Web Article Types You Should Be Good At

Freelance writing jobs are usually once-off article projects. A client will have a batch of articles for one website, and would prefer to have one freelancer do all of the articles rather than send them out to many different freelance writers. Because of this, people hiring writers will obviously want the person most qualified to do those types of SEO articles.

Here are a few categories of articles that you should learn to write. I recommend these because they come up often, and are often the most paid.

1. Travel Writing

Travel articles are possibly the most common type of web content you will write. If you can write good travel articles you can charge as much as $200 each for them. If you are just starting, expect between $5-$10 per article. The good news: they're usually short and very easy to do.

2. Technical Writing

Technical writing jobs are all over the place: You can find a lot of them on GetAFreelancer. The good news is that good technical writers and technical editors are as rare as hens' teeth. Learn how to write about something technical - anything - and try to broaden your range of subjects that you can write at a technical level on. Technical writing jobs pay very well once you are experienced.

3. Real Estate Article Writing

Everybody's trying to sell real estate, or they're trying to sell real estate investment guides. Being able to write real estate articles means you'll never be out of a job. Have a look at Deborah Ng's Freelance Writing Jobs board, because there are usually a lot of Craigslist jobs for real estate writers there

4. Medical Writing

Clinics, hospitals and websites that are trying to direct traffic to them are always in need of quality content. Most of the time they need general information about specific diseases, operations, equipment, facilities etc. Here, Wikipedia is your friend. Become a skilled at medical writing jobs and you could be making hundreds of dollars a day.

5. Website and Product Reviews

Believe it or not, writing product & site reviews is very lucrative. I did a bunch of 500 word reviews of sites for $12 a piece a few months back. When the project was over I had made a good few hundred dollars for about 3 days work. Here, humor is your friend. See More on Writing Reviews

Related Posts:

• How To Write 15 Minute SEO Articles


• 5 SEO Article Writing Tips


• How To Write SEO Articles


• Writing Well Paid Articles

Technorati Tag: Internet Copywriting

How to Get Well Paid Writing Jobs

We all know they're out there: writing jobs that pay in excess of $50 per article. But how do you find article writing jobs like this? Well, the first thing you need to know is that $50 articles are not exactly all over the place. There is little chance of finding a regular supply of several of these articles a day, at least at first.

The best-paid articles are usually for magazines. These don't have to be famous magazines - I did one the other day on an auctioneer for a lesbian lifestyle magazine. And the best part is, you don't even have to go to the magazines to find the work.

All you have to do is find a client who can get this type of writing work. I found one at GetaFreelancer, but you could look on any of the other good writing jobs sites like WriterLance.

Of course, to get well paid writing jobs you have to prove you're worth the money. Find a client who says they are interested in doing magazine and high profile work, and then try to help them find it. Chances are they have a much better chance of getting the gig than you do as a beginner, and you get the experience and most of the money for your articles in the end.

If you want to try find the jobs yourself, have a look at Deborah Ng's writing jobs board - this is where I scout for high-priced jobs for my clients if I want more of this type of work.

---

Remember to sign up with Agloco before the first quarter payout to get paid for your surfing hours in cash and shares of a large cap dot.com company!

Related Technorati Tags

How to Get Into Internet Copywriting

There are a lot of ways to get into internet copywriting, but I'm going to tell you how I did it. It worked out pretty well if I don't say so myself.

Step 1 - Join GetAFreelancer

Once you have a bit of confidence, sign up to this site. If you have the chance, try to work for a local company or a friend first, so you can do as few or as many articles as you like to get practice.

I know there are a lot of other writing jobs boards out there, but this is pretty much the biggest. You have to sift through a lot of low-paid writing gigs, but there are some really good article writing jobs in there all the time.

Step 2 - Find a Client

Look for a job post that looks like the buyer is wanting a long-term relationship. Send them private messages, see if they sound like the kind of person you'd like to work for. Bid on their projects (how to bid) and charm the pants off them. Try to find 2 or 3 such people, but don't just accept any projects that come along.

Step 3 - Build a Relationship with your Client

Work hard for your clients, take on any projects they need you to, and sooner or later they will reward you with more highly paid writing jobs. I find that this is a sure fire way to get the best price for your articles without the resources to market yourself, and with little writing experience.

