But as I swing into year number two as an online writer, I find myself bristling at the idea of writing for pennies, and feeling sometimes like I practically give away my work by publishing on some websites that pay next to nothing for my articles. At first I was alarmed by this recent shift in my thinking. After all, as a creative writer, shouldn't artistic expression and having a place to publish my work and get my stories in front of the public be my main objective for writing articles? Is it wrong to also want to be paid a fair income for my ideas and all the time and effort I've put into my stories?

Recently, I was reading a book about how to break into magazine writing, and it urged writers not to give away their work or settle for low wages. The whole tone of the book encouraged writers to pursue financial as well as creative success as a freelance writer for magazines and websites. Reading this book and others like it that talk about writing as an art and a business, I realized that I'm not off base to want to make a decent living while being creatively fulfilled as a full time freelance writer.

One thing I've noticed about writing for sites that pay revenues for page views on articles and photos: the author's share of money for page views is usually quite low. That fact has started to bother me more and more as I've continued my work as an online writer. Unless a writer generates huge traffic to their work through social bookmarking and other means of article promotion, or publishes a lot of content, or can manage to produce popular content that hooks a ton of readers, earnings can be dismally small.

Revenues at sites like this can be so inadequate that writers are often frustrated and they consider abandoning their writing dreams. I see this time and time again, as fellow writers leave comments on my articles about writing. I receive emails saying they've done everything they can to raise their writing revenues, and they're very disheartened and thinking about giving up on trying to achieve their heart's desire of becoming a freelance writer.

I always encourage people to keep going, keep writing, even if revenues are small, as my thinking is that it takes a long time to build an income as an online writer, and success writing online is not just achieved in dollars and cents. Although my revenues at certain sites I write for has dipped a bit lately, I still feel like a success as an online writer. I strive to write quality articles, my articles are of interest to my readers, and I always try to do my best with each story. My name has popped up as one of the most popular writers on Writinghood.com and Telewatcher.com, and I've hit the Hot Content list on Triond. On top of all that, I'm part of a warm, wonderful community on Triond and have made many friends on the site.

It makes me feel successful when other writers tell me my articles about how to write content and find freelance writing jobs have been helpful for them. I always feel that one of the goals of a creative artist in any medium is to uplift, entertain, inform and inspire other people, and other artists. So if I have achieved that, if my work has in any way been inspirational, entertaining, or has added value to the world, I feel like I've been successful as a writer.

Writing as an Art and a Business

I feel successful in my work writing online, but I still have this nagging feeling lately that my share of revenues earned from sites that pay for page views is too low, and if I focus my time on them exclusively, I'll never achieve my goal of becoming a self supporting freelance writer. This was really a hard, sad realization for me, because I love the work I do on these sites, and I enjoy spending time at these writing communities.

For writers who have full time day jobs that support them and are publishing articles online without much thought to their earnings as an online writer, discussions of low pay for articles published online might seem vulgar or offensive, implying that commercialism is more important than artistic expression. I notice that writers who are content in their full time professions and just seek a place to publish their writing are sometimes not that concerned about the often discouraging rates of pay for online writers.

But what about the rest of us who are trying to bring together writing as an art and a business? I think there's nothing wrong with wanting to be an artist who is running a small business, receiving fair compensation for their work. If you're out of work and would rather write all day than sit in a cubicle or go out each morning to a dead-end job that doesn't let you express yourself creatively, I believe it's perfectly alright to shoot for the dream of earning enough money to support yourself through freelance writing.

When I had been writing online for about six months, I learned about bidding sites that let writers compete with other writers for online writing jobs. At first it sounded like a great idea and I looked at a few of these types of sites to see how the concept worked. I found buyers looking to purchase packages of articles, asking writers to write in batches, for very low pay, giving up a byline and all rights to their work. These types of writing jobs abound on the internet, and if you can write and have some understanding of keywords, then you can put yourself out there as a pen for hire, someone who can produce a staggering amount of content per day (often in what feels like assembly line style).

I've never done that kind of work, because while I might make some money cranking out huge volumes of content like this, it didn't seem very creative or fulfilling to me. It seemed like I would burn out very quickly doing this type of work, and I believe as a writer or any kind of artist, we have to draw a line around our creativity, protect and nurture it, lest we lose that creative spark and passion to do the work.

I avoided writing for content mills and content factories and just kept on going writing for sites that paid me for page views, even though my earnings often fell short of my needs. In late September, on a whim I signed up at a site called Xomba, where writers are paid by participating in Google AdSense. I've been shocked by the earnings potential at Xomba; I've earned more in two months than I have in my whole time on some other sites I write for. I'm trying to earn more through my online writing, so I've ended up spending most of the last two months on Xomba, building and expanding my earnings.

However, while I find Xomba fun and fascinating, it is not as fulfilling for me as writing for Triond or Associated Content. So that's really a dilemma for a writer trying to write as an art and as a business. Right now, since I'm out of work and trying to build up my online earnings, I'm devoted to Xomba (I'm a devoted Xombie, as Xomba writers like to call themselves!)

