Freelance writing is one of the most lucrative work from home jobs available today. If you have a degree in English or journalism, have excellent research skills, enjoy creative writing, and/or are proficient in internet marketing or willing to learn, you can achieve great success as a freelance writer. Most freelance writers can choose to write about anything that interests them from beauty and health to electronics-related articles. Some freelance writers churn out creative ad copy for major department stores. Others prefer to market their own blog or writing by utilizing internet marketing. Some contribute to online magazines or print publications, write press releases for marketing companies, create short stories or mini-novels, and write SEO content for established content generating websites. There is no shortage of available work for a freelance writer and most can easily earn $40,000 per year, or more, by working only part-time.
A seasoned freelance writer will have several “eggs” in their basket. Even the most reliable writing websites will go through dry spells from time to time. Having a large nest full of writing site ensures a steady stream of work at all times; not all writing sites go through dry spells at the same time. A seasoned writer will also have a variety of writing sites in their portfolio. Many consist of revenue sharing websites, content generating sites, task generating projects, and private client work for small businesses or sole-proprietors, in addition to any personal projects that the writer implements.
A content generating site acts as a middle man between qualified writers and website owners or business professionals needing assignments completed. Writers are assigned a letter grade or numerical score based upon the writing sample submitted when applying. Writers can select any available assignment from a variety of topics within their writing score or below. Higher numerical scores or grades receive higher price-per-word rates than those with lower scores. Fortunately, most content generating sites offer opportunities for those with lower scores to improve and get higher scores. Most of these sites have lists or orders that can be sent directly to the freelance writer for a higher rate of pay. When the freelance writer continues to submit quality work, clients can request and send work directly to the freelance writer, instead of having to sift through a pool of open orders. Although you do receive a high rate of pay with content generating sites, you do relinquish the rights to your piece as soon as the client accepts it.
Revenue sharing sites are similar to content generating websites in that they also offer an up-front payment for completed articles. The up-front payment is slightly lower than with content generating websites, but the writer retains exclusive rights to the article, in most cases, and gains exposure; the writer’s name is usually attached to the completed piece and posted online. Revenue sharing sites also offer residual income. This means that the freelance writer will continue to receive money for as long as the article is posted online. The calculated amount of residual income is based on how popular the article or writing channel is. If you write for a popular channel and your articles receive many views, you can earn hundreds or even thousands of dollars from just one article.
Task generating projects are quick mindless writing jobs that take seconds or minutes to complete. You may be re-writing titles for articles, creating new titles, or checking work for grammatical errors, for example. These tasks are great for breaking up the day and giving the mind a break from generating long articles and creative writing projects. Although the pay is generally low for these little tasks, most companies offer daily pay for approved work and the pay can add up fast.
Online writing jobs are generally easy to come by. Forums that cater to work from home professionals, online job boards, and classified advertisement sites are great places to find private clients and dependable writing platforms. Be leery of anyone asking you to complete work on a trial basis; they will likely run off with your work. Freelance writing is incredibly rewarding; in a sense, you get paid to share your unique voice with the world.