I guarantee that if you follow these steps within 2-3 months you will be commanding at least $5 per article, and from there's not much limit. There are articles out there waiting to be written that people will pay $50-$100, but you have to prove that your articles are worth that much first.

Related Technorati Tags

Writing SEO Articles that Make Money

SEO articles can go for anything from $2 to $25 each or more, but most of us seem to find ourselves working on the bottom end of this scale. Like any other industry, web content writing has vast earnings disparity. So what makes some article writers well paid, and others not?

Well, for starters, experience is worth a lot more in this industry than a qualification (although this helps). The best way to land a well paying writing project on GetAFreelancer or another writing site is to have relevant experience writing the type of articles the client needs. Here are 5 tips on how to be well paid for your writing:

1. Generalize
If someone offers you rectal cancer articles, do them. The next time a medical articles writing project comes up, you can bid high and claim relevant experience


2. Fewer clients, less money
Stick to 2 or 3 clients, and write articles for them for a few months. Good references will get you a long way


3. Focus on Quality
The better your web content and SEO articles are, the more you can charge people for them. The only way to increase your price is slowly


4. Promote Yourself
Tell people what you do, network, make business cards, start a blog - do whatever it takes to tell the world about your writing abilities.


5. Don't Sell Yourself Short
If you know your SEO articles are worth $10 each, don't bid lower than this. There will always be more projects going from clients who appreciate a highly skilled writer.

Writing World - Review

To better serve my visitors who are looking for writing work I have decided to start regular reviews of freelance writing sites. The first on this list is www.writingworld.org.

I stumbled across this site by accident, and I notice that it's a little different from a lot of freelance writing sites out there. There is no signup, and you don't make any account. There is just a big job board where people post advertisements for writing jobs.

This works a lot like a classified ads paper. You have to send in your resume (or at least a professional email) to the company listing the writing jobs, and then they will respond privately. If you want to find a regular client who will give you constant writing jobs, this is the place to go.

It differs from GetAFreeLancer in that this puts you directly in contact with the original clients. The writing jobs up for grabs are pretty much permanent or semi-permanent positions, or they are large single projects like scripts or screenplays.

I always have a "why not" approach to applying for writing jobs, so I will keep an eye on this one. If you see something good on this board, by all means apply for it - the worst they can do is not hire you. There are several good jobs up at the moment, and I think this is a good site to find a single long term client to work for.

writing jobs

Writing Jobs at WriteNonsense

I have received several requests recently about writing jobs that I might have to offer. If anyone has noticed, I have two or three features on my blog that allow you to find writing jobs easily -- without shelling out any money first.

I have writing jobs available for my South African readers at the moment. Hopefully I will be able to offer projects to international writers soon, but I cannot give any time frame for this. My reason for this is that the rates I could offer overseas writers are not really worth the trouble. (Unless you live in India, or another country whose currency is weak against the dollar) You can email me to find out what writing jobs I have available at the moment.

For my international readers who really want to get started writing for money, I would suggest looking at the writing jobs on GetAFreelancer. These are the most recent internet copywriting jobs that have been posted. For information on how to join GetAFreelancer, bid on projects and win them, see my post here about how to do it.

If you want to get work through GetAFreelancer, you will need either a Moneybookers or a PayPal account so you can get money out of GAF. There are a lot of other internet copywriting job posts, but this is the one that comes most highly recommended. I use it and I can tell you it is a really easy way to get jobs. You usually end up getting long term clients who supply you with a comfortable flow of work, and that's your ideal situation as a freelance writer.

So, if anyone is looking for online writing work, drop me a line. If I can't help you out I can point you in the right direction. The "Helium needs you to write" ad on the right isn't kidding - they want writers and they pay you in perpetuity! So check it out, write some articles for them and watch your writing earn money!

Writing Jobs

Write reviews like a Pro!

Review writing can be some of the most lucrative internet copywriting jobs you can find on GetAFreelancer, or anywhere else. Here are 5 tips on how to write reviews like a pro!

1. Know the required objectivity level

The client should specify this, but if not be sure to clarify how objective your review should be. If you are supposed to be plugging a site you obviously have to be nice about it and include the name of the site many times. If you can be totally objective, then it's time to have some fun...

2. Humour - the most powerful review writing tool

When you write reviews, try to make people laugh. Use funny comparisons like "The new iPhone's standard ringtones lack the charm of the elevator classics we all know and love..." If you don't know what a funny comparison sounds like, watch Top Gear.