The other day I realized I felt a bit irritable and a little sad. Could it be the dark unbearably gray skies of cold Upstate New York in November, or something else? Yes, it was a bit of the seasonal blues, but more the fact that I hadn't written an article in a while. I'd been posting Xomblurbs like crazy on Xomba (Xomblurbs are social bookmarks of interesting websites, blogs, articles, images, or videos, with a brief written description of the bookmark).

It's enjoyable to find things to bookmark for Xomba, but it doesn't always fill that need to express myself through article writing. Xomba writers can also post magazine quality articles called Xombytes, and I do have some Xombytes on Xomba, but I'm increasing my earnings by posting a steady stream of Xomblurbs each day (I have 14 Xombytes and about 350 Xomblurbs posted on Xomba as of this writing).

As I work on Xomba and build up content there, I'm sometimes earning more in one day than I do in a whole month on sites like Triond. Right now I'm making the most money working for Xomba, I receive steady monthly earnings from over 100 articles I have on Associated Content, and I make a only few dollars each month from my articles and photos on Triond. When I don't write as much new content for Associated Content, my earnings still hold steady; however, when I publish less on Triond, my earnings fall dramatically. One month when I had my highest earnings on Triond, I did a lot of social bookmarking and writing. I published articles and some photos and achieved modest earnings. Perhaps I could build those earnings over time, but I earn more in a day or two on Xomba than I do in a month on Triond.

So, Xomba receives most of my focus these days, and I truly miss being on Triond on a daily basis, but my reasons are economic right now. I have this dream of earning a living through Xomba and blogging with Google AdSense. When I work really hard on Xomba and put in tons of effort, I see tangible results in my Google AdSense account. Regrettably, I can't say the same for the other sites I write currently for. I've often worked my heart out on some of these other sites to log in and find a mistake has been made with page views and revenue has been taken away, or if there haven't been any errors, my share of revenues for my articles remains discouraging low despite all of my best efforts.

Creating a Writing Plan

I think it's useful for all writers to have a plan and do some goal setting. It's good to have an idea of your creative goals and also a business plan for what you want to achieve financially with your writing. For 2009, I plan to worker harder than ever to build my Google AdSense earnings by writing for Xomba and getting more involved in blogging. I'll put more time into my existing blog with Google AdSense and I'm thinking about creating some new blogs, too.

Some writers earn quite a bit on Xomba, and I hope to be one of them (some make anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars a month with Xomba). I believe with enough effort I can build Xomba into a great passive, if not full time income stream. The only catch is that I find it more creatively satisfying writing articles for other sites like Triond, so I'll still do that from time to time, just to feel more fulfilled as a writer.

I'll continue to increase my monthly revenues by adding articles to my existing library on Associated Content, but I want to branch out into other markets as well. I feel like I've gotten in a comfort zone writing for a few websites, and I need to challenge myself to branch out more. This means I'll be scanning online job boards, crafting some query letters, and approaching new online markets as I'm also trying to break into magazine writing.

I've never felt more excited about being a freelance writer than I do right now. I'm proud of my accomplishments, but I feel like there's so much more out there for me to achieve in my work. In this upcoming New Year, I'll be paying more attention to writing as a business as well as an art. While I'm not willing to compromise my values and just write solely for commercial purposes, I am focusing more on receiving fair pay for my time and hard work.

This year as I'm looking into other writing jobs, I'll be asking myself: will this assignment further me as a writer and am I being adequately compensated for my time? Hopefully, I'll be able to balance my artistic needs with my desire to achieve financial freedom as a writer. I don't measure my success solely in terms of dollars and cents, but it is important for me to be able to support myself in my chosen profession. Good luck and best wishes to all freelance writers in 2009; may you achieve happiness as an artist while you prosper in your writing business.

Thanks to all of you who have submitted such lovely comments to my other articles listing resources available to the freelance writer.  Please think of this latest installment in that series as a response to you.

I would like to begin this series by listing the wonderful resources available to you right here at Triond (or at blogs kept by Triond members).

Resources at Triond

Allison West’s “Five great Sites to Find Writing Jobs” http://www.writinghood.com/Online-Writing/Five-Great-Sites-to-Find-Freelance-Writing-Jobs.239811 is a great resource.

Athlyn Green wrote a really good resource for the freelance writer on Hub Pages http://hubpages.com/hub/Earn-Money-Writing-Income-Opportunities .  I found it quite handy. 

However, when it comes to advice on how to earn money writing, I would highly recommend you check out Athlyn's blog http://writeandearnaliving.today.com/ .  In it, she regularly provides tips on how to write, how to get clicks online and regularly lists new places where you can submit your writing.

And, of course there are too many resources online to count.  However, since many of you seem to write fiction, I thought I’d concentrate on that in this installment.

Sites that list places where you can submit your fiction

The Market List http://www.marketlist.com/writers_index/

This isn’t a place per se but it lists resources for fiction writers.  Please note that the Market List does not verify that the magazines to which it links are still active.  However, they are a good starting place for the freelance writer.  I would also encourage you to google the names of the magazines it lists because you can learn about the publications that way and because many magazines now require that you submit your articles via e-mail or via their web sites.

The Writers Weekly http://www.writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/002179_11102004.html provides the freelancer with helpful advice and (mostly) links as to where you can submit good fiction.

