decent grasp of spelling and punctuation" and the ability to "write in a conversational tone," not simply the only things required, but actually preferable?
A penny for your thoughts,
Jeanne
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Comment by Melissa R. Garrett
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
I appreciate your giving us your perspective! There are so many aspects to this issue! It certainly is difficult to make any sort of regular income through online writing--unless you happen to hit it just right or are really internet savvy and a top-notch marketer of your work!
I totally agree with you: it is indeed difficult to get used to "dumbing down" your work! I suppose it comes down to knowing which markets don't require, warrant, or even desire the literary perfectionism we so often prefer to engage in when we write and which ones do, and writing accordingly. It's a matter of keeping our target market--and thus our target audience--in mind.
Thanks for your feedback!
Jeanne
Comment by Malathy
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Thanks so much for your comment! This article is one I have reprinted from one of the free article websites. I 've chosen to use it here because I, too, think it is well-written, and also because I feel it has some very interesting things to say to freelance writers. Hope you've found it helpful!
Thanks for stopping by!
Jeanne