3. Skip to the boring stuff

Don't waste time checking out all the cool features of whatever you are writing a review about. Scan through the FAQ and the terms and conditions. The FAQ will tell you about any problems users of that product, website etc experienced, and the T&C will tell you any hidden costs or snags that your readers should know about.

4. Bullet Points

According to my sources, bullet points are "back in". Use headings, numbered lists and bullet points to get important facts across, or to increase the impact of your jokes.

5. Be brief and give an opinion!

People read reviews to see what other people think about something they might buy or look at. State your case clearly in your review, and give a concise summary including your general opinion in the last paragraph.


So, if you use those five tips, your reviews should start earning you some good money. I currently make around $12 per 1000 review, but sometimes I get more. In terms of $/hour they are much more lucrative than SEO articles, but they require some actual constructive writing and thought.

If you think you are up to review writing, check out what review projects you can bid on at GetAFreelancer, or email me to see if I have any review work that you can get started on.


Read about review writing

Get paid for your writing

It sounds simple enough, but getting paid for your writing is not as easy as it sounds. Sending money by wire transfer internationally presents major headaches and significant costs, so most people make use of an online banking facility or "internet wallet". There are two free ones that stand out, and these are PayPal and Moneybookers.
Okay, so you've written your first SEO articles through GetAFreelancer, and your client wants to pay you. Chances are they will pay you straight into your GAF account, but they might offer to pay you via PayPal or Moneybookers. Either way, to withdraw money from your GAF account you must have one of these payment facilities.

I use Moneybookers for one main reason: they serve South Africa. Paypal is just as fast, and probably more widely supported, but they give you major hassles if you do not have a US bank account. You can check if your country is supported for withdrawals here. Moneybookers supports withdrawals wherever you are, and it is much easier to ad bank accounts, credit cards and debit cards than it is on PayPal. So to sum up the pros/cons of each:

Moneybookers - Withdraw wherever you are; easier to use/Used by fewer of your clients; slightly slower than PayPal.

PayPal - Used by almost everyone; instant/no withdrawals to many countries; more online merchant-oriented.

Both of these will take a few days, and charge a little bit (Moneybookers charges a flat rate of just over $2 per withdrawal) to send money to your local bank account, and both are more suited to spending money online than receiving it. Although, I find PayPal to be irritatingly consumer-driven while Moneybookers at least maintains the image of a professional financial service.

Things to remember:

1. Your first GAF transfer will take at least 15 days, and will go through on the Mon/Tues after this waiting period.
2. Withdrawals from Moneybookers/Paypal will take a few days, and cost some money. It's a financial service - learn to pay for these.
3. These facilities are entirely secure, and both of them are tighter than Fort Knox
4. You will need your bank's SWIFT code to add your account. Find your SWIFT code here.
5. GetAFreelancer will charge you $0.75 per withdrawal, and $5 per bid won - it's their cut and good for them for making money I say. Make sure you leave enough in your account to cover these fees or they will delay your payment until you have a positive balance!

Remember, be patient. It takes time to get started as a writer, and the money can be the most frustrating part in the beginning. My advice: don't start freelance writing with an empty bank account. It can take up to a month after completing your first project before you actually see the cash in your hand. Good luck and enjoy getting paid!

Read About Getting Paid

Getting started with GetAFreelancer

GetAFreelancer.com is just about the best online resource to find online writing projects. This site works on a post-and-bid system whereby people who need writers post projects, and writers bid on them. It sounds easy, but it was a long time before I actually won any projects. That was because I didn't know how to find the right projects, and how to write GAF bids to make sure that the buyer picked me.

Here are step by step instructions on creating your GetAFreelancer account and winning GAF projects.

1. Create your account by clicking here or on the GAF banner.

Take your time to fill in all the fields on your profile, because buyers will look at this when deciding on writers. Put in as many relevant keywords as you can because searches will also pick these up.

2. Check out your bid limit

You only have a certain number of bids per month, so make sure you don't waste them on projects you don't understand or will not be able to complete.