As you can see, the opportunities for publishing (and making some money) online are there.  But it requires patience.  Very few people will make hundreds of dollars writing.  And if you’re writing online, it helps to make sure you have the key words that will generate traffic to your site or article.  The nice thing is that, even in this dreadful economy, the opportunity is there.

Good luck!

As I started to work on Xomba, I felt frustrated because I was writing for the site, but earning next to nothing for my efforts. As I explained in my previous article about Xomba, writers don't get paid by Xomba for page views at the site. Instead, they share in ad revenues generated from clicks on Google AdSense advertisements displayed on Xomba pages. Those who participate in Xomba must insert their Google AdSense account number into their Xomba account, as earnings from Xomba are paid directly through Google AdSense.

As I wrote in my earlier article about Xomba, writers can post Xombytes, which are magazine quality articles of 150 words or more (the word count was recently increased from 100 to 150 words minimum), or Xomblurbs, which are social bookmarks of interesting photos, videos, websites and articles.

My Xomba Experience

I have to admit, it was certainly frustrating at first to see some really nice page views for my work on Xomba, but no income. I started out in my first weeks on Xomba posting just a few Xombytes, and a few more Xomblurbs. I was also frustrated when I found out there was an error that meant all my Xombytes didn't link back to my Xomba profile (I thought this error might decrease my earnings if readers couldn't find my Xombytes from my profile.)

When I wrote my review of Xomba, I had earned about 4 cents on the site in about two weeks, and I had received very few clicks. I was thinking about throwing in the towel at Xomba in favor of just spending all my time on sites like Triond and Associated Content, where I receive earnings from page views.

Despite the discouragement, this voice inside said to give Xomba more time. In one of my earliest months working on Triond I didn't even earn enough to qualify for the minimum 50 cent payment amount at PayPal! I've learned as an online writer that things often take time to build, so instead of giving up, I thought I'd still work on Xomba a little bit to see what might happen.

One day shortly after writing my last Xomba review, I logged into my Google AdSense to discover I had 35 cents in my account. Then another day, I had 95 cents in earnings. These figures seem small, but in my early days on Triond and Associated Content, I remember earning literally pennies in a month. Earning almost a dollar a day wasn't common for me, so I felt excited about these Xomba earnings.

A few days ago, I logged into my Google AdSense account on a Sunday afternoon to discover I had earned $3.88 the day before. I was really thrilled to discover that much money from my Xomba earnings. I do have a blog that displays AdSense, but I don't get much traffic because my blog is more of a personal journal, and I don't really monetize or promote my blog right now. I feel that most of the money in my Google AdSense account has been earned from working on Xomba.

Tips for Working on Xomba

If you'd like to give Xomba a try, here are some tips that I believe are working for me. So far I've been on Xomba just over a month and I've earned almost ten dollars. It takes a hundred dollars in AdSense earnings to qualify for a payout; however, I have a feeling I'm well on my way to reaching my first hundred dollars on Google AdSense.

As I write this review, I currently have 6 Xombytes and 28 Xomblurbs posted on Xomba. I find that I receive small revenues in my AdSense account each day, even though I haven't invested any time in social bookmarking my Xomba articles. Even though the error in my Xomba account means that my Xombytes aren't linked to my Xomba profile, I don't believe that has really hurt my revenues (because my most recent posts are featured on my profile page and my Xombytes are discoverable to readers by the way they are tagged).

Xomba lists the most popular tags on the site, so I try to create Xomblurbs around these popular tags as much as possible (for example, travel is a popular tag, so I've done some Xomblurbs about travel articles, making sure I also tag my Xomblurb with the word “travel”). I also try to create a wide variety of Xomblurbs on lots of different topics, hoping something will catch a reader's eye (and perhaps increase my revenues).

I decided to create some Xomblurbs about what I found interesting, things like fashion, or holidays. I think when you bookmark things on Xomba that you like, and write a little description to go with your Xomblurb, you can't go wrong. Readers will pick up on your enthusiasm and in my opinion, that will lead to more readers and increased earnings.

What's nice about Xomba is that you can bookmark your own articles from other sites. I often create Xomblurbs that link to my Triond articles, and I've seen Xomba members link to their blogs and websites. (Please note that creating Xomblurbs that link to your own Xombytes is strictly forbidden, and this is an important point to remember as you are working on Xomba).

Increasing the number of articles called “Xombytes” has also helped me increase my Xomba revenues. I find that the more of these articles I add on Xomba, the more money I seem to earn on the site. Xomba is a very social site, and it helps to post comments and feedback on other Xombytes and Xomblurbs. I've noticed that the more I comment, the more revenue appears (I think this is because it gets my profile out there so that other members can discover my work on Xomba).

I haven't had time yet to social bookmark my Xomba articles, but Xomba makes it easy for members to do so. Driving traffic to your Xomba pages by getting the word out about them is definitely a way to increase your earnings. I am beginning to think that Xomba might yield a nice passive income stream for me, if I am patient and give it time to develop. With this in mind, I'm trying to add about three to five Xombytes or Xomblurbs a day, just like Xomba recommends in its help pages.

