Where Do I Make Money Writing? 5 Tips

I often get email that asks where to write and what the best online writing sites are to make some decent money. The answer is that it depends on the writer really.

Some people like the straight "content mills" that provide short burst of copy about anything from hog breeding to real estate. Many of the authors on this site probably have articles posted that were written by a writer on one of those sites. Others, like myself, will write for those kind of sites (I am a big fan of a few in-particular and I will list my favorites and least-favorites at the end of this article) but prefer to do blog posts and true articles for sites that either pay residually or up-front. I am all about the up-front pay.

No, "the best sites to make money writing online" are up to you--the writer—to decide on. I can provide some tips on how to make sure you're enjoying what you're doing and to ensure that you're off in the right direction.

1. Write for many sites: Or at least join them. You'll quickly find that if you put all your eggs in one basket that you quickly run out of eggs and that there are already thousands of hands in that basket. Also, by doing this will provide you with the best possible way of finding which sites suit you the best.

2. Become a fast writer: If you don't type fast then take a course. You can find them online for really little money and, in some cases, for free. In order to make money starting out you will most likely start at lower paying tiers and will have to pump out words to get paid. Never mistake quantity for quality, though. Do not come lightly to the blank paper or screen. Take it seriously.

3. Become prolific: If you get bored of writing after an hour or two then...wow…you might want to choose another career or hobby. You need to write often. Make a schedule and stick to it. Try 2 hour bursts with a 15 minute break in there somewhere. Then walk away, do something relaxing or not…just so long as your mind is as far away from writing as possible.

4. Bid fairly, but not too high: If you join a site that requires bidding then PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE…PRETTY PLEASE, do not take jobs that are going to pay ANY LESS than $0.01 per word. That's right. Don't work for less than a penny. Once you start doing this for a minute you'll see people taking or offering jobs for 100 articles of 300 words for $50…bullcrap! Value yourself AND the profession more than that.

5. Stay relevant in our profession: Start a blog, read blogs, create a business page advertising yourself as a freelance content writer or article/blog writer. Know what's hot. Read blogs and reviews on each writing site.

Now a list of my favorite writing sites, as promised. Check each one out, and decide for yourself! Note: These are only a few. There are plenty more. Search for them!

Great Sites: Break.com(U), Textbroker.com(U), Elance.com(B), Odesk.com(B)

Good Sites: Hubpages(R), Helium(R), Squidoo(R), Associated Content(U, R), Ecopywriters,(U) The Content Authority(U), Squidoo(R)

Ok Sites: Interact Media(U)

Bad Sites: Helpful.com, (U)

Legend: U=Up-Front Pay-sites that pay per word and you know what you're getting prior to writing. R=Residual (ad clicks or CPM)-sites that offer money based on advert clicks or per 1000 or so views. B=Bid sites-sites where you bid against other authors for a variety of work.

Ken Muise is a freelance content writer, SEO expert, and internet marketer! He loves life and specializes in article/blog writing that have a casual, humorous tone but still maintain rich, search engine optimized content. Find him at Rich Content. Casual Tone