3. Check your inbox:

You should start receiving relevant projects straight away. Don’t bid on everything. For example, say you see this project in your inbox:

“39 articles about Real Estate (Budget: $100-300, Posted by Andrea23 at 07/05/2007 at 10:35 EDT, Jobs: Copywriting)”

If you believe you have the skills and the time to complete this project within the time frame (would be a week or 7 days) then click "Bid on this project"

4. Make your bid count!

Always bid in the lowest range, but put your actual time frame in. The actual payment for the project will usually be negotiated privately). When you write your bid, don’t put your entire life story in the block. You need to say 2 things in as few words as possible:

· Why you would be good at the project

· “Please see the PMB”!

5. Write them a message

Go to the project again, and click on the “Post PM” button. Tell them in a few words why you would do the project well, how soon you could finish it and how much you would like per article. You should be guided by my prices as to what you should bid. The best way to win a bid is to post a relevant sample. Don’t have one? Go to a related site, look at their and write a 500 word keyword optimized “mock article” advertising something on their site. Post it and the buyer will probably get back to you within a few hours!

Just a few things you should know:

You can't post contact details without being accepted as the project bidder, but the PMB works fine for any contact you need in the beginning

You need an online payment facility to get paid from GAF. If you have a US bank account, you can use PayPal, otherwise use Moneybookers. (It's what I use and it's brilliant)

Being accepted as the project provider means that you can contact the buyer, but it costs you $5 every time you are accepted. Why? This is GAF's only real cut they take, and it allows you to rate the buyer (and they to rate you). This ensures security and guaranteed payment, because nobody is going to stiff you if they know you can let everyone else on GAF know about it. Becoming a Gold member means that you don't pay this fee.

write articles online

How I Got Started

A book I once read on writing commercially had a quote that said, "If you want to know if you could be a writer, try being anything else first." Writing isn't always fun, and it isn't always lucrative. You won't always be able to pour your heart into your unfinished novel, because you need to do writing that actually pays first. But if you find yourself hating every job you have and you are frustrated with how difficult it is to find a job with a Humanities degree, then writing might be the best way to make money and express yourself at the same time.

Armed with a degree in English and Philosophy still warm from the laser printer, I found myself in the same waitering job I had been in for nearly two years. I hate being a waiter. I hate serving customers. I hate spilling drinks, ringing up food, fighting with chefs, yelling at runners, dodging managers, holding thumbs for tips and cleaning up tourists' leftovers. I resigned in a mild huff and, after a brief period working in a book shop, I began to write part time for my local and most regular supplier of work: WerdWerks South Africa. I will post a link to their website as soon as it is up and running.

I had done a few private writing projects before this, but nothing that had earned me an income. I suddenly became more interested in my GetAFreeLancer account, which I had pretty much been ignoring for a year. I started bidding on internet copywriting projects and started actually winning them from time to time. After a massive battle with the entire global online banking community I managed to get cash to start flowing, and it hasn't stopped since. I will of course explain how to dodge the pitfalls of online banking in another post.

Werdwerks are always looking for new South African writers, and you can email me to find out how to get in contact with them and start writing as soon as you are ready. Otherwise I would definitely recommend GetAFreeLancer as the best place to get work online, period. I have looked at dozens of freelance writing sites and of the free ones none of them even come close. If anyone knows of a good website that is FREE, feel free to post it here with your comment. Please note I will delete all posts that include links to sites that charge for a basic membership. This blog's sole purpose is to provide free information to people who want to make money working from home without joining expensive sites.

So at the moment I write around fifteen articles a day on just about any topic you can think of. The work you can get doing internet copywriting varies tremendously, but most of it is designed to increase a website's rank on Google or any other search engine (I will go over writing techniques for SEO and blog posts in a later post). I distinguish between "full content" articles and "cheap" articles. Full content articles require research, quite a bit of work and can take around 30-60 minutes each. "Cheap" content articles are re-writes, articles of less than 500 words (which is standard) and things like small blog posts. As a general guideline I would not accept full content article work for less than $2.50 per article, or cheap articles for less than $1.50, but that is just my policy.

So there you have it: how I started to write online and make money doing it. You can do it too if you keep following my updates and use the helpful links I post on this blog. The best part is that you don't really need any qualification to write for the web. If you have ever posted on your favorite blog, had your own blog, written college or high school essays or a letter, then you can do it. Having a high speed internet connection at home is very useful, and almost essential if you want to take it seriously. If you have any questions, feel free to email me and I will see if I can answer you or point you in the right direction.