I only give Xomba a little bit of my time and attention and I'm totally surprised that I've received AdSense earnings without a lot of effort on my part. If I added hundreds of pieces of content to Xomba, and increased my Xombytes and Xomblurbs, who knows what could happen? I'm starting to get excited by Xomba's potential (but checking my AdSense earnings throughout the day could become addictive!)

I wanted to update my earlier review about my experiences on Xomba with this new information. While Triond and Associated Content remain my favorite places to write for, and I intend to keep working on both these sites, I'm also going to keep up my work on Xomba. I'm surprised by the total turnaround in my income and the earnings so far. I think combining my earnings from page views with Google AdSense revenues is definitely the way to build a nice income stream as an online writer.

I was skeptical about some of these fantastic claims about Xomba. However, I'm really trying to make a full time living from my online writing, so I decided to look into Xomba.com and find out what it was all about. Could Xomba really provide me with that elusive full time writing income I've been hoping for?

Getting Started With Xomba

Full of optimism, I decided to give Xomba.com a chance and signed up for an account with the site. Xomba is a revenue sharing site that is a bit different in its approach than Triond or Associated Content. In order to participate in Xomba, you must have a Google Adsense account (which is relatively easy to obtain.) Sign up for Google Adsense at the website www.google.com/adsense , or register for a new account through Xomba (I already had a Google Adsense account through my blog on Blogger.com.)

Once you are approved by Google Adsense and you have your Adsense account number, you then insert it in your Xomba account. Google ads are then placed on all your writings on Xomba, and you share in the ad revenues whenever someone clicks on an ad that is shown on your Xomba articles.

Excited by the prospect of earning big bucks with Google Adsense, I went to work on Xomba. In fact, I was initially so excited by the thought of earning money with Xomba.com, that I planned to focus a lot of my attention there, and cut back on my article writing for Triond and Associated Content.

I think that was a big mistake, because my experience with Xomba has been hugely disappointing so far. I definitely prefer Associated Content, and especially Triond, to writing for Xomba.

My Experience with Xomba

There are two types of content that can be posted on Xomba.com. According to Xomba, “Xombytes” are magazine type articles of 100 words or more. In my experience, lots of Xombytes aren't 100 words in length and are just excuses to post links to other websites, or the author's own products. “Xomblurbs” are used for social bookmarking purposes; a Xomblurb is a link to an interesting website, blog, photo, or news story, with a brief description of the link and no minimum word count for that description.

I'm heading into my second week on Xomba, and I've posted a few Xombytes (articles) and some Xomblurbs. Each day I eagerly log into my Google Adsense account, and I've had lots of page views, but only one click. That one click has earned me a grand total of four cents so far! It's very frustrating to see my work on Xomba getting page views, and not earning any income on the page views like I would on Associated Content or Triond.

Xomba made a serious mistake in my user profile that will probably drag down my page views and my potential to earn money from those valuable clicks on ads. I noticed on my Xomba profile that my Xombytes are not visible from that page. When someone visits my profile and wants to click on my Xombytes to read more, they are taken to the Xomba homepage. There is no link to my Xombytes from my user profile.

I contacted technical support and they responded that it definitely was an error, and it was being sent to “a programmer to take a look at it.” Meanwhile, I'm losing potential revenue, as Xomba readers can't find any of my Xombytes from my profile page. To me, this is a serious error, one I've never had on any other website I write for. As I write this, Xomba has still not corrected the error on my profile.

Some Xomba members have literally thousands of Xomblurbs that they've posted to the site. If you are going to give Xomba a try and hope to earn big dollars there, then posting tons of Xomblurbs or Xombytes is the way to do it. Also, consider writing Xombytes and Xomblurbs that contain popular tags; those are the hot topics that people are searching for on Xomba.

Getting your Xomba work out there through social bookmarking, and building traffic to Xomba articles should also increase your revenues. In order to earn money on Xomba, you must drive a lot of traffic to your Xombytes and Xomblurbs, and hope that your visitors will also click on some Google ads. Xomba itself will not pay for any page views to your articles, and revenue is only earned directly through Google Adsense. So it's conceivable that you could work really hard on Xomba and write a lot, and not see a dime unless you get clicks on some ads. That has definitely been my experience with Xomba.

In my opinion, I much prefer the slow and steady money making that occurs with Triond and Associated Content, than I do the gamble on earning big bucks with Xomba that doesn't seem to be working for me. While I'm willing to give Xomba a chance to correct the error in my profile, and I'm probably going to continue with them, I'll definitely be focusing most of my future money making efforts on writing for Associated Content and Triond.

I recently had a comment on that article from a writer who was very frustrated and sad about their lack of page views on Triond. This writer was going to just throw in the towel on Triond and seemed very frustrated about the whole situation, talking in a very negative way about not being an article writer.

Reading that comment, I wanted to do a follow up article with a few more tips about how to succeed on the Triond website. In my opinion, just because your success isn't immediate here, that doesn't mean you're not a good article writer. Sometimes success comes more quickly for some, but takes more time to develop for others. I feel that everyone should have their dream of becoming a successful writer. So, if your page views are disappointing and you are thinking about leaving Triond, I hope you'll reconsider that decision.

Read on for a few more helpful tips about how to become a successful Triond writer.

