I once was...
A full time offline writer. I was writing historical mysteries, plays, audio drama, teambuilding game and tv scripts, and even some poetry too. Suddenly, I fell in love with this wonderful online writing business and all these new tools and opportunities, this brand new market place and all the new ways to tell your stories and get an audience. As an online writer, you're in the first place something like a "multimedia director", or a "composer of content", working with plain text (even poetry!), pictures, audio, video, links, news feed and all that really exciting stuff.
Image Source: Me, Shopping in Paris with my Offline Writings
Is it possible?
To make a decent living while you're composing content? Let's see... I started in April, 2008 on the HubPages, in September on Triond and Squidoo... and I'm still not sure. I have a number of blogs (in Dutch) that are doing very well, but they sure are not going to get me a swimming pool. Some of us are blogging their way to the bank, or so it seems. The problem with me is... I want to have fun while blogging my way to the bank . If I can't have fun, writing online, I quit. So, now I'm enjoying myself and some others too (I hope) while only making a handful of euro's here and a few dollars more there. And yes, I'm definitely having fun now, even with something extremely serious like an article about the online writing business, and I'm having fun all the way, that's for sure but... well, I'm not that sure if I'm heading to the bank, really.
Image Source: The Man from the Bank - He's a Sceptic
Okay, enough socializing! Here are the Goodies!
First of all, the sites that are mentioned here - and much more information! - is on my Squidoo Lens Making Money with your Online Writings, together with some creative writing publications.
But here they are, in a nutshell and in no particular order, your "Must Be" Sites:
- I'm fond of Triond and that's where you are now, lucky bird! Triond works with a bunch of "associated sites" and keeps innovating all the time. You get paid every month, thanks to the visitors you've attracted and you can even earn some money with your poetry. The "Triond Community of Fellow Writers" really exists and it's very easy to submit your content. Remember, you may not have submitted your articles, creative writings, photographs, audio or video elsewhere!... Also a Good Thing: you'll receive an editor mail when your content is published ("We are happy to inform you...") and when not ("We regret..."). If you have a problem, you can mail the support team. And guess what? You get a mail back, polite and helpful!
- Squidoo rocks! Go to the Making Money with your Online Writings article, and you'll see why. These Squids also have a great, helpful and friendly community, with Giant Squids and Angel Squids and that sort of things. It's really fun to build all those "lenses" (as these Squids call the Squidoo sites), they have great tools to promote and to sell your stuff, and you get paid every month thanks to the visitors you've attracted and the commission on the stuff that was sold on your page. Oh, and if you'd like to start on Squidoo and become a Giant Squid, be an Angel Squid and do it here, please. (I'll get a commission thanks to you and 1 step closer to that swimming pool my wife and daughter are dreaming of.)
- Hub with the HubPages! I started online writing here. The HubPages were my first love, and they will always be my Love! ("Hey, that's my quote!" John Miles is yelling.) HubPages also are Big Fun, and they are easy to create. The Hub Community is a fine one, with much "Hubtivity". If you go hubbing, you have to get a Google, eBay, Amazon and Kontera account. You will be paid by those "affiliates", every time someone clicks an ad or buys something from your HubPages. Thinking about a career making Hubs? Do it here (you know why, by now).
- Associated Content. I'm new here, but it seems a good place to be for a Composer of Content. You can get an "upfront payment", if you have not submitted your content elsewhere and promised not to do so in the future. And you get paid thanks to the traffic you've attracted. They not only have an "articles" and "creative writing" section here, but you can also publish your slideshows, audio and video with Associated Content.
- Helium is not really my cup of tea. They have writing contests on Helium and there are awards to win, but you have to read and rate articles written by others, and that isn't always fun. And there are no nice video or photo tools here, no stilish layout possibilities as you have on Triond, Squidoo or the HubPages. But some colleagues are doing fine with Helium, so... why not give it a try?
- PrintnPost. A dull site, pretty much like Helium... and I constantly got lost here. But maybe that's because one of my nicknames is "The Lost Dutchman"?
- Get a Freelancer! - A real "market place" for online writers. There's a feed on my Making Money with your Online Writings Lens.
And now... While Blogging Your Way to the Bank... Enjoy!
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