Create an Inviting Profile

I currently write for two websites: Associated Content and Triond. Associated Content lets you fill out a small profile, with a photo, a description, and some links. Triond's profile section for its members is a lot more colorful and creative. Creating an attractive Triond profile is a way to set yourself apart and generate interest in your articles.

When you are on Triond adding friends to your list and trying to make connections in the Triond writer community, I think it helps to share something of yourself in your Triond profile. When you show up on another writer's fan list, and they click your profile and there is no photo there, and a blank space where there should be a description, it's hard to get a sense of that person who has an empty profile.

I like to have a smiling photo of myself in my profile, because it just feels friendly and warm. I share something of myself in my profile description, but it's not too lengthy. A nice photo of yourself or even an intriguing or funny pic like a pet photo, a cartoon, or a nice nature scene, makes your profile seem more inviting to others.

I don't like to add a lot of links to my blog or other websites I write for in my Triond profile. This is because I hope my visitors will click on my articles in my Triond portfolio during their visit to my profile. I don't want to send them away from my profile page to click on some other site before they've had the chance to read my work.

So what works for me is a personal photo, and a brief description about me and what I'm currently working on. The most important thing about your profile is to make it attractive and inviting; Triond is an intimate community where other writers like to get a sense of the person behind the profile.

Write New Triond Articles on a Regular Basis

I just had my best month on Triond yet, and I have to say that I began to rest on my laurels a bit. I slacked off adding new articles on Triond, and I saw my earnings start to dip. The months that I do better on Triond are the times when I'm adding the most new content here on a regular basis.

On Associated Content, there are a few writers who have thousands of articles published at that site. Imagine the passive income streams they must earn, from thousands of published articles. Even if each article didn't earn a lot, it would still add up to a nice residual income for the writer.

Writing thousands of articles isn't realistic for a lot of writers, but the fact remains you will earn more Triond revenue as you build up a body of work here. Only publishing a few articles now and then won't help you achieve your dream of earning an income stream as a writer.

As your library of Triond articles starts to increase, you'll see small but steady increases in your earnings. I have almost 100 articles published on Associated Content, and recently started to see an increase in monthly revenues from those articles, some published over a year ago. The more quality content you publish on Triond on a regular basis, the better your chances of meeting your income goals.

Actively Comment on Triond Articles

In my earlier article about success on Triond, I discussed the idea of building your friend list in an intelligent manner. I talked about adding friends only when you find a writer you enjoy and want to keep up with their Triond articles.

It is also important to read and comment on the work of the Triond writers you admire. It's a way to become part of the Triond community, and can also increase recognition of your own work. This can be a challenge, as far as time, because I write steadily for two websites and I'm considering taking on some new assignments.

I currently have over 1,000 articles sitting in my friend's news feed. I'm not sure I could find the time now to read every one. Since I write on such a diverse group of topics, everything from soap opera, to beauty product and food reviews, to travel in the Hudson Valley, I'm not offended if my friends don't comment on every one of my stories. I'm aware that some articles may be of more interest than others to the people on my friend list.

What I try to do is read some stories from everyone on my friend and growing fan list. Sometimes I don't have time to comment on every one, because I have dial up and my internet is extremely slow; however, I am really starting to see the importance of reaching out and connecting with those on my friend list by commenting on as many stories as I can.

If you are trying to increase recognition of your work on Triond, try reaching out to others here by reading Triond writers you enjoy and leaving some thoughtful comments about their work.

Social Bookmarking for the Triond Writer

I recently discovered social bookmarking sites, like Digg, Delicious, and StumbleUpon. Getting involved in social bookmarking has definitely increased my earnings on Triond, as I realized I couldn't just let my articles sit there without promoting them.

Promoting your work can be very important to success as a Triond writer. After you publish an article here, Triond offers links that allow you to share your work on sites like Digg. I'm still figuring out the social bookmarking sites, and Triond has some tips about this in its help section. StumbleUpon has been the most successful for me so far, and I'm looking into other sites also.

Other ways to promote your Triond articles include blogging about them, or creating a HubPage or Squidoo lens that provides information on a topic and also links back to some of your Triond articles.

Having a blog or a lens is another way to earn money online, while you promote your Triond work. I like to diversify my writing efforts across a number of websites, that way I never get too frustrated if my earnings are down at one site. So I recommend writing for a variety of websites to keep that income flowing in; I am on Associated Content and Triond, and looking into joining sites like Xomba.

Remember, success as an online writer can be full of ups and downs. Just when you are feeling discouraged and think about giving up, success could be right around the corner. These are a few more tips to put you on the road to online writing success. I wish you the best writing for Triond and may all your dreams come true!

Whether you are starting out as a writer and building a clip file, or you're well established and looking to boost your monthly writing revenue, it's important to know where to look for legitimate freelance writing jobs that pay. Here are a few online job boards for writers (some sites mentioned in this article are quite well established, while others are less well known places to look for work).

This article is geared more towards the beginning freelancer looking to get a foot in the door, but should also be useful for writers who have established a freelance career. Hopefully, these web sites will make the difficult search for paying freelance writing jobs a little easier.

Freelance Writing Gigs

Deborah Ng's Freelance Writing Jobs is considered one of the most popular sites to find freelance writing jobs. Many freelance writers swear by this site and make it their number one place to look for paying writing jobs.

At this site, you'll find listings of quality freelance writing jobs that are updated regularly, as well as helpful articles about all aspects of a freelance writing career. The nice thing about Freelance Writing Jobs is that it is geared towards beginning freelancers as well as established writers. In fact, the site has many helpful articles about how to land that first paying writing gig; the article titled “Landing Your First Freelance Writing Job-Where to Begin?” should be required reading for those new to the freelance writing world.

At the Freelance Writing Jobs site, don't miss the article called “23 Places to Find Freelance Writing Jobs and Freelance Blogging Jobs” (there is a link to this popular article on the front page of freelancewritinggigs.com.) This article is a goldmine of other recommended sites to find freelance writing jobs that pay.

Accentuate Writers Forum

Accentuate Writers Forum is run by fellow Associated Content writer and freelancer Michelle L. Devon (also known as Michy). On the Paying Writing Jobs Forum, you will find a carefully compiled listing of quality freelance writing jobs. A lot of care is put into these postings, and there is a nice assortment of jobs for content providers as well as those who write for magazines.

In addition to offering a listing of freelance writing jobs, this site offers a place for writers to post and introduce themselves, and chat about a variety of topics. Accentuate Writers Forum has given many content providers, like those who write for Associated Content and Triond, a way to branch out and find paying freelance writing jobs for print publications.

Freelance Writing

Freelance Writing.com is a huge site with an abundance of resources for the aspiring freelance writer. There are tons of freelance writing jobs listed and the site also offers articles about freelance writing, writer's guidelines, discussion forums, writing contests and events.

Jobs range from high paying to extremely low paying; however, if you are looking to land that first paying freelance writing job, this could be the place to find it. This site truly has something for everybody; don't forget to check out the resources for writers and the newsletter sections.

Online Writing Jobs

Online Writing Jobs is a job bank listing opportunities for freelance writers that is compiled from other job boards like Craigslist. There are openings for magazine writers, bloggers, and content providers. The freelance writing jobs listed here range from low paying gigs to higher paying jobs, but this is also a good place for the newer writer to look for that first paying assignment.

Online Writing Jobs

OnlineWritingJobs.net is a blog by Robert, another fellow writer at Associated Content. This site is a real find for its detailed information about where to find paying freelance writing jobs for online writers. The author talks about his own experiences and earnings as a writer, and mentions a variety of freelance writing jobs like those at SharedReviews.com, TextBroker.com, DailyArticle.com, Brighthub.com and many more.

If you are currently writing for websites like Triond and Associated Content and wish to branch out and write for different websites, this site is an invaluable resource. This blog offers a nice balance of freelance writing jobs (geared towards the content provider) and insights from the author's own experience as a working freelance writer.

Honorable Mentions

Check out fellow Associated Content and Triond writer Melanie Marten's blog ArticleWriter101.com. This site is a primer on how to be a successful content provider for websites. Melanie lists writing opportunities, resources and tips for becoming a successful online writer.

Finally, there's always Craigslist.com for a seemingly unlimited listing of freelance writing jobs. A caveat about Craigslist: there are a lot of scammers out there who are looking to take advantage of the relatively new writer, so be careful and use common sense when responding to listings.

That being said, Craiglist can be a wonderful resource for freelance writing jobs. Manhattan Craigslist and the section “Writing Gigs” can be a good place to hunt for work; do a search for telecommuting jobs if you'd like to work from home.

Let this list be a great starting place as you get out there and look for freelance writing jobs that pay. Whatever your experience level, there's a freelance writing gig out there for you. Good luck in your search for freelance writing jobs!

So I read some more books and had the idea to take a writing workshop online. In this travel writing class, we researched and wrote a complete article from start to finish. Then we practiced composing query letters to print publications and researched possible markets for our stories. This process took about six weeks of working on one article and then figuring out how to market the piece.

When I left this workshop, I had a much firmer grasp on how to write an article. But the workshop was clearly devoted to writing and marketing articles for newspapers and magazines. I tried to market my article but I felt confused about where to begin. The process felt a bit overwhelming. Also, I had no other published pieces so I couldn't “query with published clips.”

I've long been an admirer of BootsnAll, a travel website that has launched the careers of several respected travel writers. I felt it would be very meaningful to me to have an article published on that site. Bootsnall works with beginners and professional writers, so I knew they would be open to my article. If the work was good, it wouldn't matter if I didn't have a handful of clips of my published articles.

I submitted my travel article (with photos) to BootsnAll and it was published in a few weeks. I felt so proud that day to see my work published alongside travel writers I really admire. That really got me hooked on writing content for websites. My next move was to start publishing a library of work on Associated Content, and very soon, I'll have one hundred articles published on that website.

Advantages of Being an Online Writer

I have really loved my one year of being an online writer. I find it offers several distinct advantages compared to writing for print. Writing for sites like Triond, BootsnAll, and Associated Content, I feel part of a creative community of writers and readers. Writing online, I get to know and communicate with fellow writers, meet some of my readers, and get some useful feedback about my articles. Not only is that a nice morale booster, it's good for my work. Constructive feedback is very important to growth as a writer, and the interaction with writers and readers helps overcome some of the isolation that comes with hour after hour of being at home writing articles.

If I wrote these articles for a newspaper or magazines, there might be some feedback or letters to the editor, but it wouldn't be as immediate or personal, in my opinion. Newspapers and magazines get tossed aside and discarded, but my library of articles will hopefully be live online for years to come. I feel that writing articles online is like becoming part of a tribe of people really passionate about reading stories and creating new content, and I've loved being part of that community.

Another plus of being an online writer is the immediate, regular payments for articles, whether it's an upfront cash payment or a share of ad revenues generated by a story. Browsing through my Writer's Market, I notice lots of magazines that say they “pay on publication” and some of them take months or longer to publish an article!

Print publications also tend to spring up and shut down with some regularity. There is always the possibility of toiling away on a great article idea, only to have the magazine fold without warning, leaving the writer hanging without payment. While there are plenty of reputable print publications, sometimes in this economy it's hard to predict what market will shut down next.

I like that review times and payments for online writing at reputable websites are usually swift, and I also appreciate receiving revenue based on performance of my articles. This money that rolls in as a share of ad revenues from my articles is like a passive income stream. I do the work once by writing an article, and years later I could still be receiving payments for my work.

Ease of entry is another thing I really appreciate about online writing. Because the internet is so vast with so many websites, there is always a market for an article. The web needs content and online writers. The bar may seem impossibly high at some print publications, if you don't have a doctorate, a masters, a degree in journalism or a stack of clips from prestigious magazines or newspapers. But there is something very democratic about the web--if your work is good, some website will publish you even if you don't have a journalism background or lots of previously published articles.

The Downside of Being a Content Provider

Lately, I call myself a content provider when I tell people what I do. I get a lot of blank stares, or I get questioned as to what that really means, or sometimes the reaction is silence.

When I mention I'm a freelance writer, I've had people respond “Oh, you write for local newspapers and magazines?” I answer that I'm published on several websites, and sometimes I see them deflate. Like being a content provider for websites is somehow less valid than being a writer for print publications.

I feel there is sometimes a stigma attached to being an online writer. The general public often doesn't realize the expertise that goes into writing for websites. Being a content provider entails different things than filing a print story with an editor. For example, I have to consider keyword density, subheads, discoverable titles for my stories, links, and how to edit photos to be published online with my work.

I've come to realize that being an online writer is really an art form and skill like any other. “Content is king” on the web, so it is the articles and information written by content providers that determine the potential success or failure of a site.

Keeping all this in mind, I can't help but cave into the pressure sometimes to get my first piece published in print. I've been a bit conditioned to feel like that one small article I might publish in my local weekly paper will somehow be more important and valid than my over one hundred (and counting) articles published online. It often bothers me that many people think it's no work at all to be an online writer and that content providers can sometimes get no respect (except from other content writers!)

So I'm looking into getting that first precious clip from a newspaper or magazine, but content writing will always be my joy. I truly enjoy being an online writer and I'm very grateful for the benefits I've received from publishing my work on websites. Online writing gave me my start, so no matter how many print articles I get published someday, I'll always be proud to be a content writer.

When I published my first article on Triond, it literally made pennies. That was very disappointing, so I didn't log into Triond for a while, and focused my efforts on writing for other sites. Eventually I checked my Triond account, and I saw that my one article had actually made a few dollars! I realized that the power of page views really do add up, and over time, a writer can make some nice cash on Triond.

Now, as I've started to become involved in the Triond community and I've added more articles, I see a slow but steady increase in my payments. Pennies earned turned into dollars, which seem to steadily increase the longer I write for Triond. My goal is to make a part-time monthly income on Triond, and I believe that it is possible. In my experience, the more you put into Triond as a writer, the more you'll get out of the site.

Here are some tips I wish I'd known when I first started writing for Triond.

Read articles by Triond's Hot Users

 

When you log into your Triond account, notice the section of your dashboard that shows hot users. These are the leading writers on Triond. It is very helpful to get a feel for what is popular on Triond, by reading the content of some of its hottest users. I believe that reading great writers helps improve my own writing. I have some of the most popular Triond users on my friends list, so I can keep up with their work. I also take a look at the hottest Triond articles of the day to see what people want to read.

I also spend time at Triond's site Writinghood.com, reading articles about online writing and the business of writing. I find that Writinghood has a lot of great tips about writing for Triond.

Join the Triond Community

Triond has a great help section with lots of useful tips, but they don't really explain in depth about the Triond community. Becoming part of the Triond community is really vital to success on the site, so it's important to build your friend list in an intelligent and really authentic way.

What do I mean by this? Don't just start adding Triond users as friends if you haven't even read their work. It can be tempting to just add people to try and build up a friends list, but don't do it. Build your Triond friends list slowly and only add writers whose work you enjoy and would like to keep reading.

When I first joined Triond, I didn't understand the difference between friends and fans, and there's no information about that listed in the help section. I did notice that anyone I added as a friend would show up on my Triond dashboard with their newest articles listed under friends news. One day, I went to my community section on Triond and clicked on my fans. I saw I had one person listed as my fan, but I wasn't sure at first what that meant. Then I realized that that person had added me as a friend, and I would now show up on their dashboard whenever I added a new article.

I began to understand the power of adding friends on Triond in an intelligent manner. Whenever someone adds me as a Triond fan, I always also add them as a friend. This way we both show up under each other's friend news, and can read each other's articles. I also add other people as Triond friends when I find a writer I like and want to keep up with their articles. I find that lots of writers will return the favor and add you to their friend's list on Triond.

This is the power of the Triond community. The more people on your fans list on Triond, the more possibilities that someone will find and read your articles, and your page views (and your potential revenue) will grow.

Use Keywords and Tags

When writing content for Triond, keep keywords in mind. For example, I sometimes write about the CBS daytime soap As The World Turns. So that readers who like the show can find my articles, I make sure that the keywords As The World Turns are frequently used in my article. Other keywords I might also use could be CBS, soap, soaps, or soap opera. Use a keyword density tool to ensure that your keywords are used enough in your Triond article; aim for keyword density of about 3 to 5 percent.

Tags are also vital to getting page views on Triond. Consider your subject matter and its intended website when choosing tags for your Triond article. For example, when choosing tags for a recent travel article intended for Trifter, I went to Trifter.com and checked out the hot tags on the site. I saw tags like travel, vacation, so those are the tags I ended up using for my article (and it's been getting some decent page views!)

Find Your Niche and Develop a Following on Triond

I've noticed that certain articles fare better than others on Triond. The most popular Triond articles usually contain very catchy, attention getting titles. Lists are hot on Triond, such as Top Ten or Ten Best. Triond articles that do well can be silly, sensational, bizarre, intriguing or in some way quite unique and interesting, and these stories hook the attention of a large group of readers.

Don't give up on Triond if these kinds of articles just aren't your forte. If you have a specialty, you can still develop a following on Triond just by writing what you know. If your writing is good, you use keywords and tags effectively, and you have a passion for your subject matter, readers will find you on Triond. For example, I noticed that there aren't tons of articles on Trifter about New York, or travel in the Hudson Valley (one of my writing specialties.) By writing on this topic, those who really want to read about travel in New York State will find my Triond articles on Trifter, and I could possibly become the go-to writer for this niche (building popularity and page views.)

Be Patient and Keep Adding Content to Triond

One of the most important keys to success on Triond is a slow and steady approach. Be patient if you don't make a lot of money at first on Triond. The power of writing for Triond is the slow accumulation of page views as days on the site turn into months, then years. Keep regularly adding content to Triond, and try to set goals for how many articles you'd like to write per month and how much you'd like to earn.

Don't sacrifice quality for quantity when writing for Triond. Make sure you are pleased with everything you publish on Triond, and always do your best. Remember to proofread and check your Triond articles for errors, so your Triond library of published work is of the highest quality.

I believe that the rewards of being a Triond writer are great and are not just measured in financial gain. Writing for Triond means being part of a lovely supportive creative community while you continue to build a reputation and a portfolio as a writer. I believe that by following a few simple tips, it is possible to achieve success as a Triond writer, and have a great time doing it. Good luck writing for Triond!

Then I read an article that mentioned Triond as a potential source of income from freelance writing. Triond doesn't offer any upfront payment for articles; instead, it gives freelance writers fifty percent of any revenue earned from your content. As I learned more about Triond, and the potential freelance writing income it might provide me, I decided to give this website a chance.

In my experience, Triond really has a lot of potential for freelance writers. I now use Triond in conjunction with Associated Content, to generate freelance writing income. Even though I've had a slow start on Triond, as far as earning significant income on the site, I feel I do have the possibility of earning some nice cash here.

Here are some highlights of my freelance writing strategy, and how I plan to earn money on Triond:

I publish all of my articles online as non exclusive, no exceptions. This way I can publish them on a lot of different sites and maximize revenue from one article. I also retain the rights to display my work on a personal website I might create one day, because I only give non exclusive rights.

I submit articles for upfront payment on Associated Content, if they are product reviews, local events, and things that Associated Content is willing to pay for with an upfront offer.

Associated Content doesn't like to pay upfront for opinion pieces, and things like film television and book reviews, so I publish those types of articles first on Triond. Triond takes first rights to these articles, meaning they are the first to publish it as a unique article and then I am free to place my article on other websites that want content from freelance writers.

After these types of articles are published on Triond, I take them over to Associated Content and publish them as display only (meaning, they have first been published somewhere else.) This way, I earn a share of revenues from the same article on Triond and Associated Content (not a bad way for freelance writers to maximize revenue).

Last month, I saw my performance bonus go up at Associated Content, and I was surprised to have earned a few dollars at Triond too. I was really surprised that one story I wrote for Triond about ABC's The Bachelor: London Calling earned me a lot of page views. In fact, I earned half as much revenue from that story as I did from the entire monthly performance bonus for all forty stories I had on Associated Content at the time.

That encouraged me to keep up my freelance writing efforts on Triond. My new stories on Triond haven't performed quite as well as that first one, but it's just a matter of finding popular subject matter and promoting your articles whenever possible.

If you're a freelance writer, give Triond a try. I think you'll be surprised how easy it is to be earning some additional freelance writing income in no time at all (every little bit helps!)